Michelle Petties is a Food Story coach and emotional eating expert who gives voice to what happens at the intersection of food, feelings, and everyday life. A recovering food addict, Michelle explores how memories, emotions, and culture, not hunger, shape our eating habits. Her award-winning memoir, Leaving Large – The Stories of a Food Addict, is not a weight-loss book—it's a powerful reckoning with the past and a path toward healing and wholeness. Through a powerful blend of personal narrative, social commentary, and storytelling, Michelle unpacks 40 years of emotional wounds, ingrained beliefs, and cultural expectations that shaped her journey—and ultimate victory—over food addiction. As a sought-after speaker and workshop facilitator, Michelle leads healing-through-reading-writing-and-storytelling experiences that help participants uncover their food truths and reclaim their power.