The Innovative Therapist

Episode 56. I am not one for dramatic statements. At the same time, this episode could save your life or the life of someone you love.

Episode 55. Today I have the pleasure of talking with Tanja Shaw!

Tanja Shaw has a Bachelors in Kinesiology (graduated in 2004), completed the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Training (2017) and is a Certified High Performance Coach (2018) through the High Performance Institute.

We cover the following topics (and more!) in this week's episode:

What Tanja learned about wholistic health from her experiences with pistol shootingHow she used to think about health as eating habits, exercise, and mindset, and how she considers several other key factors that have made a huge difference for herTangible tips to get out of shame-based thoughts related to body or otherwise

“I used to pistol shoot, and I never looked at the target. I focused on my stance, I focused on my breath, I did this great meditation practice at the line, but I didn’t look at the target. And until you let the shot go and pull it back and you see where you’re at, THEN you make some tweaks…but you can’t control what happens out there. All you can control is what’s happening here and that’s so important because when you start to focus on that, you start to build more trust within yourself.”Tanja Shaw

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

Main Takeaways From This Conversation

Begin with the end in mind. Tanja realized this when reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. She realized she would be on her deathbed if something didn't change, and she would have sacrificed not fully enjoying her life in the pursuit to be the smallest size.When you give your body what it needs, it gets to the size and weight that is perfect for you. It might not be the smallest size, but it's the size where you can function optimally and truly experience life. Tanja mentioned that many of her clients' primary focus is weight loss. She stated that she works on reframing the idea of weight loss and that it can be a natural consequence of taking care of your body.Focus on the process instead of the outcome. Prioritizing the process over the outcome can be so freeing and help shift your focus to what really matters—moving from fleeting external motivation to long-lasting, sustainable internal motivation.So many factors play into achieving our healthiest selves. Tanja said that when she shifted to a more holistic view of health, she realized that so many factors play into our well-being. She explained that breaking free from shame-based diet cycles allowed her to truly get in touch with her feminine side.Shame isn't a switch; it's a dial. It isn't as simple as flipping off a switch when you decide that you don't want to be driven by shame-based motivation anymore. By challenging those thoughts like "I should do this" or "I shouldn't do that," we can turn down the dial of shame. And in the future, you now have the tools and awareness to turn the dial back down when shame creeps up again.

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).

Episode 54. This episode is truly one of my favorites. And that's saying something, because I am incredibly jazzed about each and every one of my guests, truly. In this episode of Motivation Made Easy, I got to talk with Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster, DO, MPH, MS, FAAP.

Interview Highlights and What to Expect:

Answers to the questions that I've been asking myself on and off for the past year: can an Intuitive Eating approach truly jive with a vegan or plant-based lifestyle? How can you know if it's restrictive? Dr. Yami's take on food addiction, and I think you are going to be surprised and impressed with her answerThe sobering facts about the Standard American Diet and how you can use this information in an empowering and positive wayThe crucial common myths about dairy and animal protein you must understand (from a pediatrician with decades of experience, who also has family who were dairy farmers)What to make of information from other physicians who talk about things like "The Plant Paradox" and how to know who to trust? Her answer here was SO GOOD. Do not miss it.Tips to move towards adding in more whole plant foods and reducing ultra processed foods in your diet today, without being restrictive or it feeling like a diet

Who Is Dr. Yami?

Dr. Yami is a board-certified pediatrician, certified lifestyle medicine physician, certified health and wellness coach, author, and speaker. As a passionate promoter of healthy lifestyles, “Dr. Yami” champions the power of plant-based diets for the prevention of chronic disease.

Dr. Yami is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She also holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition and is a certified Food for Life Instructor. 

In 2013, Dr. Yami founded VeggieFitKids.com to educate families about the importance of making healthy food choices and show them how easy it can be – even with today’s busy schedules. In her podcast, Veggie Doctor Radio, she explores diet and nutrition, healthy habit formation, behavior change, and motivation. New episodes are released weekly, featuring leading experts in plant-based nutrition and healthy living. 

