The Psychology of Dieting: Why Willpower Keeps Failing You

In today’s episode of Bite Back with Abbey Sharp, we unpack why knowing how to eat “healthy” doesn’t always translate into actually doing it. We explore the science of behaviour change, why willpower and motivation alone aren’t enough, and the many biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors shaping our food choices. If you’ve struggled to build healthy habits that actually stick, this episode is for you. Here’s a run down of what we discussed in today’s episode: Why Willpower Isn’t Enough for Healthy Eating Why Knowing What to Eat Doesn’t Mean You’ll Do It The Behaviour Science Behind Food Choices Why Old Eating Habits Are So Hard to Break How Your Brain Drives Food Cravings Identify What’s Actually Holding You Back Use “If-Then” Plans to Make Healthy Eating Easier Make the Healthy Choice Easier, Not Perfect Build Habits That Become Automatic Why Imperfection Is Key to Lasting Change 👩🏼‍💻 RESEARCH LINKS https://openresearch.surrey.ac.uk/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/How-are-habits-formed-Modelling-habit/99783513802346 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6042864/ DISCLAIMER:The content in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is never a substitute for medical advice. If you’re struggling with with your mental or physical health, please work one on one with a health care provider. If you have heard yourself in our discussion today, and are looking for support, contact the free NEDIC helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or go to eatingdisorderhope.com. — 📚 GRAB MY BOOK: The Hunger Crushing Combo Method ⤵️ Learn how to reach your healthiest weight without dieting using evidence based nutrition strategies. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0306836793?tag=hacboogrosit-20 More purchase options: https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/hunger-crushing-combo/ 🎙 LISTEN TO BITE BACK WITH ABBEY SHARP ⤵️ Real conversations about nutrition, wellness, diet culture, parenting, and the biggest food debates. https://lnk.to/Bite-Back?utm_source=hoobe&utm_medium=social ⭐ Enjoying the podcast? Follow Bite Back on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're enjoying the show, leaving a rating or review really helps support it! ✉️ SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER https://abbeyskitchen.myflodesk.com/kd6ijl0y3e 🥞 FREE Hunger Crushing Combo™ E-Book https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/hunger-crushing-combo/ 💪 FREE Protein 101 Guide https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/protein-intake-recommendations/ 📖 MY FIRST COOKBOOK: The Mindful Glow Cookbook Amazon: https://amzn.to/2nev0lf 👩🏼‍💻 COACHING: 🍽️ Feeding Kids Without Diet Culture Webinar Raise confident eaters without food battles, guilt, or diet culture. https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/coaching/ 📈 Business Coaching Build and grow your online brand with proven social media and business strategies. https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/coaching/ 🤝 Personalized One-on-One Coaching Tailored support for content creation, business growth, podcasting, AI, brand partnerships, and more. https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/coaching/ 📱 FOLLOW ME @abbeysharprd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbeysharprd TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@abbeysharprd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbeysharprd Pinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/abbeysharprd 🌐 VISIT MY WEBSITE Healthy recipes, nutrition resources, parenting advice, and evidence based articles. https://www.abbeyskitchen.com 💬 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a comment below with your thoughts and let me know what you'd like to see next! With Science & Sass, Xoxo Abbey 🌸 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  Ultra running shoes are all about space. The space to go further, to feel better, to do something you never thought possible. And this space starts with Ultra Fit. Unlike traditional running shoes, Ultra Fit gives toes more room to move naturally. So every step is strong, balanced, and comfortable. Whatever you're lacing up for, stay out there with Ultra. Shop now at ultrarunning.com. That's A-L-T-R-A running.com.

• 0:29Speaker 01

  The action's on the court. And as the official beer sponsor of the NBA, Michelob Ultra is getting fans closer to the game with a chance to win courtside seats, merch, and more. Visit michelobultra.com/courtside to enter. Michelob Ultra Courtside, 26 to 27. No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents 21+. Begins on October 1st, 2026 and ends on June 30th, 2027. Multiple entry periods. See official rules at michelobultra.com/courtside for free entry, entry deadlines, prizes, and details.

