THE CONFIDENT BODY PODCAST - Brain-based strategies and self-compassion practices to unlock your full potential

I Just Want To Quit

You get home from vacation. You step on the scale. The number is up, and just like that, your whole summer of hard work feels like it disappeared.
A little voice starts talking. What if you just stopped trying so hard? What if you let the healthy stuff slide and went back to how things used to be?
In this episode, I talk about that voice. Where it comes from, and why the "easy" life you remember might not have been as easy as you think. I also share some surprising brain science about memory, and why the past version of you that you keep comparing yourself to is not as accurate as it feels.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why your brain edits old memories every time you think about them
Why "Old You" probably was not as carefree as you remember
The real reason healthy habits start to feel exhausting
A simple way to think about habits that takes the drama out of them
One small shift that helps you stop quitting on yourself
Key Takeaway
You are not tired of healthy living. You are tired of the story you have wrapped around it. Once you stop putting your food choices on trial every single day, weight loss stops feeling like a performance and starts feeling like just another part of your normal life. The version of you that you think you miss was never as free as you remember. She was looking for exactly what you are building right now.
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
"I just want to go back to not caring so much."
"I worked so hard and it all came undone in one week."
"Why does this have to be so exhausting?"
"Maybe I should just give up and start over later."
Want More?
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast. Every week we talk about the mental and emotional side of weight loss, the part that diets never cover.
We cover things like sustainable weight loss, emotional eating, self-trust around food, and how to break free from diet rules that have never worked long term. Because the goal isn't just to lose the weight. It's to become someone who knows how to keep it off and feel good while doing it.
Leave a review if this episode helped you. It only takes thirty seconds and it helps other women find the show.
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
 
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at: https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 

The Secret Formula You’ve Been Hunting For

The answer to “When will I ever figure this out?”
Have you ever felt like you are one rule away from finally getting this right? Like the secret is out there somewhere, and you just have not found it yet.
I felt that way for eighteen years about a book called The Alchemist. I read it once and did not get it at all. Then I picked it up again on a long drive last week, and it hit me completely differently this time.
This episode is about that search. The one we are all doing every day, standing in the pantry, staring at the snack drawer, trying on jeans that feel a little tight. We keep asking, what am I missing? But there is a different question waiting right underneath that one.
I will also tell you what a shepherd boy, a desert, and a burning bush have to do with your nine fifteen trip to the kitchen. Stick with me. It gets a little weird, and then it makes a lot of sense.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why your brain keeps hunting for "the one rule" that will finally fix everything
The difference between asking "what's the secret?" and asking "what's already here?"
A simple shift to try next time you are standing in the pantry
What an old story about a shepherd boy can teach you about trusting yourself
Why the search itself might matter more than the answer you think you need
Key Takeaway
You are not missing some hidden formula. The secret you are looking for is not in the next book, the next plan, or the next expert. It has been with you the whole time. The work is learning to pause long enough to see it.
Listen If You've Ever Thought…
"I just need to find the right plan and I'll finally get this."
"Why haven't I figured this out yet?"
"I keep waiting for the one thing that's going to make this stick."
"I feel like I'm always missing something everyone else already knows."
 
Want More?
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast. Every week we talk about the mental and emotional side of weight loss, the part that diets never cover.
We cover things like sustainable weight loss, emotional eating, self-trust around food, and how to break free from diet rules that have never worked long term. Because the goal isn't just to lose the weight. It's to become someone who knows how to keep it off and feel good while doing it.
Leave a review if this episode helped you. It only takes thirty seconds and it helps other women find the show.
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
 
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at: https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle

Why Your Brain Won't Let You Feel Good

If you've ever done everything right and still couldn't silence the voice saying "This will never work"  this one's for you.
 
You're doing everything right. You're eating better, moving more, making choices you feel good about. And then out of nowhere, the old thoughts show up.
"This will never work." "I always mess this up." "I never make real progress."
And some part of you just lets them in.
If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Because the problem isn't your willpower, your plan, or your consistency. The problem is the mental playlist your brain keeps playing on repeat and the fact that nobody told you that you're the one holding the remote.
In this episode, I'm talking about one of the biggest things I see hold women back from sustainable weight loss: not the food, not the exercise, not even the stress. It's the old thought patterns that feel like truth but are really just habit. And habits can change.
This isn't about positive thinking or pretending things are better than they are. It's about something much simpler. You don't wait for your favorite song to come on before you change the station. You change it first. The music follows.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why your brain keeps playing the same old negative thoughts (and why it's not a character flaw)
What staying on the old mental station is actually costing you and it's not what you think
Why thinking better thoughts matters even if the scale never moves
The science behind why new thoughts feel awkward at first and how long it takes for them to become automatic
One simple action step to start changing your weight loss mindset this week
Key Takeaway
The thoughts you think are the material your life is built from. If you spend your days in a mind that's unkind to you, that is your life  regardless of what the scale says. You deserve to live in a better mind than that. Today. Not at goal weight. Today. Buddhists knew it, Shakespeare knew it, Paul writing in Romans knew it and this episode is about why it's time to stop forgetting it.
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
"I know what to do, so why can't I just do it?"
"I have a good week and then I undo all my progress"
"I don't understand why I can't stop thinking this way about myself"
"I'm tired of starting over every Monday"
"What's the point if I always end up back here anyway?"
 
