One of our most exciting episodes ever that could change your eating habits overnight!

In this episode we're talking about how cravings work and what you can do about them, because despite feeling like they are totally out of your control, once you know how they work you can totally use the same process to develop a more desirable habit!

If someone gave you a kilo of money as a gift it would make a huge difference whether it was a kilo of pennies, or a kilo of £20 notes right?

Let's apply the same logic to our bodies, and while it may be harder to ascertain our body composition we must at least begin to talk more accurately about them.

When we decided to tackle this topic we didn't realise where it would take us!

It's probably obvious to say consequences matter and we had all our notes prepared for the show. It was only when we got into it we realised the far reaching impact consequences can have.

We are often deeply conditioned to believe the number on the scale is indication of our progress (or number of reps that one workout) and we are also pre-programmed to always spot what we failed at. How can we change how we think about data and feelings to encourage us and keep us doing the things that really count?

Thing about self sabotaging behaviours is they are not always what we want and don't always serve us. Thoughts can spiral out of control and keep us stuck in certain behaviour patterns. The idea of this quiz is to identify behaviour that may have kept you safe in the past, and may be useful now, but also to acknowledge when you need to engage your wiser self-talk and not stay in that moment.

Listener Request!

Let's talk about pain or discomfort you might experience when working out.

Should you work through it? Is it ever good? What about when you're sick - workout or not? In this episode we cover;

Coming to the gym with an injury
Auto-immune conditions
When you’re not well

We are a culture obsessed with what people weigh!

Weight is a risk factor for many preventable diseases but it doesn’t mean that slim people are necessarily healthy!

This episode is for everyone who's ever said...

I'm not setting goals right now
I feel too much pressure
it's giving me anxiety
I just want to... i.e. come for my mental health
I've got too much on right now
I'm happy where I am
I can't think of anything
... in relation to their goal setting.

I know you've all just recognised yourself in the title, so we're getting into it and I'll warn you, this one cut deep for us!

Half-assing is when you're trying hard, feeling like you’re pulling out the stops, aiming for 3 workouts a week, and finding you only did 6 in a month!

When you’re half assing you’re doing just enough to be in your comfort zone of trying, but not enough to make a real difference to get the outcomes. You really do feel like you're trying. In fact, that's probably what you'll say, "I'm trying"... a lot!

We're back on a topic which we have already explored in a 6 episode mini-series back in 2021 (links below to those episodes) but it is a topic that just keeps on giving!

Whether you call them excuses or reasons, we all have them and we felt it was time to revisit this topic that already took up much of our time to see if, over the last 2 years we've changed our minds about anything we said.

It's all very well being OK with failing, but how do you decide when it is OK to quit, and when you just need to push a little?

Sometimes, you try something and it’s not what you thought it would be i.e. you like the idea more than the reality!

The most dangerous form of quitting is not bothering and staying in your comfort zone. This is playing not to lose, we're not achieving goals, but also, we're not “not achieving” them!

We've drilled down some questions to help you decide if you should quit or lean in...

We've been wanting to do this one for a while!
It's time to change how we talk about exercise (and weight loss), especially for women and even more especially for young girls. The association of weight with health, and weight with looking good, and the fact that if you are "slim" then you must be both healthy and fit are all falsehoods.

This topic came from a member question about HOW do you stay focused - so yeah, we're talking about distractions! Because man there are a lot of things out there designed to keep you right where you are, happily distracted from your real purpose each day.

We get into the distractions and of course we've got some strategies for you - 10 no less!

First of all - what distracts you from doing the things you really want to and should be doing?

"Self compassion is a practice of good will and not good feelings"

Why are we so so hard on ourselves?

It is unlikely you would say to anyone the things you say to yourself, especially when they've "messed up", but we will very quickly berate ourselves, and really, where does it get us. We have enough external influences trying to bury our self-esteem deep in the ground without doing it to ourselves.

So many people, especially women are unable to see or celebrate their own success. We’re conditioned that it’s only one way - the BIG way! The big promotion of the big weight loss.
We need to remember the small successes and achievements along the way.

We are big fans of goal setting, we talk about it a LOT because it's something so many people don't do, especially in our world. Or their goal is simply a number on the scale (or rather off it), something that's over simplified and doesn't reflect the actions needed, how often they should be repeated and over what time.

During our challenge those with trackers were always top - is that because they've got a tracker, or have they got a tracker because they're really active, or is it because the tracker tracks every single breath and step they take?

Our first "proper" episode of our new season is a Book Club Episode about the incredible book that is Atomic Habits by James Clear.
We're talking about getting started with habits the right way, as opposed to getting started and falling by the way side, or feeling like we have to rely on will power or discipline (see pages 60-64).

It's been a while!

It's even been a while since we recorded this episode. What gives?

I'm sure many of you have experienced something similar as lockdown restrictions have been lifted, and we gradually restored our lives. First there was the elation, and life still felt a little restricted and also leisurely. Then the cogs started dropping into place and the wheels started turning and there seemed to be so much to catch up on…