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

The holidays can bring joy, but they also bring stress—especially for dieters who struggle with balancing self-care and social obligations.   In this episode, I dive into how holiday pressures and people-pleasing tendencies can lead to emotional burnout, causing dieters to use food as a way to self-soothe, cope, and numb feeling overwhelmed.   Whether it's the stress of family gatherings, financial expectations, or just feeling "off-track," emotional eating can quickly derail your progress and leave you feeling defeated.   Join me for actionable tips and practical strategies that will empower you to stay consistent even during the busiest time of the year.   I'll show you how to break free from the cycle of emotional eating, build a healthy relationship with food, and set yourself up for lasting success — without sacrificing your peace of mindn during the holidays.   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    

Break the cycle of holiday weight gain by taking control of EXACTLY what and how much you eat using the 7 simple steps outlined in The Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating. No  foods off limits. No counting calories. No drama.   In this episode, I dive deep into the common emotional and environmental triggers that lead to overeating during the holiday season.   From stress, pressure, loneliness, and overwhelm, I break down the root causes behind why you reach for food when you're not physically hungry. More importantly, this episode doesn't just stop at identifying common overeating triggers – I also arm you with practical, actionable strategies to overcome these obstacles without feeling restricted or deprived.   You'll learn how to develop mindful habits that support lasting change. Whether you're dealing with binge eating, mindless snacking, or simply want to build a healthier relationship with food, this episode will give you the tools you need to take control of your eating in a way that you can be proud of.   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

Break the cycle of holiday weight gain by taking control of EXACTLY what and how much you eat using the 7 simple steps outlined in The Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating. No  foods off limits. No counting calories. No drama.   In today's episode, I explored a post on Reddit from a woman who asked herself the question, "If I won the lottery, what would I do with the money?" and how this single question encouraged her to take MASSIVE ACTION during the holiday season.   When most people are throwing their hands up in the air until January 1st, now is the perfect time to prioritize your eating habits. With so many opportunities to practice, it's like learning at warped speed.   And to be clear, practicing your eating habits doesn't have to involve cutting out foods, skipping cocktails, or avoiding our favorite holiday treats. You CAN have it all, and in this episode, we tell you exactly how.   This year, give yourself the gift of never having to diet again.   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

Break the cycle of holiday weight gain by taking control of EXACTLY what and how much you eat using the 7 simple steps outlined in The Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating. No  foods off limits. No counting calories. No drama.   The average adult will DOUBLE their alcohol consumption during the holidays and as a dieter you know, that throwing back boozy drinks can easily prevent you from progressing on your weight loss goal.   Typical diet advice is to limit your intake and to choose the lowest calorie option (I'm looking at you Vodka & Soda with lime), but does this actually help? Or, does it hurt?   And what about the eating!? You can't possibly uncork a bottle of wine without cheese and crackers, right? I mean, that would be criminal. And you deserve it. After all, you've worked hard all year and it's the holidays! This is no time to be a Scrooge.   We all know that you can't nurse a hangover the next day without a greasy cheeseburger and fries, right? After all, something has to soak up all that booze!   Basically, dieters do everything wrong when it comes to consuming alcohol. This episode is going to turn everything you think you know about drinking and weight loss, upside down. And that's a good thing! Because what you're doing hasn't worked.   In this episode, I share exactly how I eat, drink, and be merry without the holiday weight gain. Isn't it time for you to put the joy back into eating and drinking, too?   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

