Diet Starts Monday Podcast

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank discussions about drug use, substance misuse, addiction, relapse and mental health. Some listeners may find these topics distressing. Please take care when listening.From addiction to becoming a Buddhist monk… and back again.In this episode of Diet Starts Monday, I sit down with Lockie Welsh for an incredibly honest conversation about addiction, relapse, identity and the complicated journey of trying to change your life.Lockie opens up about his experiences with substance misuse, the reality of addiction and the challenges that come with recovery. We discuss the difficult moments, the setbacks and what happens when the behaviors you thought you'd left behind begin to resurface.We explore Lockie's experience of becoming a Buddhist monk, the search for purpose and the role that discipline, self-awareness and mental health play in our lives.In this episode, we discuss:​Drug use, substance misuse and addiction​Relapse and the realities of recovery​Becoming a Buddhist monk​Escapism and unhealthy coping mechanisms​Mental health, self-awareness and finding purposeAt Diet Starts Monday, we believe some of the most important conversations are the ones people find hardest to have.This is one of them.SUPPORT & RESOURCESIf you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, substance misuse or mental health, support is available.🇬🇧 UK​FRANK — Confidential drug information and support: https://www.talktofrank.com​NHS addiction support: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/drug-addiction-getting-help/​Samaritans — Free emotional support, 24/7: 116 123 | https://www.samaritans.orgStop Negotiating With Yourself.Subscribe for weekly conversations and follow our journey on Instagram.Instagram: @dietstartsmonday_podcast

What if the biggest thing holding you back is that your goals are too realistic?This week on Diet Starts Monday, I'm joined by IronBodz (Sam Bodoano) to talk about why sometimes you need to be a little bit delusional to achieve something extraordinary.From building a following through parkrun to taking on Ironman Wales, UTMB and Backyard Ultras, Bodz has built a reputation for throwing himself into challenges that most people wouldn't even consider.We talk about his rise on social media, the mindset behind setting seemingly impossible goals, what it takes to keep pushing your limits, and why believing in yourself before you've earned the right to might be exactly what you need.In this episode, we discuss:How parkrun helped kick-start his social media journeyTaking on Ironman Wales, UTMB and Backyard UltrasWhy being “delusional” can be a powerful mindsetSetting goals that genuinely scare youThe reality behind big endurance challengesWhether you're chasing your first 5K, an Ironman, or something completely outside of sport, this episode is a reminder that your ambitions don't have to make sense to everyone else.Stop Negotiating With Yourself.

5,000km. 99 days. 62,000m of elevation. 6,684 run-club participants. 77 run clubs. One Guinness World Record. Esmée Gummer has just completed one of the most extraordinary endurance challenges of 2026.Running 5,000km across the UK and Ireland in 99 consecutive days, climbing an incredible 62,000 metres and spending 580 hours on her feet.But the most remarkable part? Along the way, she hosted 77 free run clubs, bringing together thousands of people and earning a Guinness World Record for the most run clubs hosted in different cities by an individual.And this is someone who, at 18 years old, was told she might never walk again.In this episode of Diet Starts Monday, we sit down with Esmée to discuss the reality behind the challenge, the people she met, the mental and physical battles, and what it means to use your influence to make a genuine difference.We also get into women's safety in running, the rise of running culture, and why helping someone complete their first 5K can be just as meaningful as running 5,000km yourself.Because the biggest achievement wasn't just the distance she covered. It was the communities she brought together along the way.Diet Starts Monday(@dietstartsmonday_podcast - instagram)

What happens when you're a psychiatrist, an Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifier and part of one of London's most competitive cycling communities?This week on Diet Starts Monday, I'm joined by Dr Tal Hackett -psychiatrist, triathlete and all-round competitive human.Tal recently finished 3rd at an Ironman 70.3 (AG), securing her place at the World Championships, all while balancing a demanding career in medicine.But this conversation goes well beyond racing.We dive into the realities of working in psychiatry, particularly with patients experiencing eating disorders, and explore the complicated relationship between exercise, body image, mental health and social media.We also get into the slightly obsessive world of South West London's running scene, where apparently running around in circles is a perfectly normal way to spend your free time!From saving lives to chasing finish lines, Tal has a fascinating perspective on performance, ambition and mental health.Let us know what you think! Diet Starts Monday

