Keep The Weight Off

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/121

This week on our podcast, Marchelle and I dive into a topic many of us can relate to but rarely discuss - navigating the road back to good nutrition after a binge. 🍔🍕🍩 ➡️ 🥗🥦🍎

Ever found yourself stuck in the "I'll start on Monday" trap? 📆 It's a common cycle where we delay healthier habits, justifying unhealthy ones in the process. This week, we take a deep dive 🌊 into why it's so hard to restart healthy eating habits and how to overcome the challenges that arise post-binge.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How guilt and shame can create a cycle of unhealthy habits and how self-compassion can help break it 💔 ➡️ ❤️

• Why the "I'll start on Monday" mentality can derail our health goals and how to conquer it 🛑 ➡️ 🚀

• How each time you refocus after a slip-up, you're building a resilience muscle and creating a virtuous cycle 💪🔄

• Practical tips to manage post-binge cravings and re-establish healthier habits 🍏🏃‍♀️

• The road to healthier habits is seldom a straight one - it's filled with ups and downs 🎢. But remember, every stumble is an opportunity to learn and grow stronger 💡💪.

• Don't wait until Monday to start your healthier journey - let's start today!💥 Click to listen and you're sure to gain insights to help you on your journey to lasting health 🎧💖.

Stay strong, show kindness to yourselves, and remember - every day is a new opportunity to make choices that support your wellbeing 🌈🌟.

Episode highlights:

(03:45) Sometimes when we slip like this, it can feel like we've broken a promise to ourselves. That guilt and shame can feel really overwhelming and it can make us feel like we failed, and in a way that can justify continuing on an unhealthy path. The negative emotions just cause even more stress leading us to continue unhealthy habits, and then it becomes a vicious cycle.

(08:00) After a slip, our brains and bodies are going to experience a sort of hangover. So we've had this rush of sugar and fat and salt, and now our brains want more. It's important to remember that this is a physiological, biochemical reaction. It's not a personal failure. The cravings are biological and not a sign of some sort of character flaw or willpower defect.

(13:39) Every time you choose to refocus after a slip, you're creating what's called a "virtuous cycle", and what this means is that each time it just becomes easier and easier. It's like you're training your brain to move more and more quickly to get back on track. You're building resilience and you're teaching yourself it's okay to stumble.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/120

Marchelle and I are back, and this week we're putting weight loss goals into perspective. No gimmicks, no sensational claims – just good, honest advice on how to set goals that are both achievable and sustainable. 🚶‍♀️

Here's what's in store:

- Get the scoop on process goals 📝 (Learn what they are and how they can be your secret weapon for lasting success).

- Find out why a pound of fat loss each week can be a game-changer

- Take the "New Recipe Challenge" 🥗 (Hint: It's a flavorful journey for your taste buds).

- Discover why muscles matter in weight loss 💪 (And how to give them the attention they deserve).

Remember, weight loss is a journey, not a race. The path to wellness is paved with thoughtful choices, patience, and sometimes a sprinkle of levity.

Ready to set some realistic goals?

Highlights:

(09:46) If you're thinking "I have to have a 1200 calorie deficit, I've gotta figure this out", and you're eating 500 calories and you're exercising enough that you're gonna burn off the rest of it… guess what? Your brain will be starving and you're putting yourself in the famine state. You're going to be miserable and tired, and you're absolutely guaranteed to put fat back on later. There's no better way to gain weight than to do something like this. You're training your brain to store fat.

(15:54) Whether you've just had a baby or not, if you really want to lose the weight and keep it off, we need to get our minds refocused. We talk a lot in the Empowered Weight Loss membership (www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/yes) about developing a new identity. This is actually where your true power lies. It takes time and attention, and frankly, it takes a lot of thought work. Thought work is when you focus on your mindset and on your thinking patterns, and you correct thoughts that are not helpful. Everything starts with your thoughts. So if you're not getting the results that you want, it's usually because you have some thought errors.

(18:06) How do we go about setting realistic expectations? Well, one thing I would recommend is to set process goals and not outcome goals. Outcome goals are the end results that someone wants to achieve, but outcome goals only provide a target to aim for. They don't tell you the steps that you need in order to get there. Focus more on process goals; They're the actions and the steps that you take to achieve the outcome goals.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/119

Today, we're diving into a hot topic that we've seen over and over again - and even I'm guilty as charged!

Picture this: a patient walks in, disheartened, and exclaims, "I'm putting in so much effort, but the scale won't budge!"

They spill the details of their intense exercise routine; hours on the treadmill or grueling Orange Theory/Peloton sessions. Frankly, they seem to hate every minute of it! Why do they keep at it? To shed some pounds, of course!

