Healthy Teen Life

181. Your Weight Doesn’t Define You: Teen Body & BMI Explained

Have you ever felt like your body is something you need to fix? In this episode of Healthy Teen Life, Leslie sits down with Dr. Joey Skelton, a pediatrician and author of Your Child Is Not Their Weight, to talk honestly about what your body size actually means, what it does not mean, and why the number on the scale tells you far less than our culture wants you to believe.
If you have ever felt judged for how your body looks, confused about BMI, or unsure how to talk about food and weight in a way that actually feels good, this episode will give you a completely new way to think about all of it. Dr. Skelton brings decades of experience working with teens and families to this conversation and his perspective is one you genuinely need to hear.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why up to 60% of your body size is determined by genetics and what that actually means for you
What BMI really is, what it is not, and why it should never be used as the only measure of your health
Why labeling foods as good or bad creates more harm than good and what to do instead
How family meal time affects your health, happiness, and even your performance at school
What parents should and should not say at the dinner table when they are concerned about their teen's weight
How to start building a positive relationship with food that actually lasts
 
Connect with Dr. Joey Skelton:
 
Connect with Leslie:
Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse
Website: leslierosecoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching
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180. What Every Teen Athlete Needs to Know About Food, Fitness, and Recovery with Dr. Chris Koutures

Are you fueling your body, moving enough, and getting the sleep you actually need to perform your best? In this episode of Healthy Teen Life, Leslie sits down with Dr. Chris Koutures, a pediatric and sports medicine physician at Active Kids MD, to talk about how teen athletes can build real sustainable habits around food, fitness, and recovery.
If you have ever wondered whether you are eating the right things at the right times, felt like exercise has started to feel more like an obsession than something you enjoy, or struggled to get enough sleep between school, practice, and everything else on your plate, this episode is packed with practical insight you can actually use starting today.
 
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to find creative ways to get more movement into your day even without a formal workout
Why food is fuel first and how to build a positive relationship with what you eat
What you actually need to know about protein, supplements, and pre-workout products before you spend money on them
How to know if your relationship with exercise is crossing into something unhealthy
What GLP-1 medications are and what teens should understand before considering them
Why sleep is the single best recovery tool you have and how to actually get more of it
 
Connect with Chris:
Website:  https://activekidmd.com/
 
Connect with Leslie:
Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse
Website: leslierosecoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching
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179. Why Every Teen Needs a Personal Fuel Plan to Feel and Perform Their Best

Have you ever eaten lunch and then felt like falling asleep in your next class? Or crushed it at practice one day and felt completely empty the next? That is not random — it could be your food talking. In this episode of Healthy Teen Life, Leslie breaks down how to build a personal fuel plan that actually works for your unique body, your schedule, and your life.
This is not about strict meal plans, going organic, or following someone else's diet. If you have ever wondered why what works for your teammate or your best friend does not seem to work for you, this episode will help you figure out what your body is actually trying to tell you and how to start listening to it.
 
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why every body is different and why copying what someone else eats is working against you
What strategic eating actually means and how it has nothing to do with restriction or control
Which foods give you steady energy and which ones are setting you up for a crash
How to start building your own personal fuel plan based on your energy patterns, activity level, and sleep
Why being mildly dehydrated could be the reason you feel tired and foggy every afternoon
How to make small simple changes that add up to feeling a whole lot better every single day
 
Connect with Leslie:
Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse
Website: leslierosecoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching
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178. How Teen Athletes Can Recognize Disordered Eating and Build a Healthier Relationship with Food with Michele Pettinger

Are you fueling your body enough to actually perform your best? In this episode of Healthy Teen Life, Leslie sits down with Michele Pettinger, a nutrition expert and lifelong runner who started running at 12 and now runs ultra marathons, to talk about what teen athletes need to eat to train well, recover faster, and protect their long term health.
If you've ever felt exhausted at practice, hit a wall mid-workout, or wondered whether what you're eating is helping or hurting your performance, this episode is for you. Michele breaks down exactly what a full day of fueling looks like for a teen athlete and what signs to watch for if your relationship with food around sport starts to feel off.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What low energy availability is and how to know if it's affecting your performance and your day
What a full day of eating looks like for a teen athlete from breakfast through post-practice recovery
Why breakfast and lunch matter more than you think especially on days you have afternoon practice
How to spot the signs that food and body image concerns might be crossing into something more serious
What to do if social media is making you feel negatively about your body or your eating habits
How to take ownership of your nutrition and start fueling your body in a way that supports you now and long into the future
 