Dr. Yami’s pediatric micropractice, Nourish Wellness, is located in Yakima, Washington, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

You can follow her on Instagram here.

She has an incredible amount of free resources about practical ways to increase plant-based eating here.

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. We promote truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”.The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroom.Social events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”.Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself!), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE that you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put it on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you are truly meant to be: vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting the pen to the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

Main Takeaways

Intuitive eating and food freedom are about freedom of choice and doing what feels best for YOU. Dr. Yami said it SO WELL in this episode. Only you know what your motivation is. If you are following a vegan or plant-based diet in secret hopes of shrinking your body, versus feeling better, reducing disease risk or just helping your body function optimally, it is probably going to feel restrictive. However, on the flip side, if you are doing it as an experiment, or just incorporating changes to help you feel great, then that doesn't not mean you are "on a diet" or doing something "wrong." Dr. Yami and I are both examples of getting fully off the chronic dieting roller coaster ride and making empowered choices, with varying degrees of plant-predominant eating. There are sobering facts about the Standard American Diet and myths about dairy and animal protein that you deserve you know. I worked in the health and wellness field for many years before being exposed to the data on plant-predominant eating styles. I wish I would have known sooner. I don't believe this information would have or has to influence your relationship with food and your body. Our family moves towards plant-based eating styles due to our known genetic mutation that increases our risk of cancer, but the reality is, many of us are at risk for chronic disease with the ways we are eating. There's nothing to feel ashamed of in this, but there is a lot we do have in our control. And shrinking our bodies really has nothing to do with it. Changing our eating patterns, moving joyfully, managing our stress, and increasing connection with loved ones, just to name a few, are WAY more important, and we can feel empowered with this information.They key is honesty - with yourself. The thing is, only you know how you feel about your eating pattern. Others can make suggestions, but following our intuitions and intuitive eating, to me means fully trusting yourself to take in outside information and incorporate it in a way that fits you. You can learn to trust yourself, but it will take time. Trust builds over time. My guest last week, Stefanie Michele actually used the example of a severed friendship and how re-building trust in that will take time. Same goes for trusting your body, and yourself. You can and will be able to trust your food choices again, but it takes work, patience, and perseverance. And ironically, a whole lot of permission giving (aka "unconditional permission to eat" if you will).

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).

Credit: This blog post was co-written and edited by Sarah Grace Rapoport, podcast and blog manager and Psychology of Wellness Intern, and Dr. Shawn Hondorp.

Episode 53. Today I have the pleasure of talking with Stefanie Michele. We are coming in hot in 2022. Seriously. If you missed last week's episode with Dr. Alexis Conason, please go back and check it out. This week's one is also incredible, and frankly so is next week's.

If you know me, you know I am not a social media fan. Perhaps because I am quite bad at it. Strong emotional writing isn't necessarily my strength. In fact, I have an incredible intern who is now officially a Psychology of Wellness team member who writes a lot of copy for me. I can write, but I have this tendency to focus on data and facts in a way that isn't always compelling.

Well, I said it at the end of this interview and I'll say it here now, Stefanie Michele has a gift. She is able to break down concepts related to the experience of binge eating and the binge restrict cycle in a way that is unique and speaks to the very human and real experience of this shame filled cycle.

It also struck me, somewhat while talking to her, that she is such a cool example of what I often talk about. That is, we need more women to get out of the ineffective dieting cycle asap so that they can show up in their lives in a courageous and connected way. Share their unique gifts with the world so we can start solving some of the world's very real and pressing problems.

Stefanie has 25K+ followers on IG at the time of recording and you can find her at @Iamstefaniemichele. She offers great free insights into binge eating recovery on there. Think of the domino effect of one person getting out of the cycle, and how many more people that one person can impact.

