For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/51

Episode 51: Doing the hard things makes all the difference.

Episode Description: One of the skills that will really serve you in your quest for personal evolution is the ability to do hard things. The ability to do something even when you don’t feel like it. 

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you will have to do a lot of hard things.  That’s just a fact.  If losing weight were easy, everyone would be skinny.  Losing weight and keeping it off is one of the most difficult things you will ever do. It’s also one of the most important things you will ever do. 

So let’s talk about how to do hard things.  

Episode Highlights: 10:25   Our brains are not going to evolve as quickly as our environment has evolved. Giving up a pleasure in the moment for the promise of something that will happen in the future is hard. It just is. It's a new concept and it's really quite an advanced skill.

13:36   The more often you tell your brain no, the more it stops hammering at you. So the truth is, if you want to create an amazing future for yourself, you're going to have to get good at doing hard things. And if you want to lose weight and keep it off, there's no magic pill. 

16:54   Emotions are brought on by thoughts. So what thoughts are gonna create that emotion for you? What thoughts are going to cause you to feel determined? And perhaps it's something like I can do hard things, bring it on. I love that one. I can do hard things, bring it on, or I'm creating an amazing future for myself. That thought makes me feel determined and resolute and willing to do hard things. 

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/51

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/50

Episode 50: Take charge of your NEW normal!

Blog Description: When they get frustrated, many people on a weight loss journey will say “I just want to eat normally!” 

In today's podcast, Marchelle and I ask the question: what exactly do we mean when we say we want to eat normally?  What exactly is normal eating, anyway?   It's a fascinating question and one each of us needs to seriously think about!

Episode Highlights: 5:44   So here's the interesting thing about normal. We're hardwired to conform to whatever our society tells us is normal. So when we do what everybody else does, we are part of that group. And when we're part of a group, we survive, we have a primal instinct to survive and to conform, to group standards of behavior.

13:19   The corporate food giants are out there trying to get us to desire their products so that we'll purchase and consume them. They study our brains very carefully so they know just how to trigger that desire by putting just the right amount of sugar in their food to trigger a dopamine release. And they call this the bliss point, and they put chemicals in the food to give it the right mouth feel. They've basically hacked our primitive brains by engineering their foods to create as much desire as possible so that they can reap the profit. 

24:06   How would you define normal? If you took back control of that word for yourself and found it for yourself, what would you be eating in your new normal? How would you be managing your emotions without food or alcohol? 

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/50

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

Episode 49: Let's unpack our self-sabotaging tendencies, and what you can do about them.

Blog Description: Happy New Year from Marchelle and me!!

So many of us set weight loss goals and do well for a week or two, maybe even a month or two, or more ... and then something happens and we end up giving up on ourselves and our goals.  If this has happened to you, you're not alone!

What's going on here?  It turns out that human brains have a way of perceiving things that can really sabotage our progress! Tune in to this week's podcast to discover how this happens and what you can do about it so you can stay on track!

Epidode Highlights:

2:39   Almost all of us have this tendency for "all or nothing" thinking. So what I mean by this is that we think that things have to be one way or another. That's a normal human brain that does this. So think about it from an evolutionary perspective. We survived because we made quick judgements about whether something was dangerous or safe friend or foe. So our brains are hardwired to make these quick assessments.

5:26   So just be aware of this because in the real world, things are never either one way or another way. It's not good or bad. It's actually good and bad. Especially when it comes to human beings and our behavior. We're all of it. We're good and bad. We're competent and incompetent. We're generous and selfish. We can be motivated and we can be lazy. So understanding this is really important in the weight loss journey

9:18   This tendency of our brains to want to indulge in "all or none" thinking can really sabotage our weight loss journey. So to overcome this tendency in our own brains, I'd like to offer this thought. What if it's okay if our journey's a little bit messy? What if our journey can be filled with success and failure? What if we can be good at times and bad at times, and still reach our ultimate goal of thriving in a healthy, vibrant body that we're proud of?

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/49

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/48

Episode 48: Setting weight loss goals for 2022 in a new way.

