Thinner Peace in Menopause

For years, I believed that if I wanted to be thin, I couldn't eat certain foods. Potato chips were one of them. But what I've learned is that telling yourself you can't have something can actually make you think about it even more.

In this episode, I want to talk about why restricting foods you enjoy may be keeping you stuck in the dieting cycle. I'll explain how food noise, emotional eating, and the belief that certain foods are off-limits affect your relationship with food.

I'll also introduce the concept of a joy eat. It's about learning to enjoy foods you love, eating mindfully, and stopping when you've finished enjoying them. Because I believe making peace with food starts with learning to trust yourself.

My goal is to help you stop fighting food and start creating a more peaceful relationship with eating, especially during menopause. Enjoy the show!

Free Guide: Download the Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in Menopause Guide at drdebbutler.com/podcast-companion-guide

Mini Session: Ready to master your mind? Book a free mini session at drdebbutler.com/workwithme

Thinner Peace Quiz: Take the quiz at drdebbutler.com/quiz to identify your obstacles to eating when hungry and stopping when full

Peace with Food 30-Day Course - Available at www.drdebbutler.com/joy

Now, go listen to the podcast. Click here to listen to the 1st episode. It's the best place to start!

If you've been loving my podcast, please subscribe and review the show. The only way it will pop up to others is when people review it, so if you're loving it – pass on the good word!

What You'll Learn From This Episode

• Why restricting certain foods can make you want them more.

• What food noise is and how it affects your relationship with eating.

• How to recognize emotional hunger versus physical hunger.

• What a joy eat is and how to practice mindful eating.

• Why trusting yourself around food matters more than following another set of food rules.

• How to feel your emotions instead of filling them with food.

After years of dieting, you may know all the rules about what to eat and when to eat. But knowing the rules doesn't necessarily mean you feel at peace with food. I know what it's like to spend years focused on weight loss and eventually realize there was something more I needed to understand.

In this episode, I explore how approaching food with a beginner's mind can help you see your eating patterns differently. We'll look at physical hunger, emotional hunger, and the four types of eating: fuel, joy, fog, and storm. I'll also share why getting curious about your habits, rather than assuming you've already tried everything, can open the door to a different relationship with food.

If you're ready to look beyond another set of diet rules and understand what's happening when you eat, join me for this episode of ThINNER Peace in Menopause & Beyond. Enjoy the show!

Free Guide: Download the Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in Menopause Guide at drdebbutler.com/podcast-companion-guide

What You'll Learn From This Episode

• Why knowing what to eat doesn't necessarily resolve your struggles with food.

• How to recognize physical hunger and fullness.

• How emotional hunger differs from physical hunger.

• What I mean by fuel eating, joy eating, fog eating, and storm eating.

• How approaching familiar ideas with curiosity can help you understand your eating patterns.

Have you ever felt like exercise is just another thing you should be doing to lose weight? Maybe you've tried to force yourself to work out, only to find that you dread it before you even begin.

I used to think that way, too. I believed that because I was overweight, I had to exercise and eat things I didn't enjoy to get the body I wanted. But what if we could approach movement differently?

In this episode of ThINNER Peace in Menopause & Beyond, I share ideas inspired by mindfulness researcher Dr. Ellen Langer and explore how our beliefs and perceptions can influence the way we approach our bodies, aging, and movement.

I also talk about why the words we use matter. When you say, "I'll try," you may be leaving yourself an easy way out. What happens when you replace that language with a clear, doable commitment?

You'll learn why I encourage women to think of movement as play rather than punishment, and how starting with just 10 minutes of walking, dancing, stretching, or another activity you enjoy can help you build a different relationship with movement.

Instead of forcing yourself through a workout you hate, I want you to get curious. Notice how you feel before you move and how you feel afterward. When you begin connecting movement with feeling better, you may find it easier to want to do it again.

If you're navigating menopause and struggling with weight, this episode invites you to question some of the beliefs that may be making change harder than it needs to be.