Interview Highlights and What to Expect

Stefanie's journey of being in the binge-restrict cycle for 25 years, and how a moment in her kitchen helped her turn the corner towards true recoveryWhy years of treatment for an eating disorder didn't work for herThe 5 questions to ask yourself if you can relate to this statement, "I'm allowing all foods but I'm still bingeing, is this right?"What it means to "stay with your body" and how it can help youHow a creative outlet may help accelerate your recovery

Who is Stefanie Michele?

Stefanie is a coach and a writer, a wife and a friend and a mother, a reader, a thinker, a runner, and a chocolate-chip mint ice cream lover.

But a little history: My disordered eating began when I was 15 years old dealing with adolescent strife and hormonal shifts. For the rest of my teens, 20’s, and well into my 30’s, I struggled with bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and orthorexia. The binge-restrict cycle was THE focus of my life for over 20 years and something from which I never, ever thought I would recover.

I thought I was broken.

Somehow during that time, I got married, had 3 girls, and led a pretty normal looking life. There were times I even felt normal — when I was with my friends, snuggling with my babies, or engrossed in a book. But most of the time, I felt ashamed, angry, and completely out of control. I hated my body and lived in fear of gaining weight.

Just before my 40th birthday, I made the decision to challenge diet culture and enlisted the support of a coach to work through my body image, which went hand in hand with food recovery. I did the work, and the work worked.

When I tell you that I’m excited to help you, I freaking mean it. I have laid in bed for days, canceled plans, avoided mirrors, and detached from my authentic self just like you have, and I know there is a different way. You can change your life, and start changing the way women in this world are valued and seen.

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).

Episode 52. Today I had the immense pleasure of talking with Dr. Alexis Conason! I feel like I sort of met a Health at Every Size® movement celeb, is anyone with me?

Alexis Conason, PsyD, CEDS-S, is a clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist in private practice in New York City. She is the founder of The Anti-Diet Plan, a weight-inclusive online mindful eating program. She was previously a research associate at the New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center in affiliation with Columbia University. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, she is a frequent speaker at conferences, and she has been featured widely as an expert on the topics of mindful eating, body image, and diet culture in the media. You can find her on social media @theantidietplan. 

A lifelong New Yorker, Conason lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters. She loves all things related to food including cooking, food shopping, watching food shows on TV, and of course eating! But most rewarding is helping her clients transform their relationship with food and experience the joys of eating. She is a fierce advocate for helping people recognize and question the societal norms that encourage their feeling not good enough about themselves so they can stop fixating on shrinking their bodies and reclaim the space that they deserve in the world.  

Check out Dr. Conason's new book! The Diet Free Revolution

Dr. Conason's website: https://drconason.com/

In this interview, we cover:

Dr. Conason's personal history with the ineffective diet cycleDr. Conason's professional transition from obesity research to Health at Every Size® and mindful eating workWhy she chose to focus so much on mindfulness and mindful eating versus intuitive eatingHer thoughts on how weight inclusive work merges with the weight loss surgery worldHow we are doing as a field and where she's like to see it improveWays to incorporate mindfulness that are simple and easy

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

[One main takeaway is] ...trying to shift away from this idea that we are doing something wrong, that our body is broken, that we are not good enough. There's a lot invested in having us believe those things. And challenging those thoughts and finding ways to really care for yourself with compassion and with mindfulness and trying to come back home to our bodies and reclaim the space and the pleasure and the enjoyment in life that we all deserve.– Alexis Conason, PsyD

What You Need to Understand about Mindfulness & Weight Inclusive Care

Mindfulness is a powerful and underutilized tool.It does not need to 30-60 minutes a day to work. Even 5 minutes can have benefits. Even 1 minute! Just start with what feels doable. The weight inclusive approach is evidence-based and effective. Although we have a long ways to go in terms of education for professionals and all humans, we have evidence on our side.Social media is not the land of nuance! These conversations may be best held in professional training settings or other spaces that can be more supportive of nuanced and productive conversations.If you feel overwhelmed and aren't sure where to focus to improve your health in 2022, really digging deep on understanding mindfulness, what it is and how it applies to eating, can be an excellent place to start.