Connect with Michele:
Website: www.p3running.comInstagram:  @p3runningcoachThe Young Runner's Guide to Nutrition: https://a.co/d/0a8IlASATeam/individual curriculum:  https://www.p3running.com/nutrition-curriculum
 
Connect with Leslie:
Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse
Website: leslierosecoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching
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177. How to Keep the Love of Your Sport as a Teen When the Pressure Feels Like Too Much with Harvey Aratron

Have you ever felt like the sport you once loved has started to feel more like a job? In this episode of Healthy Teen Life, Leslie sits down with Harvey Araton, a 25-year New York Times columnist and author of The Goal of the Game, to talk about what youth sports pressure is doing to young athletes and how you can start playing for yourself again.
If you have ever stayed in a sport because quitting felt like letting everyone down, wondered whether you love the game or just love the approval, or felt like the pressure has gotten so big that the fun has completely disappeared, this episode will give you a new way to look at it all. Harvey shares honest insight, real stories, and the perspective shift that could change everything about how you experience your sport.
 
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to figure out whether you're playing your sport for yourself or for the approval of the people around you
What the difference looks like between healthy commitment and unhealthy pressure
Why 60 to 70% of young athletes quit by age 13 or 14 and what that means for you
How to rebuild your identity so it isn't completely tied to your performance or your team
What parents can do to support without pushing too far
The truth about college scholarships that most families don't find out until it's too late
 
Connect with Leslie:
Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse
Website: leslierosecoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching
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176: 15 Signs of Disordered Eating Every Teen Needs to Know

Did you know that 1 in 5 teenagers may be struggling with disordered eating right now and most don't even realize it? In this episode of Healthy Teen Life, Leslie breaks down what disordered eating actually is, why it's so easy to miss, and why catching it early is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health and future.
 
If you've ever felt anxious around food, guilty after eating, or like your thoughts about your body are taking up way too much space in your head, this episode is for you. Leslie walks through 15 of the most common signs and symptoms of disordered eating so you can recognize what's happening and know you're not alone.
 
In this episode, you'll learn:
What disordered eating actually is and why it's not the same as having an eating disorder
Why dieting, calorie counting, and food rules are more common and more harmful than you think
How to recognize the 15 most common signs of disordered eating in yourself or a friend
Why comparing your body to others on social media is affecting your mental health and what to do instead
What early action looks like and why it makes such a big difference in your outcome
How to start shifting your mindset around food and body in a way that actually sticks
Connect with Leslie:
Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse
Website: leslierosecoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching
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175: How to Overcome Teen Self-Doubt and Build Real Confidence with Laura Olinger

If you have ever felt like you're not good enough, not confident enough, or that one bad moment defines who you are, this episode is for you. Leslie sits down with Laura Ollinger, Teen & Parent Well-Being Coach, speaker, and certified Parent-Child Whisperer™, to get into the hidden ways self-doubt shows up in everyday teen life and, more importantly, what to actually do about it. Blending neuroscience, positive psychology, and her own experience raising four teens, Laura brings humor, heart, and real science to one of the most common struggles teens face today.
This one is for teens who feel the pressure to perform, parents who want to support their teen without adding more stress, and anyone who's ever let that inner voice get a little too loud. Laura shares practical mindset tools for shifting perspective, practicing self-compassion, and taking the small steps that build lasting confidence, plus two specific takeaways for parents and one powerful action step every teen can start today.
 
Questions Answered in This Episode:
How does self-doubt secretly show up in a teen's everyday life, even when they don't recognize it?
What's the first step to breaking free from the performance mindset and actually feeling like yourself?
How can teens practice self-compassion when their inner critic is already running the show?
What small, concrete steps can teens take today to start building a confident mindset?
Connect with Laura Ollinger:
Laura Ollinger is a Teen & Parent Well-Being Coach, inspirational speaker, and certified Parent-Child Whisperer™ who helps families move from conflict to connection. She blends research-backed tools with her own experience raising four teens to guide parents and students toward less stress, more confidence, and stronger relationships. Laura also hosts The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast and delivers her signature youth keynote, The Decider, to schools across the country.
 