• 0:59Speaker 02

  Flowing ad budget on metrics that look great till the CFO sees them? That's bull spend. And marketers are calling it out in Dashboard Confessions.

• 1:09Abbey Sharp?

  I remember telling my boss, "It'll be good for the brand." When leads were slow. Yeah, it wasn't.

• 1:16Speaker 02

  Cut the bull spend. LinkedIn lets you target by company, job title, and more. Advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com/campaign. Terms and conditions apply.

• 1:29Abbey Sharp?

  You don't need more willpower. You need to understand why your brain keeps sabotaging your meal plan. Welcome back to another episode of Bite Back with Abby Sharp, where I dismantle diet culture rules, call out the charlatans spinning the pseudoscience, and help you achieve food freedom for good. If you've ever thought, "I know what I'm supposed to eat to meet my health or weight loss goal, so why can't I just freaking do it?" This episode is for you. Because diet culture loves to tell us that healthy eating is just a simple equation.

• 2:13Abbey Sharp?

  Get the meal plan, learn the rules, summon the willpower, and boom, you will magically make the "right" food choices forever. And when that inevitably doesn't happen, well, diet culture says, "That's on you, babe. You weren't disciplined enough. You didn't want it badly enough. You just need to try harder." But not surprisingly, that is such a wildly oversimplified, scientifically bankrupt way to understand human behavior. Because food choices are not made in a vacuum. They are shaped by our biology, our genetics, our taste preferences, our hunger and fullness

• 2:58Abbey Sharp?

  cues, our past experiences with food, our family dynamics, our culture, our cooking skills, our budget, our schedule, our stress levels, our social media feeds, our food environment with motivation tangled up in the messiness of the mix. So if you've ever struggled to meal prep the damn broccoli, stop ordering takeout when you're exhausted, swap your chips for carrot sticks, or build a health habit that actually sticks, I want you to know this. You are not broken, lazy, or morally inferior. You are a human being living in a complex body, in a complex brain, in a complex food

• 3:43Abbey Sharp?

  environment. So today, we're going to unpack why "just try harder" is terrible nutrition advice. What behavior change science actually tells us about the gap between knowing and doing, and how to build health-promoting habits in a way that doesn't rely on shame, perfection, or white-knuckling your way through life? Because if willpower alone worked, diet culture would have solved our food struggles decades ago. All right, friends, buckle up. I'm about to expose some major diet culture lies. So first of all, diet culture just loves to tell us that once you've been given a

• 4:25Abbey Sharp?

  diet plan, AKA nutrition knowledge, you just need to "try harder," have stronger willpower, and be more disciplined, and then you will always make the "right" food choices. But our food choices are actually shaped by layers upon layers of influences that extend far beyond personal motivation. In fact, willpower is just one tiny piece of a much larger puzzle. At the core of our food choices are factors that we don't necessarily choose, like genetics, taste preferences, and how our bodies regulate hunger, fullness, and pleasure from food.

• 5:07Abbey Sharp?

  Next, our food preferences are augmented by past experiences related to familiarity, learned associations, and repeated exposure. Food choices are also affected by our nutrition knowledge, cooking skills, confidence, values, and the people around us. And then finally, the broader environment, including food access, cost, culture, social norms, policies, advertising, and time constraints, will affect which behaviors we can realistically maintain. So our food choices are made within complicated systems that can become remarkably difficult to unwind. Let's just say that your outermost needs are met.

• 5:51Abbey Sharp?