You can get Dr. Conason's Free 5-Day Mindful Eating Starter Course at TheAntiDietPlan.com/Free.

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).

Credit: This blog post was co-written and edited by Sarah Grace Rapoport, podcast and blog manager and Psychology of Wellness Intern, and Dr. Shawn Hondorp.

Episode 51. Today is Part 2 of my conversation with my first ever second time guest! Annyck Besso's interview in Episode 16 on Health at Every Size remains one of the most downloaded episodes to date.

In last week's interview, Annyck and I cover:

Her experiences with her pregnancy (she is due in a month from the interview!) and a discussion about both of our experiences with miscarriage and how it relates to size privilegeWhat are eating disorders? What do they look like?How can you tell if you have an eating disorder versus just disordered eating?What should you do if you think you have an eating disorder?

In Part 2 of this two part series, we cover:

How to create a health promoting home environment for parents, partners, and kids and why it's simpler than we often make itSports Nutrition 101: Relative Energy Deficiency in sport, what is it and what is the impact on mental health, physical health and performance?

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

Main Takeaways from This Conversation

Creating health promoting environments at home for kids and adults isn't as complicated as we often make it. Keep foods and bodies described in neutral language. Avoid good/bad language, guilt and shame language. You can still aim for health promoting behaviors without labeling foods or humans as good or bad. It just isn't helpful.Relative energy deficiency in sport is common, and can have significant impacts on mood, and sports performance. Often the treatment for relative energy deficiency in sport can take as little as 2-3 weeks to reverse and return to optimal sport and exercise functioning.

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).

Credit: This blog post was co-written and edited by Sarah Grace Rapoport, podcast and blog manager and Psychology of Wellness Intern, and Dr. Shawn Hondorp.

Episode 50. Today I bring back my first ever second time guest! Annyck Besso's interview in Episode 16 on Health at Every Size remains one of the most downloaded episodes to date.

Annyck is a Registered Dietitian and the Founder of Sööma, a private practice that specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and sports nutrition located in Montreal, Canada, but serving clients in the United States virtually. Annyck has developed an expertise in the treatment of eating disorders in both private and academic medical center settings. After completing a Bachelors in nutrition and dietetics, Annyck received her Masters in dietetics at McGill University.  Annyck recently moved back to Canada after practicing at Mind Body Health in Washington, DC for the past three years. During her time there, Annyck worked in private practice and collaborated closely with medical doctors and mental health professionals. She also developed and directed a day program where people of all ages were admitted and treated 20h per week.

In this interview, Annyck and I cover:

Her experiences with her pregnancy (she is due in a month from the interview!) and a discussion about both of our experiences with miscarriage and how it relates to size privilegeWhat are eating disorders? What do they look like?How can you tell if you have an eating disorder versus just disordered eating?What should you do if you think you have an eating disorder?

In Part 2 of this two part series (coming out next week!), we cover:

How to create a health promoting home environment for parents, partners, and kids and why it's simpler than we often make itSports Nutrition 101: Relative Energy Deficiency in sport, what is it and what is the impact on mental health, physical health and performance?

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

"One of my clients actually reflected this to me the other day saying you have such a privilege to be connected with your body and think if this as a nice experience." [referring to the pregnancy experience]– Annyck Besso, MSc, RD

Main Takeaways from This Conversation

Being able to be connected with your body and respect and appreciate it is a privilege, and everyone deserves it. This doesn't come naturally for many people, particularly women due to diet culture, and it's hurting us in ways we likely aren't event aware of.Trying to conceive and pregnancy are incredibly vulnerable times. Body respect and appreciation can enhance the experience with greater appreciation and flexibility. Every woman deserves this. But many factors in our culture make this incredibly hard to achieve.Eating disorders range in diagnosis but many eating disorders have a lot of similarities across diagnoses. Although each requires expertise from a mental health professional with weight inclusive training in this area, there are often more similarities than differences (particularly related to shame and guilt, and over-evaluation of self worth based on weight and shape). Be sure to not minimize your experience due to not technically meeting a certain set of criteria.Eating disorders and disordered eating can be thought of on a continuum. A good question to ask is how much are thoughts about eating and my body impacting my life, and/or causing me distress. Often, the answer is a lot, even if symptoms don't meet full criteria for bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating. This means there's likely something important to take a look at.

