Fitness & Sushi

In this episode of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna redefines the “Ideal Body” — not as a goal weight or appearance, but as a reflection of your values, self-care, and life season. After navigating perimenopause, mental health changes, and body shifts, she shares why the Ideal Body is not something you chase — it's something you allow. In this episode, you'll learn:

In this special episode of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna shares the powerful workshop that's helped hundreds of women finally break free from food obsession, yo-yo dieting, and body shame. If you've been stuck in the same cycle for years, these 5 life-changing shifts will show you a new path—one rooted in food freedom, self-trust, and lasting peace. In this replay of her live workshop, 5 Shifts to End the Food & Body Battle, you'll discover: Why diets keep failing you (and what actually works instead) The #1 mindset shift that ends bingeing and emotional eating How to stop hating your body—even if you've spent decades doing it What “gentle nutrition” really looks like without falling back into restriction The biggest reason you still feel out of control around food (and how to fix it) You'll walk away with a completely different vision of what's possible—one that doesn't require guilt, shame, or another diet plan. Listen now and find out how your future can look radically different—starting today.

In this powerful episode of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna walks you through a vivid journey — your past, your present, and the two futures ahead of you. One where nothing changes… and one where you finally break free. This is for the woman who keeps telling herself she'll “figure it out later.” Because the truth is — waiting has a cost. If you've been stuck in a cycle of dieting, shame, and starting over every Monday, this episode is your wake-up call — and your invitation to choose differently. In this episode, you'll learn:

In this episode of Fitness & Sushi, I'm sharing a personal story about how a health flare-up exposed a hidden belief system that was quietly driving me into burnout—and how that same pattern might be playing out in your relationship with food, your body, and exercise. In “You Don't Have a Food Problem—You Have a Belief Problem,” you'll learn…

In this fiery and emotional episode, Deanna exposes the real midlife crisis — the moment you realize your life has been shaped by lies about food, weight, and worth. If you were raised on diet culture slogans like “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” this is your wake-up call to heal. In this episode — “The Real Midlife Crisis: Healing After Decades in Diet Culture” — you'll learn:

Body positivity was never meant to be personal advice — it was a radical social justice movement designed to fight discrimination and injustice. So if you've tried to love your body and still feel stuck in shame, you're not broken — you're just reacting to a message that was never meant to fix you. In this episode, Deanna breaks down: The true origins of the body positivity movement How it got co-opted by brands and influencers Why “just love your body” can feel like toxic positivity What actually works: embodiment, neutrality, and letting go of appearance-based worth Why disconnecting your self-worth from your appearance changes everything …and how loving your body became the new perfectionism trap. Book a free breakthrough call: builtdaily.com/call/ More ways we can help: Download Tony's book "The Ideal Body Formula: How to Ditch Diet Culture and Achieve the NEW Ideal Body" for free, or order it in print/Kindle on Amazon Join Our Free Built Daily Facebook Group Get further strategies and inspiration to help you overcome your health and fitness battles. Click here to join.

In this raw and powerful episode, I open up about the hardest lesson I've learned as a mother — and how it changed the way I think about investing in support. When I tried to navigate my son's special education needs by myself, I lost six years of his growth and development. Not because I didn't care — but because I thought I had to do it all alone. I didn't even know advocates existed. By the time I realized how much help was available, I'd paid for it in time, stress, and missed opportunities. Just like so many women who come into my program, I had to grieve what could have been — and then make a bold decision to stop the cycle and invest in a better future. In this episode, you'll hear:

In this special series of Fitness & Sushi, I'm sharing the live recordings from each day of the Ideal Body Challenge—designed to help you break free from diet culture and finally feel at home in your body. In Day 5 – “Why You Self-Sabotage (and How to Stop)”, you'll learn…

In this special series of Fitness & Sushi, I'm sharing the live recordings from each day of the Ideal Body Challenge—designed to help you break free from diet culture and finally feel at home in your body. In Day 4 – “Why Body Image Issues Keep You Stuck with Food and Fitness”, you'll learn…