  So you know how to cook, you can afford groceries, and you understand the basics of healthy eating. So why can't you just meal prep the damn broccoli? Well, there are several core behavior change theories that can help explain the disconnect between human motivation, knowledge, and taking meaningful action. And spoiler alert, none of them conclude that the answer is simply "try harder." So the health belief model suggests that people cannot change their behavior even if they know something is "good" for them, when the perceived barriers feel bigger than the perceived benefits.

• 6:33Abbey Sharp?

  So if eating more vegetables is perceived to be too expensive, boring, socially isolating, flavorless, or time-consuming, and the risk of not eating more vegetables doesn't seem urgent enough, as most long-term health outcomes don't, we're just not going to get over that first hump. Then the theory of planned behavior takes this one step further. It suggests that our intentions are shaped by three major things. Our attitude towards the behavior, the social norms around us, and our self-efficacy or perceived behavioral control. So if you want to be a meal prepper, but you already believe that you're just not

• 7:16Abbey Sharp?

  a planner or suck at consistency, the whole plan is preemptively doomed. Now, one of my favorite frameworks for this conversation is the COMB model, which stands for Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior. The basic idea here is that for a behavior to happen, a person needs the capability to do it, so the knowledge and the skills. They need the opportunity to do it, like time, money, access, and they need the motivation to do it. Note that motivation is not the same thing as just muscled up willpower. It actually includes both reflective motivation, like goals and values, and automatic motivation,

• 8:01Abbey Sharp?

  like cravings, habits, emotions, impulses, and learned associations. So instead of the common diet culture response of asking, "Why can't I just be disciplined enough?", the real question becomes, "What specific facet of my capability, opportunity, or motivation seems to be breaking down?" Another reason willpower is a weak explanation is that much of our eating behavior is actually habitual and cue-driven. We don't make every single food decision from scratch, like carefully weighing the pros and cons, like little nutrition economists.

• 8:41Abbey Sharp?

  We are busy bodies and brains, so we often rely on what's familiar, available, emotionally soothing, socially normal, or attached to a specific routine. So falling back into "old unhealthy habits" isn't a moral failing? It is literally the brain's way of conserving energy by repeating well-worn patterns. And this is especially apparent under stress, fatigue, or overwhelm. Research on habit formation suggests that it takes on average over two months to build an automatic habit from a new behavior, with the range being from three weeks to nine

• 9:25Abbey Sharp?

  months of consistent seeding. That finding really does matter because while diet culture is selling us the promise of losing 10 pounds in 10 days with their revolutionary new plan, actual behavior change is almost always far more slow, messy, and context-dependent.

• 9:44Speaker 00

  Ultra running shoes are all about space. The space to go further, to feel better, to do something you never thought possible. And this space starts with Ultra Fit. Unlike traditional running shoes, Ultra Fit gives toes more room to move naturally. So every step is strong, balanced, and comfortable. Whatever you're lacing up for, stay out there with Ultra. Shop now at ultrarunning.com. That's A-L-T-R-A running.com.

• 10:15Speaker 01

  The action's on the court. And as the official beer sponsor of the NBA, Michelob Ultra is getting fans closer to the game with a chance to win courtside seats, merch, and more. Visit michelobultra.com/courtside to enter. Michelob Ultra Courtside, 26 to 27. No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents 21+. Begins on October 1st, 2026 and ends on June 30th, 2027. Multiple entry periods. See official rules at michelobultra.com/courtside for free entry, entry deadlines, prizes, and details.

• 10:46Speaker 02

  Flowing ad budget on metrics that look great till the CFO sees them? That's bull spend. And marketers are calling it out in Dashboard Confessions.

• 10:56Abbey Sharp?

  I remember telling my boss, "It'll be good for the brand." When leads were slow.

• 11:00Speaker 02

  Leads were slow.

• 11:00Abbey Sharp?

  Yeah, it wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:01Speaker 02

  Yeah, it wasn't.

• 11:02Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:03Speaker 02

  Cut the bullspend.

