Outsmart Overeating

• Why you've attached moral judgment to these processed foods, you feel guilt and shame — which, ironically, as an emotional eater, only causes you to eat MORE.
• How removing the "bad" label will help you become more consistent in your success
• Why you may feel compelled to hide how you eat and how this perpetuates the cycle of overeating
• How hiding what you eat from other people is sending yourself the message that who you are cannot be valued

Portion sizes have increased over the years, and food is more convenient than ever.

And when our environment is filled with an abundance of food, it can be hard to say no, especially for a dieter who feels restricted and deprived.

In a 2015 review of 72 studies published by the Cochrane Library, it says, "Research consistently shows that when we're presented with a big portion, we eat more—even when we are not hungry."

It's a simple but effective strategy: Serve yourself less food and you'll eat less, and lose weight as a result.

Sounds simple enough, right? But reducing portions is only one piece of the puzzle.

Join coach, Laura Kalirai, and myself on today's episode of the Fat Murder Podcast as we dig into the psychological differences between portion control and hunger directed eating.

Any ideas on what they may be?

Connect with Leslie: • Website • Instagram • Facebook If you're struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you're interested in personalized coaching, apply here. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type Go to lesliehooper.com for more information about our different coaching packages.

T H R E E Y E A R S

This week on the Fat Murder Podcast, co-coaches, Eileen Trujillo and Steph Miramontes are back to help me celebrate our two year anniversary.

In this episode, we hosted an 'Ask Me Anything,' where listeners were encouraged to write in with their questions so we could answer them on the air.

Topics discussed:

• thoughts on Sunday meal prep
• our favorite "beauty product"
• how to stop eating when the mind wants more
• what our favorite thing about our job is
• a special farewell to Eileen

...just to name a few.

You don't want to miss this week's episode. We had so much fun diving into all of your random questions and enjoyed recording one last special episode with coach Eileen before she pursues new opportunities.

BIG THANKS to everyone who's followed along and supported the podcast these past two years. We're at over 500,000 downloads and couldn't have done it without your help.

Which episode was your favorite? Was there a specific topic that resonated with you? We'd love to hear about it.

Connect with Leslie: • Website • Instagram • Facebook If you're struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you're interested in personalized coaching, apply here. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type Go to lesliehooper.com for more information about our different coaching packages.

In last week's episode, I interviewed sister clients, Cheryl and Janine, on how they were able to transition from long-term yo-yo dieters who felt out of control around food to losing weight using the power of habit.

This week, I'm excited to share the interview of Unstuffed client, Anne Exmoor, on her unique experience in my group coaching program. As you know, no two dieters are the same and we all have different challenges, backgrounds, habits, lifestyles, and emotional eating struggles. Anne, a vivacious 60-something woman with a fun personality, was kind enough to open up and share some of hers. Topics discussed:

• Why Anne, someone who had always refused to pay for weight loss help, decided to join the program and how it turned out to be exactly what she needed to stop bouncing up and down the scale.
• Anne shares some of her biggest challenges in the program (hint: it's not what you'd think)
• At what point in the process she witnessed her relationship with food beginning to shift and how she's been able to embrace the timeline and enjoy the process.
• After 40+ years of dieting, Anne talks about why this process "worked" when others never did.
• Her best piece of advice for those who fear weight gain if they stop macro/calorie counting, and why confronting this fear is essential for long-term success.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing sister clients, Cheryl and Janine. In 2021, Cheryl was frustrated with having regained weight AGAIN and was contemplating another stint on Weight Watchers. As someone who experienced a history of yo-yoing with no long-term results to speak of, she decided to do something different and brought her sister, Janine, along for the ride. After working together for 6 months, both women share their experience in the program from two completely different psychological perspectives. In this week's episode, you'll learn:

• The biggest challenges they encountered throughout the program and how they've been able to execute the psychological tools they learned to remain consistent in their habits
• Cheryl and Janine share why they decided to try hunger directed eating and how the program helped them identify the dysfunctional eating behaviors they developed as children
• Why participating in the body image course in the program was the game-changer they didn't know they needed
• What holiday and social eating looks like for them now compared to years previous (hint: no more food anxiety or losing control)
• Both women's BEST piece of advice for those who fear they'll gain weight if they stop calorie counting and focus on weight loss through behavior change

For more conversations on topics like binge eating, emotional eating, the all-or-nothing mindset, and your inner critic, you can check out previously recorded episodes.

If there's a topic you'd like us to cover in an upcoming episode, let us know in the comments below. This was an awesome client interview and I'm so excited to share it with you! I hope you dig in and find it helpful.

Connect with Leslie: • Website • Instagram • Facebook If you're struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you're interested in personalized coaching, apply here. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type Go to lesliehooper.com for more information about our different coaching packages.

I LOVED this conversation with co-coach, Steph Miramontes! In this episode of the Fat Murder Podcast, we discuss how our program, Unstuffed, is different from Intuitive Eating. While there is certainly plenty of overlap between IE and the Unstuffed program, there are many differences in the way we help our clients lose weight and adopt a healthier mindset implementing a step-by-step process. Your body is YOUR body and no one should tell you what you CAN and CANT do with it (your body, your decision), including weight loss — whether it be for health or aesthetic purposes.