In this special series of Fitness & Sushi, I'm sharing the live recordings from each day of the Ideal Body Challenge—designed to help you break free from diet culture and finally feel at home in your body. In Day 3 – “How to Feel in Control Around Food Without Willpower”, you'll learn…

In this special series of Fitness & Sushi, I'm sharing the live recordings from each day of the Ideal Body Challenge—designed to help you break free from diet culture and finally feel at home in your body. In Day 2 – “Why Tracking Makes You Overeat (And What to Do Instead)”, you'll learn…

In this special series of Fitness & Sushi, I'm sharing the live recordings from each day of the Ideal Body Challenge—designed to help you break free from diet culture and finally feel at home in your body. In Day 1 – “Scale, Weight & Self-Validation”, you'll learn…

In episode 276 of Fitness & Sushi, we're exposing one of the sneakiest reasons you still feel stuck — even after “quitting” dieting. It's not your food choices holding you back… it's your thoughts. In this episode — “How to Stop Thinking Like a Dieter (And Start Thinking Like the Ideal Body Formula™)” — you'll learn…

In episode 275 of Fitness & Sushi, we're calling out one of the most exhausting lies women face every spring: that you need to “get your body ready” to enjoy summer. In this episode — “How to Opt Out of ‘Summer Body' Season and Still Feel Amazing in Yours” — you'll learn…

In this episode of Fitness & Sushi, I'm breaking down the 10 most common signs that your relationship with your body has been shaped by shame, fear, and diet culture—not by truth or self-compassion. If you think your body image struggles are just a personal flaw, this episode is your wake-up call. In this episode – “Top 10 Signs You Have a Poor Relationship With Your Body (That Diet Culture Doesn't Want You to Notice)” – you'll learn…

In this episode of Fitness & Sushi, we're uncovering the toxic mental patterns you didn't realize were symptoms of diet culture. If you've ever felt like your mindset is the problem—or worse, that you are the problem—this episode will show you the truth about why you feel stuck. In this episode – “Top 10 Signs You Have a Poor Relationship With Your Mind (a.k.a. The Diet Mindset)” – you'll learn…

In this episode of Fitness & Sushi, I'm exposing the hidden ways that diet culture has twisted your relationship with exercise. If movement feels like punishment, pressure, or just another thing to fail at—you're not lazy. You're likely stuck in the exercise version of the diet mindset. In this episode – “Top 10 Signs You Have a Poor Relationship With Exercise (and What to Do About It)” – you'll learn…

In this episode of Fitness & Sushi, I'm sharing the 10 most overlooked signs that your relationship with food might be more toxic than you realize—and why it's not your fault. These symptoms are so normalized in diet culture that you've probably mistaken them for personality flaws. Let's shine a light on what's actually going on. In this episode – “Top 10 Signs You Have a Poor Relationship With Food (That Have Nothing to Do With Willpower)” – you'll learn…

In this episode, Fitness & Sushi returns — and Deanna's flying solo. She's sharing why the podcast is back, what's changing, and the powerful framework at the center of everything she teaches: the Ideal Body Formula. If you've been stuck in food guilt, body shame, or on-again-off-again health habits, this is where it all begins. You'll learn: Why your Ideal Body has nothing to do with goal weight and everything to do with how you live How food, body, exercise, and mind are secretly working together (or against you) The real reason diets fail (and it's not a willpower issue) What to focus on first if you want to feel free around food and at home in your body Why Deanna can't stop saying "We" To join the challenge, go to idealbodychallenge.com

This is the final episode. It really is. Tony is moving on to the next chapter of his life. Join us in our final episode as we explain what's going on, take a trip down memory lane, and tell you what can be expected with Built Daily going forward (hint: it will continue to live on).  

In episode 267 - “How to Navigate Food Freedom and Body Anxiety During the Holidays”, you'll learn...

In episode 267 - “How to Unlock True Self-Confidence and Inner Peace”, you'll learn...

