This episode flips the script on weight loss by targeting the real obstacle: the stories running on repeat in your head.

With research-backed strategies and a no-nonsense approach, we tackle how mindset—not willpower or meal plans—makes the difference between a quick relapse and genuine, lasting change. If you’re tired of self-sabotage and ready to stop being your own critic, this is your starting line.

Key Takeaways

• Your internal narrative is the heaviest weight you carry—challenge it if you want real change.
• Fixed mindsets convince you that you’re doomed to fail; growth mindsets focus on learning, progress, and resilience.
• Lasting weight change isn’t about perfection or quick fixes. Tiny, consistent actions and self-compassion win every time.
• Social comparison and negative self-talk drain energy and slow results; self-acceptance and honest reflection boost progress.
• The most successful weight maintainers reframe setbacks as feedback, not proof of failure.

Resources Mentioned

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, PhD
• National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) – Website
• “Self-Compassion and Weight Loss Maintenance” in Health Psychology
• “Negative Self-Talk and Cortisol in Obesity” – Obesity journal
• How Emotions Are Made by Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

Actionable Steps for Listeners

1. Write down a negative story you often tell yourself about your body or habits. Challenge its truth and consider a new perspective.
2. Pick one micro-action (like a 15-minute walk or prepping a healthy lunch) and do it daily for a week, tracking how you feel—not just what you weigh.
3. Try the “no negative body talk” challenge for one day. Notice when you slip, and gently redirect.
4. Choose a mantra from the episode (e.g., “I’m not finished yet.”) and repeat it each morning.

Relevant Links and Citations

• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
• National Weight Control Registry: https://www.nwcr.ws/
• Mantzios, M., & Wilson, J. C. (2015). “Self-compassion, weight loss, and weight-loss maintenance.” Health Psychology, 34(3), 245–252.
• Tomiyama, A. J., et al. (2014). “Cortisol responses to dieting: The role of negative self-talk.” Obesity, 22(11), 2549–2554.
• Barrett, L. F. (2017). How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.