Blog Description: This time between Christmas and New Years Day has always been for me a time of taking stock: I like to spend some time reflecting on the last year and setting goals for the New Year. I try not to think about them as New Year’s Resolutions, because usually, those never work out very well!

On this podcast, Marchelle and I want to help you, our listener, to think about setting goals for the New Year in a new way. Tune in, so that you don’t get to February 1st and realize that you’ve already given up!

You can use this process for any goal you might want to accomplish, whether it’s weight-related or not.

Highlights:

5:22 Most people who struggle with their weight have this identity that says I'm overweight and I need to lose weight. And all through the weight loss process that identity never really shifts. They keep asking the question, "am I trying to lose weight right now?" In other words, am I on a diet right now or not? But this kind of thinking is not consistent with long term weight loss. If you keep thinking like this, you'll never be able to keep your weight off.

12:04 So, if you kind of think about it, what we're doing here is we're reverse engineering your outcome. So, you do decide who you want to be and then you reverse engineer what you need to do to become that person.

13:20 Now I'm going to give you a few more hints as you think about reverse engineering your goals for 2022. You're going to start with the identity: Who do you want to be and how do you want to show up in the world.

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/48

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/47

Episode 47: Holiday triggers and how to overcome them!

Blog Description: I’ve always loved the holidays. But they can be difficult too. We can put a lot of stress on ourselves to make everything perfect for everyone! In my experience, the holidays are actually a bit like a magnifying glass. Everything you are usually dealing with becomes heightened.  So for example, if you are dealing with grief or loss, it can be magnified during the holidays. Or if you’re dealing with loneliness, it can be magnified. Food temptations are everywhere.  Alcohol is everywhere.  So today Marchelle and I wanted to talk about some of the common triggers that come up for people as they are trying to navigate their way through the holidays... tune in as we give you tips and strategies to make sure this holiday is a good one for you!

Timestamps:

3:54   Holidays are a little bit like a magnifying glass. Everything that you are dealing with typically becomes heightened at the holiday season. If you're dealing with grief or loss it can be magnified during the holidays, or if you're dealing with loneliness, it can be my magnified. And then of course there's magnification of food. Food temptations are everywhere, and alcohol is everywhere.

7:34   Have a conversation with the people that you've considered to be ‘food pushers.’ Have a conversation with them in advance and let them know that you've discovered that holiday treats are actually making you sick and you want to avoid them this year. You'll be politely declining those kinds of treats. That doesn't mean that you don't love them or anything like that. It just means that you're trying to protect your physical body from harm. 

28:23   Make sure that you follow your normal routines as much as possible. This can be really sort of challenging if you are entertaining house guests, or if you are a guest in someone else's home but do the best you can to get the sleep that you need. Make sure you're eating regular meals. Don't be skipping any meals, drink plenty of water.  Do the best you can to stay consistent because the more consistent you are with your routine, the more empowered you're gonna feel. And, the more control you'll have over your thoughts and the better you're gonna feel.

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/47

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

Episode 46: Having a support system helps ensure your success at keeping the weight off.

Episode Description: Recent studies have shown that people who are members of a community and who have the social support of an accountability partner are more successful at keeping weight off. Tune in as Marchelle and I talk about the evidence, about our experience with patients and clients, and what you can do to get the support you need. As the African proverb states, "if you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together!"

Timestamps:

11:20 Well, I want everybody to know that this is actually a normal part of the human brain, this tendency to isolate when we feel ashamed.

10:23 If you want to be successful at losing weight and keeping it off, accountability and a sense of community and shared vision are absolute keys.

14:47 The journey is often very, very messy. It's rarely a straight line. But always it's gonna be a more successful journey if you know that you are not alone and that other people are available to support you and that they have your back and they can help you.

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/46

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/45

Episode 45: The future you create for yourself is yours to decide.

Blog Description: As 2021 draws to a close, I find myself thinking about 2022... and the future I want to create. It feels even more poignant this year as I will turn 60 (!). Tune in as Marchelle and I discuss how to FEEL your way into your future self, and a shortcut I discovered that has really been serving me. I hope it will serve you too!