Welcome to the third and final day of the Diet Culture Rehab Challenge. This is a recording of the third day of the challenge, which was presented LIVE to people who joined the challenge. The challenge is 3 days, with each day working on a key strategy for breaking free of Diet Culture. Day 1 – Reclaim Exercise: Release the need to use exercise for body control, so you can enjoy it and build lasting consistency Day 2 – Reclaim Food: Learn how diet culture created the willpower problems you think you have and how to find effortless control around any food. Day 3 – Reclaim Your Body: Find out why weight management is causing massive problems and how to have a healthy relationship with your body that improves your consistency. If you'd like to join the challenge you can go to https://builtdaily.com/diet-culture-rehab/ and sign up. It's free, and there is a workbook to download that goes with it.

Welcome to the second day of the Diet Culture Rehab Challenge. This is a recording of the second day of the challenge, which was presented LIVE to people who joined the challenge. The challenge is 3 days, with each day working on a key strategy for breaking free of Diet Culture. Day 1 – Reclaim Exercise: Release the need to use exercise for body control, so you can enjoy it and build lasting consistency Day 2 – Reclaim Food: Learn how diet culture created the willpower problems you think you have and how to find effortless control around any food. Day 3 – Reclaim Your Body: Find out why weight management is causing massive problems and how to have a healthy relationship with your body that improves your consistency. If you'd like to join the challenge you can go to https://builtdaily.com/diet-culture-rehab/ and sign up. It's free, and there is a workbook to download that goes with it.

Welcome to the first day of the Diet Culture Rehab Challenge. This is a recording of the first day of the challenge, which was presented LIVE to people who joined the challenge. The challenge is 3 days, with each day working on a key strategy for breaking free of Diet Culture. Day 1 – Reclaim Exercise: Release the need to use exercise for body control, so you can enjoy it and build lasting consistency Day 2 – Reclaim Food: Learn how diet culture created the willpower problems you think you have and how to find effortless control around any food. Day 3 – Reclaim Your Body: Find out why weight management is causing massive problems and how to have a healthy relationship with your body that improves your consistency. If you'd like to join the challenge you can go to https://builtdaily.com/diet-culture-rehab/ and sign up. It's free, and there is a workbook to download that goes with it.

In episode 266 - “The Formula for Breaking Free From Diet Culture”, you'll learn...

In episode 265 - “How to Approach Nutrition and Exercise During Periods of Emotional Distress”, you'll learn...

In episode 264 - “How to Handle Sudden Unexpected Weight Gain”, you'll learn...

Most people would prefer to not have to count calories, but they're afraid to give it up. They think they will lose control around food. They think they won't be able to lose weight. They think it works for them. None of these things are true if you're struggling with your food and body. Instead, the peace and freedom around food that you want won't be found until you break from the calorie obsession. Let me be clear, though. There's nothing inherently wrong with calorie counting - UNLESS you struggle with your food and body. For these people, of which Deanna and I used to be one of them, the calorie tracking is an anchor to Diet Culture. It'll keep you stuck in the diet cycle so long as you keep depending on it. In episode 263. of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to help you understand why calorie counting is holding you back. We'll explain when it's useful and when it's an obstacle. And we'll show you what to do instead In this episode - “How to Let Go of Calorie Counting and Find Peace in Eating Again”, you'll learn...

There's a tendency for people to always be seeking out more motivation so that they don't have to keep relying on willpower to push them. This might actually work - IF we weren't approaching motivation wrong in the first place. If you make the necessary shifts, you won't need motivation to sustain you. Instead, the healthy behaviors you want in your life will become the easier and more effortless choices to make (and do). In episode 262 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to debunk some of Diet Culture's psychology that is actually holding you back, and we're going to show you how to approach motivation as a short-term tool - getting the momentum going until habit takes over and keeps you going. In this episode - “How to Reignite Your Motivation When You've Been Stuck”, you'll learn...