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).

Credit: This blog post was co-written and edited by Sarah Grace Rapoport, podcast and blog manager and Psychology of Wellness Intern, and Dr. Shawn Hondorp.

Episode 49. I already slightly regret this topic. You see, I'm a people pleaser and I hate upsetting people. And yet, this is an important topic. One that needs to be discussed. And frankly, many people don't even know why food addiction is so controversial, or even the fact that it is. I believe this concept is at the center of some incredibly important issues. Namely, the fight against the weight loss and diet industry, as well as the fight against the food industry that markets highly processed and palatable foods. I see so much shaming of others within the field if people use terms like food addiction, and I find it incredibly unhelpful (well gosh, when is shame ever helpful?). So it's time to talk about these topics, go over where the disagreements are, and talk about some steps to move in a positive direction. Let's jump in!

What I Cover In This Episode:

Why is the concept of food addiction so controversial? A story about my own professional fears related to talking about food addiction in the health space3 crucial questions to ask yourself today about food addictionSuggestions for how to promote productive conversations about nuanced topics (Hint: Social media ain't involved)

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

Food Addiction: What is the Controversy?

Until recently, I didn't realize just how controversial food addiction was. You see, I read the book Health at Every Size® several years ago now, and I agree with it very much. So I joined a Facebook group where Health at Every Size® practitioners could meet and connect.

Very early on, I saw a post in the group that was getting a flurry of comments. The post was about a counselor who was doing a talk that used the term food addiction in the title. The Facebook group members were outraged and saying quite cruel things about this person giving the talk. They eventually got the talk cancelled.

Frankly, I watched all of this in horror, and still have anxiety when I think of it. I thought to myself, "Um that could have easily been me. Or my colleagues." And yet, I am sad to admit that besides asking a question to try to understand the outrage, I didn't stand up for this speaker (who wasn't even in the group by the way) in the way I'd have liked to.

Understanding the Outrage

In response to this post, I did what I typically do. I started reading. Some of the people in the post shared articles with me about why and how the concepts of food addiction were offensive, harmful, and, in their opinion, not evidence-based.

Based on my reading, I get why people don't like the term. I wrote a blog post a while back about how I don't think abstinence is the answer to food addiction, or at least certainly not the only or most appropriate option. And my first thought was, "gosh if they saw that post they would probably eat me alive".

The Cons of Considering Food an Addiction

The main thoughts about the term or concept of food addiction relate to not wanting to promote more diet culture and diet mentality, good versus bad foods, and potentially fueling further disordered eating or eating disorders. Clearly diet culture gives us enough of that, and it's incredibly damaging to our health.

Additionally, proponents of throwing out the concept of food addiction also argue that you cannot be addicted to something you need to survive. Of course, we don't need highly processed, nutrient poor foods that our food industry has engineered to keep us coming back again and again for more.

For that reason, some people have termed it "processed food addiction" to try to be more specific.

Do I Really Belong Here?

"Diet culture gives us so many screaming messages of rigidity, that it's almost hard not to scream back."Dr. Shawn Hondorp, PhD

After reading this post, for better or worse, I started to really question myself and where I "belonged" in terms of the health space. I had for years really disagreed with many of the traditional ways we approach weight management (e.g., diet mentality, restriction, calorie monitoring). And when you think you found a new home of individuals who "get you" it's very comforting.

But in that Facebook group I thought, yikes, these aren't my people.

