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You said you weren’t going to today. And yet here you are, on the sofa with a cup of tea, three biscuits down and no real memory of deciding to open the packet. Or it’s Thursday, you’ve had a rubbish week, and the first glass of wine has somehow become the third. This isn’t a willpower problem. It’s reaction mode: the state where stress, busyness and the pressure you put on yourself push your brain onto its well-worn shortcuts. When you’re there, everything becomes about feeling better right now, and your bigger goals don’t get a look in. In this episode I share: What reaction mode actually is, and why pretty much every busy woman is living in it more than she realisesWhy your brain reaches for the same “solution” (wine, chocolate, the fridge raid) every single timeThe hidden layer: it’s rarely about what happened that day, and usually about what you made it mean about yourselfWhy awareness feels woolly in a world obsessed with quick fixes, and why it’s still the first thing I work on with every clientOne simple exercise to try this week: pick one moment and work your way backwards If you keep getting a certain distance with your goals before ricocheting back to the start, this one’s for you. Let me know what moment you’re going to work on over on Instagram @lifeeditwithalix, and send this to the friend who texts you “why do I always do this” every Thursday.

What happens when someone who gave up dieting six years ago drops her calories by just 300 a day? Apparently, a full-blown flashback. Within days the food noise was back. So was the bargaining (“if I skip this at lunch, I can still have that dinner”), along with the 5pm “sod it, I’ll eat anything that isn’t nailed down” moment I’d honestly forgotten used to be my normal. I lasted less than a week. And it turned out to be one of the most useful weeks I’ve had in ages. In this episode I share: Why I decided to try building muscle and losing fat this year, without scales or photosThe surprisingly big difference between 2,000 and 1,700 calories (spoiler: it wasn’t the hunger that got me)How the same “failure” that used to send me spiralling became simple informationWhat it means to put peace at the centre of your decisions, and why that doesn’t mean giving up on resultsThe third option between rigid dieting and total chaos, which nobody tells you exists If you’ve ever promised yourself “this time will be the one,” this episode is for you. That includes the version of you who’s already planning next Monday’s fresh start. Come and say hi on Instagram @lifeeditwithalix, and if this one landed, send it to a friend who’s still on the Monday-reset merry-go-round.

Ready to join me inside Ditch the Diets? Find out more and claim your space here. If you want to know what happens inside, you can also listen to THIS bonus episode. In today's episode: You've already tried stopping diets, eating more mindfully, or intuitive eating. But when it tipped you into just feeling completely out of control you decided it didn't work and you're "just one of those people" who needs a plan. But I believe everyone can eat more mindfully (and cut out the food noise at the same time). There's just one step that's missing to help you finally nail it. Today we'll talk about: The real difference between intuitive and mindful eating, and why our expectations make us feel like we're failing at it.Why "one slice of cake and then stop" isn't mindful eating. It's another diet rule in a nicer outfit.How years of dieting have trained you to override your body's signals, so "just listen to your body" feels like being handed instructions in a language you don't speakThe missing foundation: rebuilding trust and communication with your body before you try to eat mindfullyAn introduction to the React to Respond method: going from "oh shit, I need to fix this" to noticing what's actually going on, with curiosity instead of judgement Ditch the Diets doors close Friday 2nd October. If you're done dieting but don't trust yourself without it yet, this is where we build that trust together, with individual coaching on your own patterns. [JOIN HERE] Find me on Instagram: @lifeeditwithalix

You've decided you're done. Done with the tracking, the rules, the constant second-guessing around food. So the obvious next move is to just... stop, right? Not so fast. In this episode I'm breaking down why "just stop dieting" is some of the worst advice you can give someone who's spent years - maybe decades - relying on diets to keep them on the straight and narrow. I share what happened when I gave up dieting for good six years ago (it wasn't pretty), why the fear of letting go isn't irrational, and why your body might genuinely be unable to "just listen to it's hunger" right now. Plus: the one thing I coach every client to build before they ditch a single rule, and why that's exactly what we're doing inside Ditch the Diets, starting 6th October. Mentioned in this episode: Ditch the Diets - doors open now, starts 6th October → book your space here🎧 Bonus mini-episode: exactly what happens inside Ditch the Diets → listen here