What if I told you that I could guarantee a 50/50 chance you'd end up gaining weight if you tried following a Diet Culture approach to lose weight? Would you take those odds for a chance of success? But wait... the other 50% chance isn't all a success. Instead, nearly all of that percentage will lead to some weight loss followed by you regaining the same weight you lost. The "real" success, measured only in long-term pounds lost (ie not necessarily ending body image struggles, food obsession, etc, in the process), is just a measly 5%. That's right. Studies suggest a Diet Culture approach leads to upwards of 95% of people regaining any lost weight within 2-5 years. And about half (or up to 65%) of those people end up heavier than their pre-diet weight. And it gets worse with each successive attempt. Yet despite the dismal odds, we keep taking the chance that we might win the weight loss lottery. Diet Culture does not work. It has taught you to make every mistake you could think of that goes against your long term best interests. If you want to achieve your Ideal Body, you need to recognize these mistakes and take a whole new approach. In episode 261 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to break down 3 of the biggest mistakes we've seen repeated over and over again from our new clients in the Mentorship (and that we've made ourselves at one point in time). And then we'll show you the approach to take instead. In this episode - “The 3 Biggest Mistakes Diet Culture Taught You”, you'll learn...

In episode 260 - “Can Weight Loss and Healing Your Relationships with Food and Body Coexist?”, you'll learn...

So you're ready to end your lifetime eating struggle but you have no idea where to even start. It seems like there are a lot of things you need to do and you're starting to feel confused and overwhelmed. Before you even start trying to change your behaviors and create new habits, there are a few other things you absolutely must do in order to succeed. Most people either forget to do them, or they don't even realize they are supposed to. As a result, they try to change their habits, only to end up self-sabotaging and making things harder than they need to be. Don't let your good intentions go to waste. In episode 259 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to go through the first 4 steps everyone needs to follow in order to set themselves up for a productive food freedom journey. If you implement what we talk about, your new healthy habits will have the underlying framework needed to effectively free you from your food prison. In this episode - “How to Get Started on Your Journey to Food Freedom”, you'll learn...

We don't think about exercise the right way. We think of it as this compartmentalized aspect of our day that stereotypically includes either strength training, or cardio, or both. It's just another obligation for most people, whether you're the person who struggles to consistently work out, or you're the person who is afraid to miss a workout. There are of course those who live an active lifestyle without even thinking about it. Movement feels easy and effortless to get done consistently, even if that means you're challenging your mental and physical limits. So how do you get from the struggle you have with exercise right now, to a place where you look forward to working out every day? In episode 258 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to show you why it's important to redefine what it means to exercise, and how you can start approaching movement so that it becomes a natural part of your day. In this episode - “How to Turn Exercise Into the Highlight of Your Day”, you'll learn...

I believe that everybody emotionally eats to some degree. It's normal and can be very regulating. As we usually say - it's not a problem until it's a problem. But for many people, emotional eating has become a problem. Overcoming emotional eating is a multi-part process that includes addressing restriction and deprivation, directly meeting your needs, learning how to productively cope, and some smaller steps in between. We've laid that process out in detail in many episodes already. This time we're zeroing in on the resilience aspect of emotional eating and how you can raise the discomfort threshold from where you usually feel compelled to use food to cope. The more emotionally resilient you are, and the more you use willpower (the right way!), the easier it will be to overcome your emotional eating. In episode 257 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to show you how to be emotionally resilient while also becoming more in tune with your emotions. And we'll help you see the big picture of how this plugs into the overall emotional eating framework. In this episode - “How to Build Resilience Against Emotional Eating”, you'll learn...

On July 24th Deanna did a live Food and Body Workshop where she taught a group of women how to overcome their preoccupation with food and their body. She showed them why this lifetime obsession with looking a certain way happens, and why it's not your fault. And she laid out a better path to take to achieving your Ideal Body - one that doesn't keep you trapped in a prison of food rules and conditional self-worth. The LIVE workshop is over, but she's sharing the replay of it here on the podcast. To schedule a free breakthrough call go here and claim an open slot.