The Truth is in the Nuances

The reality is, I've never been one to firmly stake myself in one side of an argument. And yet, I've seen nothing in the Health at Every Size® movement that I don't agree with, at least nothing officially.

That said, I certainly did not agree with the way the strong emotions in this particular group were handled.

Shutting Down the Conversation

The main issues I see with the way we are currently having these conversations, is that we are making many assumptions about one another, and shutting down the conversation.

This leaves the camps far apart, and no one learns or benefits. It creates fear, blame, and shaming which makes people hesitant to speak up for fear of ostracism and cancellation. I know I felt that way for weeks after just witnessing that post.

No one wants to be shamed, or have their talk cancelled. We absolutely need to hold people accountable for crappy diet culture BS messages. But we also need to hold people accountable when they unnecessarily shame someone who clearly had intended zero harm.

The Risk of Not Talking

The main risk I see of not having the Health at Every Size® community talk to people in the weight management world, or those who use the term food addiction or study it, is that we get no where. No one learns, and we fall into traps of assumptions about what others think and believe.

I was willing to read the articles on food addiction and why many in the Health at Every Size® community don't want to use that term. And you know what, I mostly agree. I think the term food addiction for many can fuel all-or-nothing thinking and disordered eating.

Personally, I felt very addicted to food and now that I'm out of diet mentality for good, I don't feel that way at all. So I think restriction, body shame and mistrust, and rules play a MAJOR role here. Maybe for many of us, it's the only role.

AND I think for some, the term food addiction is validating of their experience. And it removes shame from them and helps them move towards a lifestyle that they feel great about.

Additionally, I 100% think there are foods with addictive properties that some people are more susceptible to than others, and they are not at all good for our health.

A Personalized Approach

I recently listened to a podcast with Dr. Yami on The Veggie Doctor Radio and Dr. Ashley Gearhardt. It was excellent, and breaks down these issues and the research on it better than I can. I'm actually interviewing Dr. Yami on this podcast soon and I couldn't be more excited about it!

In their discussion, Dr. Gearhardt talks about the harm reduction model in substance use disorders like alcohol use disorder. She talks about how for some, avoiding all alcohol is the best option, but there's also good evidence that that isn't necessary for all....

Episode 48. I'm super excited about this conversation today! One of my goals on this podcast is to bring on a variety of viewpoints, not just the exact same anti-diet message. I think it's essential we have conversations about what to do, versus just what not to do (not having diet mentality for example!). I also think we need to keep having productive conversations across a variety of disciplines and we talk about some really cool ones in this episode! I'm really grateful to Alyssa for coming on and sharing her expertise with us this week. Let's dive in!

Dr. Vela is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Psychiatry at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Vela earned a PhD in Health Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she studied culturally-adapted lifestyle interventions for women with disordered eating and diabetes. She completed her internship/residency in Health Psychology at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, and a fellowship in Clinical Health Psychology with an emphasis in medical education with the Michigan Center for Advanced Psychology Training in affiliation with Michigan State College of Human Medicine. She completed her board certification in lifestyle medicine in 2020.

Alyssa’s main area of research and clinical interest is lifestyle interventions for cardiometabolic health and she has a strong passion for helping people change their lifestyles and health behaviors so they can live their best lives. She is also passionate about addressing health disparities, and providing culturally-sensitive care to all patients, and is actively involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion work and education at Northwestern.

In this interview, we cover:

What is health psychology/behavioral medicine?What is lifestyle medicine?What is nutritional psychiatry? What do we know about the impact of nutrition and it's impact on mental and emotional well-being? What the pros and cons are of thinking about food as medicine?What do we need to know about how research applies to diverse samples?

