EPISODE 35: Calorie Counting or Intuitive Eating? How About Something In-Between?

With Halloween upon us, the Sugar Express is rolling full steam ahead!   This is the time of year when cravings reach critical mass, new diabolical scientific concoctions hit the streets, and candy bowls across the land always seem to be filled to the brim.     Unfortunately, this holiday also brings about unnecessary stress, self-judgement and uncontrolled eating - truly scary stuff!     Join co-coach Steph Miramontes, and me as we pull back the curtain on the same old tired trick that spooks us every year so that you can learn to enjoy the holiday without the guilt and shame.     Topics discussed: Why you feel guilty for eating processed foods -- who taught you how to feel this way and why is it important? How eating them with intention will help you remove these hyperpalatable foods from their pedestal and take control of your food obsession Why it's imperative to your weight loss success to remove the "good" and "bad" food labels and embrace these foods without judgment The magic of awareness and practice when it comes to tackling the foods you fear   This year, try approaching this spooky season with a different mindset.    Connect with Leslie:   Website Instagram Facebook   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here. Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list.   If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight without dieting, but also how to lose the struggle, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type  

Today, I explore the pros and cons of calorie counting and intuitive eating. Everything you've learned in your years of dieting isn't trash. And everything promoted by the intuitive eating community also isn't a dumpster fire.   The problem with both of these methodologies is when they're taken to extremes, soo why not try something in the middle? Something that's actually doable and doesn't bring you so much frustration that you quit every other day?   Maybe a detailed step-by-step process that DOESN'T require calorie counting, but DOES involve tracking and being accountable to your eating behavior?   And instead of beating yourself up when you're unable to execute your plan to perfection, you take the time to evaluate what happened through reflective journaling so you can practice better the next day?   If you're ready to quiet the food noise and crank the dial up on consistent weight loss without updating My Fitness Pal before every meal, we've got you covered!   Connect with Leslie:   Website Instagram Facebook   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here. Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list.   If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight without dieting, but also how to lose the struggle, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type

In this week's episode, I respond to a Reddit post titled, "The habits of naturally fat people" in which a woman who's recently lost 45 pounds discusses the subtle fat gaining habits she had when she was obese.   Coach Steph Miramontes and I address each one of the daily habits she shared and discuss how they may seem insignificant on their face, but executed consistently over an extended period of time is exactly how weight gain happens.   Because these habits are so minor, it's easy to dismiss them in favor for much bigger changes, but this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.   Join us to discover the 4 daily fat gaining habits you don't even know you're doing!   Connect with Leslie:   Website Instagram Facebook   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here. Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list.   If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight without dieting, but also how to lose the struggle, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type

As a professional dieter, you've probably read a lot about compulsive overeating and the uncontrollable urges that drive food obsession. So much so, that you may even feel like you're addicted to food.   And chances are, what you're experiencing feels like what you're battling is far beyond willpower and personal discipline.   But here's the thing. If this was a true deficit in your character, you would not be where you are in terms of career, education, regular workouts and adherence to other things in life.   So what the F*#% is going on here!?   Today, we discuss how you can dump the constant raging voice that tells you to eat just for the sake of eating.   I know. I've been there.   It doesn't just yell, it screams, "EAT THIS; EAT THIS; EAT THIS NEXT; WHAT ARE WE EATING NEXT?" regardless of what is going on. In fact, you could literally be finishing a satisfying meal and the voice will yell to eat something else, even though I am hungry and genuinely do not need anymore.   Don't miss today's episode as Coach Steph and I breakdown HOW this happens and WHAT you can do, starting immediately, to silence this voice forever.   Connect with Leslie:   Website Instagram Facebook If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here. Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight without dieting, but also how to lose the struggle, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type  

This week on the podcast, we're doing things a little differently.   I've invited Coach Steph Miramontes to open up and share her history as a struggling yo-yo dieter with ADHD.   Topics discussed: Advantages and disadvantages of having ADHD when dieting What is misunderstood about ADHD and weight loss Medicated vs Unmedicated: How it affects you and behavioral changes experienced Unique systems or processes you use to function in a neurotypical world Examples of how having ADHD contributes yo-yo dieting and what methods helped you lose weight and keep it off long-term?   We cover this and so much more! If you're someone who has unique weight loss challenges due to ADHD, you don't want to miss this episode!   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching with Coach Steph Miramontes, you can APPLY HERE.   Connect with Leslie:   Website Instagram Facebook   Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to my signature psychologyo-based weight loss program, Unstuffed, and get exclusive access to early action bonuses, you can join the interest list.    If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but also lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type    

There are 100 days left in 2024. Many of us made personal goals on January 1st. How are those coming along?   If you haven’t made much progress — or even started — it’s not too late. You can completely change your life in 100 days if you decide to.   Implementing small behavioral shifts can become a habit with a lifelong ripple effect.   In 100 days, you can:   100 days of walking one mile 100 days of saving $5 100 days of practicing Spanish 100 days learning how to cook 100 days learning how to play the piano   What’s something you wanted to achieve at the beginning of the year and haven’t yet completed? Will you accept our challenge?   Join Coach Steph Miramontes and I as we discuss the 3 steps on how to set and actually achieve your goal on this week’s episode.   If you love this, you'll love what I cover on social media:   Website Instagram Facebook   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here.   Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list.    If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type

