You’ve been told that changing your mindset and loving your body will stop the food and body noise. But those messages, well-meaning as they are, may have  been keeping you stuck. In this episode, I’m diving into why I don’t coach mindset—and why I don’t teach body love either.

Instead of piling on more affirmations or chasing a feeling of love about your body still centers women's worthiness around appearance. I am offering you something different: the power of embodiment and the quiet, profound relief of body neutrality. I share how cultural narratives around positivity and beauty have let midlife women down, and why the true transformation happens not in your thoughts, but in your nervous system.

If you’ve ever felt like mindset work didn’t “work” for you, or like body love was another impossible standard—you’re not broken. Let’s explore what leads to a sustainably calm mind and true confidence in yourself.

[Timeline Summary]

[1:35] - Why I stopped coaching mindset and body love — and what I teach instead
 [4:48] - How mindset became self-help’s golden ticket — and where it goes wrong
 [9:32] - The problem with body love
 [13:21] - My personal story of chasing perfection and the turning point to embodiment
 [18:44] - The difference between mindset work and embodied transformation
 [23:17] - A client example that shows how safety and nervous system healing shift everything
 [28:09] - Why body respect (not body love) creates lasting change and true confidence

Links & Resources:
🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment + audio guide. It helps you see what’s really driving your food and body noise — and what to do to get relief. 

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking private clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on LinkedIn

If this episode felt like a breath of fresh air, please follow the show, share it with a friend, or leave a review. Talking with Emma is here to help you stop fixing your body—and start living your life. See you next week!

For so many smart midlife women, the dressing room isn’t just about clothes.
It’s the place where decades of cultural messages about how our bodies should look come crashing in.

That’s why I’m running a free masterclass:
How to Stop the Dressing Room Spiral and Feel Good in Clothes Again.

In this Sept 22 class, you’ll learn:

• Why dressing rooms trigger so much shame (and why it makes total sense).
• How to prepare yourself before you shop so you feel steadier walking in.
• The exact tools to use in the moment, so you can walk out with clothes that feel comfortable, powerful, and like you again.

This isn’t about “body love” or pretending you adore the mirror.
 It’s about respect, comfort, and freedom — so you can reclaim your energy for what really matters.

Get more info and Register for the free masterclass here

Sept 22

60 min

Registration required (replay available)

If you’ve ever stood in a dressing room, staring at your reflection with that sinking feeling in your chest—this episode is for you.

Today, we’re talking about why dressing rooms can feel like emotional landmines for midlife women—and more importantly, what to do about it. I’ll walk you through a practical, compassionate framework that helps you stop spiraling and start shopping with more self-respect. You’ll learn why your reaction is completely normal (spoiler: the problem isn’t your body), and how to prepare both mentally and emotionally before you even head out the door. Plus, I’ll share one of my go-to tools for those intense dressing room moments that helps you take the pressure off your reflection.

⏱️ Timeline Summary

[1:40] - Why midlife dressing rooms hit differently—and why it’s not your fault
 [5:12] - The cultural baggage we carry into the mirror
 [9:30] - How to prepare yourself emotionally before you shop
[13:44] - Mantras and mindset shifts that actually work
[17:01] - The Comfort-First Method: A 5-step process for the dressing room
[24:20] - Interrupting the spiral with compassion instead of judgment
[28:55] - What’s possible when you start dressing with self-respect

Links & Resources:
🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment + audio guide. It helps you see what’s really driving your food and body noise — and what to do to get relief. 

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking private clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Let’s help more midlife women stop fixing their bodies and start trusting them. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to handle body comments or wished you had a graceful way to end unwanted diet talk, this episode is for you. Whether it’s a relative commenting on your weight, a friend raving about their latest wellness trend, or someone “helpfully” telling you what you should be doing with your body, these moments can knock you off balance and drain your energy.

In this episode of Talking with Emma, I’m teaching you how to pair my proven Expect It tool with simple, healthy boundaries so you can protect your peace of mind in the face of diet culture. We’ll unpack why people feel free to talk about your body, the cultural conditioning that fuels it, and why these comments can hit so hard—especially when they come from people you love.

You’ll also hear two powerful client stories: Becky, who learned to calmly shut down unsolicited wellness advice, and Michelle, who finally set loving but firm boundaries with her mum’s lifelong body commentary. By the end, you’ll have a practical, repeatable plan to stop body and diet talk from taking over your mental space.