• 11:04Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 11:05Speaker 02

  LinkedIn lets you target by company, job title,

• 11:05Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:07Speaker 02

  and more. Advertise on LinkedIn.

• 11:08Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:10Speaker 02

  Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit.

• 11:10Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:13Speaker 02

  Go to LinkedIn.com/campaign.

• 11:13Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 11:14Speaker 02

  Terms and conditions apply.

• 11:14Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Okay, now let's talk about the brain.

• 11:19Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Diet culture often frames giving into cravings,

• 11:22Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. even when we know we shouldn't,

• 11:25Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. as some kind of moral character flaw.

• 11:27Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:29Abbey Sharp?

  But the human brain is actually wired

• 11:30Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. to respond to food cues,

• 11:32Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. especially highly palatable foods.

• 11:34Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:36Abbey Sharp?

  Remember, humans evolved in environments

• 11:37Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. where food scarcity was a real threat.

• 11:40Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:43Abbey Sharp?

  Our brains were therefore evolutionarily designed

• 11:44Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. to notice food, remember where it is,

• 11:48Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 11:51Abbey Sharp?

  and motivate us to eat whenever we can.

• 11:52Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. That system becomes much harder to navigate

• 11:55Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. in a modern environment

• 11:57Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. filled with constant food cues:

• 11:59Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. drive-throughs, delivery apps,

• 12:02Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. grocery store displays,

• 12:04Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. TikTok recipes, influencers,

• 12:05Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 12:07Abbey Sharp?

  what I ate in a day videos,

• 12:08Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. and ads for hyper-palatable snacks.

• 12:09Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. And according to food cue reactivity research,

• 12:12Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. visual food cues like hashtag food porn images

• 12:16Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 12:19Abbey Sharp?

  and videos can systematically

• 12:20Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. and prospectively predict

• 12:22Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. food-related behaviors and weight-related outcomes.

• 12:24Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. So when you feel pulled towards certain foods

• 12:28Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. that your diet plan says that you should be avoiding,

• 12:32Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. you're not weak.

• 12:35Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Your reward system is simply doing

• 12:37Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. what reward systems are designed to do.

• 12:40Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. So if willpower alone isn't enough

• 12:43Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. to get you to swap your chips for carrot sticks

• 12:45Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. or your nightly Chardonnay for seltzer,

• 12:47Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. how do we implement a habit for good?

• 12:50Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Well, here are my evidence-based tips to implement today.

• 12:53Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Number one, identify the barrier.

• 12:57Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Before assuming that the problem is willpower,

• 13:00Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. ask yourself, is this a capability,

• 13:03Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. opportunity, or motivation issue?

• 13:07Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 13:09Abbey Sharp?

  Maybe you don't need more discipline.

• 13:10Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Maybe you need five easy recipes on your fridge

• 13:13Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 13:15Abbey Sharp?

  that you can make on autopilot,

• 13:16Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. or you need an alarm on your phone

• 13:17Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 13:19Abbey Sharp?

  to remind you to eat lunch

• 13:20Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. so that you're not feral by 4:00 P.M.

• 13:21Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Behavior change becomes a lot more effective

• 13:23Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 13:26Abbey Sharp?

  when we stop asking ourselves,

• 13:27Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 13:28Abbey Sharp?

  why am I failing?

• 13:29Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. And start asking,

• 13:30Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. what is making this harder than it needs to be?

• 13:32Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Number two, use if-then plans.

• 13:35Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. This is what the research calls

• 13:39Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. implementation intentions.

• 13:41Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. These are simple if-then plans

• 13:43Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. that help you decide what you'll do in advance

• 13:46Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. before you're face-to-face

• 13:49Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. with a stressful food situation.

• 13:51Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. So for example, if I get home late

• 13:53Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. and don't feel like cooking,

• 13:55Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. then I'll make eggs and toast with fruit.

• 13:57Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. If I'm hungry between meetings,

• 13:59Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:01Abbey Sharp?

  then I'll eat the snacks that I packed

• 14:02Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:03Abbey Sharp?

  instead of waiting until I'm ravenous.

• 14:04Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:05Abbey Sharp?

  If I want something sweet after dinner,

• 14:06Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. then I'll plate it, sit down,

• 14:08Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:10Abbey Sharp?

  and enjoy it without turning into a shame spiral.

• 14:11Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:13Abbey Sharp?

  This works because it reduces the need

• 14:14Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. to make a fresh, on-the-spot decision

• 14:16Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. when you're already feeling tired,

• 14:19Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:21Abbey Sharp?

  stressed, hungry, or emotionally dysregulated.

• 14:22Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. So it's like diet culture saying,

• 14:25Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. just be more disciplined.

• 14:27Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. But behavioral science is saying,

• 14:28Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. let's plan for real life.

• 14:31Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Tip number three,

• 14:34Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:35Abbey Sharp?

  make the supportive choice easier, not perfect.

• 14:36Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:39Abbey Sharp?

  A lot of people try to change their eating

• 14:40Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. by creating a plan

• 14:42Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. that only works under perfect, ideal conditions.

• 14:43Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. But real life includes sick kids,

• 14:47Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. and late meetings, bad sleep, travel, stress,

• 14:50Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. and days where cooking

• 14:53Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:54Abbey Sharp?

  an elaborate, balanced meal

• 14:55Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 14:56Abbey Sharp?

  is simply just not happening.

• 14:57Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. So instead of asking,

• 14:58Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. what is the cleanest or healthiest possible option?

• 15:00Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 15:03Abbey Sharp?

  Ask yourself,

• 15:04Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. what is the most supportive option

• 15:05Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. that I can realistically repeat?

• 15:08Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. That might look like keeping frozen meals,

• 15:10Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. pre-cut vegetables, canned beans,

• 15:13Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. rotisserie chicken, yogurt, microwave rice,

• 15:15Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. snack plates, or protein bars on hand.

• 15:18Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 15:20Abbey Sharp?

  Convenience is not the enemy of health

• 15:21Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. if it helps make health-promoting behaviors

• 15:24Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. actually possible.

• 15:27Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Tip number four,

• 15:29Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. build habits around cues that you already have.

• 15:30Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Habits form a lot more easily

• 15:34Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. when they're attached to something

• 15:36Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. that already happens consistently.

• 15:38Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Instead of saying, I'm going to eat healthier,

• 15:40Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. try anchoring the behavior to an existing routine.

• 15:42Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. For example, while my coffee is brewing,

• 15:46Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. I'll fill my water bottle and put on my running shoes.

• 15:49Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. After I unpack the groceries,

• 15:53Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. I'll wash and chop one fruit or veggie.

• 15:55Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. The goal is to make the behavior feel automatic over time,

• 15:58Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. not to rely on inconsistent motivation in the moment.

• 16:02Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Number five,

• 16:07Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. design your environment for the behavior you want.

• 16:08Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. If you want to eat more fruit,

• 16:11Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. put fruit where you can see it.

• 16:13Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 16:15Abbey Sharp?

  If you want to cook more,

• 16:16Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. keep a short list of low-effort meals

• 16:17Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. right on your fridge.

• 16:20Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. Reducing unnecessary friction

• 16:21Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. is essential to making changes

• 16:24Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. feel intuitive and effortless.

• 16:27Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. And finally, number six,

• 16:29Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. expect imperfection.

• 16:32Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. One of the biggest differences

• 16:34Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. between diet culture

• 16:35Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. and evidence-based behavior change

• 16:37Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 16:39Abbey Sharp?

  is how they respond to imperfection.

• 16:40Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Diet culture says,

• 16:42Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 16:43Abbey Sharp?

  hmm, you messed up, you suck,

• 16:44Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. try harder, starting Monday.

• 16:46Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Instead, we should be saying to ourselves,

• 16:48Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. okay, well, that didn't go exactly as planned.

• 16:51Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. What would help make that easier next time?

• 16:54Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Missing a workout, ordering takeout,

• 16:56Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 16:58Abbey Sharp?

  eating past fullness,

• 16:59Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. or having a chaotic food day

• 17:00Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. does not erase your progress.

