The Psychology of Eating Podcast

If you're of a certain age, you've probably noticed that young people – teenagers, especially – have a strong need for approval from others.  Young adults want to fit in and feel accepted, a natural desire that is part of our normal developmental process at this stage of life. Feeling that we belong helps us to grow and expand, and gives us the confidence to explore our world.  As we grow older, h...

Jill, 44, wants a new relationship with food – one where she can enjoy a more easygoing, intuitive way of eating. She'd like eating to be fun and lighthearted, and feel satiated after a great meal.  But her dreamy new relationship with food seems so very far away. Jill has an intense desire for food – so deep that it feels like her desire can never be quenched. No matter what or how much Jil eats,...

Food is intended to be our source of nourishment, but all too often it can feel like a losing battle.  Perhaps you've been struggling with your weight, and why it's so hard to lose it – or keep it off. Or maybe you binge or emotionally eat, and are frustrated that you can't stop these behaviors.  Whatever your unique challenge with food may be, after a while it's hard to not come to a particular c...

Negative body image is something that so many of us struggle with – regardless of our nationality, age, or background. It almost seems to be part of the human condition, something that is innate to our journey here on Earth. But is it, really?  While not liking our body – or constantly trying to achieve a certain weight or shape – is ubiquitous around the world, the truth is that is NOT a natural,...

Perhaps more than any other food group, carbohydrates can really freak people out. You might say, carbs are one of the world's great nutritional "hang-ups."  And a big reason for this is we've been told carbohydrates will make us … fat. Eat the wrong kinds, too much, and too often, and you'll be popping the buttons off your jeans in no time.  So many of us then try to avoid or limit carbohydrates,...

Many of us struggle with emotional eating. And that's because food is a reliable way to manage our unwanted emotions. Think: Bored. Stressed. Lonely. Angry. Anxious.  When we're experiencing difficult emotions, it's natural to turn to food.  But here's something that's also common: some of us label ourselves as emotional eaters, when that's not actually the case.  For some of us, something else al...

For those of us who struggle with weight, are in a battle with food, or who have ongoing anxiety around eating, it's no secret that these unwanted food and body challenges can have a myriad of possible causes. Well, one of the more overlooked causes is something that many of us experienced when we were young: ➡️ Having an absentee parent. This can mean: 👉 A parent who was never there, or was seld...

Ever hear the phrase "health is wealth?"  For many people, we don't quite recognize how valuable our health is until we find illness or injury knocking. Enjoying robust health is truly the foundation of a happy, fulfilled, and connected life. But it's also true that worrying about our health, or being vigilant about every aspect of our diet and lifestyle, can actually take us in the opposite direc...

A surprising fact about the weight loss universe is that despite so many built-in difficulties, plenty of people have success. So often, we DO actually lose the weight, we hit our target number - or come close to it, we celebrate, we feel good, we fit into our clothes, and life is finally great. We did it. But then, something happens. Somehow, the weight we lost finds its way back home.  Our effor...

When it comes to nutrition and health, there can be a lot to worry about:  ✴️ How do I control my desires and avoid the foods that are bad for me?  ✴️ How can I eat to successfully lose weight?  ✴️ How do I stop sabotaging myself?  ✴️ And can I stick to a good nutritional program for the sake of my health?  If you find yourself having multiple worries around food, weight or health, you're not alon...

Chances are, you've had the experience of hearing conflicting voices in your head when it comes to food and body. One part of us can clearly say: "I absolutely must lose weight." While another part of us can simultaneously whisper: "I'm tired of dieting. Maybe I should just give up and love my body as it is." And from here, an inner conflict unfolds.  On the one hand, we can find ourselves motivat...

Picture this:  You're trucking along your day – everything's going pretty well, when BOOM: You see a picture of yourself, and you're instantly triggered.  "Is that really what I look like?" you ask yourself.  You can't believe your appearance. Maybe it's extra weight, or the shape of your hips or stomach.  But whatever it is – you feel your heart start to sink, and a crushing sadness races in.  Be...

