Food on the Mind: Awakened Genius w/ Jeb Stuart Johnston

Summary

In this episode of Food on the Mind, Jeb Stuart Johnston explores the complex relationship between self-sabotage and personal growth. He emphasizes that self-sabotage is often a form of self-protection, rooted in fear of change and discomfort. By understanding the psychological mechanisms behind these behaviors, listeners can learn to create safety within change, build trust with themselves, and integrate their internal parts for lasting transformation. The conversation highlights the importance of self-leadership over self-fighting, encouraging individuals to embrace their journey towards a healthier relationship with food and themselves.

Takeaways

Self-sabotage is often misunderstood as a flaw, but it's actually a form of self-protection.

Change can feel threatening because it disrupts our sense of safety and predictability.

Creating safety within change involves starting small and acknowledging fears.

Building trust with oneself is crucial for overcoming self-sabotage.

The all-or-nothing mindset can lead to failure; progress is more important than perfection.

Understanding internal parts can help in recognizing the reasons behind self-sabotage.

Integration of different parts of oneself leads to lasting change.

Awakening the genius within involves listening to and understanding one's fears.

Real transformation happens when we lead ourselves instead of fighting against ourselves.

You are not broken; your patterns are adaptations that served a purpose.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Self-Sabotage as Self-Protection

08:20 The Threat of Change and Its Impact

17:18 Working with Internal Parts for Lasting Change

36:33 Integrating Parts for Transformation

44:25 Leading Yourself to Trust and Change

Keywords

self-sabotage, emotional eating, food relationship, personal growth, change management, self-protection, mental health, coaching, transformation, identity

Summary

In this episode of Food on the Mind, Jeb Stuart Johnston explores the concept of survival mode, discussing how many people find themselves merely existing rather than truly living. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing when one is stuck in this mode and offers practical steps to break free from it. The conversation highlights the significance of awareness, presence, and emotional engagement in creating a fulfilling life. Jeb encourages listeners to start small, be compassionate with themselves, and build a life they don't want to escape from.

• Food on the Mind focuses on understanding the deeper why behind struggles.
• Survival mode is a state of being stuck in autopilot.
• Recognizing you're stuck is the first step to getting unstuck.
• You don't have to wait for a crisis to make a shift.
• Living fully means experiencing all emotions, not just the positive ones.
• Small acts of regulation can help shift out of survival mode.
• Awareness is key to breaking the cycle of survival mode.
• Building a life of presence and engagement is essential.
• It's important to be compassionate with yourself during this process.
• The awakening to a fulfilling life is a lifelong practice.

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Summary

In this episode of Food on the Mind, Jeb Stuart Johnston delves into the complexities of emotional eating, emphasizing that it is not merely a food problem but a coping mechanism rooted in emotional dysregulation. He discusses the misconceptions surrounding emotional eating, the role of the nervous system in triggering these behaviors, and the importance of self-regulation techniques. Johnston highlights the internal conflicts individuals face when trying to break free from emotional eating patterns and offers insights into how to navigate these challenges effectively. In this conversation, Jeb Stuart Johnston delves into the complexities of emotional eating, exploring the inner demons that drive this behavior and offering strategies for breaking free from the cycle. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and integrating the different parts of oneself, such as the perfectionist, the emotional soother, and the inner critic. Johnston provides actionable steps for emotional regulation, reframing the relationship with food, and cultivating a mindset that fosters self-compassion and growth. The discussion culminates in a roadmap for integrating these lessons into daily life, highlighting that true freedom from emotional eating comes from understanding and meeting one's needs in healthier ways.

Takeaways

Emotional eating is not a food problem; it's about emotional regulation.

Many people struggle with dieting due to emotional triggers, not lack of knowledge.

Traditional dieting approaches often fail because they ignore emotional drivers.

Willpower is a limited resource and cannot sustain long-term change.

Removing trigger foods only addresses symptoms, not the underlying causes.

Mindful eating is helpful but not a complete solution for emotional eating.

Understanding your nervous system is key to managing emotional eating.

Regulating your nervous system can help reduce emotional eating urges.

Inner conflicts can perpetuate emotional eating cycles.

Real change comes from understanding the emotional patterns behind eating. Emotional eating involves opposing forces within your psyche.

The perfectionist, soother, and inner critic are key parts in emotional eating.

You can't fight emotional eating; you must understand and integrate these parts.

Emotional eating is a message about unmet needs, not a failure.

Regulating your nervous system is crucial before making food choices.

Develop alternative coping strategies that fulfill the same needs as emotional eating.

Creating a neutral relationship with food helps reduce cravings.

Mindset shifts are essential for lasting change in emotional eating patterns.

Self-compassion is more effective than self-judgment in overcoming emotional eating.