Timeline Summary
[1:18] – Why diet culture makes body comments so common (and why they hurt).
[5:12] – Becky’s story: handling unsolicited wellness and diet advice.
[11:45] – The five-step plan to combine Expect It with clear, confident boundaries.
[19:30] – Michelle’s story: setting boundaries with a parent who comments on body size.
[25:10] – Why boundaries are a practice, not a one-time fix.
[27:45] – Recap: how to stop body and diet talk from hijacking your peace.

Links & Resources:
🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment + audio guide. It helps you see what’s really driving your food and body noise — and what to do to get relief. 

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking private clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn

Closing
If you’re ready to stop feeling blindsided by body comments and diet talk, download the Midlife Body Image Self-Assessment. And if you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Let’s help more midlife women reclaim their mental space and live free from constant food and body noise.

Avoiding Photos is a Safety Issue, Not a Vanity Issue

Have you ever avoided being in a photo, untagged yourself on social media, or felt instant dread when someone pulled out a camera? You might think it’s about vanity — but in this episode of Talking with Emma, I explain why it’s actually about body image safety and nervous system survival responses.

We unpack how decades of diet culture, midlife body image pressures, and unrealistic beauty standards have trained our brains to see unflattering photos as a threat to belonging — and why that instinct runs deeper than simple self-consciousness. I share my coaching tool, EXPECT IT, to help you break free from the exhausting “fix-it” loop and start feeling more confident in photos, at work events, and in everyday life. Plus, you’ll hear how my client Maria used this strategy to step in front of the camera without fear or shame.

If you’ve been wondering how to feel confident in photos, overcome photo anxiety, and stop letting mirrors or images wreck your day, this episode is for you.

⏱ Timeline Highlights

[2:15] - Why avoiding photos isn’t about vanity, but nervous system safety.
[5:48] - How cultural beauty standards and diet culture create an impossible “ideal.”
[9:21] - The brain’s ancient need for belonging and how it drives body image anxiety.
[14:02] - The never-ending “fix-it” loop — and why it keeps you stuck.
[17:35] - The EXPECT IT tool: how to anticipate and navigate triggering moments.
[21:10] - Maria’s story: using EXPECT IT to feel confident in professional photos.
[27:18] - Building midlife body confidence without changing your body.

Links & Resources:
🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment + audio guide. It helps you see what’s really driving your food and body noise — and what to do to get relief. 

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking private clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn

If this episode resonated with you, please follow the podcast, share it with a friend, and leave a review — it helps more women discover tools for midlife body confidence, self-acceptance, and photo self-esteem.

In this episode I dive into one of the most pervasive and exhausting beliefs I see in my coaching practice: the idea that your body is a problem that needs to be fixed. 

Even for those of us who reject diet culture or adopt intuitive eating, this belief often runs deep and unconsciously influences how we perceive ourselves. 

I explore the systems of belief that reinforce the "fix-it" mentality—from diet culture and patriarchy to wellness culture and emotional avoidance.

Plus, I share a client story that beautifully illustrates what it looks like to break free from this cycle. If you're ready to get relief from feeling like you're always falling short and start approaching your health and wellbeing in a more productive way, this one's for you.

Timeline Summary

[1:28] - Unpacking the deeply ingrained belief that your body is a problem to fix
[5:11] - The fantasy of a "fixed" body and why it keeps us stuck
[8:45] - A client story: shifting from self-fixing to self-care without drama
[12:22] - How diet culture, patriarchy, and wellness culture fuel body shame
[17:36] - The emotional roots of the fix-it cycle and why action often comes from avoidance
[22:50] - How self-compassion breaks the cycle and fosters genuine confidence
[26:10] - A next step to bring clarity: The Midlife Body Image Self-Assessment + Audio Guide

Links & Resources:
🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment + audio guide. It helps you see what’s really driving your food and body noise — and what to do to get relief. 

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking private clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

Closing Thoughts:
If this episode gave you that “oh-my-god-it’s-not-just-me” feeling, share it. Text it to a friend. Post it in your group chat. And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the show — it helps this work reach more women who are ready to quiet their internal narratives and feel more calm and confident in themselves.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn

If you’re tired of swinging between trying really hard and giving up entirely, if you’re worn out by the idea that more discipline is the answer — this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.

In this episode, I unpack one of the most common (and most damaging) myths midlife women carry: that they’re the problem. That if they could just get more willpower, they’d finally be able to eat better, move more, and feel good in their skin. Spoiler alert: You’re not the problem. You’re smart. You’re capable. You’re also a human being — not a machine in need of better programming. What you need isn’t more force. It’s more respect.