• 17:02Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 17:04Abbey Sharp?

  The most sustainable health behaviors

• 17:05Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 17:07Abbey Sharp?

  are not the ones that you perform perfectly.

• 17:08Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. They're the ones that you can return to without shame,

• 17:10Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 17:14Abbey Sharp?

  where the skill we need to hone

• 17:15Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. isn't actually diet perfection,

• 17:17Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. it's resilience and repair.

• 17:19Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. So to wrap up,

• 17:21Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. the goal here is not to white-knuckle

• 17:22Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. your way through a rigid plan.

• 17:25Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 17:26Abbey Sharp?

  The goal is to build the skills,

• 17:27Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. supports, routines, and environments

• 17:29Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 17:32Abbey Sharp?

  that make the health-promoting choice

• 17:33Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. feel easier, more intuitive,

• 17:35Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. and less morally loaded.

• 17:37Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. Hopefully, this gave you some food for thought

• 17:39Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. about some of your diet patterns.

• 17:41Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. So if you found this episode helpful,

• 17:44Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. please consider checking out my brand-new book,

• 17:46Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. The Hunger Crushing Combo Method,

• 17:48Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. for loads of tips on an intuitive,

• 17:50Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. evidence-based approach to eating

• 17:53Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. to meet your goals

• 17:55Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. without having to rely on willpower alone.

• 17:56Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. Signing off with Science and SaaS,

• 17:59Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. I'm Abbey Sharp.

• 18:01Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. Thanks for listening.

• 18:02Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:09Speaker 04

  When fall comes back around,

• 18:09Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:10Speaker 04

  there's a sense of a reset.

• 18:11Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 18:12Speaker 04

  And new pieces from Lululemon's Fall Drop

• 18:12Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:14Speaker 04

  are an inspiration to push your goals

• 18:14Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:16Speaker 04

  and elevate your routines.

• 18:16Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:18Speaker 04

  As your calendar fills,

• 18:18Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 18:19Speaker 04

  easy-to-layer styles meet the demands of your day.

• 18:19Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:22Speaker 04

  And as you challenge yourself to try even more,

• 18:22Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:24Speaker 04

  versatile sets transition with you.

• 18:24Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:26Speaker 04

  The Lululemon Fall lineup

• 18:26Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:28Speaker 04

  brings new levels of comfort and confidence,

• 18:28Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:30Speaker 04

  whether you're starting something fresh

• 18:30Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:32Speaker 04

  or starting something over.

• 18:32Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 18:33Speaker 04

  Check out the latest arrivals

• 18:33Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:34Speaker 04

  in store and on lululemon.com now.

• 18:35Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:39Speaker 05

  Your heart can tell you a lot about your health.

• 18:39Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:41Speaker 05

  Apple Watch Series 12

• 18:42Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 18:43Speaker 05

  measures your heart rate every five seconds

• 18:43Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:45Speaker 05

  with the most accurate heart rate sensing in wearable.

• 18:45Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:48Speaker 05

  So your vitals app,

• 18:48Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 18:49Speaker 05

  now with heart rate variability,

• 18:49Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 18:50Speaker 05

  can tell you when something is off.

• 18:50Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:52Speaker 05

  And your readiness score

• 18:52Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 18:53Speaker 05

  can let you know when to rest and when to push.

• 18:53Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:55Speaker 05

  Hear the story in every heartbeat

• 18:55Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:57Speaker 05

  with Apple Watch Series 12.

• 18:57Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 18:59Speaker 05

  The features described are for wellness purposes

• 18:59Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 19:01Speaker 05

  only and not for medical use.

• 19:01Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 19:02Speaker 05

  iPhone 11 or later required.

• 19:02Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 19:03Speaker 05

  Based on Apple-conducted study

• 19:03Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't.

• 19:04Speaker 05

  of heart rate accuracy, August 2026.

• 19:04Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't.

• 19:06Speaker 05

  Visit apple.com/AppleWatchSeries12.

• 19:06Abbey Sharp?

  It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. [1172.82