When people decide to get themselves out of Diet Culture, they're confused about how they're supposed to change their physical activity. It's still important to them that they achieve their fitness goals, but they're worried they're making the wrong choices. Is forcing yourself to work out considered Diet Culture? What about tracking your workouts? Is that the equivalent of calorie counting? Are you supposed to change up your workouts? Not push yourself too hard? How is that going to impact your body? We've gotten many questions from our clients over the years on the topic, and this episode is going to answer those unknowns. In episode 256 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to show you the difference in physical activity between Diet Culture and anti-Diet Culture, and how you can ensure that your fitness goals continue to be a priority. In this episode - “How to Be Fit Without Following Diet Culture”, you'll learn...

Vacations are meant to be enjoyable, but many times concerns about our body, food, exercise, and navigating personal relationships get in the way. The standard Diet Culture advice tends to focus on getting in shape for your vacation and how to eat and exercise while you're there to keep it in great shape. But what normally happens is you get thrown into a binge-restrict cycle, and you become more food and body focused than ever. Judgmental comments from family about your body and the food you're eating are just more fuel for the fire. There is a process to follow for vacations, but we don't approach them in a way that you're used to hearing. Instead, we do it in a way that puts the experience first - without physical or emotional discomfort, or having to worry or stress about your food and body. In episode 255 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to break down what a "good" vacation looks like from an anti-diet perspective. And we'll show you the most important concept you need to keep in mind that no one seems to talk about. In this episode - “How to Enjoy Your Vacation Without Stressing About Food and Fitness”, you'll learn...

When people join our Mentorship program, they typically struggle with how they perceive and interpret the situations they experience in their life. These perceptions are keeping them stuck and preventing them from experiencing the life they want. They lead to self-sabotage, feeling bad about yourself, unwanted eating behaviors, motivation struggles, and much more. So you can understand how important it is to find and root out these limiting perceptions. Having the right perceptions of the situations you face is literally the difference between the kinds of experiences you will have, and the beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes that come from them. In episode 254 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to show you the connection between perception and outcomes, and we'll help you identify, challenge, and replace the limiting mindset that is holding you back from the life you want. In this episode - “How Changing Your Perceptions Will Lead to Better Results”, you'll learn...

In this episode - “How to Navigate Social Situations Without Dieting”, you'll learn...

It's normal to have thoughts and urges about wanting to diet. And it's normal to romanticize the good parts of Diet Culture while ignoring the bad parts. We selectively remember and focus on the parts of dieting we did like - body change, "confidence", etc. But we block out the parts we hated - constant food and body obsession, feeling restricted and deprived, never getting long-term results, etc. What isn't normal, or rather - helpful, is letting those thoughts overtake you to the point that you start engaging in old ineffective behaviors. In episode 252 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I walk you through this very common situation and show you how to navigate it effectively so you can get back to making true progress in your health and fitness. In this episode - “What To Do If You Start Slipping Back Into Diet Culture”, you'll learn...

Pretend for a moment that you're ready to give up dieting. One big problem is that you just don't know what eating without dieting is supposed to look like. You've lived so long following diet rules, that without them you feel a little lost in space. The good news is that there's no reason to feel that way. There actually is a framework and process for you to follow that guides you to YOUR unique eating style. In episode 251 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to show you how to go about the transition from dieting to this new anti-diet lifestyle. And we're going to break down the process that eventually makes eating for your Ideal Body feel easy. In this episode - “How to Eat When You Aren't Dieting Anymore”, you'll learn...

Your hormones are powerful. They affect your behaviors, and even the outcomes in your life, more than you might think. Your eating and your body are prime examples of your hormones at work. We think we have absolute control over what, when, and how much we eat, and the way our bodies look, but our experiences have shown us that is not the case. Understanding the influences at play can be really helpful on your Ideal Body journey. Instead of trying to fight your own biology, you can work with your body to achieve your goals. In episode 250 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to explain how your hormones affect your hunger, cravings, and eating patterns. Then we're going to show you how to approach your Ideal Body journey so that you don't end up in a battle with your body. In this episode - “How Your Hormones Affect Your Eating (and what to do about it)", you'll learn...