I’ll introduce you to the 3Rs — a practical, powerful tool that helps you move from self-criticism to self-respect. This isn’t another health plan. This is how we actually make health habits stick — with care, not control.

Timeline Summary:

[1:18] - The seductive lie of willpower — and why it’s not working
[4:44] - The hidden cultural conditioning behind “sticking to the plan”
[8:32] - Why control feels safe — but leaves us exhausted
[12:15] - Sarah’s story: from burnout to sustainable change
[18:47] - Step 1: Recognise — see your thoughts for what they are
[23:20] - Step 2: Respect — listen to the need underneath the pattern
[28:30] - Step 3: Rechoose — act from care, not coercion
[32:10] - Why this work is simple — but not easy (and totally worth it)

Links & Resources:
🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment + audio guide. It helps you see what’s really driving your food and body noise — and what to do to get relief. 

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking private clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

Closing Thoughts:
If this episode gave you that “oh-my-god-it’s-not-just-me” feeling, share it. Text it to a friend. Post it in your group chat. And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the show — it helps this work reach more women who are ready to quiet their internal narratives and feel more calm and confident in themselves.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn

If your mind feels like a battlefield between “I hate diet culture” and “I wish I felt better in my body,” this episode is for you.

Emma shares a heartfelt invitation to her FREE online masterclass —
How to Stop Food and Body Noise Without Giving Up on Health

 Monday 18 August | 7:30–8:30 PM NZT | Online (recording available)

This isn’t another plan, protocol, or reset.

It’s a practical session where you’ll learn:

- Why your brain gets stuck in food/body battles
- A simple, effective tool to quiet the noise
- How to take action from care — not control

You’ll walk away with the ability to quieten down the noise when it gets louder than you want it to. The relief!

Register here (it's free)

If you've recently put on weight and found yourself spiralling — even though you know diets don't work — this episode is for you.

In today’s conversation, we talk about what to do when your body changes and panic sets in. When the old food and body thoughts are loud. When you feel ashamed for even caring, but can't stop thinking about it.

You’ll hear the story of a smart, capable midlife woman who said, "I hate that I care about this so much. I feel like I should know better."
And we unpack exactly why that reaction makes perfect sense — and how you can start feeling calmer, more grounded, and more in charge of your response.

We’re not talking about body love or body positivity.
 We’re talking about something more powerful: self-respect, even in the hard moments.

In this episode, I share a 4-step self-coaching tool to help you:

• Understand why you feel unsettled after gaining weight (even if you're anti-diet)
• Soothe the shame and reactivity without falling back into control tactics
• Choose a kind, respectful response — without needing to fake confidence
• Create physical comfort to support emotional calm

This episode will help you stop abandoning yourself — and start staying with yourself — when your body changes.

🎧 Listen now to learn:

• Why shame after weight gain isn’t personal failure — it’s cultural conditioning
• How to work with your brain’s autopilot, instead of against it
• What to do with those harsh thoughts about your changing body
• Why comfort (yes, including good underwear) is a powerful first step toward calm

Mentioned in this episode:
📥 Want to go deeper? Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment — it’s the next step in understanding what’s really going on beneath your food and body struggles so you can stop obsessing about food and start feeling more easy in your body.

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking 1:1 clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

If this episode helped you feel seen…
Subscribe or follow the show so you don’t miss the next coaching episode.
And if someone you love is tired of always trying to “get it right,” send them this. It might change their story.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn

You don’t have to feel good about your body to treat it with care.

This episode is for you if you’ve ever said:

• “I’ll buy new clothes once I’ve lost weight.”
• “I'll go out with friends when I feel like I've got myself sorted."
• “I have to do the workout, even though I'm really tired.”

If you’ve been waiting until you like your body before treating it with care — I want to offer you something different.

Today’s coaching tool is:
 

You don’t need to love your body to respect it.

We explore:

• Why body love isn’t always helpful — or even necessary
• How to treat yourself with dignity, even when the thoughts are loud
• A four-step practice called Body Respect on a Tuesday
• Why respect often leads to peace, while striving for love can keep you stuck

Mentioned in this episode:
📥 Want to go deeper? Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment — it’s the next step in understanding what’s really going on beneath your food and body struggles so you can stop obsessing about food and start feeling more easy in your body.

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking 1:1 clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about your goals and see if I’m the right coach to support you.

If this episode helped you feel seen…
Subscribe or follow the show so you don’t miss the next coaching episode.
And if someone you love is tired of always trying to “get it right,” send them this. It might change their story.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📬 Join the Talking with Emma newsletter
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn