Love Yourself Thin Podcast

Did menopause really ruin your metabolism and make weight gain inevitable?

In this episode of Love Yourself Thin, Dara separates what's actually happening during menopause from the story so many women have been taught to believe about their bodies. Yes, hormone changes are real. Yes, fat distribution can change. But menopause does not mean your metabolism suddenly shuts down or that weight gain is unavoidable.

Dara dives into the research around aging, muscle loss, metabolism, and menopause—and then takes the conversation deeper.

Because what if some of the constant thinking about food, your body, and your weight isn't actually about menopause?

Dara explores food noise, experiential avoidance, and how thinking about food can sometimes become a way of buffering from uncomfortable emotions, difficult relationships, or conversations we don't want to have.

You'll learn:

• What actually happens to your metabolism during menopause
• Why menopause isn't the sudden metabolic "cliff" many women believe it is
• How food noise can become a distraction from deeper emotional issues
• What experiential avoidance has to do with emotional eating
• Why menopause can become a convenient explanation for struggles that may have another root
• A simple question to ask yourself when food and body thoughts start taking over
• Why curiosity and compassion are more useful than beating yourself up

Dara also shares Anne's story and what changed when she stopped focusing only on the symptom and started working through the emotional patterns underneath her eating.

The question for you is: Is there something else you're avoiding right now?

Book a call with Dara to unpack what's really going on and learn more about her program where women learn to enjoy their lives without the emotional baggage. Book your call today!

Subscribe for more on permanent weight loss!

Have you ever walked into a family reunion, holiday gathering, or high school reunion and suddenly felt like you were 16 again?

Maybe nobody said anything intentionally hurtful. Maybe someone makes an innocent comment about who you used to be, and yet something inside you deflates. In this episode, Dara explores why being around people who have known you for decades can bring up such a powerful emotional reaction—even when you have done years of work to become a different version of yourself.

Dara dives into the psychology behind family dynamics, self-concept, rejection, and belonging, and explains why your nervous system can react so strongly when people reflect an old version of you back to you.

• Why family systems tend to pull us back toward old roles and patterns.
• What happens when people continue seeing you as the person you used to be.
• Why rejection can feel like physical pain in the body.
• How our need for belonging is connected to our sense of safety.
• Why family reunions can feel especially loaded when you don't have regular, meaningful connection with your family.
• The four psychological needs threatened by exclusion: belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence.
• How to identify which need is making you feel most vulnerable before walking into a family gathering.
• Simple ways to support yourself before and during a reunion, holiday, or other gathering.

Most importantly, you are not overreacting if family gatherings bring up complicated feelings. Understanding what's happening can help you stop judging yourself for your reaction and start preparing for it with compassion.

You don't have to become the old version of yourself just because someone else remembers her.

Want to dive deeper into developing confidence in yourself? Book a call with Dara to explore her coaching program and how she can help you overcome obstacles and love yourself! Book your call today!

Follow her on social media @dara_tomasson

Do you constantly think about food—even when you're not hungry?

Maybe you're already planning your next meal before you've finished the one you're eating. Maybe you avoid the beach because of what you think people will say about your body. Or maybe you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator, not because you're hungry, but because something deeper is going on.

That constant mental chatter has a name: food noise.

In this episode, Dara explains what food noise really is, why so many women over 50 experience it, and why it has very little to do with food itself.

You'll discover how food noise is actually your brain's way of trying to protect you from rejection, shame, and not feeling like you belong. Once you understand the signal beneath the noise, you'll stop fighting your brain and start working with it.

• What food noise actually is (and why it isn't a lack of willpower)
• The common signs that food noise is running your life
• Why swimsuits, summer, and social events can trigger food obsession
• The surprising connection between food noise and your nervous system
• How fear of rejection keeps you focused on food instead of your emotions
• Why simply silencing food noise isn't the same as healing it
• The first step to breaking free from emotional eating for good

If you've ever wondered why you can't stop thinking about food, this episode will help you understand the real reason—and show you where lasting freedom begins.

Struggling with food noise and feeling frustrated in your body? Book a call with Dara to find out how her program can support you!

Subscribe for weekly episodes!

Follow Dara on social media @dara_tomasson

Have you stopped setting goals because you're afraid you'll disappoint yourself again?

In this episode of Love Yourself Thin, Dara shares why so many women over 50 struggle to follow through on their goals—not because they're lazy or lacking willpower, but because they're unknowingly carrying emotional patterns that lead to burnout, perfectionism, and self-doubt.

Using the story of training for her first half marathon, Dara explains why sustainable success comes from curiosity and self-compassion instead of pressure and punishment. She also vulnerably shares how unresolved grief affected her body for years and how learning to process emotions transformed both her health and her relationship with herself.