Break the cycle of holiday weight gain by taking control of EXACTLY what and how much you eat using the 7 simple steps outlined in The Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating. No  foods off limits. No counting calories. No drama.   This week marks the beginning of several weeks of holidays.   That means parties, family gatherings, and lots of food. Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for what we have, who we are connected to in our lives. But too often, for most, it’s all about the food. The turkey. The stuffing. The pies. The side dishes. Need I go on? You don’t have to go to your holiday meals carrying a small Tupperware container with veggies and cottage cheese. That’s old school, right? You are here to live your life and that includes enjoying good food. But that doesn’t have to mean that you leave this holiday being as stuffed as the turkey. I want you to feel excited going into this holiday, not dreading it. So this week, Coach Steph and I talk about dealing with this holiday season in a way that allows for pleasure, but still leaves you in charge of what you do, how you eat and how you feel. I’m going to show you how to think going into these celebrations, what to do, and how to create an occasion for yourself that you can look back at and feel proud. Proud of yourself for keeping your word to yourself, AND still enjoying all of the food. Can you do it? After listening to this episode, I have NO DOUBT.   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

Break the cycle of holiday weight gain by taking control of EXACTLY what and how much you eat using the 7 simple steps outlined in The Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating. No  foods off limits. No counting calories. No drama.   As a dieter, I was a gold medalist in "grazing”.    Primarily because I was constantly trying to eat the least amount of food possible at every eating event — or at least stay within my feeble boundary of the day — which left me perpetually unsatisfied, running back and forth to the kitchen continuously throughout the day. (I’m pretty sure this isn’t what the fitness industry meant when promoting 10,000 steps a day.)   It never occurred to me that I could go to a restaurant and order what I really wanted for dinner… right off the entrée menu… without having to ask for anything "on the side."   Even when I was "off track," I never gave myself permission to go to a restaurant and order something truly filling and satisfying.   Instead, I'd rummage through my cabinets grabbing handfuls of nuts and spoonfuls of peanut butter until I felt sick. And this is exactly why I could never lose those last stubborn 10-15 pounds.   Join me in this episode as I discuss the #1 mistake most dieters are making and they don't even realize it. I'll also reveal the simple yet delicious tweak I made to my eating that changed everything for me.   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

Break the cycle of holiday weight gain by taking control of EXACTLY what and how much you eat using the 7 simple steps outlined in The Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating. No  foods off limits. No counting calories. No drama.   Are you a member of the Clean Plate Club? Do you typically eat until all the food on your plate is gone, regardless of how much has been served?   If the answer is yes, you are certainly not alone. This habit is, by far, the most challenging for the majority of my clients to overcome. Unfortunately, this is also the self-sabotaging habit that’s contributed to your unwanted extra pounds.   “Naturally thin” people eat differently. Occasionally, they’ll overeat on holidays or while traveling to exotic places and sampling novelty items, but mostly, they stop when their body communicates it has had enough.   Dieters, however, eat according to a clock, or a meal plan, or a calorie total. They’re in their minds while the naturally thin are in their bodies.   So, how do these magical people accomplish this herculean task? Join me on today's episode to discover the secret eating habits of the naturally thin so you can take control of your eating without going on another soul-sucking diet.   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  

Break the cycle of holiday weight gain by taking control of EXACTLY what and how much you eat using the 7 simple steps outlined in The Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating. No  foods off limits. No counting calories. No drama.   In this episode we debunk the lie that the fitness industry teaches about discipline being the key to a successful transformation and how that philosophy has kept dieters on a hamster wheel for years.   Every frustrated dieter wonders why they can’t just be more disciplined. They wonder why they can start off strong and the wheels inevitably fall off.   Generic dieting advice and the “just try harder” narrative is flawed. In reality, most people have tried harder to lose weight than anything else they’ve ever had to work at.   So if trying harder isn’t the answer, what is?   Imagine waking up each day trusting that you aren’t going to overeat, that you won’t run out of willpower, and you’ll go to bed that night feeling proud that you broke the habit of overeating. How would it feel to be in control of food, instead of food controlling you?   Our habits shape our lives and finding the right system makes all the difference in the world.   Whether you’ve been a Restrictor or a Permitter in your dieting past, your current habits either work for you or against you.   When you understand the power of a habit, for better or worse, it’s easy to see how having the right habits, systems, and support in place is a game changer when it comes to fat loss.   In this episode, you’ll discover how to become consistent so you can not only achieve your goals, but you can maintain them with ease.    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    

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