Jack Pitcher has run across Australia. Now he's run across Iceland and broken a world record doing it.In 2024, Jack ran 2,684 miles from Perth to Sydney in just 61 days, becoming the fastest British person to complete the crossing. Two years later, he took on another extraordinary challenge: running 460 miles across Iceland. Jack completed the Iceland crossing in 7 days, 9 hours and 4 minutes. After falling behind the pace required for the record, he produced an incredible final push of approximately 88 miles in a single day. In this episode Jack takes us inside what these challenges actually look like - the physical punishment, sleep deprivation, injuries, mental battles and what happens when your body is telling you to stop but the goal is still hundreds of miles away.We also get into his record-breaking run across Australia, where Jack covered the equivalent of around 95 marathons in 61 days, the serious car accident that disrupted his original plans, and why he continues to choose challenges that push him to his absolute limit. Sponsored by Wintergreen - www.wintergreensport.co.ukDiet Starts Monday(@dietstartsmonday_podcast - Instagram)

What does it actually take to make it as a professional triathlete? Harry Palmer has spent years trying to figure it out.In this episode, Harry joins me to talk about the reality behind becoming a professional endurance athlete. The years of training and self-belief, sponsorships, prize money and what being one of the best triathletes in the world actually pays.We also talk about why he started documenting his journey on YouTube early, the races and performances that changed his career, and the belief required to keep going when you're not the biggest name in the sport.A conversation about professional triathlon and betting on yourself long enough to find out how good you can become.Diet Starts Monday (Instagram - @dietstartsmonday_podcast)Sponsored by Wintergreen UK - www.wintergreensports.co.uk

Welcome to the very first episode of ON THE START LINE! 🏁A brand-new series from Diet Starts Monday, where we break down the biggest mass participation events, celebrate incredible performances and bring the sports community together.This week, Roscoe and Gregor kick things off with a packed episode!Gregor takes us behind the scenes of IRONMAN Wales in Tenby, sharing his experience of taking on one of the toughest races on the calendar. We also hear directly from athletes through voice notes, giving us their own perspectives.We then dive into IRONMAN Nice and the Great Northern Run, discussing the standout performances, race-day stories and everything that caught our attention over the weekend.And finally, we introduce our P4P (Pound for Pound) Everyday Athlete Rankings! 🏆A weekly segment celebrating extraordinary achievements from everyday athletes. From incredible weight-loss journeys to marathon breakthroughs and ultra-endurance performances, we're putting the spotlight on athletes whose stories deserve to be heard.Who deserves a place in our Top 10? Let us know!!Whether you're chasing your first 5K, training for an IRONMAN or simply love endurance sport, this is your weekly place to catch up on everything happening in the community.See you on the start line. Diet Starts Monday.(@dietstartsmonday_podcast - Instagram)Sponsored by Wintergreen - www.wintergreensport.co.uk

I’m attempting to run 100 miles at the Mackyard Backyard Ultra - so I sat down with Jordan Stanton to figure out exactly what I’m getting myself into.We break down the strange world of Backyard Ultras: running 6.7km every hour, on the hour, until you can’t go again.We talk pacing, fuelling, sleep deprivation, what to do between loops, why people quit, and what happens mentally when the bell rings and you genuinely don’t want to go back out.Most importantly, I ask Jordan what he thinks I need to get right if I’m going to make it through roughly 24 hours and 100 miles.Mackyard Backyard Ultra. October 3. 100 miles. Let’s see what happens. Instagram: @dietstartsmonday_podcast@jordan_stanton@mackyardeventsSponsored by Wintergreen UK - www.wintergreensports.co.uk

Dr Becca Salmon is a doctor and athlete who knows first-hand that doing more exercise doesn't always mean becoming healthier.In this episode, we talk about the line between dedication and obsession, exercise addiction, RED-S and underfuelling, burnout, injury and what happens when your identity becomes tied to training and performance.We also get into whether being faster actually means you're healthier, the pressure social media puts on athletes to constantly do more, how tracking everything can affect your relationship with exercise, and when exercise can stop being medicine and start becoming another stress on the body.This is a conversation about something that can be surprisingly difficult to recognise: when the thing you're doing to become healthier starts having the opposite effect.Diet Starts Monday@dietstartsmonday_podcast (instagram)Sponsored by Wintergreen UK - www.wintergreensport.co.uk

Tommy Lewis is an ultra runner, coach, content creator and founder of That’s Runnable - a community built around making running more accessible, sustainable and enjoyable.We talk about why running has become so complicated, how he's built his life around his van, how social media is bad for our mental health, strength work, injuries, ultra running and why sometimes the best thing you can do is simply run the runnable.A conversation about running, building something you believe in, and keeping it enjoyable along the way.Sponsored by Wintergreen UK - www.wintergreensport.co.ukInstagram: @dietstartsmonday_podcast