If you've ever abandoned a goal, questioned your discipline, or believed you simply can't trust yourself, this episode will help you understand what's really happening beneath the surface.

• Why burnout isn't caused by doing too much—but by why you're doing it.
• The difference between setting goals from fear versus love.
• How perfectionism and people-pleasing sabotage follow-through.
• Why self-trust is built through compassion, not criticism.
• The connection between unresolved emotions and physical health.
• Dara's surprising half marathon experience and what it taught her about lasting change.
• How to create goals that actually strengthen your confidence instead of destroying it.

You don't need more discipline. You need a healthier relationship with yourself.

If you're ready to stop starting over and finally build lasting confidence, this episode is for you.

Book a call with Dara to find out how she can help you build confidence and achieve your goals.

Follow Dara on social media @dara_tomasson

Subscribe for weekly episodes!

What if the most damaging relationship in your life isn't with someone else—but with yourself?

In this episode, Dara explores how your inner dialogue shapes your confidence, your emotional health, and even your ability to lose weight. If you've spent years criticizing yourself, walking on eggshells around your own mistakes, or believing you need to "do better" before you deserve kindness, this conversation will help you see things in a completely new way.

You'll learn how negative self-talk quietly undermines your mental and physical well-being, why emotional adulthood is one of the most powerful tools for lasting change, and how becoming your own safe place can transform your relationship with food, your body, and yourself.

This episode is an invitation to stop bullying yourself and start becoming the person who offers yourself the same compassion you so freely give everyone else.

• What a toxic relationship with yourself actually looks like
• Why your inner dialogue predicts your future results
• The difference between emotional childhood and emotional adulthood
• How to stop letting other people's opinions define your worth
• Why building confidence starts by filling your own bucket
• Practical ways to become your own safe place
• How healing your relationship with yourself naturally changes your relationship with food

If you've been waiting until you lose the weight to feel confident or happy, this episode will show you a better way.

Want to join the Summer Bucket List Challenge? Join HERE.

Follod Dara on Instagram for more on how to build confidence first and then lose weight without diets, counting calories or willpower @dara_tomasson.

Everyone talks about self-care.

Take a bath. Get your nails done. Treat yourself.

But what if that's not what you actually need?

In this episode, Dara explores the powerful difference between self-care and self-love—and why confusing the two can keep you stuck in cycles of emotional eating, perfectionism, and never feeling "good enough."

You'll learn why lasting transformation doesn't come from escaping your life for a few hours. It comes from intentionally becoming the person you want to be.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why self-care and self-love are not the same thing
• The childhood "report cards" that may still be running your life
• How perfectionism quietly keeps you trapped in food and weight struggles
• Why your brain fixates on weight when the real issue is emotional
• How to stop living from scarcity and start making decisions from abundance
• What intentional self-love actually looks like in everyday life
• Why weight loss becomes a side effect when you heal the relationship with yourself

If you've been trying to motivate yourself with criticism, guilt, or willpower, this episode will show you a completely different path—one that creates lasting peace, confidence, and freedom.

Remember: The goal isn't to become someone worthy of love. It's to love yourself enough to become the person you were created to be.

If this resonates with you, book a call with Dara to learn more about her program and how she can help you love yourself! Book your call HERE.

Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a friend!

On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate your relationship with yourself?

It's not a question most of us have ever been asked, but the answer may explain why losing weight has felt so hard.

In this episode of Love Yourself Thin, Dara explores how the way you speak to yourself shapes your confidence, your habits, and ultimately your success. If your inner voice is constantly criticizing, shaming, or demanding perfection, it's no wonder you keep turning to food for comfort.

You'll discover why lasting weight loss begins with building self-trust and self-compassion—not more willpower.

• Why your relationship with yourself determines your long-term success
• How your childhood beliefs may still be influencing the way you think today
• The three steps to creating a healthier inner dialogue
• Why compassion creates lasting change better than criticism ever can
• A simple exercise to identify the thoughts that are holding you back
• Practical strategies to build confidence and learn to truly care for yourself

Remember: You take care of the things you love. The more you learn to love yourself today, the easier it becomes to create the healthy life you've always wanted.

This summer isn't about waiting until you've lost the weight to enjoy your life.

Join Dara's free Love Yourself This Summer Bucket List Challenge and create meaningful goals, build self-trust, and fill your summer with experiences you'll actually remember—not just another season spent thinking about food.

Download your free Bucket List and join the challenge today!

If you're ready to dive deeper into loving yourself and everything that can open for your life, book a call with Dara to discover next steps!

Like, share and subscribe for more on breaking free from emotional eating, building self-trust and living a life you love.

Do goals motivate you… or make you want to run the other way?

For many women, setting a goal feels risky. Because if you set a goal, you might fail. And if you fail, what does that say about you?