Website: positivelyhealthycoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/positivelyhealthycoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/positivelyhealthycoaching
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laura-ollinger
 
Connect with Leslie:
Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse
Website: leslierosecoaching.com
Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching
Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching
Disclaimer

174: On Second Thought: 4 Best Questions to Take Control of Teen Stress - and get immediate relief

Stress and anxiety can feel unavoidable in your teen and college years — from school pressure and exams to friendships and expectations. But what if there was an easy way to manage it?
In this episode, Leslie sits down talks with Ariel Balfour to break down why stress feels so intense and how stress isn’t something to fear — it’s a signal.
We explore simple, Ariel's powerful 4-step reset you can use anywhere to calm your nervous system, think clearly, and regain control — plus a few additional practices that support your efforts and boost results. This episode helps you understand your stress instead of fighting it — and gives parents language and tools to support without adding pressure.
 
For more on Ariel:
Her Free download
https://www.instagram.com/thearielbalfour
https://www.tiktok.com/@t2tmama
free fb group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/t2tmama 
 
Like this episode? Hit follow and then leave a review or comment — we’d love to hear what you think.
 
Parents:
Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen/YA resolve weight & unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better  - Without Making Things Worse
Https://cc.leslierosecoaching.com/eat-healthier-5-steps
 
Disclaimer
 

173: The Emotional Brain Under Stress — and the Tools That Actually Help

Teen stress, emotional regulation, and mental health are deeply connected to how the brain works. When teens and college students are under pressure, the emotional brain can override logic, leading to overwhelm, impulsive reactions, and feeling out of control. This isn’t a willpower problem — it’s a stress response in the brain.
In this episode, Leslie talks with psychologist Dr. Laurel Mellin, founder of Emotional Brain Training (EBT), about how stress affects the teen brain and why common advice like “try harder” or “just calm down” doesn’t help.
We discuss:
The emotional brain vs. thinking brain
How stress impacts teen behavior, mood, and decision-making
Why shame and self-criticism worsen stress and anxiety
What emotional self-regulation really means
Brain-based stress management tools teens and college students can use to calm the nervous system
This episode offers a science-backed approach to teen mental health, helping teens and parents better understand stress, build emotional regulation skills, and respond with compassion instead of blame.
For more on EBT: https://www.ebt.org/   Groups are available for teens upon request. 
Get 30% off the Community Membership (includes app) - Use promotion code: JOY
For Professionals - EBT Certification: https://www.ebtcertification.com/
Dr Mellin's book available at Amazon, starting February 15th, 2026:  The 5-Minute Solution: Self-therapy Anytime Anywhere.
Like this episode? Hit follow and then leave a review or comment — we’d love to hear what you think.
 
Parents:
Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen/YA resolve weight & unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better  - Without Making Things Worse
Https://cc.leslierosecoaching.com/eat-healthier-5-steps
 
Disclaimer
 

172: Stay Motivated - The Secret Only 9% Know for Lasting Healthy Habits

Stop waiting to “feel motivated.” Learn how to actually build motivation to eat healthy, move your body, and stick with it — even on low-energy days.
We often think we just need to “get motivated” to eat better, work out, or finally stick to healthy habits. Think again. In this episode, we break down why motivation isn’t what you think it is — and why waiting to feel motivated keeps you stuck.
You’ll learn how motivation actually works in your brain, why it fades so fast, and the simple steps to build it through action — even when you feel unmotivated, tired, or intimidated by exercise.
This episode is for any teen or college student who wants to feel stronger, eat better, and actually follow through — without guilt, pressure, or unrealistic goals.
 
Like this episode? Hit follow and then leave a review or comment — we’d love to hear what you think.
 
Parents:
Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen/YA resolve weight & unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.
 
5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better  - Without Making Things Worse
Https://cc.leslierosecoaching.com/eat-healthier-5-steps
 
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