In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with plus-size style expert and reality TV producer Marcy Guevara-Prete to reflect on their experience participating in a viral Jubilee debate with fitness personality Jillian Michaels.

Leah and Marcy unpack what it was like to engage in a highly charged, public conversation about body positivity, health, and weight — and how lived experience, media framing, and personal values shaped their perspectives in the moment and afterward.

Marcy shares her journey from lifelong dieting to body acceptance and fat liberation, her nuanced perspective on health and movement, and the unexpected ways the debate impacted her own relationship with her body.

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️

This episode includes discussion of weight stigma, diet culture, disordered eating, trauma, and intentional weight loss. It also includes nuanced and potentially conflicting perspectives on body positivity and health that may feel activating for some listeners. Please listen with care and take what serves you.

You’ll hear about:

• What it was like to participate in the Jubilee debate with Jillian Michaels
• How reality-style media formats shape conversations about body and health
• The role of lived experience vs. scientific “evidence” in discussions of weight
• Why shame, fear, and guilt are not sustainable motivators for change
• The tension between diet culture and finding a personal middle ground

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Surrounded Debate with Jillian Michaels (watch with caution)
• Is Body Positivity Disempowering? Follow-up ft Jillian Michaels and Marcy (watch with caution)
• 🍫 Can You Be Addicted To Food?
• 🌙 Fat & Beautiful: Unpacking Thin Privilege & Anti-Fat Bias with Debbie Saroufim
• National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)

More From Marcy:

• Instagram: @themarcyminute
• Website: http://www.marcyguevara.com/
• Boutique: Perfect 10 Plus (Los Angeles)
• Mobile Boutique: The Plus Bus

More From Leah:

• 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Pack
• Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program
• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Subscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel
• Subscribe to my personal Substack
• Follow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rd
• Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered straight from my heart to your inbox each week.
• Send me a voice message on Speakpipe
• Email me: Leah@leahkernrd.com

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with therapist Edie Stark, LCSW, to discuss their thoughts on the final edit of the Jillian Michaels x Body Positivity debate.

Leah and Edie reflect on what they thought of the edit, how it felt to watch the video back (after experiencing it in real time a few months ago), and what frustrated them about the final video.

Mentioned in this episode:

• First episode reflecting with Edie (before we saw the final edit)
• Watch the Debate Here!

More From Edie Stark:

• Instagram: @ediestarktherapy
• Therapy Practice: Stark Therapy Group
• Consulting & Media: ediestark.com

More From Leah:

• 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Pack
• Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program
• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Subscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel
• Subscribe to my personal Substack
• Follow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rd
• Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered straight from my heart to your inbox each week.
• Send me a voice message on Speakpipe
• Email me: Leah@leahkernrd.com

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with therapist Edie Stark, LCSW, to unpack their experience participating in a debate with fitness personality Jillian Michaels on the popular YouTube channel Jubilee.

Leah and Edie reflect on what it was like to step into a highly produced debate environment discussing body positivity, weight stigma, and health claims — and how the format of viral media can shape the conversation in ways that prioritize spectacle over nuance.

Together, they discuss the challenges of debating weight stigma in a reality-TV style setting, the misconceptions about body positivity and Health at Every Size®, and why conversations about weight and health must account for systemic factors like stigma, access to care, and social determinants of health.

You’ll hear about:

• What it was like to participate in a debate with Jillian Michaels
• Why debating weight and health in a reality-TV format creates major limitations
• Common misconceptions about the body positivity movement
• How weight stigma and systemic factors impact health outcomes
• Why shame and blame are ineffective tools for supporting behavior change
• What Leah and Edie hope viewers take away from the debate

Mentioned in this episode:

• Watch the Debate Here!
• National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)
• The Plus Bus

More From Edie Stark:

• Instagram: @ediestarktherapy
• Therapy Practice: Stark Therapy Group
• Consulting & Media: ediestark.com

More From Leah:

• 📚Download your free Intuitive Eating Starter Pack
• Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program
• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Subscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel
• Subscribe to my personal Substack
• Follow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rd
• Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a nugget of intuitive eating inspiration delivered straight from my heart to your inbox each week.
• Send me a voice message on Speakpipe
• Email me: Leah@leahkernrd.com

🍽️ Do you wish you could eat ice cream without feeling out of control? Do you want to care for your health without becoming obsessive? If so, you’ll want to grab our FREE Intuitive Eating Starter Kit here.