You don't need another reason to criticize yourself. You can start with a small step, a more supportive perspective, and a little curiosity.

Enjoy the show!

Free Guide: Download the Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in Menopause Guide at drdebbutler.com/podcast-companion-guide

What You'll Learn From This Episode

• How your beliefs about aging can influence the way you approach this stage of life

• Why saying "I'll try" may make it harder to follow through on your intentions

• How changing your perception can change the way you act and feel

• Why movement doesn't have to feel like punishment

• How to start with just 10 minutes and make movement feel more manageable

• Why checking in with your emotions before and after movement can help you notice its benefits

• How to identify patterns that may be getting in the way of mindful eating and movement

If you've been telling yourself, "I'll feel better once I lose the weight," I want you to consider something different.

In this episode, I share a listener's response that captures why emotional health matters so much in weight loss.

We often focus on improving our physical health first, believing that once we lose weight, we'll finally feel better. But what if learning to manage your emotions needs to come first?

I share why emotional eating isn't always about physical hunger, what it means to comfort yourself without food, and why true self-compassion isn't simply giving yourself whatever you want in the moment. It's learning to recognize your emotional needs and respond in a way that's good for you in the long term.

If you've been struggling with weight for years, I hope this gives you a different way to think about your relationship with food and yourself.

Revisit Episode 516: Going All In On Yourself: Tracie's Story www.drdebbutler.com/516

Enjoy the show!

Free Guide: Download the Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in Menopause Guide at drdebbutler.com/podcast-companion-guide

What You'll Learn From This Episode

• Why emotional health is an important foundation for weight loss in menopause

• Why waiting until you lose weight to feel better may keep you stuck

• How emotional triggers can lead to eating when you're not physically hungry

• What it means to comfort yourself without food

• Why self-compassion isn't the same as giving in to every craving

• How to recognize your emotional needs and respond with long-term well-being in mind

• Why learning to manage your emotions can support a healthier relationship with food

Have you spent years thinking about food, your weight, and what you should or shouldn't be eating?

Maybe you've tried diet after diet, but the constant food thoughts and emotional eating never really went away.

That's where my client Debra found herself. She had been thinking about food, weight, and her body since she was 12. After decades of dieting and food obsession, she was simply sick of it.

In this episode, Debra shares how she began to change her relationship with food and lose weight in menopause by looking beyond what she was eating and understanding the thoughts and emotions driving her eating.

We changed how she used food journals. Instead of tracking whether she was "winning or losing," we used them to understand emotional hunger, emotional eating, and the patterns behind her food choices. Debra learned to recognize emotional hunger, feel difficult emotions instead of eating or drinking them away, and question thoughts she had carried for decades.

And perhaps the biggest transformation came down to one simple sentence:

"I'm calm around food."

She no longer obsesses about food, has more space in her brain, and feels calmer in other areas of her life too.

If you're a woman in menopause who wants to lose weight without being controlled by food thoughts and emotional eating, I think you'll really connect with Debra's story.

Enjoy the show!

Free Guide: Download the Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in Menopause Guide at drdebbutler.com/podcast-companion-guide

Mini Session: Ready to master your mind? Book a free mini session at drdebbutler.com/workwithme

What You'll Learn From This Episode

-Why years of dieting can lead to constant food thoughts and food obsession -How Debra used food journaling to recognize emotional hunger and emotional eating -The difference between tracking what you eat and understanding why you eat -Why learning to feel difficult emotions can change your relationship with food -How thoughts from the past can continue to influence your emotions and eating habits -Why you don't have to eliminate negative emotions to feel better around food -How Debra went from feeling desperate about food to feeling calm around food -Why addressing the emotional side of weight loss became an important part of Debra's journey -How finding calm around food gave Debra more mental space for the rest of her life

Do you ever wake up and immediately feel like you're already behind?

For years, I rushed into my days without giving my brain any time to catch up. I learned that getting your body ready for the day isn't enough. Your brain needs preparation, too.