Slow and steady wins the race, but dieters crave fast, fierce, and furious for their weight loss programs.   Instant gratification dominates the mindsets of most dieters. They want quick solutions and quicker results.   Consider what causes you to pursue a long-term project - like writing a book, building a relationship, learning an instrument, etc.   With long-term projects, sooner or later, we need evidence that we’re making progress. Without it, it would seem silly to continue pursuing it forever without the reward of accomplishment.   People don’t spend 20 years eating healthy and working their tail off at the gym without pleasure and reward mixed in. And if the goal is to maintain a lean physique for forever, we can’t rely solely on external validators, like a scale or mirror. Why?   1. Because those results aren’t immediate. 2. Because those results don’t continue changing after maintenance.   Unfortunately, this is where most dieters get stuck. Instead of chasing instant gratification in emotional and compulsive eating, what if you learned how to develop a new reward system? How would it feel to be able to delay instant gratification for permanent weight loss?   Dive into this week's episode as we discuss exactly how to do just that.   Connect with Leslie:   • Website• Instagram• Facebook   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here.   If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle alongside it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type    

If you want to be someone who rarely thinks about food and feels completely in control of what you eat in a way that feels easy, then you have to learn how to adopt the inner psychology and eating habits of a ‘naturally thin’ person.   The glaring difference between the lifestyle of Burned Out Dieter vs the lifestyle of the ‘Naturally Thin’ is that they’re both making drastically different decisions based on their inner psychology and daily eating habits.   So for example, a ‘naturally thin’ person who eats consistent portions at every meal for years is on autopilot.   And for Burned Out Dieters who are constantly getting on and off track with their eating — have created a habit of restrict-then-overeat.   They also do things like: Cleaning their plate at every meal Pick at food while they’re preparing it Eating when they’re procrastinating, bored, or stressed So, the question then becomes, how do we choose to do the things that ‘naturally thin’ people do consistently?   The diet industry will tell you that it’s about “eating less and moving more” and while that’s factually accurate, it’s shit advice and only half of the conversation.   Everyone already knows what they should be doing to lose weight. The question is WHY aren’t they doing it?   No one in the diet industry wants to touch this question.   It’s easier to talk about eating protein, vegetables, and tracking your calories…but it’s also why 95% of dieters are failing at long-term weight loss.   Answering this question requires understanding how your inner psychology influences your eating behaviors.   Join me on today's episode as we help you unravel your ties to emotional eating and develop the eating habits of the 'naturally thin'.   Connect with Leslie:   Website Instagram Facebook   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here. Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list.    If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type

Do you know why your diet isn't working? Join co-coach, Steph Miramontes, and me in this week’s episode as we dive into the 4 reasons why you still haven't lost the weight. Most people choose to follow meal plans and cookie cutter diets over a more mindful approach because the “rules” and boundaries have already been created for you. This helps you feel safe and confident in your decisions, but the truth is — diets never go as planned. If you don’t take the time to understand the purpose behind what you’re doing, you will be easily discouraged when times get tough. Diets won’t teach you how to navigate off the beaten path, and that’s where success is ultimately determined. sick days having a baby going through a divorce the loss of a loved one accepting a job offer in a different state If you want long-term sustainable weight loss, you must start educating yourself on how this process can be woven into the fabric of your every day life, not just for the next 12 weeks.   Give this episode a listen for multiple ideas on how to put this into practice.   Connect with Leslie:   • Website • Instagram • Facebook   If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here. Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list.    If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type

ANNOUNCEMENT: Are you a Burned Out Dieter Who's Struggling to Stay on Track? Join me and Coach Steph in the Outsmart Overeating program -- 6 weeks dedicated to helping emotional, binge, and compulsive overeaters STOP OVEREATING through psychology, NOT restrictive dieting or willpower. You can snag all the details on the enrollment page.   This week, I invited client, Dr Leah, onto the show to share her experience in my signature psychology-based weight loss program, Unstuffed.     As a doctor, Leah reveals how little formal nutrition education she actually received in her medical training. And as a struggling dieter herself, she found the standard medical recommendation to "follow a Keto diet for weight loss" to be nearly impossible to maintain, especially after having her first child.     In this episode, Leah talks about the power of habits and the benefit of having a deeper 'why' than simply wanting to lose weight for health and vanity. In Leah's case, she felt a strong connection to wanting to honor and respect a body that was made in God's image.     Also, it was important to her to pass down these habits to her children and create a healthy environment where she could thrive -- both in home and at the office with her patients -- by being a good role model. She's been enjoying the benefits of the program so much that she's now convinced her husband (another doctor) to join.      Healthy habits truly are the gift that keeps on giving!   If you're a burned out dieter who's feeling frustrated and hopeless, be sure to give this episode a listen. Dieting challenges usually get worse with time, not better. Do your future-self a favor and take action now. Connect with Leslie:   Website Instagram Facebook If you’re struggling with emotional, binge, or compulsive eating and you’re interested in personalized coaching, apply here. Or, if you want to be the first to know when we'll be opening the doors to Unstuffed and get access to our early action bonuses, you can join the interest list. If you want to learn how to not-only lose weight, but lose the struggle along side it, you can get started by taking the Weight Loss Psychology Quiz: Discover Your Diet Personality Type