“Intermittent Fasting” Felt Familiar. I’d Been Starving Myself for Years | Alex Stein

In this episode of The Michael Chernow Podcast, Michael sits down with Alexander Stein for an unfiltered conversation about disordered eating, body dysmorphia, fitness obsession, and the struggles men rarely talk about. Alex shares how his relationship with food began changing at just eight years old and eventually became decades of restriction, over-exercising, coffee, and one meal a day. At his lowest point, he was 6'2" and 140 pounds, yet still struggled to recognize how unhealthy he had become. Michael also opens up about developing his own unhealthy relationship with food and fitness after getting sober, leading to a larger conversation about the incredibly thin line between discipline and obsession. They examine modern fitness culture, intermittent fasting, body-image pressure, social media, and why behaviors that look “healthy” from the outside can sometimes be driven by fear and control. Alex explains the moment hearing Nikki Glaser speak openly about her own struggles finally made him feel understood, why being told he didn't technically qualify as anorexic became a dangerous challenge in his mind, and what ultimately helped him rebuild his relationship with food. This is a conversation for anyone who has ever wondered: Am I actually healthy—or am I obsessed?

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CHAPTERS:0:00 Intro & Trigger Warning4:33 What Does Disordered Eating Actually Look Like?7:02 Dieting at Just 8 Years Old12:12 The Fear of Ever Getting Fat16:28 6'2" and 140 Pounds — How Bad It Got19:00 Michael’s Own Battle With Food After Sobriety23:13 20 Years of Food Rules & Body Dysmorphia27:27 Coffee, One Meal a Day & Extreme Restriction30:26 Healthy or Obsessed? The Dark Side of Fitness Culture34:50 Childhood, Control & Where It All Started40:07 Over-Exercising, Restriction & Trying to Get Help44:08 The Nikki Glaser Moment That Changed Everything46:50 “I’ll Get There” — When Recovery Became a Challenge53:27 Marriage, Relapse & Reaching a Breaking Point58:18 Rebuilding His Life & Relationship With Food1:08:23 What to Do If You’re Struggling1:12:11 The Eating Disorder Men Hide Behind “Fitness”1:14:43 Alex’s Final Message

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