Do you reach for food when you're stressed, tired, or overwhelmed? In this episode, Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy Burns break down the real reasons behind emotional eating. No guilt, no shame. Just clear, practical tools you can use right now. Learn the PHALTS framework to spot your triggers, understand what your brain is actually doing when cravings hit, and discover simple "hot tools" to pause before you eat. You'll also get the "cool tools" to build lasting emotional resilience. This episode will change how you see your relationship with food. 

For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/ 

Episode, show notes & transcript 
https://www.rlmedicine.com/brain-based-solutions-to-stop-emotional-eating 

Do you reach for food when you're stressed, tired, or overwhelmed? In this episode, Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy Burns break down the real reasons behind emotional eating. No guilt, no shame. Just clear, practical tools you can use right now. Learn the PHALTS framework to spot your triggers, understand what your brain is actually doing when cravings hit, and discover simple "hot tools" to pause before you eat. You'll also get the "cool tools" to build lasting emotional resilience. This episode will change how you see your relationship with food.&nbsp;
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/">https://www.rlmedicine.com/</a>&nbsp;
Episode, show notes &amp; transcript <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/brain-based-solutions-to-stop-emotional-eating">https://www.rlmedicine.com/brain-based-solutions-to-stop-emotional-eating</a>&nbsp;

Welcome to the Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast where you get Real advice from Real Doctors to help you lose weight and revolutionise your health not just now but permanently. You can change your future, starting now. 

Imagine if everything you had been told about weight loss was wrong. 

We are here to bust through some myths and give you actionable advice. Real health and weight loss is a journey and we, your hosts Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy Burns from Real Life Medicine, are here with you every step of the way. 

Welcome to the Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast where you get Real advice from Real Doctors to help you lose weight and revolutionise your health not just now but permanently. You can change your future, starting now.&nbsp;
Imagine if everything you had been told about weight loss was wrong.&nbsp;
We are here to bust through some myths and give you actionable advice. Real health and weight loss is a journey and we, your hosts Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy Burns from Real Life Medicine, are here with you every step of the way.&nbsp;

Real health from real doctors on health and weight loss

Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast

Welcome to the Real Health and Weight Loss where you get Real advice from Real Doctors to help you lose weight and revolutionise your health not just now but permanently. You can change your future, starting now. Imagine if everything you had been told about weight loss was wrong.

We are here to bust through some myths and give you actionable advice. Real Health and weight loss is a journey and we, your hosts Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy Burns from Real Life Medicine are here with you every step of the way. 

Welcome to the Real Health and Weight Loss where you get Real advice from Real Doctors to help you lose weight and revolutionise your health not just now but permanently. You can change your future, starting now. Imagine if everything you had been told about weight loss was wrong.
We are here to bust through some myths and give you actionable advice. Real Health and weight loss is a journey and we, your hosts Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy Burns from Real Life Medicine are here with you every step of the way.&nbsp;

Real Health and Weight Loss

310 Brain-Based Solutions to Stop Emotional Eating

If one tough day has you thinking you’ve ruined everything, this episode is for you. Dr Lucy and Dr Mary unpack consistency, perfectionism, and the all-or-nothing thinking that can make healthy habits feel impossible to sustain. 

When life is busy, plans change, and the gym, meal prep, or healthy eating routine goes out the window, it’s easy to believe you’ve failed and need to start again on Monday. But consistency isn’t about doing everything perfectly every day. It’s about zooming out, recognising the small blips for what they are, and having a realistic plan for the days when your usual routine isn’t possible. Dr Lucy and Dr Mary share practical ways to lower the friction around food, movement, morning light, and self-care, including the value of a “bare minimum” plan. 

You’ll come away with a more useful way to interpret the moments that don’t go to plan. Rather than labelling yourself as lacking willpower or “self-sabotaging”, you can get curious about what’s driving your behaviour, make one small adjustment, and keep going. Because your health isn’t built on perfect days. It’s built over time. 

For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/ 

Episode, show notes & transcript 
https://www.rlmedicine.com/how-to-stay-consistent-when-life-gets-messy 

If one tough day has you thinking you&rsquo;ve ruined everything, this episode is for you. Dr Lucy and Dr Mary unpack consistency, perfectionism, and the all-or-nothing thinking that can make healthy habits feel impossible to sustain.&nbsp;
When life is busy, plans change, and the gym, meal prep, or healthy eating routine goes out the window, it&rsquo;s easy to believe you&rsquo;ve failed and need to start again on Monday. But consistency isn&rsquo;t about doing everything perfectly every day. It&rsquo;s about zooming out, recognising the small blips for what they are, and having a realistic plan for the days when your usual routine isn&rsquo;t possible. Dr Lucy and Dr Mary share practical ways to lower the friction around food, movement, morning light, and self-care, including the value of a &ldquo;bare minimum&rdquo; plan.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll come away with a more useful way to interpret the moments that don&rsquo;t go to plan. Rather than labelling yourself as lacking willpower or &ldquo;self-sabotaging&rdquo;, you can get curious about what&rsquo;s driving your behaviour, make one small adjustment, and keep going. Because your health isn&rsquo;t built on perfect days. It&rsquo;s built over time.&nbsp;
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/">https://www.rlmedicine.com/</a>&nbsp;
Episode, show notes &amp; transcript <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/how-to-stay-consistent-when-life-gets-messy">https://www.rlmedicine.com/how-to-stay-consistent-when-life-gets-messy</a>&nbsp;

325 How to Stay Consistent When Life Gets Messy

What if the missing piece isn’t another diet, but learning how to work with your brain when food feels loud? In this honest conversation, Dr Lucy speaks with Louise Govier, a 59-year-old woman from England, about moving from years of frustration, dieting and feeling stuck to building habits that better support her health. 