Want More?
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast. Every week we talk about the mental and emotional side of weight loss, the part that diets never cover.
We cover things like sustainable weight loss, emotional eating, self-trust around food, and how to break free from diet rules that have never worked long term. Because the goal isn't just to lose the weight. It's to become someone who knows how to keep it off and feel good while doing it.
Leave a review if this episode helped you. It only takes thirty seconds and it helps other women find the show.
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at: https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 
 

Why Your Boundaries Never Stick

What Happens When You Always Say Yes
 
Have you ever set a boundary with someone, felt good about it for about five minutes, and then started feeling guilty like you did something wrong?
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Kelly Kessler, a physical therapist turned nervous system educator, about something called self-abandonment. It's the habit of putting everyone else first so often that you forget what you actually want or need.
We get into why your boundaries might get pushback, even from people who love you, why stress and old patterns can show up as actual pain in your body, and how to tell the difference between guilt that means something and guilt that's just noise.
If you've ever felt exhausted from holding everything together for everyone else, this one is for you.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
What self-abandonment actually means
Why boundaries feel so uncomfortable, even healthy ones
How stress and old patterns can show up as pain in your body
The difference between guilt that's useful and guilt that's just pressure
A simple way to start trusting yourself again
Key Takeaway
You don't have to earn the right to take care of yourself. Learning to notice your own needs, even in small moments, isn't selfish. It's the first real step toward trusting yourself again.
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
"Why do I feel guilty every time I say no?"
"Why does my body feel so tense all the time?"
"Am I the only one who feels resentful for always being the responsible one?"
"Why is it so hard for me to ask for help?"
 
Learn More About Dr. Kelly Kessler
Kelly’s website 
https://drkellykessler.com/home
Instagram @drkellykessler
https://www.instagram.com/drkellykessler/
Rewiring Health Podcast 
https://drkellykessler.com/rewiringhealthpodcast
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@drkellykessler
Want More?
If this episode hit home, hit follow so you don't miss what's next. The Confident Body Podcast covers the mental and emotional side of weight loss, things like emotional eating, self-trust with food, and learning to feel confident in your own body, every single week.
Leave a review if this episode helped you. It only takes thirty seconds and it helps other women find the show.
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at: https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 

Still Last On Your Own List

You show up for everyone. Every time. Without question.
But when something good comes toward you, a compliment, a win, a moment of real progress with your weight, something in you flinches. You deflect. You minimize. You say, oh, it's nothing. And you go right back to the bottom of your own to-do list.
This episode is about why. Not as a character flaw to fix, but as a pattern that was handed to you before you were old enough to question it, and what it looks and feels like to finally start receiving what is already trying to find its way to you.
I share a real conversation with a client who has done everything right, built a business, raised a family, showed up for everyone she loves, and yet found herself saying: I'm not sure I deserve to lose this weight. That moment became the whole episode. Because if you've ever felt that, even a little, even quietly, this one is for you.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why the women who give the most often struggle the most to receive
Where the "earn it first" belief comes from and how it shows up in weight loss
A simple framework for catching the thought that says you don't deserve this
What your heart has been modeling for you every single day
What it actually looks like to practice receiving, starting small and building from there
 
Key Takeaway
The weight loss work most women skip is not the eating or the exercise. It's the receiving. Believing you were allowed to arrive. Your body has been practicing this since before you were born, and this episode is about learning to do the same.
 
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
"I don't know if I deserve this."
"I'll let myself feel good about it once I've lost more."
"I'm great at taking care of everyone else but terrible at taking care of myself."
"Why is it so easy to give but so hard to accept anything?"
"I've worked so hard. Why does it still feel like it's not enough?"
 
Want More?
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast. Every week we talk about the mental and emotional side of weight loss, the part that diets never cover.
We cover things like sustainable weight loss, emotional eating, self-trust around food, and how to break free from diet rules that have never worked long term. Because the goal isn't just to lose the weight. It's to become someone who knows how to keep it off and feel good while doing it.
Leave a review if this episode helped you. It only takes thirty seconds and it helps other women find the show.
 