But wait, is exercise self-care or just a form of torture?

Grab a cuppa and join Marchelle and me for some real talk on why we exercise and what it means for our mental and physical health!

Episode Highlights:

(12:25) Sometimes people will use exercise as a way to regain control over their bodies when they feel overwhelmed or insecure in other aspects of their life. This was one of my unconscious motivations for my intense exercise regimen back in the day, because other aspects of my life felt out of control, and this was one area where I knew that I was in control. So I got really rigid about setting these goals, and I was super rigid about what I was eating, and it would totally distract me from all the other stuff in my life that felt out of control.

(16:26) We want to uncouple this relationship between exercise and fat loss, we want to stop thinking about burning calories with exercise. Exercise does help improve insulin resistance and blood sugar metabolism, no question about that, but it's much better in terms of maintaining your weight than losing weight.

(25:16) Develop a self-compassionate approach. Be much kinder and more forgiving towards yourself. Remember that your worth is not determined by your appearance, it's not determined by your exercise routine, no matter what social media seems to think, it's just not. So challenge any negative thoughts and beliefs that drive this punishment mindset.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/118

Ever been "dieting for decades"? Let's face it, the same old mindset and phrases just won't cut it if we're aiming for long-term success!

Curious to know which words to lose?

Tune in to this week's podcast where we're spilling the beans on how to finally say goodbye to diets… and hello to success!

Episode Highlights:

(10:39) So people use all kinds of words when they're in a restrictive mindset. Obviously, the first one is the word cheat. I don't like to use the word cheat, I prefer to use the word splurge; A splurge is something you've planned at least 24 hours ahead, and you make the choice deliberately to have a splurge.

(19:16) Exercise is not for burning calories. You exercise because it feels good and because you wanna develop cardiovascular stamina and you wanna keep your muscle strength and your balance. It also prevents depression and those sorts of things. Exercise is really important, but do it for your physical and mental health and not for burning calories.

(22:57) You wanna think of yourself as someone who nourishes your body well and does not use processed food for entertainment or for soothing negative emotions, or for getting yourself through a bad day. So you don't ever wanna diet again. You're just going to learn how to eat normal food in normal amounts and nourish your body well.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/117

Do you have a coworker who's always tempting you with candy, or perhaps they bring in the most delicious baked goods?

It's hard to resist, we get it!

That's why on this week's podcast, Marchelle and I are tackling this oh-so-common problem. Tune in to find out how you can resist those sweet temptations at work and stay healthy!

Episode Highlights:

(09:24) I want all of us to understand that when we're in situations of heightened stress and the treats are there, you can find yourself getting into it without even realizing it's happening. It's so unconscious. So just be aware of that.

(12:51) Never beat yourself up about anything. That's absolutely going to be very unhelpful. When I found myself automatically reaching for candy, I didn't beat myself up. I just brought awareness to it and I stopped myself, and I took some deep breaths instead, and I reminded myself that this is hard, that what I'm going through right now is hard, and it's okay.

(16:44) Going against the norms of a group is very frightening to our primitive brain, and that's why it can be so difficult to make our own needs known. We still deserve to be living in vibrant, healthy bodies, and we deserve to have our needs known and respected no matter what anyone else may think about it. So sometimes what's required is to really step out of our comfort zones and stand up for our own needs and desires.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/116

Do you ever feel like sticking to a weight loss plan is just punishing yourself? Finding yourself constantly dwelling on mistakes and wondering if you'll ever have that "perfect" body?

But imagine this: What if you cheered yourself on every step of the way to your healthy, vibrant body? Can you feel the motivation already?

Don't miss out on this week's podcast. We're about to reveal the secret to losing weight without the self-flagellation!

Episode Highlights:

(06:05) It actually doesn't even matter what your goal is. The idea is that you just pick something and you follow it through, and you practice managing your primitive brain in the process. It's as if you're teaching yourself that you're perfectly capable of doing hard things.

(11:38) None of these excuses are true. They're just excuses that the primitive brain is using to keep everything the same. And so you just tell your primitive brain, I hear you, but I've got goals. And you make a plan.

(14:25) Every step along the journey where you recognize this obstacle showing up and you overcome it, you get to have a mini celebration and you get to think about the "future you" that you're creating. So in this way the journey to lasting weight loss becomes a journey of self-congratulations rather than a journey of self-flagellation. Most of us have been dieting for decades, and we're beating ourselves up all along the way, so we need to shift it; congratulate ourselves every time we overcome an objection from our primitive brain. It's a really powerful way to achieve lasting health, and you'll have a ton of fun in the process!