Louise shares why reducing sweet and savoury “sugar” foods helped quieten her constant thoughts about eating, but also why food was only one part of the picture. Together, she and Dr Lucy explore emotional eating, non-hungry urges, intermittent fasting, strength training, sleep, stress management and the mindset tools that helped Louise navigate difficult moments. You’ll hear the powerful metaphors that made a difference for her, including the “dog on the couch”, using guardrails rather than rules, and learning when to “snip the thread” of an unhelpful habit. 

This isn’t a story about perfection or quick fixes. It’s about self-awareness, practising new skills and returning to what helps when life gets messy. If food noise, all-or-nothing thinking or repeated restarts feel familiar, Louise’s experience may leave you feeling understood, encouraged and more hopeful about your own next step. 

For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/ 

Episode, show notes & transcript 
https://www.rlmedicine.com/from-food-noise-to-food-freedom-why-mindset-matters 

What if the missing piece isn&rsquo;t another diet, but learning how to work with your brain when food feels loud? In this honest conversation, Dr Lucy speaks with Louise Govier, a 59-year-old woman from England, about moving from years of frustration, dieting and feeling stuck to building habits that better support her health.&nbsp;
Louise shares why reducing sweet and savoury &ldquo;sugar&rdquo; foods helped quieten her constant thoughts about eating, but also why food was only one part of the picture. Together, she and Dr Lucy explore emotional eating, non-hungry urges, intermittent fasting, strength training, sleep, stress management and the mindset tools that helped Louise navigate difficult moments. You&rsquo;ll hear the powerful metaphors that made a difference for her, including the &ldquo;dog on the couch&rdquo;, using guardrails rather than rules, and learning when to &ldquo;snip the thread&rdquo; of an unhelpful habit.&nbsp;
This isn&rsquo;t a story about perfection or quick fixes. It&rsquo;s about self-awareness, practising new skills and returning to what helps when life gets messy. If food noise, all-or-nothing thinking or repeated restarts feel familiar, Louise&rsquo;s experience may leave you feeling understood, encouraged and more hopeful about your own next step.&nbsp;
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/">https://www.rlmedicine.com/</a>&nbsp;
Episode, show notes &amp; transcript <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/from-food-noise-to-food-freedom-why-mindset-matters">https://www.rlmedicine.com/from-food-noise-to-food-freedom-why-mindset-matters</a>&nbsp;

324 From Food Noise to Food Freedom: Why Mindset Matters

What if your brain is filtering your life for evidence that you’re failing, without you even realising it? In this episode, Dr Lucy and Dr Mary explore the reticular activating system, or RAS, and how this powerful brain filter can shape your mindset, habits, and momentum.

Think of it like your social media algorithm: what you pay attention to, your brain is more likely to show you again. That can leave you noticing every mistake, feeding all-or-nothing thinking, and asking, “What’s the point?” But with awareness and intention, you can begin to direct your focus towards the small actions, opportunities, and evidence that support the life you want to build. 

Dr Lucy also shares a candid personal experience of recognising an unhelpful spiral and recommitting to the habits that help her feel better. You’ll hear practical ways to use specific goals, visualisation, self-care, and positive attention to help your brain work with you, not against you. This isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about choosing where you place your attention, one realistic step at a time. 

For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/ 

Episode, show notes & transcript 
https://www.rlmedicine.com/stuck-in-a-negative-spiral-start-here 

What if your brain is filtering your life for evidence that you&rsquo;re failing, without you even realising it? In this episode, Dr Lucy and Dr Mary explore the reticular activating system, or RAS, and how this powerful brain filter can shape your mindset, habits, and momentum.
Think of it like your social media algorithm: what you pay attention to, your brain is more likely to show you again. That can leave you noticing every mistake, feeding all-or-nothing thinking, and asking, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the point?&rdquo; But with awareness and intention, you can begin to direct your focus towards the small actions, opportunities, and evidence that support the life you want to build.&nbsp;
Dr Lucy also shares a candid personal experience of recognising an unhelpful spiral and recommitting to the habits that help her feel better. You&rsquo;ll hear practical ways to use specific goals, visualisation, self-care, and positive attention to help your brain work with you, not against you. This isn&rsquo;t about pretending life is perfect. It&rsquo;s about choosing where you place your attention, one realistic step at a time.&nbsp;
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/">https://www.rlmedicine.com/</a>&nbsp;
Episode, show notes &amp; transcript <a href="https://www.rlmedicine.com/stuck-in-a-negative-spiral-start-here">https://www.rlmedicine.com/stuck-in-a-negative-spiral-start-here</a>&nbsp;

310 Brain-Based Solutions to Stop Emotional Eating

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