Food Psych #176: Confessions of a Former Weight-Loss-Surgery Dietitian with Vincci Tsui
Anti-diet dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor Vincci Tsui joins us to discuss weight loss surgery and its consequences on physical and mental health, her journey from working in bariatrics to specializing in intuitive eating and Health At Every Size®, how dietitians get caught up in The Wellness Diet, what thin privilege really means, disordered eating and how it interplays with bariatric surgery, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to deal with the fear of weight gain in recovery from an eating disorder.
Vincci Tsui is a former bariatric dietitian turned Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and Health At Every Size advocate. She is passionate about helping people find freedom in their relationship with food and with their body, so that they can worry less and get the most out of life. Ultimately, she is on a mission to prove that it is possible to improve health without focusing on weight.
Vincci takes a collaborative and compassionate approach to nutrition counselling and coaching that is rooted in HAES® and Intuitive Eating philosophy. She believes in helping clients learn to listen to their body and their inner wisdom when it comes to making decisions around food, eating and health. Aside from her private practice, Vincci serves as the Community & Content Manager for Food Psych® Programs Inc, and is the author of The Mindful Eating Workbook: Simple Practices for Nurturing a Positive Relationship with Food. Find her online at VincciTsui.com.
Early bird registration for my Master Your Anti-Diet Message course is open for a few more days! If you’re a fellow Health At Every Size practitioner who would like to learn how to refine your marketing messages so that they are aligned with HAES philosophy, sign up at christyharrison.com/message.
Sleep better with Casper! Get $50 toward select mattresses by visiting casper.com/foodpsych and using the code FOODPSYCH at checkout.
This episode is brought to you by TomboyX. Go to tomboyx.com/foodpsych and check out their special bundles and pack pricing. Food Psych listeners will also get an extra 15% off with the code FOODPSYCH.
This episode is also brought to you by Poshmark, the fun and simple way to buy and sell fashion (including many plus-sized options!) Get $5 off your first purchase when you sign up with the invite code FOODPSYCH.
We Discuss:
How her different privileges helped to protect her relationship with food and body
Some of the food rules that she had growing up
Why so many people value “cleaning their plate”
Thin privilege, and how it can show up in our society
Why losing weight isn’t the answer to avoiding weight stigma
Why she pursued a career in dietetics
How becoming a dietitian changed her relationship with food
Diet culture, and how it can affect dietitians and nutrition advice
Her work with bariatric surgery patients
How current narratives around “obesity” actually helped her become a HAES practitioner
The Wellness Diet’s rhetoric, and how it shows up in “obesity” and bariatric care
What sparked her interest in HAES and intuitive eating
How she tried to introduce HAES concepts to people pursuing weight loss surgery
The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), and its position on bariatric surgery
Finding the middle ground between respecting body autonomy and holding the position that weight loss surgery is harmful
Complications that are associated with bariatric surgery, including strictures, nutrient deficiencies, and dumping syndrome
Disordered eating, and how it can interact with weight loss surgery
Why diagnostic criteria for eating disorders can sometimes be problematic
Eating disorders, and how they can get missed in diet culture
Nutrition recommendations post-bariatric surgery, and how they can affect a person’s relationship with food
How bariatric surgery is presented to patients, and how that can affect their mindset and expectations of the surgery
The consequences of bariatric surgery on physical and mental health
When bariatric surgery outcomes don’t meet expectations
HAES as an alternative to weight loss surgery
Finding her niche in HAES and intuitive eating
Attracting clients as a private practice dietitian
Vincci’s current and upcoming projects
The overlap between yoga, intuitive eating and mindful eating
Resources Mentioned
Some of the links below are affiliate links. Affiliates or not, we only recommend products and services that align with our values.
Submit your questions for a chance to have them answered on the podcast!
My online course, Intuitive Eating Fundamentals, which includes monthly listener Q&A podcasts and access to my private Facebook support group
Help spread the anti-diet message by subscribing to the podcast
Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works, 3rd ed.
Confronting and Coping with Weight Stigma: An Investigation of Overweight and Obese Adults (TW/CW: Use of “o” words, numbers, fatphobic language)
Bariatric Surgery Patients’ Perceptions of Weight-Related Stigma in Healthcare Settings Impair Post-Surgery Dietary Adherence (TW/CW: Use of “o” words, numbers, fatphobic language)
Risk of Suicide and Self-harm Is Increased After Bariatric Surgery—a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (TW/CW: bariatric surgery, suicide, self-harm, use of “o” words, numbers)
Weight-Inclusive Dietitians in Canada Facebook group
The Mindful Eating Workbook: Simple Practices for Nurturing a Positive Relationship with Food
Sleep better with Casper! Get $50 toward select mattresses by visiting casper.com/foodpsych and using the code FOODPSYCH at checkout.
This episode is brought to you by TomboyX. Go to tomboyx.com/foodpsych and check out their special bundles and pack pricing. Food Psych listeners will also get an extra 15% off with the code FOODPSYCH.
This episode is also brought to you by Poshmark, the fun and simple way to buy and sell fashion (including many plus-sized options!) Get $5 off your first purchase when you sign up with the invite code FOODPSYCH.
Listener Question of the Week
What if my set point weight is much higher than my current weight? How can I keep my fear of weight gain from getting in the way of my eating disorder recovery? Why is getting rid of the diet mentality and embracing Health At Every Size so important in eating disorder recovery? What are the risks of bulimia and other eating disorders to health? If higher weights don’t cause poor health, then what does? What are some strategies to help overcome internalized weight stigma? Why is it not recommended to jump into intuitive eating directly from an eating disorder? Where can I find support for eating disorder recovery? What if my finances are limited?
(Resources Mentioned: Intuitive Eating Fundamentals course, Food Psych® Podcast episode #172, Slides from Christy’s FNCE debate, Meredith Noble’s work and Food Psych® Podcast episode, Body Positive Instagram Accounts, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor directory, Heidi Schauster’s work and Food Psych® Podcast episode, Jessi Haggerty’s work and Food Psych® Podcast episode, Haley Goodrich’s work and Food Psych® Podcast episode, Marci Evans’ work and latest Food Psych® Podcast episode, Project HEAL, Nalgona Positivity Pride)