Building trust with yourself is key to breaking free from emotional eating.

Keywords

emotional eating, coping mechanisms, nervous system, self-regulation, food habits, mental health, dieting, emotional dysregulation, behavior change, holistic approach, emotional eating, inner demons, mindset shifts, coping strategies, self-understanding, food relationship, self-compassion, emotional regulation, personal growth, healing

Summary

In this episode of Food on the Mind, Jeb Stuart Johnston explores the limitations of macro tracking for fat loss and the emotional disconnect that often accompanies it. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the deeper reasons behind food struggles and advocates for a more holistic approach that includes awareness, rituals, and self-trust. Jeb encourages listeners to move away from rigid rules and embrace a more sustainable and compassionate relationship with food, ultimately leading to food freedom and a deeper connection with oneself.

Takeaways

Chapters

00:00 The Macro Dilemma: Understanding the Struggle

06:33 The Emotional Disconnect: Beyond Numbers

13:07 Rituals Over Rules: A New Approach to Eating

22:37 Building Self-Trust: The Key to Food Freedom

30:27 The Path to Sustainable Change: Embracing Imperfection

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In this episode of Food on the Mind, Jeb Stuart Johnston introduces the podcast's mission to help individuals navigate their relationship with food, emotional eating, and personal growth. He shares his transformative journey back to podcasting, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, connection, and spirituality in healing. Jeb discusses his experiences with addiction, the transition to health and wellness coaching, and the development of his Awakened Genius Blueprint, a framework for understanding emotional eating. He concludes with a vision for future episodes that will explore deeper topics related to health, wellness, and personal development.

My close friend and yet another mentor of mine joins me for a banger. Mike T is one of the first people I met in the "fitness" world at the Fitness Summit in Kansas City. He talked with me about HRV for quite a bit and who would've known we would be such great friends all these years later. Well, Mike is obviously well known as the guy when it comes to metabolic flexibility but now he's also added physiological flexibility into his repertoire. It all makes perfect sense, we need flexibility to become stronger, more resilient humans. And that is what Mike specializes in.

*unfortunately Mike cuts out at about an hour and 6 minutes but most everything is there. 

You can find Mike and his new Physiological Flexibility course on www.miketnelson.com

IG @drmiketnelson

Facebook @ Mike T Nelson

Loved the chance to get to sit down with my friend and one of the most charming people I know, PhD and MD Dr. Tommy Wood. Tommy is truly a multi-disciplinarian with his degree in medicine bolstered by his study of the human brain. He is also the resident statistician at BroResearch, helping us plebeians be a little bit less dumb when interpreting study data. He's also heavily steeped in nutrition and has a deep understanding of the functional medicine world, both the good and not as good.  

One of the things Tommy and I see eye to eye on is the idea of social responsibility. Be it BLM or social representation in higher ed and science or removing the stigma around weight, Tommy is very vocal that we have not only a societal but also personal responsibility to take care of our fellow humans. While this has lost him favor in some of the darker corners of the interwebs it has further endeared him to me and many others. It is in this spirit that we discuss how one can be healthy at every size, what that means, and what we need to do societally to help ensure a healthy populace regardless of race, gender or socio-economic status.   

Dr Tommy Wood is one of my favorite people and I feel lucky to count him among my friends in the industry. I think you will probably be just as excited to hear him speak as everyone else who has had the pleasure. Plus, the English accent doesn't ever hurt.

In the first episode of Food on the Mind I welcome a mentor and someone who has shaped my practice, Dr Lisa Lewis. We discuss how she made the entree from clinical practice to sports psychology to helping fitness professionals to navigate the rocky waters of helping people to better themselves. We examine how fitness and nutrition are tools for bettering not just our physical health but our mental and emotional health as well. She has opened up her course, Psych Skills for Fit Pros but registration closes Sunday so hurry over to check it out. If you work in the fitness industry in any capacity this course is a must.  

Dr Lisa Lewis IG: drlewisconsulting 

Course: https://drlewisconsulting.com/products/psych-skills-for-fitness-pros/

Buckle up. This one goes deep. My buddy Rob Logan; photographer, trainer & coach at Deuce Gym in LA, husband to Lexi and father to Avedon. All of these things inform our discussion of masculinity, art, prison, love, violence, New York & LA. This is what it's all about. ANd Rob is the only person I know who drops F-bombs more than me so if you don't like vulgarity I would sit this one out. I loved this discussion and I think you will too.

I speak with my good friend Sean Hyson, Content Director at Onnit and author of The Men's Health Encyclopedia of Muscle: Everything You Need To Build The Body You Want. We dig into success in publishing, the fitness industry, and how psychedelics might be the thing to help you break through. You can find Sean's book at his Instagram @seanhyson, on Facebook and Twitter.