This is the FINAL day of the Ideal Body Challenge. It's being held LIVE April 29 - May 3 on Zoom, and discussions are being held in our private Facebook group. The recordings are being shared here on the podcast for your convenience. If you'd still like to be a part of this challenge, get the workbook, and the details for the live calls, you can sign up for free at https://builtdaily.com/challenge

This is the fourth of five days of the Ideal Body Challenge. It's being held LIVE April 29 - May 3 on Zoom, and discussions are being held in our private Facebook group. The recordings are being shared here on the podcast for your convenience. If you'd still like to be a part of this challenge, get the workbook, and the details for the live calls, you can sign up for free at https://builtdaily.com/challenge

This is the third of five days of the Ideal Body Challenge. It's being held LIVE April 29 - May 3 on Zoom, and discussions are being held in our private Facebook group. The recordings are being shared here on the podcast for your convenience. If you'd still like to be a part of this challenge, get the workbook, and the details for the live calls, you can sign up for free at https://builtdaily.com/challenge

This is the second of five days of the Ideal Body Challenge. It's being held LIVE April 29 - May 3 on Zoom, and discussions are being held in our private Facebook group. The recordings are being shared here on the podcast for your convenience. If you'd still like to be a part of this challenge, get the workbook, and the details for the live calls, you can sign up for free at https://builtdaily.com/challenge

This is the first of five days of the Ideal Body Challenge. It's being held LIVE April 29 - May 3 on Zoom, and discussions are being held in our private Facebook group. The recordings are being shared here on the podcast for your convenience. If you'd still like to be a part of this challenge, get the workbook, and the details for the live calls, you can sign up for free at https://builtdaily.com/challenge

In episode 249 of Fitness & Sushi, Deanna and I are going to show you how to recognize and get out of Diet Culture so that you can achieve your Ideal Body. In this episode - “The 5 Key Steps to Getting Out of Diet Culture", you'll learn...

Have you ever wondered why you self-sabotage? Why you struggle to do the things you know are good for you? Our intentions are usually good. We want to be healthier. We want to be more fit. We want to be happier. But for some reason we keep coming back to our old way of living - getting our old "results". Why does that happen? For the last 4 days we've been breaking down the Ideal Body Formula. The idea is simple... Your Ideal Body is the natural side effect of healthy relationships with food, body, exercise, and mind. We've already gone deep on the first 3 relationships, and now it's time to finish off this series with the last. You're going to find out why this relationship is the key to tying the other 3 together (and getting you to your Ideal Body). In day 5 of The Ideal Body Formula Series Deanna and I are diving deep into your relationship with your mind. Side note: Don't forget to sign up for the free Ideal Body Challenge later this month. We're going to be putting everything we talk about into practice. Sign up here. In today's episode - "Relationship with Mind", you'll learn...

The standard exercise prescription is strength training and cardio. But like most things with your health and fitness, knowing what might be good for you doesn't always translate into you actually doing it. When it comes to exercise, there are many issues people struggle with... doing exercise they don't enjoy seeing exercise as a way to burn calories using exercise to make up for (or preempt) poor eating pushing workouts too hard (or not resting enough) not having the motivation to do them skipping workouts too often ... the list goes on. There's a reason for this - you have a broken relationship with exercise. Healing this relationship will do wonders for your health and fitness. You'll always be drawn to working out. Your workouts will be much more enjoyable. And you will achieve your Ideal Body. In day 4 of The Ideal Body Formula Series Deanna and I are diving deep into your relationship with your exercise. Side note: Don't forget to sign up for the free Ideal Body Challenge later this month. We're going to be putting everything we talk about into practice. Sign up here. In today's episode - "Relationship with Exercise", you'll learn...