In this episode, I share the simple morning routine I've been practicing for years: Morning Pages. It's a practice inspired by Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way that gives you time to sit quietly, let your thoughts come out, and clear some of the mental clutter before you begin your day.

You don't have to start with an hour or even three full pages. I encourage you to start with what feels ridiculously easy, even if that's just 10 minutes. When something feels easy to your brain, you're much more likely to actually do it.

I also share a beautiful piece from my friend Janet Archer about the rush we create in our own lives and the practice of remembering, "there is no better there than here."

Because sometimes we're so busy trying to get somewhere else that we miss where we actually are.

If you're feeling rushed, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, I hope this episode gives you permission to slow down and begin your day differently.

Enjoy the show!

Free Guide: Download the Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in Menopause Guide at drdebbutler.com/podcast-companion-guide

What You'll Learn From This Episode

• Why your brain may need preparation before you begin your day

• How Morning Pages can help clear mental clutter

• Why starting with a ridiculously easy habit makes it easier to follow through

• How slowing down can change the way you experience your day

• Why rushing can keep you from being fully present

• How inspirational reading can support a calmer, more intentional morning

• Why "there is no better there than here" can help you practice being present

• How slowing down can be an act of kindness toward yourself

What if losing weight isn't the only thing you need to change before you can finally feel better about your life?

Kristine came to me wanting to lose weight. She had spent years thinking about food, worrying about her weight, and wondering why she couldn't seem to make the changes she knew she should be able to make.

She had lost 20 pounds before, only to regain it. She was tired of the constant churning in her brain about food, calories, carbs, her appearance, and what life would be like if she were thinner.

But something unexpected happened when we started working together.

Kristine began to feel relief before she had lost the weight.

She started recognizing when she was actually hungry instead of eating because of external cues or assumptions about what she should be doing. She learned to let herself get hungry, pay attention to fullness, and question the stories she had created about what other people expected from her.

And as that mental noise quieted down, she became more present in her own life.

In this episode, Kristine shares what changed for her, why she realized she didn't need to keep waiting until she lost weight to feel better, and how changing the way she thought about food, hunger, and herself gave her a completely different perspective on weight loss.

If you've been working hard to lose weight but feel exhausted by how much mental space food and your body take up, I think you'll recognize yourself in Kristine's story.

Enjoy the show!

Free Guide: Download the Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in Menopause Guide at drdebbutler.com/podcast-companion-guide

Mini Session: Ready to master your mind? Book a free mini session at drdebbutler.com/workwithme

What You'll Learn From This Episode -Why Kristine believed losing weight would finally make her life better. -How years of thinking about food and weight created constant mental churn. -Why she experienced relief and greater freedom before losing the weight. -How learning to recognize physical hunger changed the way she approached eating. -Why eating when she wasn't hungry was connected to external cues and stories she had created in her own mind. -How she learned to question what she thought other people expected from her. -Why allowing herself to get hungry felt like a completely new experience. -How becoming more present changed the way she experienced her life. -Why changing your perspective can be an important part of your weight loss journey in menopause.

If you've ever eaten when you weren't hungry and then immediately been hard on yourself about it, this bonus recording is for you.

In this recording, I coach women through what happens when an urge to eat shows up, how to recognize the difference between physical hunger and an emotional urge, and why simply becoming aware of what is happening in your brain can be such an important first step.

We talk about the thoughts that can create urges, why being tired or stressed can make it harder to recognize emotional hunger, and how you can begin managing those thoughts instead of automatically acting on them.

But one of the biggest things I want you to take away from this conversation is this: you have to be nicer to yourself.

Being hard on yourself doesn't make change easier. Learning to treat yourself like your own best friend can change how you feel, how you respond to urges, and ultimately how you relate to food.

I also teach the three-minute process for calming a craving: feel the urge, notice and measure it, and then manage the thought creating it.

