In today’s episode, Josh Hillis, a specialist in emotional eating and behavior change, joins us to discuss how a flexible, acceptance-based, skills-based approach encourages people to make eating choices that align with their values and to work with, rather than against, cravings and emotions. Josh helps us define our “values” around food and eating, and how they play into how we feel and behave.

Throughout our conversation, Josh shares practical ways to address emotional eating, emphasizing the value of acceptance. By working on skills, we can learn to make thoughtful choices even in the face of strong urges, and live a life where enjoyment and our goals coexist.

“If I’m willing to accept that I’m always gonna wanna have twelve cookies, then I can have two cookies and stop.”

- Josh Hillis

“Emotions prepare us for an action, but they don’t force us to. We still get to choose.”

- Josh Hillis

This week on Here’s the Deal:

• Josh’s journey led him from fitness coaching to a psychology-based, skill-focused approach
• Embracing cravings and emotions as normal, and learning to align choices with values
• Defining our values around food and eating
• The power of curiosity over judgment to build emotional flexibility
• Practical steps to detach from our emotions and accept them
• The value of rituals, like an afternoon snack, in creating personalized food choices
• Letting go of strict deadlines and fostering healthier, long-term habits
• Using a simple 10-minute pause to help understand and manage emotional triggers

Connect with Josh Hillis:

• Josh Hillis on Instagram
• Josh Hillis Website
• Eating Skills Class: Three Foundational Skills
• Fat Loss Happens on a Monday Book
• Lean and Strong Book

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and tag us!

Join Iris Deadlifts on Instagram, Meri on Instagram, and Amy Rudolph on Instagram.