Keep The Weight Off

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/101

Have you ever heard the saying, "Everything starts with a thought?" Well it's true!

Our Empowered Weight Loss membership is all about learning how to think on purpose and understanding that your thoughts create your reality.

But here comes the tricky part - many of us don't realize our own patterns of thinking or their impacts!

Recently I had an experience where I identified some "helpful" thinking as being detrimental - turns out, sometimes what we think is beneficial can be exactly what derails us from achieving our goals!

Join Marchelle and I this week as we demonstrate how to pin down those harmful mental hijackers, so you can spot corrosive thoughts before they cause too much damage.

Episode Highlights:

(04:49) The goal here is to slow down all of these thoughts that we're thinking all the time so that we can attain a sense of peace and detachment.

(08:30) Notice the thoughts that say, "I'm not enough, and in order to be enough, I should be doing something different". It's actually a very harmful thought. This is the beauty of doing this thought work, you get to discover these types of thoughts and then correct them.

(11:08) We all have all these thoughts going through our heads all the time, and it's this constant litany of thoughts that would seem to be motivating us, but they in fact turn out to be quite harmful… if you think about what happens if this goes on for years and years and decades unchecked, we feel like the only way to escape these constant critical thoughts is to distract ourselves with technology, some sort of food treat, alcohol, or some other drug… some sort of buffer.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/100

It's party time!

Today we are celebrating a huge milestone - the release of our 100th podcast episode! 🎉

For nearly two years Marchelle and I have been putting out content week after week, so let's give it up to all you loyal listeners who stuck with us along the way.

And what better way to commemorate this momentous occasion than with… drumroll please...a TOP 10 LIST!

In honor of reaching episode #100, here is my take on some powerful weight loss tips that will help not just shed those pounds but keep them off for good. What can possibly be more exciting?!

Episode Highlights:

(08:33) Do not worry about what anyone else is eating. Trust that when they see you healthy and vibrant and when they are ready, they will ask you what you're doing. Don't preach to people. There's an old saying that when the student is ready the teacher appears. If people aren't ready, they will not hear what you're saying. But when they ARE ready, they can't get enough!

(23:05) You're not going to solve this problem with a diet. If diets worked we'd all be skinny. We have to think more deeply and broadly. We have to recognize that if we're not going to use food or alcohol to manage our emotions any more, we will want to learn a new way. And that takes time and attention.

(28:31) Our primitive brains are being constantly stimulated by the food industry. If we haven't made our food decisions ahead of time, with our evolved human prefrontal cortex brain, we will be left at the mercy of our primitive brain. This is why taking the time to plan your nutrition in advance is so important.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/99

Get ready to dive deeper into your cravings as we explore the addictiveness of processed foods with Dr. Ashley Gearhardt!

This renowned researcher is leading us on a journey through sweeteners, marketing tactics, potential risks, and much more - so buckle up for an eye-opening chat that will leave you enlightened yet hungry (for knowledge)!

Episode Highlights:

(4:18) One of the ways that we knew nicotine was addictive was we would have animals in the research lab choose between nicotine or cocaine. And cocaine was a much stronger reinforcer than nicotine. The animals would choose cocaine about 80% of the time, but they would still choose nicotine 20% of the time, and they would work to get nicotine. Sugar versus cocaine, 80% of the time they'll choose sugar over cocaine.

(09:47) Big tobacco has now gotten into the food game. I just recently learned how much Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds have played a huge role in shaping processed food and the way we eat it. And the way it's engineered and designed and marketed because when they started coming under heat for their addictiveness of the tobacco products, they diversified by buying companies like Craft and General Mills.

And so if we wouldn't trust them around tobacco, why would we trust them with the food that we eat?

(10:56) Self-compassion is one of the things I preach … It is like your biology wants this stuff because it's worried it's gonna starve, and there's a trillion-dollar industry that is using their know-how that they honed on things like cigarettes, and that has been applied to our food environment.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/98

Marchelle and I have an absolute treat for you today! We've got the amazing Dr. Ashley Gearhardt joining us to share her expertise on Processed Food Addiction - a topic she is one of the leading lights in worldwide.

During her grad school years at Yale, Dr. Gearhardt noticed that when people battling with obesity discussed food, it sounded very similar to the way people struggling with addiction talked about drugs like nicotine or alcohol. So, Dr. Gearhardt developed The Yale Food Addiction Scale, and wouldn't you know it … Her research showed people did experience the same cravings and loss of control as other substances- fascinating stuff!