If you've been listening to the last couple of episodes (or seeing my posts and emails) about Ditch the Diets and thinking "sounds great, but how does this actually work for me" - this one's for you. I'll walk you through what's inside, how the 3 days of live coaching works, and answering the two questions I get asked every single time. This is for you if you're sick of the time, effort and brain space diets take up - but you're worried that dropping them means giving yourself permission to lose control completely. What we cover: Who Ditch the Diets is actually for (and the exact patterns we're working to interrupt)How the 3 days of live coaching actually worksThe Prep Weekend and what it sets you up forThe Zoom Wrap Up PartyWhy it's only 10 spots Your time commitment — 10-15 minutes a day, entirely flexiblePrice (£47, split pay available) Key dates: Doors close: 2nd OctoberCoaching starts: 6th October Mentioned in this episode: Join Ditch the Diets HEREAny questions? DM over on Instagram

September hits and suddenly you're "recommitting" — new plan, four workouts a week, 100g of protein, daily meditation, all of it, all at once. By November you're the person who's cold, tired, buried in Christmas admin, and quietly furious at the version of you who made these plans in the first place. This week I'm breaking down why autumn fitness resets fail on a schedule (roughly: about the time it gets dark at 4pm) and three shifts that actually make it stick past half term. In this episode: Why outcome goals ("lose a stone by Christmas") set you up to feel like a failure the second life gets in the way — and what to measure insteadPlan from your lowest energy self, not your optimistic September self — why one honest workout a week beats four ambitious ones that don't survive OctoberPick one lever, not five — why stacking every habit at once overwhelms your nervous system into doing nothing at allA real example from my 1:1 PT clients getting stronger on one session a week, consistently, for months My free Consistency Codes workshop digs into this properly — helps you spot your own self-sabotage/protection style so you can build consistency that actually survives autumn. Get instant access here.

You've had a good week. Sleep's sorted, workouts are happening, dinner's planned. Then Thursday rolls round and you blow the whole thing up for no reason you can actually point to. This week I'm unpacking why self-sabotage doesn't show up when things are falling apart but actually when they're finally going right. Turns out your brain isn't broken... In this episode: Why "unfamiliar" gets read by your brain as "unsafe" — even when unfamiliar is calm, in control, and exactly what you say you wantWhy this hits harder if you're high-functioning and used to holding it all togetherThe 3-step process I use with clients to break the pattern: notice the reaction, reconnect with the emotion underneath, become the observerThe one question to ask yourself next time you feel the sabotage coming: what am I actually trying to protect myself from right now? A few spaces are open this autumn for The Body You'll Love Living In — 1:1 coaching if you're ready to actually rewire this pattern rather than just understand it. Grab the details here.

After five years and 250+ episodes, I'm taking a short break from the podcast to focus on my biggest goal right now: working with more women and building the next chapter of Life Edit. This isn't goodbye - it's a strategic pause. The plan is to be back in the autumn, and in the meantime, all 250+ episodes are still there waiting for you to explore. Stay connected while I'm away: 📸 Instagram: @lifeeditwithalix — I'll actually be showing up more here📧 Work with me - explore my offers at lifeeditcoaching.com🎓 Free Masterclass: Consistency Codes - when you know what to do with food and fitness but can't quite seem to make it stick. Thank you for five years of listening, downloading, and sharing your feedback. It truly means everything. See you in the autumn. 🧡

