In this episode, I'm sharing a teaching I recorded a while back for a course I created, because I still see these same eight pitfalls trip up women in the weight loss phase today. If you've ever found yourself overeating, self sabotaging, or regaining weight you already worked so hard to lose, this one is for you. I walk through the eight pitfalls I see most often as a health coach, the ones that quietly derail progress even when you're trying really hard, so you can start to see them coming before they take you out.

In this episode:

We talk about excuses, exceptions, and ego, and why those three things keep so many women from getting all the way to their goal. We talk about perfectionism and the all-or-nothing mindset, and why one off plan bite doesn't have to turn into the whole plate of dessert. We talk about the trap of comparison, and why the only person worth measuring yourself against is who you were six months ago. We get into emotional eating and why the inner work matters as much as the meal plan itself. We talk about NEAT, the sneaky way your body slows you down without you noticing, and why movement outside the gym matters more than people think. We talk about relying on willpower instead of building a plan that removes the guesswork. We talk about following the wrong meal plan, and why the right plan is simply the one you can stick to. And we close with the pitfall of people pleasing, and why your own self care has to come first.

Resources mentioned:

Grab my free 30 Sugar and Flour Free Meal Ideas at www.healthyrealfood.com/freemealideas

James Clear's failure pre-mortem exercise, mentioned near the end of the episode

Ready for support putting this into practice?

Book your free strategy session at www.healthyrealfood.com/consult and let's build a plan that actually works for your life.

Ready to lose weight for the last time? Ready to Stop Starting Over?

If you’re tired of the dieting rollercoaster and want a clear, customized plan that actually works... let’s talk.

I offer free 1 hour coaching calls to help you break through what’s keeping you stuck, create a plan that fits your life and start seeing results you can actually sustain.

Click here to book your free call now: www.healthyrealfood.com

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

This is your year. Let’s make it happen...together.

Lose Weight for the Last Time: Mary McCoy on 110-Pound Weight Loss, Maintenance & Peace with Food (Ep. 250)

In episode 250 of the Healthy Real Food podcast, Erin interviews NutriHabit mentor Mary McCoy, a breast cancer survivor who lost 110 pounds with a real food lifestyle and has maintained it for over a year. Mary shares why she started in October 2023 without waiting for a “perfect” date, how giving up sugar and flour quickly improved how she felt, and the non-scale victories that came with losing over 100 pounds. She discusses emotional eating rooted in trauma and self-soothing, and the tools that helped her change—journaling, therapy, pausing to identify emotions, and reframing self-talk from “trying” to “doing.” Mary explains her abstinence approach, shifting from diet mentality to identity, building exercise gradually, using accountability, and practicing maintenance breaks to learn how to add food back. Erin closes by inviting listeners to healthyrealfood.com for a free strategy session.

00:00 Lose Weight For Good

02:15 Meet Mary McCoy

03:15 Cancer To Thriving

06:05 Real Food Basics

08:07 Non Scale Victories

10:08 Roots Of Weight Gain

13:12 Tools For Emotions

16:01 Identity And Self Talk

18:59 Maintenance Mindset

25:18 Exercise Progression

28:59 Starter Tips And Accountability

31:40 Maintenance Breaks And Photos

38:57 Community And Closing

Ready to lose weight for the last time? Ready to Stop Starting Over?

If you’re tired of the dieting rollercoaster and want a clear, customized plan that actually works... let’s talk.

I offer free 1 hour coaching calls to help you break through what’s keeping you stuck, create a plan that fits your life and start seeing results you can actually sustain.

Click here to book your free call now: www.healthyrealfood.com

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

This is your year. Let’s make it happen...together.

Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible? Insulin Resistance, Root Causes, and Simple Metabolic Shifts (Ep. 249)

In episode 249 of the Healthy Real Food podcast, host Erin interviews functional medicine practitioner Dr. Jason Shumard, who specializes in type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic health, particularly for women who feel stuck despite “doing everything right.” Dr. Shumard shares how his mother’s worsening diabetes and eventual death in 2021 led him to functional medicine and to helping patients normalize A1C and get off medications. He explains insulin resistance as a cellular problem (not just high blood sugar) and describes how repeated sugar and insulin spikes can shut down insulin receptors, driving cravings through effects on GLP-1 and leptin. They discuss early testing (A1C, fasting glucose, insulin, triglyceride/HDL ratio), why extreme restriction raises cortisol and slows metabolism, the benefits of real-food, balanced eating, and the importance of resistance training and sustainable, structured plans—especially with GLP-1 use.

00:00 Is Diabetes Reversible

01:38 Meet Dr Jason Shumard

03:24 His Story and Mission

08:18 What Insulin Resistance Is

12:12 Root Causes and Testing

14:32 Functional Medicine Explained

17:44 Early Signs and Lab Markers

20:19 Cravings GLP1 and Hunger

21:42 Real Food to Heal Cells

25:03 Why Eat Less Fails Women

27:55 Sustainable Weight Loss Plan

32:52 Muscle Mass and Strength

36:04 Never Too Late to Heal

39:45 Start With Your Why

43:24 Where to Find Dr Shumard

To learn more from Dr. Shumard, visit his website at www.drshumard.com

Ready to lose weight for the last time? Ready to Stop Starting Over?

If you’re tired of the dieting rollercoaster and want a clear, customized plan that actually works... let’s talk.

I offer free 1 hour coaching calls to help you break through what’s keeping you stuck, create a plan that fits your life and start seeing results you can actually sustain.

Click here to book your free call now: www.healthyrealfood.com

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

This is your year. Let’s make it happen...together.