Dr. Gearhardt now has the evidence to prove that munching tasty treats like pizza or chips is pretty darn close to puffing away at cigarettes in terms of addiction! This one had us thinking big…

You are going to love our conversation today, Dr. Gearhardt just blew us away with her knowledge and there are a lot of aha's from this interview.

This interview comes in 2 parts - here is Part 1; Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

(19:55) You typically protect children and teens against marketing and accessibility (to addictive substances) and all these sorts of things. But for kids and teens, these foods with this addictive potential is the main source of calories that they're getting, and they're the huge marketing target for the industry.

(24:23) These foods are really engineered and designed to be appealing, to grab us, to challenge us. And they really use our most inherent evolutionary biology against us. Dying of famine was one of our biggest threats. And our reward systems are shaped by really calorically dense foods to really wake up the dopamine system and make us want it, and make us desire it.

(31:16) Reminding yourself all the reasons why it's not going to be as fulfilling as you thought, or how you're gonna feel five minutes afterwards, or reminding yourself what your values are. You're trying to have different healthy eating goals. All of those things can help, we know that cravings come and they peak and they go down on their own.

(34:07) We've generally had this perspective that self-control is a muscle and that it wears out and there's some evidence for that. But there's also evidence that people will do better if instead they kind of think of self control is the more you use it, the more it works.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/97

Ready to get serious about your weight loss goals? Let's talk Empowered Weight Loss Membership (or EWL for short)!

Marchelle and I have been raving about it on the podcast, so we decided to give you an insider scoop of why this program could be a game changer.

Through EWL, discover how to reset your metabolism for fat loss, retrain habit loops in the brain AND address unconscious blocks that may stand between you and lasting weight-loss success - making sure no rock goes unturned!

EWL really has the whole spectrum covered! The program is designed with one goal in mind: helping YOU develop lasting weight loss resilience skills…What are ya waiting for?!

Episode Highlights:

(06:30) I discovered that helping someone learn how to THINK is the most important part of helping them achieve weight loss that is lasting. And the great thing is that when you use your weight loss journey as practice ground for learning how to THINK, you become unstoppable in all areas of your life… So I'm teaching you not just how to nourish your body, but I'm teaching you how to think!

(10:40) I firmly believe that the body's biochemistry responds to whatever emotional state you are in. There is scientific evidence that validates that, and it will be really hard to maintain weight loss if you're in a chronic state of stress, overwhelm, anger, resentment, or self-loathing. So I'm helping you, first of all, get in touch with your emotions and then move yourself up the Emotional Scale into higher and higher emotional states.

(17:02) A lot of our listeners may have a goal of getting their health back and losing weight in 2023, so I'd encourage you to do it the right way this time and join us in Empowered Weight Loss! In order to do that, you just go to JourneyBeyondWeightLoss.com/Yes to sign up.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/96

Nothing says "Happy New Year!" like hashing over the oh-so-important topic of goal weights!

This week's podcast is full-to-bursting with insights and tips from Marchelle, who knows from experience what not to do when it comes to reaching your goals!

So don't be afraid - turn up that volume and tune in for an enlightening chat about how you can go further than ever before this year!

Episode Highlights:

(10:49) When we do really restrictive stuff to try to get to a certain body shape or goal weight or whatever it is, we end up rebounding later and gaining all our weight back!

(15:14) Words don't teach. You can hear me say things all day, every day, but until you actually experience it yourself, that's when you really learn. So you heard me say over and over again "goal weights aren't important", "your weight doesn't matter", but until you actually went through this and you experienced it yourself, that's when you really learned it!

(23:00) "Arrival fallacy" is a term that was coined by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, and the idea here is that we go all out in pursuit of a goal, in this case it's getting to our goal weight, and we get this great feeling of accomplishment, but it doesn't last… We thought that achieving our goal would bring us everlasting joy and happiness, but that doesn't happen. So then we're left thinking, well, now what?

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/95

Usually, during this week between Christmas and New Years, I take time off from the clinic; I love to use this time as time to reflect and think about what I want this next year to look like!

Many people use this time to set resolutions. I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but Resolutions have gone out of favor, because most of us never really follow through on our resolutions.

So I decided to use science to guide me, and instead of setting resolutions, I set intentions for the New Year! 🎉

Tap your inner scientist as together we explore research on behavior change that will make this coming year one of growth, self improvement, and major accomplishments!