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

As a health psychologist I like to say that my overall goal is to help people change their health behaviors or engage in the types of behaviors or change their thinking patterns in a way that supports their values and what matters most and ultimately supports their quality of life. That's what we all want, live a life consistent with what we care about with who we care about.– Alyssa Vela, PhD

Main Takeaways from This Conversation

Health psychology is super cool. As health psychologists we aren't biased at all. But in all seriousness, we believe strongly there's a lot to be gained from understanding the psychology of humans and why they do what they do, their beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about their health. Because many times, how we think about something (e.g., how we feel about eating that kale salad) is almost always more important than the single behavior (whether or not we do it on a given day).Food as medicine - Helpful or harmful? It depends! On how the individual interprets that. Does it feel shaming and pressuring or that there's some moral obligation to thing of it that way? Clearly unhelpful. Or does it feel empowering and hopeful to that person. These are the things we need to understand when we are communicating to patients about their health.Lifestyle medicine holds a lot of promise. Lifestyle medicine is a new emerging field that creates more spaces for these discussions and holds promise for creating an evidence-based interdisciplinary approach. Resources in life with this approach can be found at the resources page of The American College of Lifestyle Medicine website and also on the Healthy Living page at the The Society of Behavioral Medicine website.We must always be thinking about diversity and representation when considering health. Eating disorders or disordered eating happen in all races, body shapes and sizes. We have made some progress in this area, but we have a long ways to go. We need to continue to be curious and work to best understand how what we are doing applies, or does not apply to a variety of individuals, particularly those who are marginalized or underprivileged in terms of food and health care access.Positive nutrition habits for improving our mood is 100% worth considering. When I talk to people about how focus on weight loss strips them of any potential love for exercise (e.g., I only walk on the treadmill to burn calories, versus finding an exercise I actually like), they usually get it. However, when it comes to "internal motivation" for healthy eating, many times people have a hard time wrapping their heads around this. Like anything, we should first strip away the shame, guilt, and shoulds (what the anti-diet approaches helps us do) and then we can look at how certain foods make us feel. Remember that intuition can involve learning about nutrition and making choices that feel best for you. So you could learn about the evidence base behind plant based nutrition for gut health and disease risk and choose to try some plant-forward meals a few times a week, for example. People that exercise consistently usually have some quick benefit from it (they might say things like, "it's my therapy"). Well, if we strip away the judgement about weight and body size, you may feel the same way about eating over time. You might say, "I really feel like having a burger, but when I eat the salad with shrimp at lunch my mood is so much better the rest of the day." That's internal motivation and way more likely to stick than, "I'm being good on my diet by eating this salad."

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

...

Episode 47. Hey everyone! This episode is going to give you one big take home message, and ideas for a few simple ways you can move towards what matters. Are you ready? Let's dive in!

In this episode you will learn:

The #1 factor that predicts long term changes (in behavior, and overall well-being)Stories about myself at age 18 when I first started therapy, and how I was a somewhat difficult therapy client, ha!Why I decided to change the support structure within The Body Respect ProgramSome ideas about what you can do today to improve your chances of long-term success

Want To Support Local Bookstores Near You?

Buy your books from Bookshop! Support local bookstores near you and this blog and podcast and help prevent Amazon from completely squashing the local book market.

Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to "be healthy"The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought "they will notice I gained weight" or "I need to lose weight by then"Deep down I knew I wasn't living life the way I wanted to, but I didn't know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn't too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Cultivate Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to cultivate motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true change. It's time to start living my friend.

It's 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate 

Take Home Message

I spent years focusing on what I thought was the problem, and wasted time doing what would actually solve the problem. We do this all the time, but the cool thing is, we can use stories to learn from one another.

I hope you work hard to notice when you are doing something that gets in your own way, and ask yourself what you can do to solve the actual problem.

If you need help, ask a friend, family member, or a therapist. If therapy isn't helping, keep going, be honest, dig in. If it still isn't helping, try another therapist.

The quality of our support system is the #1 predictor of long-term change, but quality relationships often take time and effort, often in the form of vulnerable and honest conversations.

It isn't easy, my friend, but you can do it and you are worth it.

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).

Credit: This blog post was written by Dr. Shawn Hondorp and edited by Sarah Grace Rapoport, podcast and blog manager and Psychology of Wellness Intern.