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at:
https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 

The "F" Word: Why Failure Feels Like A Fact

You know that moment. You had a plan. You felt good about it. And then one unplanned meal, one late night, one vacation evening and before you've even put the dish in the sink, the word shows up.
Failure.
And it doesn't feel like a word. It feels like a verdict. Your brain lines up the evidence. You're not trying hard enough. You never stick with anything. You're never going to change. And what started as one bowl of ice cream at 9pm has somehow become a statement about who you permanently are.
This episode is about that sequence. Where it comes from, why your brain does it, and four surprisingly quick tools to break it — including a Harry Potter spell, a Shakespearean ice cream monologue that made my client cry laughing, and a little something from psychology called cognitive defusion.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why "failure" stops feeling like a word and starts feeling like an identity
The psychology of cognitive fusion and why your brain treats thoughts like facts
Four specific tools to take the power back from the failure spiral
How to replace the thought with something your brain can actually grip
Why one unplanned meal is never the whole story
 
Key Takeaway
The failure spiral isn't a character flaw. It's a brain pattern, and brain patterns can change. The four steps in this episode won't stop the thought from showing up. They will stop it from running the whole show.
 
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
"I ruined it. Again."
"Why can't I just stick with anything?"
"I was doing so well and then I completely blew it."
"One bad night and I'm back to square one."
"I don't know why I even try."
Want More?
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast. Every week we talk about the mental and emotional side of weight loss, the part that diets never cover.
We cover things like sustainable weight loss, emotional eating, self-trust around food, and how to break free from diet rules that have never worked long term. Because the goal isn't just to lose the weight. It's to become someone who knows how to keep it off and feel good while doing it.
Leave a review if this episode helped you. It only takes thirty seconds and it helps other women find the show.
 
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at:
https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 

Why Don't I Feel Different Yet?

If you've ever gotten to a goal and still felt like something was missing, you're not doing it wrong. You're just only halfway there. And nobody told you that was coming.
In this episode, I talk about why reaching your goal weight is only the first half of the weight loss journey. The second half is just as important. And the good news? You don't have to wait until you get there to start.
This one is also for women on GLP-1 medications. The medication can change your body fast. But your brain needs a different kind of work to catch up. We're going to talk about that too.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why your brain keeps running the old story even after the weight comes off
The science behind why identity lags behind behavior
What the "second half" of the weight loss journey actually is
Why feeling good about yourself can feel dangerous, and where that comes from
How to start closing the gap between who you've become and who you believe you are
Key Takeaway
Getting to goal weight is the first half of the climb. Believing you're the person you've become is the second half. And you don't have to wait for the summit to start. Your brain can learn to tell a new story. But it won't do it on its own. You have to direct it on purpose, and this episode shows you how.
Listen If You've Ever Thought…
"I did all the work. Why doesn't it feel real yet?"
"I look in the mirror and still see the old me."
"Feeling good about myself feels like bragging."
"I'm afraid to believe it in case I lose it."
"I got there and something still feels missing."
"I'm on a GLP-1 and losing weight, but I don't feel any different inside."
Want More?
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast. Every week we talk about the mental and emotional side of weight loss, the part that diets never cover.
We cover things like sustainable weight loss, emotional eating, self-trust around food, and how to break free from diet rules that have never worked long term. Because the goal isn't just to lose the weight. It's to become someone who knows how to keep it off and feel good while doing it.
Leave a review if this episode helped you. It only takes thirty seconds and it helps other women find the show.
 
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at:
https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 
 

Two Kinds of Hungry

Have you ever found yourself eating something and realized you don't quite remember deciding to eat it? Your hand is just there, the food is halfway gone, and somehow you're eating it and judging yourself for it at the same time. You paid full price for half the experience.
What if the reason you can't stop isn't about willpower at all? What if the problem is that you're not actually tasting what you're eating?
In this episode, we're talking about two kinds of hunger that look exactly the same from the outside but are asking for completely different things. One is moving toward something. One is moving away. And once you can tell them apart, something quietly shifts.
We also get into some genuinely fascinating science — including what one Columbia neuroscientist discovered that flips everything the diet industry has ever told you about pleasure and food completely on its head.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why your first bite is the most powerful moment of any meal (and why most of us miss it entirely)
What Dr. Dana Small's research says about pleasure, processed food, and why satisfaction might actually be the strategy
The difference between the hunger that wants to arrive and the hunger that wants to escape
Why desire is not the enemy — and what it's actually pointing toward
How 30 seconds before a meal can shift how much you eat and how satisfied you feel
Why the peace you're looking for in the pantry at 9pm is already inside you
Key Takeaway
The reason you can't stop once you start usually has nothing to do with the food. It has to do with which hunger is doing the asking. When you're moving toward genuine pleasure and you're actually present for it, your body knows when it's had enough. It always has. It just needs you to be in the room long enough to hear it.
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
"I wasn't even that hungry. I don't know why I kept eating."
"I eat it and feel guilty the whole time and somehow still want more."
"Nothing in the fridge sounds good but I keep opening it anyway."
"I just want five minutes where my brain stops."
"Why can't I just be normal around food?"
Subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast
If this episode made you stop and think, there's a lot more where that came from. The Confident Body Podcast is for women who are done fighting themselves around food and ready to understand what's actually going on underneath. We talk about emotional eating, self-trust, breaking free from diet rules, and building sustainable weight loss that doesn't require white-knuckling every meal. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at:
https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 

Why Can't I Stop Once I Start?