Episode Highlights:

(09:23) BJ Fogg has developed a model for behavior change. He explains that when something is really difficult to do, like go to the gym and work out on the treadmill for an hour every day, it requires too much motivation to last for any long period of time.

(15:53) The "activation threshold" is that point where it's so easy that it takes no motivation, and you can just do it without a problem. So just going to the gym and driving into the parking lot and then leaving if you want, is easy. And that will get your brain used to that idea of driving to the gym, if that's what your goal is.

(20:36) The one habit that will serve you the most and requires almost no effort is to plan your meals for the next day the night before. Remember when your primitive brain is making your food decisions, you'll go for whatever's most tasty and most convenient at the moment. Your primitive brain is interested in pleasurable things and fast convenient things, and in this modern food environment that might mean a trip through the drive-through. So your primitive brain is incapable of making good food decisions.

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/94

Don't wait until 2023 to start caring about your cardiometabolic health- the stats are showing that it's prime time for you to act now!

Recent studies have shown an alarming trend - only 7% of Americans score "healthy" in measures of cardiometabolic health. I find that shocking!

That means most folks need a major wellness makeover and fast, otherwise they could be at risk for some serious outcomes like stroke or heart disease. So if you're ready to tackle this important issue head on, tune in with Marchelle and me as we dive deep into everything there is to know about keeping our bodies fit & healthy … right here on the podcast!

Episode Highlights:

(07:17) Smoking puts you at a very high risk for cardiovascular disease, but it's not the only thing… because you would think that now that so many fewer people are smoking, the cardiovascular disease rates would go down, But they haven't gone down. They've actually gone up.

(14:26) We've known for a very long time that cardiovascular disease is a killer. When I first started out in public health, we were very concerned about smoking, and those of us in the public health world are really proud of our efforts to get people to quit smoking. But now we have other types of factors that are contributing to this.

(15:10) Here are the indicators of cardiometabolic risk; elevated blood pressure, blood cholesterol elevations, blood sugar elevation, having the disease of obesity as indicated by abnormal weight gain, an elevated body mass index or body fat percentage, and lastly, the presence of known cardiovascular disease. Find out where you rank on these 5 indicators so you'll know your risk!

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/93

'Tis the season for resolutions and topping your list may be losing weight!

But what if you're struggling to stay away from sugar and flour? Don't worry, Marchelle and I are here to help!

Our podcast explores why our brains want us to indulge in junk food - but we'll also show you there is life beyond these processed treats. Tune in to find out how 2023 can become a healthier New Year than ever before!

Episode Highlights:

(04:11) Our primitive brains are always looking for pleasure. That's one of the things that allowed us to survive, to find things that were pleasurable. So the primitive brain says, pleasure means survival.

(08:43) So I want to explain a little bit about what's happening in the brain when we eat processed foods that contain sugar, flour, or both. These substances are basically white powders. So think about all of the addictive drugs that you know of, they're producing hits of dopamine in very high concentrations. Well processed food with it's sugar and flour causes a lot more dopamine release than natural food, so it's like concentrated pleasure, and your brain really loves that.

(12:10) What I want you to know is that the brain heals, so the dopamine receptors that were downregulated start to come back, and you'll be surprised at how good you feel, how you don't have cravings or this constant need for the crap food, and you discover just how awesome natural food can taste!

For more details on this podcast visit:

https://www.journeybeyondweightloss.com/blog/92

Today, Marchelle and I talk about the difference between a desire and a decision. We compare these two statements "I want to lose weight and get healthy" vs "I will lose weight and get healthy." While they sound very similar, one creates an emotion of hope while another generates action plans in your head without even trying!

If we want to evolve our lives, it's important that we learn how to make decisions and take action. Listen in as we discuss what happens in our brain when we make a decision, and how to overcome our brain's natural unwillingness to make decisions and take action!

Episode Highlights:

(02:47) The difference between "I want to lose weight and get healthy", and "I will lose weight and get healthy" is a subtle change in words, and yet not so subtle change in the feelings and actions that these two sentences generate. So that's not just a desire, that's a decision, it generates confidence, determination and empowerment.

(06:06) There's very little power in wishes and hopes and dreams, but there is a lot of power in making decisions because decisions generate action. Once we've made a decision, we are compelled to act.

(11:30) When we make decisions, we learn to back ourselves up. So we remind ourselves that there are no wrong decisions. When we make a decision, we will take action, and in taking action, we will either succeed or we will learn. There's no such thing as a wrong decision because there's no such thing as failure. There's only success or learning.