Raising Body-Positive Daughters as a Gen X Mom with Evelyn Levasseur

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Join us at https://www.imperfectadulting.com In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Evelyn Levasseur about breaking generational cycles of body image struggles and the transformative journey to self-acceptance as a woman and a mother. Evelyn, based in Connecticut, shares how her lived experience as a Puerto Rican woman, chronic dieter, and eventually mother of two daughters shaped her understanding of self-worth, health, and identity. Listeners will gain actionable insight into recognizing damaging cultural narratives around body image, the complex intersection of motherhood and self-care, and how Evelyn learned to parent in a way that centers self-love, not self-neglect. About Evelyn Levasseur: Evelyn LeVasseur is the host of The Self-Centered Mom Podcast, a speaker, and founder of The Self-Centered Mom, a coaching brand for mothers who refuse to be defined by the roles they were given. A former educator turned Identity Coach, Evelyn helps mothers rebuild the architecture of their lives so that they can live like they matter, without blowing up their relationships or feeling "selfish". Main Topics Covered: Generational Impact of Body Image Messaging: How comments from family and pervasive diet culture shaped Evelyn’s early views on self-worth and appearance. Breaking the Diet Cycle: Evelyn’s realization of the yo-yo dieting trap, external validation, and what it takes to replace shame-based behaviors with healthy self-acceptance. Parenting Through Body Positivity: The intentional steps Evelyn took to raise daughters who love and accept themselves, and how that demanded deep self-reflection—and change. The Complicated Role of Food as Love: Exploring food as a signal of family, comfort, and celebration alongside contradictory cultural standards about appearance. Navigating Identity and Worth Beyond Motherhood: Evelyn’s journey through pregnancy loss, body changes, and redefining self-worth outside of reproductive identity. Moving from People-Pleasing to Centering Yourself: Why self-neglect is not a virtue, and the practical mindset shifts required to break the martyrdom cycle for women. Living and Coaching in Alignment: The transformation of Evelyn’s coaching practice to prioritize intrinsic self-worth and authentic connection, moving beyond quick-fix external changes. Quote from the Episode: "There's a difference in me lifting her up and putting myself down. I want her to love herself so deeply. And I'm not showing her how to do that. That is where I was able to say: something's gotta give." — Evelyn Levasseur Timestamps: [00:00:19] Introduction: Evelyn shares her Connecticut roots and what she loves about her home [00:01:18] The topic: Body image, raising kids, and body positivity [00:02:23] Childhood memories: Growing up Puerto Rican, favorite family foods, art, and athletics [00:03:19] First body image messages and early cultural conditioning [00:05:02] College, weight gain, crash diets, and the reinforcement of thinness [00:07:54] Middle school peer comparisons and body talk in athletics/media [00:10:11] When compliments reinforce unhealthy cycles [00:12:27] Distinguishing between health and worth, the complex role of food as love [00:14:36] Becoming a mother and intentionally raising daughters differently [00:17:00] Pregnancy loss, body trust, and the emotional toll of early motherhood [00:22:58] Navigating complicated advice, family support, and internalized pressure [00:24:55] Why self-neglect is mistakenly glorified for women [00:26:49] The moment Evelyn decided self-love was non-negotiable [00:28:16] Cycle-breaking as a mother and the pivotal picnic incident [00:31:18] Practical mindset and behavior changes Evelyn made for herself and her family [00:36:27] Celebrating intrinsic worth, not external appearance [00:38:42] The Self-Centered Mom podcast: Naming, intention, and centering the self [00:41:38] Evelyn’s favorite books and podcasts for further inspiration [00:43:13] Closing out, offers for listeners, reflection on the power of self-acceptance ABOUT THE SHOW: The Art of Imperfect Adulting shares authentic conversations with and for women about the choices and decisions that shape a life. These are the choices that nobody gives you an instruction book to handle. Topics include: career reinvention, divorce and starting over, caregiving for aging parents, getting sober, menopause, and healing from abuse and trauma and more. These are stories of lived experience, not advice because there's a difference between being told what to do and hearing how someone else actually navigated a similar crossroads. CONNECT WITH THE GUEST: https://www.theselfcenteredmom.com/ The Self-Centered Mom, https://feed.podbean.com/evelynlevasseur/feed.xml If you have a story to share and you'd like to be a guest on The Art of Imperfect Adulting, here are the steps for how you can make that happen. Pitch yourself at https://www.imperfectadulting.com/be-a-guest Here are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links :-) For livestreaming and recording ECamm https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=amy69 Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FM https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ntczmwi Website hosting with Siteground https://www.siteground.com/?referrer_id=9115590 Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic https://get.castmagic.io/ugrmjjrt8ofj For Email I recently switched to Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Amy-Stone before that I used Kit. Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/lists/podcast-guest-authors