Timestamps:

4:05 When you look at the model, how you feel drives your actions and your behaviors and your actions and behaviors bring your results.

9:00 I'm going to encourage you as 2021 is winding down to begin this thought process, start thinking about the future you, that you want to create. What do you want to be? What do you want to do? What do you want to have

10:59 I really want to encourage people to be focused in the future and not focused on the past because, you know, especially if we've been struggling for a lot in the past, you don't want to focus on that. You want to be focused in the future. How are you going to feel then? And then find ways to feel that way now. And that's going to fuel the behaviors that are going to bring more of that into your life. It's just an awesome process.

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/45

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/44

Episode 44: Making decisions in advance make it easier when temptations arise.

Blog Description: It's December, and the holidays are upon us! Most people gain quite a bit of weight over the holidays and then wake up on Jan 1 wondering how they're going to get themselves back on track! Today, Marchelle and I discuss an empowered way to approach the holidays, so you're making choices throughout the season that are consistent with your long-term goals. Tune in, because we reveal some surprising truths!

Timestamps:

17:25 Decide in advance to be proactive. Decide ahead of time that you want to have a healthier holiday season.

22:53 So here's something to think about. What if this thought that you have that if you don't eat someone else's food treat - that they are going to be disappointed in you - is actually wrong? Because you don't actually know for sure how they'd feel!

28:19 When it comes to the holidays, let's stop the holiday craziness and let's take an empowered approach. The most important thing that you can do is to make your holiday food decisions in advance.

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/44

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/43

Episode 43: Plan ahead and make the holidays a success.

Blog Description: Happy Thanksgiving to all of our US podcast listeners! Today, Marchelle and I have some hints that will help you move through this holiday unscathed. Tune in as we discuss relationships, food, alcohol, and gratitude. If you plan ahead, you will succeed!

Timestamps:

12:02 Thanksgiving is always all about the food. And what I recommend that you do is to make a plan ahead of time. So ask yourself this question, are you going to splurge and go all out and just sort of eat whatever you want and try everything? So make that decision ahead of time. And if you splurge, try to just splurge for one day and not for the entire weekend.

15:09 One option to consider is to just do a completely low carb Thanksgiving, and make everything with low carb ingredients.

24:56 Remember exactly what this holiday is all about, which is giving thanks, gratitude, and appreciation. When we live in gratitude and appreciation for everything that we have, life has a way of opening up even more for us to appreciate.

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/43

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service

For more details on this podcast visit: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/42

Episode 42: Find success by replacing "have to" with "want to". Blog Description: I had a profound discovery recently as I was being coached by a peer in a coaching program: my brain is hooked on the phrase "I have to..."! I was shocked to see the results of this thinking. Tune in as Marchelle and I discuss how to notice and respond to these thoughts and what to do to lessen the anxiety they create!

Timestamps:

7:50 If you have a lot of anxiety as you're going through this weight loss journey, it's not going to create lasting change. Okay? So, I say this a lot and I'm going to say it again. How you talk to yourself really, really, really, really matters.

17:48 So I'm, I'm really working at retraining my brain off of the have to thoughts and onto the I want to thoughts and those, I want to thoughts helped me feel empowered and motivated, not anxious. And when I'm feeling motivated and empowered, I can accomplish amazing things. So, for those of you who are just getting started out, notice if you have ‘have to’ thoughts about food, don't beat yourself up about it, just notice it. And I would just caution anyone listening to just pay attention. And, you know, notice if you're having any of these disempowering thought patterns and don't beat yourself up about it. But just be glad you noticed it. And don't expect overnight change.

24:43 I always say the weight-loss journey done well is a journey of self exploration and self understanding. And it will serve you, not just in your ability to lose weight and keep it off, but it will serve you in all other aspects of your life. It's gonna serve you in your relationships. It's gonna serve you in your occupation. It's going to serve you in your future. You can use your weight loss journey as a jumpstart, to a whole new life if you do it right.

Full transcription of this podcast: https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/42

This episode was produced and marketed by the Get Known Podcast Service: www.getknownstrategy.com/podcast-service