This is a coaching-focused bonus recording, so you'll hear real questions and examples from women working through these patterns in real time.

Enjoy the show!

What You'll Learn From This Episode

● Why an urge to eat is different from physical hunger

● How thoughts create feelings and urges

● Why tiredness and stress can be confused with physical hunger

● Why rewarding an urge can make it stronger

● How to notice an urge before automatically acting on it

● Why being hard on yourself can make eating harder

● How changing an unmanaged thought can change an urge

● How to begin treating yourself like your own best friend

● The three steps for calming a craving in three minutes

● Why lasting change is about more than losing weight

Let's work together to help you make peace with food… finally! Click here for more info on the ThiNNER Peace Laser Coaching https://drdebbutler.com/start

If you're struggling to lose weight in menopause, you may have asked yourself this question more times than you can count.

You know you're not physically hungry. You know you'll probably regret eating it. And yet, the urge is still there.

What if that urge isn't a failure of willpower?

On Day 1 of my live master class, I want to help you understand what may actually be happening when you feel driven to eat.

We'll look at the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger, how thoughts can create urges to eat, and why food noise can feel so powerful even when your body doesn't need food.

I'll also introduce the hunger and fullness scale and show you why I encourage women to learn what it feels like to eat between the "twos" instead of waiting until they are extremely hungry or extremely full.

And there's one question I want you to start asking yourself: Why do you eat when you are not hungry?

That question changed my life 20 years ago, and it can change the way you think about your relationship with food, too.

This isn't about judging yourself for overeating. It's about becoming curious about what is happening in your brain and learning that an urge doesn't have to control what you do next.

The food doesn't cause the urge. The thought you're thinking creates the urge. And once you begin noticing those thoughts, you can begin to respond to them differently.

This is Day 1 of the Master Class, in Day 2, I will take this one step further and teach you a simple technique for calming a craving in three minutes.

So if you've ever felt like you should be able to control yourself around food but just can't, don't stop with Day 1, join me for Day 2.

Enjoy the show!

Join the FREE Train Your Brain With or Without a GLP-1 Master Class drdebbutler.com/train-your-brain-glp1

What You'll Learn From This Episode

• Why you may want to eat even when you're not physically hungry • The difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger • How your thoughts can create urges to eat • Why food noise can feel so powerful • How to recognize your hunger and fullness signals • What the "twos" mean on the hunger and fullness scale • How mindfulness can help you notice your thoughts without judgment • Why learning to understand your brain can change your relationship with food

Let's work together to help you make peace with food… finally! Click here for more info on the ThiNNER Peace Laser Coaching https://drdebbutler.com/start

If you've been struggling with food urges and wondering whether a GLP-1 is the answer, this episode is for you.

The more I learn about GLP-1s, the more I see how closely some of what they address connects with the ThINNER Peace process I created almost 20 years ago. The difference is in how we get to the brain.

I share the story of a client who put a polished stone into a jar every time she experienced an urge to eat when she wasn't hungry and managed that urge without eating. As the jar filled, she had visible proof that she was learning something she once believed she couldn't do.

That is the kind of brain training I want to teach you.

I'm also inviting you to my free masterclass, Train Your Brain With or Without a GLP-1, where I'll help you understand what may be driving food noise and introduce you to a new technique for calming a craving.

Whether you're considering a GLP-1, have decided you don't want one, or are already taking one and want to understand more about what is happening with your urges, I want you to know there is a way forward.

Enjoy the show!

What You'll Learn From This Episode

● Why managing the urge itself matters more than simply focusing on weight loss

● How to teach yourself to manage your urges

● The difference between targeting the brain with medication and training your brain

● What the Food Noise Workbook is designed to help you understand

● What you'll learn in the new Calm a Craving in Three Minutes workbook

● Why there can be a way forward whether you choose to use a GLP-1 or not

Join the Free Train Your Brain with or Without a GLP-1 https://drdebbutler.com/train-your-brain-glp1