If you've tried intuitive eating, nervous system work, or mindful eating to fix your relationship with food and found it just didn't stick — this episode is for you. This week we're getting into why these approaches, as brilliant as they are, so often fall flat for women who've spent years in diet culture, dealing with emotional eating, and cycling through the stop dieting / start again loop. In this episode: Why intuitive eating feels chaotic rather than liberating for most women The real reason nervous system work and mindfulness don't always translate into day-to-day change around foodWhy regulation tools work on the symptom but often miss what's underneath itThe difference between React mode and Respond mode - and why that distinction changes everythingHow to start building body trust and making more mindful eating choices without throwing away the rules overnight Intuitive eating and nervous system work aren't wrong - they’re just missing a foundation. React to Respond builds that foundation first, so that food freedom becomes something you move towards gradually and safely, rather than something you fall into and hope for the best. Join me for Ditch the Diets — the 3-day Telegram coaching experience where I’ll walk you through the full React to Respond method, with personalised daily coaching to help you move out of the on/off diet cycle and into a calmer, more consistent relationship with food. Starting 23rd June. £33. Find out more and secure your space at lifeeditcoaching.com/ditchthediets

If you're ready to stop dieting but keep getting pulled back in, this episode is for you. Whether you've been asking yourself how to stop emotional eating, whether food freedom and weight loss can coexist, or why your diet isn't working despite your best efforts - the answer might not be what you think. And in this episode, I’m unpacking the one belief quietly keeping you trapped in the diet cycle, and why trying harder is actually the last thing that's going to help. IN THIS EPISODE You know dieting isn't working. And yet here you are again, making the same promise to yourself. "I'll feel good when I've lost the weight." "I'll relax once I've got back on track." "Just this one last reset, and then I can breathe." That quiet little promise is not just keeping you in the diet cycle - it’s the exact reason you can never find peace with food. We’ll cover: - Why the "I'll feel good when…" belief is the engine behind the diet loop, and why it's so hard to let go of - What actually happens when you stop tying your confidence to the number on the scale - How to eat more mindfully and make healthier choices - not by adding more rules, but by changing where your decisions come from The React to Respond method, and how it creates the space between a thought and a spiralWhy food freedom doesn't mean giving up on your goals JOIN DITCH THE DIETS My 3-day Telegram coaching experience. Just £33, with 12 spaces available. If you're ready to start applying the React to Respond method to your own life, this is where to begin: lifeeditcoaching.com/ditchthediets CONNECT WITH ALIX Instagram: @lifeeditwithalix Website: lifeeditcoaching.com

You're scrolling Instagram and suddenly - there it is. The beach body pic. The skinny celebrity. Your friend’s sudden weight loss. Body triggers that you’re experiencing every single day. And of course that voice that says “you should be doing that too” - whether it’s weight loss medication, a new diet or that 28-day bikini body challenge. The thing is, body triggers and changing emotions about your body image are unavoidable - it’s how you respond to it that actually counts. In this episode, I'm breaking down the difference between reacting and responding, why your nervous system sees body triggers as threats (fight/flight/freeze), and how to create space between the trigger and your action so YOU'RE in the driver's seat - not your old pattern. Here’s what we’ll talk about: Body triggers are normal it’s your reaction that matters - and how to take yourself away from the “threat” and towards a more empowered approach.Performance vs lived reality - because what you think you see, and what’s actually going on may be two very different things. I’ll share something that happened to me recently that highlighted exactly this.A practical framework for responding instead of spiralling - to set you up to manage body triggers with more ease. NEXT: 1. Join me inside The Body You’ll Love Living In to make peace with your body before summer arrives 2. Follow me on Instagram 3. Share this with a friend who needs to hear it!

