151 ~ Weight Loss Wednesday XVII

Welcome to the first Weight Loss Wednesday of the year. This episode is packed with listener questions, and we cover a lot of ground. If you’re feeling worn down by diet culture, confused about calorie deficits, or frustrated by emotional eating, you’re not alone and this episode is for you.

I start by talking about how years of dieting and yo-yo weight loss can damage our habits and our relationship with food. I explain what we actually know about metabolism shifts, what we don’t know yet, and why blaming yourself for a “broken metabolism” is not helpful. 

We dig into emotional eating through my comfort, reward, and cope framework. I explain how habit eating fits into all three and why emotional eating isn’t just about stress or sadness. Happiness, excitement, boredom, anxiety, and even anticipation of loss can all drive eating. Learning why you’re eating is the first step, because you can’t change what you can’t see.

I answer a big question that comes up all the time. Is it possible to lose weight without a calorie deficit? And is there a way to be in a deficit without tracking calories every single day?

We also talk about intermittent fasting. I share practical tips for getting started without making massive changes, how to find your current eating window, how to tighten it gradually, and why flexibility matters.

What to do when you end the day under your calorie target but you’re not hungry. I explain when it’s okay to leave calories on the table, how to zoom out and look at patterns over several days, and how weekly calories can be used as a tool without turning into planned binge eating.

We talk about hormonal hunger and what to do when appetite spikes around your cycle. I share how different weeks can balance each other out, how to honor your body, and how to stay on track without punishing yourself.

I also address the idea that sugar is the real problem when it comes to weight loss. I explain why calories are the driver, why sugar is not the villain, and why the vilification of fruit needs to stop.

Finally, I answer a personal question about how I chose the name Disrupting Obesity. I talk about the challenges of language in the wei