It's Never About the Chips
Have you ever reached for a food you told yourself you shouldn't have, then kept eating it because you already blew it? And the whole time, that voice in your head was running a full courtroom trial, presenting evidence, handing down a verdict, and sentencing you to start over Monday?
That's not a willpower problem. That's food morality. And it might be the very thing making it harder to stop.
In this episode, I'm breaking down why labeling food as good or bad doesn't protect you from overeating. It actually fuels it. The shame you feel while eating the chips? That's not the solution. That's the accelerant.
We talk about why your brain circles forbidden food like it's the most important thing in the room, what mental restriction actually looks like (hint: it's not the same as skipping the food), and how to start making choices instead of following rules.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
The difference between physical restriction and mental restriction
Why labeling food as "bad" makes your brain want it more
What the science says about dopamine, forbidden food, and the pressure that builds over time
How the shame spiral actually causes more eating, not less
What it looks like to remove morality from food without losing all structure
How to start building real self-trust around food decisions
Key Takeaway
The food isn't the problem. The story you're telling yourself about the food is what creates the spiral, the emotional hangover, and the sense that you just can't be trusted around certain things. When food stops being a verdict on your character and becomes just a choice with outcomes, something quietly shifts. The pressure drops. The beach ball stops launching. And you can finally hear yourself think.
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
"I already blew it, so I might as well keep going."
"Why can't I stop once I start?"
"I have zero self-control around certain foods."
"I'm so tired of feeling guilty every time I eat something I shouldn't."
"I know what to eat. So why do I keep doing this?"
Subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast
If this episode hit close to home, there's a lot more where that came from. The Confident Body Podcast is for women who are done fighting themselves at the dinner table and ready for weight loss that actually lasts. We talk about emotional eating, self-trust around food, breaking free from diet rules, and building a relationship with your body that doesn't require white-knuckling your way through every meal. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at:
https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle 

Not Good Enough

You drank the water. You took the walk. You tracked the food for a while. And when the scale didn't move the way you hoped, your brain quietly filed it away: “NOT GOOD ENOUGH”. 
So now when someone tells you to start small, something in you goes a little flat. Because small hasn't worked before. And you're tired of hoping for something that doesn't pan out.
This episode is about what your brain was actually missing every time it measured a small step and came up empty.
It wasn't measuring you. It was measuring the scale. And those are two very different things.
A small step doesn't just add up on the scale. It adds up in your brain. Every time you do what you said you were going to do, your brain collects a piece of evidence that you are someone who follows through. That evidence is quiet. You can't see it in the mirror yet. 
But it is changing the story your brain tells about who you are. And that story is what everything else is built on.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode
  Why your brain dismisses small steps before they have a chance to work
  What the waterfall effect is, and why it's never just the walk
  The real fear underneath "this isn't enough" and why it makes complete sense
  Why your brain has been measuring the wrong thing all along
  How small steps build the evidence that changes your story over time
 
Key Takeaway
The goal was never the ten minutes. The goal was the version of you who got up anyway. Small steps don't just burn calories. They build the case your brain needs to finally deliver a different verdict about who you are. And the woman underneath that verdict has been there all along, waiting for the evidence to catch up.
 
Listen If You've Ever Thought...
  "I've tried this before and it didn't work."
  "A ten-minute walk isn't going to make a dent."
  "I just need to find something that actually has a chance."
  "I'm willing to try. I'm just scared it still won't matter."
  "Why does starting over always feel like starting from zero?"
 
Enjoy This Episode?
Subscribe to The Confident Body Podcast so you never miss an episode. Every week I talk about the mental and emotional side of weight loss that diets never touch. Things like self-trust around food, breaking free from diet rules, emotional eating, and building a relationship with your body that actually lasts.
If this episode resonated with you, it would mean so much if you left a review. It helps other women find the show and feel a little less alone in this.
 
Check out my new Substack page! You’ll get bonus articles, inspiration, and wisdom. Plus some extra goodies I’ve got rolled up my sleeve.
Check it out at:
https://substack.com/@coachlizziemerritt
 
PS: Ever had that moment when you just WANT it? 
Your brain doesn’t care if you’re hungry. It just tastes SO good and you just want it. 
If that’s you, then download the guide I JUST WANT IT. IT TASTES SO GOOD at:
confidentbody.coach/wantit
 
Get the book my new book LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Also, check out my first book:You Are A Miracle