Body positivity, body acceptance and learning to love your body in the last few years felt like real progress - not perfect, but better than what we experienced in our teens and twenties. But you can’t have helped noticing that lately - skinny celebrities, impossible beauty standards and even microdosing of weight loss drugs is in. The pendulum has swung - hard and fast - and it feels like we've been transported back to the 90s. So is body positivity over? And what does the return of skinny mean for you? In this episode, I'm breaking down why this shift is happening now (spoiler: it's not just fashion), how beauty standards are designed to be unachievable, and why body acceptance is something we all need more of. If you've been feeling the pull to "get smaller" again, this one will give you a new lens to see it through. What we’ll cover: Why the return of skinny isn't random but strategic - beauty standards are designed to be unachievable and they shift when "normal" people get too close. When body positivity made bigger bodies acceptable, the goalpost moved again. Why body acceptance can be more helpful right now than body positivity - "love your body” doesn't land for a lot of women, while body acceptance just says make peace with where you are now and stop waiting to live your life until you're smaller.Diet culture is a distraction tool that keeps women small - politically, as well as physically - because when they have us obsessed with our bodies, scrolling before/after photos, caught in the diet-binge cycle, we’re not paying as much attention to the systems that are failing us NEXT: 1. Join me inside The Body You’ll Love Living In to make peace with your body before summer arrives 2. Follow me on Instagram 3. Share this with a friend who needs to hear it!

You love the sun and the warmth - but with it comes that summer “bikini body dread”. What will I look like in a bikini? Can I wear sleeveless tops? Why do I still feel like this even though I swore I'd sort it out last year? In this episode, I'm breaking down why body image anxiety happens at this time of year, what's really driving that panic, and how to be more confident this summer without having to drop a single lb (hint: you don’t have to suddenly “love your body”) I'll also share the "pool praise party" exercise that helps you stop judging other bodies (and your own), and why body acceptance NOW- not after you've lost the weight- is the only way forward. Here’s what we’ll cover: Bikini body dread isn't about your body—it's about your relationship with it. What you think your body says about your worth, discipline, and value and how that’s driving your anxiety.Why you can't hate yourself into confidence. Panic dieting before a holiday won't make you feel good in a bikini if you haven't made peace with your body first.Try the "pool praise party" exercise: When you catch yourself scanning and judging other bodies, pay each person a silent compliment instead. You can't judge other bodies without reinforcing the system that judges yours - this is how you stop playing the game. NEXT: 1. Join me inside The Body You’ll Love Living In to make peace with your body before summer arrives 2. Follow me on Instagram 3. Share this with a friend who needs to hear it!

Grab your space inside the Food Freedom Intensive - my brand new 1:1 coaching container. Just 5 spaces available this month. Find out more here While the idea of no more diets and finally ditching the all or nothing mentality around food can feel exciting in theory - in practice it can feel like there’s nothing but chaos on the other side. So in this episode I’m breaking down what food freedom actually looks like day to day. Not a “perfectly balanced” diet, not losing control, not giving up on yourself but finding genuine neutrality around food and a path to more mindful eating. Where you finally get to listen (and respond) to what your body actually needs. This is the practical companion to last week’s episode (see details below) where I share the exact steps I’d take if I was starting this journey today. Including: Why nervous system work is the foundation that makes this shift possible.How to create space between the emotional eating urge and the reactionHow to start moving away from the diet mindset without having to throw out the whole rulebook overnight NEXT: Listen to Episode 248 - What 18 years of dieting taught me about my body (and how I finally found food freedom)Follow me on instagramShare this with a friend who needs to hear it

Secure one of just 5 spaces this month inside my brand new 1:1 space - The Food Freedom Intensive - find out more here You’ve spent years tracking, restricting and dieting - only to find yourself exhausted, still not feeling good enough and right back at square one. Well…same! At least until I decided to tackle my diet mindset, get honest about my all or nothing mentality, lean into body acceptance and finally find food freedom. In this episode I’m sharing my own 18-year journey through diet culture - from the Bridget Jones moment that made me question everything, to the moment in lockdown when I finally realised “I can’t do this any more”. This isn’t a quick fix or 3-step formula. It’s an honest look at why so many of us stay stuck in the binge restrict cycle, why dumping the diet mindset isn’t about food at all and how to stop dieting without the drama (and rediscover your confidence and self esteem). We’ll talk about: How your relationship with food is a direct mirror or your relationship with yourselfWhy food freedom isn’t the same as chaos and how to make healthier, more intuitive choices without the guilt, obsession or all or nothing mindsetBreaking the diet cycle one step at a time NEXT: Follow me on instagramShare this with someone else who needs to hear it!