Managing emotions with food, otherwise known as emotional eating, is something that humans have been doing for millenia. And the reason is simple: when we eat, we reliably feel better – no matter how fleeting those "feel-good" feelings may be.  While many people intuitively understand that emotions play a key role in our eating habits, it can often be a lot harder to understand the emotions themse...

When it comes to body weight, most of us are focused on one thing: losing it! But many people aren't prepared for what happens after weight loss.  Any thoughts we may have about post-weight loss life are pretty dreamy. We imagine we'll feel uber confident, accomplished, and ready to boldly move forward in life.  But all too often, that simply isn't the case.  For many, the striving and struggle fo...

Night-time binge eating.  It's a pastime that many people struggle with, and can feel truly insurmountable. But nightly binge eating doesn't have to get the best of you.  The reality is, there's a clear road to recovering our power and being in control with food – all that's needed is a deeper understanding of why nighttime binge eating – otherwise known as "nighttime eating syndrome" – happens, a...

Like so many of us, Cherie, age 56, wants to lose 20 pounds – but without the constant fight and struggle. Cherie has been battling these 20 pounds just about all her adult life – and she's feeling ready for a new approach. Cherie's kids are about to leave the house, and she'd like to focus on her life for the first time in many years. She dreams of letting go of her day job and taking on an excit...

Raelene, 46, would love to lose about 40 kilos. And she's had great success in the past: all she has to do is eliminate sugar, cut down on the carbs, watch her calories and portion sizing, and the weight will eventually come off.   But the problem is, she just can't seem to stick to a diet plan for more than a few months.    A cooking teacher and mother of two, Raelene says she simply doesn't have...

Barbara, 60, is finally ready to explore the world, go on adventures, and find the man of her dreams. She's done lots of therapy, read all the books, and it seems like nothing should be in the way. But something is clearly holding her back.    A lifetime of dieting and disliking her body, and a string of unfortunate dating experiences in the past has her majorly doubting herself. Barbara so deeply...

If you've been dieting for many years, you know it can get to be a little "much." Chronic dieting can leave us frustrated, exhausted, and exasperated. Why does something so simple – weight loss – have to be so hard?   Millions of people around the world are realizing that they're just plain tired of dieting. So much so that an increasing number of people are deciding to take a break from weight lo...

Emotional eating always has a psychological or biological reason for showing up in our life. It never just "happens" … it's almost always an unconscious psychological strategy to regulate difficult emotions.  That's the case for guest coaching client, Katy, who's going through a period of massive change – and is struggling to manage her feelings about it all. As a newly-turned 30-year old, Katy is...

It's no surprise that many people around the world would like to lose weight. In fact, between 2017 and 2021, 55% of all Americans have expressed the desire for weight loss. And unfortunately, many people who are single and would like to find love in their life are instead putting it off until they're at their desired weight.  That's the case for 41-year old Shawnna, our guest in this episode of t...

In this episode of The Psychology of Eating Podcast, we're going to take a look at why we need to get past the label of 'body dysmorphia' – a medical term – and instead look to understand why body dysmorphia is actually present. And to do that, we must explore our personal story from childhood to adulthood – because our history contains the clues for where this pattern developed in the first place...

We all have different reasons for wanting to lose weight: Feeling lighter  Being healthier Fitting into your "skinny" clothes Or sometimes, just feeling more confident… And sometimes, there are hidden reasons for wanting to lose weight that we don't even realize we have. For Nataliya, 46, weight loss has been a lifelong journey. Nataliya wants to be more confident in her body, and to feel lighter....

The desire to lose weight unites so many people around the world. And while it may be a common global phenomenon … what's not frequently recognized is how unique all of our weight loss journeys turn out to be. The truth is, if we want to lose weight and keep it off, we need to intimately understand our life story and how it affects our journey with weight. In this episode of The Psychology of Eati...

In this episode, Marc David works with Richard, 72, who is living in a constant state of vigilance when it comes to his weight and health.  Like so many of us, Richard has developed a belief that his diet must be perfect in order to maintain his health, avoid illness, and keep weight off. And what happens if he can't maintain the perfect diet? The moment Richard gains a pound, he imagines that he'...