In this episode, Dara challenges the perfectionist approach to goals and offers a completely different perspective. Instead of using goals as a way to measure your worth, what if you used them as a way to direct your time, energy, and attention toward a life you actually want?

You'll learn why overwhelm often keeps us stuck, how to stop using fear as motivation, and a simple neuroscience-based visualization technique that can help you create momentum before you've even taken the first step.

If you've been wondering what you want this summer to look like—but feel overwhelmed by the question—this episode will help you break it down into something simple, enjoyable, and achievable.

In This Episode:

• Why perfectionists often avoid setting goals altogether • A healthier definition of what a goal actually is • How goals function like a GPS for your life • The hidden cost of all-or-nothing thinking • A neuroscience hack that helps your brain create motivation naturally • Why emotions—not willpower—drive lasting action • How to create goals that feel joyful instead of punishing • The power of imagining success before it happens

Key Takeaway:

The purpose of a goal is not to prove your worth.

The purpose of a goal is to give direction to your time, focus, and energy so you can create a life you genuinely enjoy.

Join the Free Challenge:

Join the free Love Yourself This Summer Bucket List Challenge and set goals for yourself that will make this summer full of fantastic experiences.

Create your own personalized summer bucket list, receive weekly encouragement, learn practical tools for handling summer eating challenges, and discover how enjoying your life can naturally quiet food obsession.

Connect with Dara:

If you're ready to stop struggling with emotional eating, perfectionism, and self-sabotage, book a clarity call with Dara to uncover the one thing that may be keeping you stuck.

Be sure to subscribe for more on living a life you love!

Summer is supposed to feel light, fun, and freeing.

So why does it bring up so much anxiety about swimsuits, shorts, vacations, photos, and how your body looks?

In this episode, Dara challenges the belief that you need to lose weight before you can enjoy your life. Instead, she explores a radical idea: what if the missing piece isn't more discipline, more dieting, or more willpower—but more self-love?

You'll learn why so many women spend decades criticizing themselves, how negative self-talk fuels emotional eating, and why treating yourself with compassion creates more lasting change than shame ever could.

Dara also introduces her How to Love Yourself This Summer Experience, a practical and powerful approach to creating a life you actually enjoy through a personalized Summer Bucket List.

When your life becomes richer, more meaningful, and more connected, food naturally loses some of its power.

• Why self-criticism keeps you stuck in the cycle of emotional eating
• The surprising connection between self-love and sustainable weight loss
• How to identify the "inner boss" voice that drives your decisions
• Why food often becomes a distraction from uncomfortable emotions
• The hidden fears that summer can bring up around body image
• How creating meaningful experiences reduces food obsession
• The power of a Summer Bucket List for building confidence and joy
• Why weight loss becomes easier when you're genuinely enjoying your life

We take care of the things we love.

If you've spent years trying to hate yourself into a smaller body, this episode offers a different path: learning to care for yourself first and letting weight loss become a byproduct rather than the goal.

• Summer Bucket List Challenge
• Webinars as part of the summer bucket list challenge
• The "Sheep Detective" Film (maybe add this to your summer bucket list!)

Dara Tomasson is an emotional weight loss coach who helps women over 50 stop battling food, overcome perfectionism, and finally close the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it.

After losing 50 pounds through emotional and mindset work—not dieting—she now helps women create lasting freedom around food and their bodies.

Connect with her to find out if her program is a good fit for you. Book a call HERE.

Subscribe for more on permanent weight loss and follow Dara on social media @dara_tomasson.

What if your struggles with weight loss, confidence, or follow-through have less to do with discipline and more to do with the invisible rules you've been living by since childhood?

In this episode, Dara explores how the beliefs and expectations you learned growing up can quietly become your "default settings" as an adult. From perfectionism and people-pleasing to fear of failure and self-sabotage, these unconscious patterns may be keeping you stuck without you even realizing it.

You'll learn why failure isn't actually the problem, how your brain works to keep you in familiar territory, and why lasting change requires creating your own definition of success instead of chasing someone else's.

If you've ever felt frustrated because you know what to do but struggle to follow through, this episode will help you understand what's really happening beneath the surface.

• How childhood "rule books" continue to influence your decisions today
• Why 95% of your thoughts are automatic and subconscious
• The connection between failure, self-sabotage, and your comfort zone
• How your brain creates a "homeostasis" that can keep you stuck
• Why success must be defined by your values—not someone else's standards
• The hidden cost of staying in familiar patterns
• Three practical steps to break free from self-sabotage

• What were the unspoken rules in your childhood?
• How do you define success for yourself?
• What patterns do you repeat when you're afraid of failing?
• What is self-sabotage costing you in your life right now?

Join Dara's 4 day masterclass - Stop Sabotaging Your Weight Loss, running June 23-36, 2026. Find out what patterns are sabotaging your weight loss and how to overcome them! Register today.

Subscribe for more on overcoming perfectionism!