BUT, we encourage you to unpack your reasons so you can determine whether this is an internal or external motivator. In other words, is this being forced on you by society's unrealistic beauty standards or do you have an intrinsic motivator to change? We also know that sustainable weight loss happens when operating from a place of self-love, not through punishment and self-loathing. When you no longer use food as a way to manage hard days and suppress uncomfortable feelings, you develop the awareness to create healthier coping strategies that align with your core values and emotional needs.

Connect with Leslie: • Website • Instagram • Facebook If you're struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you're interested in personalized coaching, apply here. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type Go to lesliehooper.com for more information about our different coaching packages.

• How people think HDE is a way to stop yourself wanting trigger foods
• Maintaining food rules (e.g. "I already had bread today so I shouldn't have it again")
• The perceived threat of having the food you overate again the next day
• Timing rules (e.g. being hungry after 3 hours, but waiting it out to eat because your coach advised 4-5 hours as a good indicator of time between meals)

This week on the Fat Murder Podcast, co-coach, Eileen Trujillo, and I discuss an urge to eat when you're not physically hungry and what to do with it when it happens. In my program, Unstuffed, we refer to this as "mind hunger" and it's rooted in an emotional need not being met. Once you've come to grips with being an emotional eater, it's important to have a process to begin working through them in a healthy way that doesn't involve stuffing them down with food. In 17 years of coaching, I've never had a client tell me they're comfortable sitting with their emotions when they surface — their coping mechanism is almost always a distraction; a way to numb or mentally check out through exercise, watching TV, eating, etc. Because they are unfamiliar with the way the body communicates its needs through emotions, they can feel scary, but they're not. It's the fear of the unknown that makes them uncomfortable. When we learn to invite emotions into our lives without judgment, we also learn how to make ourselves feel safe and secure. Emotions are our friends. They aren't always accurate truth tellers, and often don't match the situation that made us feel the way we feel. This is why observing them without attaching a story or narrative is a life-changing exercise. Check out this week's episode to learn the steps necessary to help you stop eating your feelings today.

Connect with Leslie: • Website • Instagram • Facebook If you're struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you're interested in personalized coaching, apply here. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, get my free guide — Lose the Diet, Gain a Life. I'll show you how to drop unwanted pounds without ever having to diet again. Go to lesliehooper.com for the guide.

One of the most popular and extremely important topics we discuss with our Unstuffed clients is fear and how to overcome it. Most people bring up fear as if it is just a given. They use it as a valid reason to avoid doing something. In reality, fear is not a valid excuse for not doing our work in the world; it is just a mismanaged mind. In this week's episode, co-coach, Eileen Trujillo, and I explain exactly how fear works, why we are afraid to do important things in our lives, and how you can use it to your advantage instead of letting it control you. Listen in to learn valuable and actionable tips that you can start using today to help you create the life you deserve. Connect with Leslie: • Website • Instagram • Facebook If you're struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you're interested in personalized coaching, apply here. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, get my free guide — Lose the Diet, Gain a Life. I'll show you how to drop unwanted pounds without ever having to diet again. Go to lesliehooper.com for the guide.

Body image is one of the most challenging areas of work I've experienced both personally and professionally. And it makes sense.

We live in a culture that values thinness, so it's only natural to desire and work towards being "better," fitter, and a "toned up" version of yourself. This is what society deems as a representative of beauty.

Since our earliest days, we have been taught to feel shame about our body and overall appearance. Following the natural path of aging is viewed as problematic:

• wrinkles
• cellulite
• stretch marks

So it's understandable if even entertaining the idea of not trying to change your body feels wrong, unnatural and scary.

Disliking how you look is sadly, normal.

But is it possible to like our bodies AND want to change them?

Of course, changing our body can help us "feel better" because our culture praises appearance and tells us our self worth is dependent on how we look, so when we feel like we are "fitting in" with what society deems acceptable, we will naturally feel better.

But the thing is, these pursuits aren't sustainable and they almost always lead to disappointment, more frustration and more unhappiness.

The pursuit of weight loss can also distract us from things that truly matter to us…meaning they pull us away from our values. But we keep revisiting this dead-end path, hoping this time we'll arrive somewhere that makes us happy.

That's the empty promise of the diet and beauty industry. This is how they thrive off of your insecurities. Without you disliking your body, they can't sell you a solution to fix it. They NEED you to hate yourself to maximize their profits.

There are a lot of variations of what healthy body image actually means.

To me, positive/healthy body image doesn't mean loving your body. For me, it comes from a place of acceptance.

The goal isn't to LOVE my reflection in the mirror, it's to find appreciation and respect for how I'm able to explore this planet and experience this beautiful life. Wearing size 2 skinny jeans or weighing 120 pounds is not a prerequisite.

Join coach Steph Miramontes, and me on today's episode of the Fat Murder Podcast as we dive into this delicate topic and help you better understand how you can love your body AND want to change it at the same time.

Check out today's podcast to learn how.

Connect with Leslie: • Website • Instagram • Facebook If you're struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you're interested in personalized coaching, apply here. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, get my free guide — Lose the Diet, Gain a Life. I'll show you how to drop unwanted pounds without ever having to diet again. Go to lesliehooper.com for the guide.