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/115

Let's have some fun exploring a vital aspect of any weight loss journey: our thoughts. After all, lasting weight loss starts with the right mindset!

Join Marchelle and me today as we deep dive into a very common thought: "I should be able to do this on my own." Do you think it's helpful or harmful?

Stay tuned to find out!

Episode Highlights : (03:33) Our success on this journey is completely dependent on us figuring out what we're thinking and making decisions about whether these thoughts serve us or not. All thoughts are optional. (10:36) Our brains have learned from very early ages to use the dopamine hit that we get from food for entertainment, for connection, for relief of painful emotions. We learn that this will soothe, and it's constantly being triggered by advertisements everywhere you turn, and somehow we think we should be able to do this on our own. (12:25) Learning how to manage the urges to eat, when you're constantly confronted with all of this temptation everywhere around you, learning how to manage emotional upset without turning to food, learning how to plan and cook healthy foods, these are not intellectual exercises, these are skills that need to be developed!

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/114

Have you ever thought about giving yourself a virtual "timeout" with food?

You may never have thought of it that way! From young ages we can be quick to stuff down the bad vibes, and let's face it - food is just so darn convenient!

Let Marchelle tell you what happened to one brave student in Empowered Weight Loss while I talk candidly about how many years I spent muffling my own feelings without knowing.

This kind of self-awareness is truly profound!

Episode Highlights:

(07:03) The journey to lasting weight loss is a journey of profound personal evolution. Of course, you know that you shouldn't be eating sweets and chips, but if you have been using these foods to console yourself when you feel sad because your husband seems to prefer golfing over spending time with you, and you don't know how to speak up about it, you won't be able to make any massive changes until you address the underlying root cause.

(11:21) Oftentimes our parents or caregivers try to keep us quiet with food treats because they don't know how to help us deal with negative emotion. They've never really learned how to deal with negative emotion themselves. Let's say that you were bullied at school, and mom says "here's some candy, that will help you feel better". They don't really know how to help you manage the negative emotion or how to process it. So eating will soothe the negative emotion so that we don't feel it, and then we end up tolerating things that would otherwise be intolerable.

(16:55) My urgent need to eat was a negative emotion that I didn't want to feel, but that was actually a really powerful calling from the highest part of me that knew that I needed to move forward in my life, that my time of staying home with the kids needed to come to an end. They were getting older, they were getting more independent, they didn't need me as much. It was time.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/113

Have you ever stepped on the scale with confusion, wondering why your weight is going up even though you've been eating right?

You may be a victim of your own primitive brain! Our latest podcast dives into how our inner saboteur can silently undermine us as we strive for weight loss success – don't miss out on these sneaky tricks!

Episode Highlights:

(05:29) I just want all of you, our beloved listeners, to just ask yourself; what kinds of excuses does your primitive brain make up so that it can get its dopamine hit?

(06:58) "The exercise halo effect" happens to me all the time: I just worked really hard in the gym, so this treat is just fine. I do notice that on leg days I do get a little bit more physically hungry, but I also have to really monitor my primitive brain because my primitive brain will have me thinking "it's okay". I have to really pay attention to when I'm actually physically hungry on these leg days because so much of the time my primitive brain's like "You know that those leg workouts are really hard on you, and so your body's just gonna need more food so you can have more".

(10:24) Remember to just start to notice all of these excuses that your primitive brain is making depending on where you are on the journey. You may not have enough practice yet not to succumb to the urges, and that's just fine. I don't want you to think anything's going wrong if you do end up following your primitive brain, I just want you to be thinking about this and developing some awareness around it.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/112

Do processed foods have the same addictive potential as nicotine? Join us for Part 2 of our exploration and discover firsthand the science behind this controversial topic!

Let's take back control and use science to break the power processed foods have over us!

Episode Highlights:

(07:53) For those of you who struggle with these foods, I want you to know, your brain is normal. You don't have an abnormal brain. You have a brain that is responding in the way these foods were designed to make your brain respond, so just be aware of that. (12:30) Research shows that processed food is highly reinforcing even more so than cigarettes. So here's what Dr. Gearhardt had to say: "Daily exposure to highly processed foods appears to sensitize the reinforcing value of these foods as indicated by an increased willingness to work to gain access to highly processed foods over time, and larger portions of highly processed food leads to greater sensitization". So in other words, the bigger your portions are, then the more sensitized you get to it. (14:23) Processed food meets all of the criteria for addiction that was laid out for nicotine in the 1988 Surgeon General's report. But now there's a fourth criteria, is that there are strong, irresistible urges for the substance in question. Processed food meets that criteria as well!