This one has been a long time coming. For 15 years, I lived inside the prison of an eating disorder that is anorexia, bulimia, food addiction, and body dysmorphia. It was loud, lonely, and exhausting. I hid it behind smiles, success, and “healthy” habits…until I couldn’t anymore.

In this deeply personal episode, I open up about what recovery has really looked like, the pain, the progress, and the quiet miracles that changed everything. I share how I healed my relationship with food, with my body, and most importantly, with myself.

✨I let you in on:

• The real cost of living with food obsession
• How shame kept me silent for years
• The turning point that led to healing
• What “freedom” actually feels like today

If this speaks to you, please like, comment, subscribe, and share. You’re not alone. ❤️

Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

00:00 The Untold Battle I’ve Hidden for 15 Years

03:42 Living in the Grip of an Eating Disorder

07:15 The Physical Damage No One Talks About

13:35 What Body Dysmorphia Really Feels Like

17:02 Why Recovery Isn’t a Straight Line

24:49 Hiding My Disorder in Plain Sight

29:22 When Love Meets Self-Doubt

33:17 The Moment I Realized Shame Breeds Secrecy

36:41 Trading One Destructive Pattern for Another

41:02 Hurting Myself to Feel in Control

49:54 Redefining Self-Worth Beyond the Mirror

54:03 How Childhood Shapes Body Image

58:29 The Pressure to Be Perfect in a Public Life

1:02:45 Breaking Free from the Need to Be “Enough”

1:07:16 What True Healing Actually Looks Like

1:11:33 Learning to See My Body Through Love

1:16:04 The Role of Therapy, Faith, and Self-Work

1:20:12 Why Vulnerability Is the Gateway to Healing

1:24:36 Lessons I’ve Learned from Past Relationships

1:34:03 The Hard Truth About Long-Term Recovery

1:39:41 What I Want Every Woman Struggling to Know

1:44:25 How to Help Someone Who’s Struggling

1:49:37 Finding Meaning in My Story

Connect with Heidi:

Website: https://heidipowell.net/

Email: podcast@heidipowell.net

Instagram: @realheidipowell

Facebook: Heidi Powell

YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell

Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/

What was meant to be a five-day trip to visit my daughter for her birthday in Thailand…turned into two very unforgettable weeks in foreign hospitals when Marley had yet another unexpected medical emergency. In this episode, Ryan and I share our experiences with Marley – from having the time of our lives on a tropical island with Marley, to the dreadful night it all went downhill and the hospitals became our hotel.

Without giving it all away, I’ll say this… God has a way of delivering incredible little gifts of light in hard and heavy circumstances. This trip was no exception. A thing that felt so scary to experience on the other side of the world turned into quite the experience full of bonding mother-daughter moments, inside jokes and laughter, and mind-blowing top-notch medical care from Bangkok.

Bonus? If you ever want to REALLY get to know the person you are dating, have a family emergency 30 hours away that extends your trip while being stuck in a hospital room with them. Safe to say, Ryan passed with flying colors.

In this episode, I share:

• Our entire medical experience in Thailand: hospitals visited, cost of care, insurance used

• The story behind it all – including how Marley is healing

• All about our Thailand travels – Bangkok to Koh Samui

• The beautiful gifts of grace that we found along the way

• Some pretty sweet relationship lessons I’m learning from Ryan’s kindness

• Why learning to let someone else lead changed everything

• The hidden strength that emerges when you’re running on empty

If this episode moved you, please like, comment, subscribe, and share. It truly helps our little community grow. ❤️

Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

0:00 The Story Behind This Episode

5:25 The Call Every Parent Dreads

7:25 Fear in a Foreign Hospital

10:58 What Saved Us in Thailand

14:46 First Impressions of Bangkok

18:02 The Side of the City No One Sees

21:43 Jet Lag, Street Markets & Getting Scammed

26:10 When I Finally Let Go of Leading

30:04 Learning to Be Led

33:56 Love That Survives Life’s Tests

37:48 When Parenthood Pushes Your Limits

41:29 Finding Faith in Fear

45:18 The Gift Hidden in Breakdown

49:04 When a 5-Day Trip Turns Into 2 Weeks of Survival

53:10 Gratitude in the Messiest Moments

57:42 The Lesson I Didn’t Expect

1:02:25 The Spiritual Side of Surrender

1:07:01 Parenting Grown Children

1:11:42 The Beauty of Being Fully Present

1:16:18 Coming Home Changed Forever

1:23:22 Why Hard Seasons Reveal Who We Are

1:27:58 How Love Looks Different After This

1:32:43 From Fear to Faith: The Lesson I’ll Never Forget

1:37:16 What I Hope You Take From This Story

Connect with Heidi:


Website: https://heidipowell.net/

Email: podcast@heidipowell.net

Instagram: @realheidipowell

Facebook: Heidi Powell

YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell


Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/

My daughter Marley’s first big adventure abroad—a four-month humanitarian trip in Thailand—turned into one of the scariest moments of my momming life. Every parent’s worst fear happened when she was rushed to a hospital in a small Thai town called Phitsanulok with unbearable abdominal pain. So far from home. So far from mom.

In this episode, I open up about what happened, my own kidney stone journey, and the lessons I’ve learned as a mom watching my child suffer from afar.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The terrifying night I got the call from Thailand
• How my past health struggles prepared me for this moment
• Why pain can be life’s greatest teacher
• The hardest part of parenting no one tells you
• Tips for you and your kids as they travel abroad.

If this resonates, please like, comment, subscribe, and share. It means the world to me and helps others find these conversations. Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

0:00 Why I Had to Record This Episode

3:03 The Emergency Call That Changed Everything

7:59 What Kidney Stones Really Feel Like

16:06 When Marley’s Diagnosis Was Confirmed

17:04 Surgery or Wait? The Impossible Decision

20:15 Discovering Thailand’s Health Care System

23:14 The Helpless Reality of Parenting From Afar

27:04 The Moment Marley Realised She Was an Adult

31:10 Becoming Your Own Safety Net

36:39 Why Struggle Is the Greatest Teacher

39:39 A New Perspective on My Own Mom

43:14 Trusting Our Kids’ Inner Strength

46:08 The Song That Captures It All

Connect with Heidi:


Website: https://heidipowell.net/

Email: podcast@heidipowell.net

Instagram: @realheidipowell

Facebook: Heidi Powell

YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell


Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/