#313 - How to Finish 2026 Feeling Proud of Yourself (And Start 2027 Feeling Great)

Feeling overwhelmed with everything life is throwing at you, and struggling to find the time or energy to look after yourself? This has been coming up in so many of my coaching conversations recently. Between work, family, responsibilities and everything else, it's easy for your own health and weight loss goals to keep slipping down the priority list. In this episode, I'm talking about why this happens, how trying to do too much can make things harder, and what can help you make progress even when life is busy and unpredictable. I also share a little about my upcoming eight-week coaching programme, designed to help women make progress with their weight loss, health and fitness through the final two months of the year, without putting their lives on hold. If you've been feeling stuck, overwhelmed or frustrated that you can't seem to stay consistent, I hope this episode gives you some useful ideas and a different way of looking at things. If you would love support with your nutrition, strength training and weight loss goals, here's the link to find out more and apply for coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Online Coaching with Hayley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Worried about gaining weight if you start HRT? It’s a really common concern, but the evidence may be reassuring. In this episode, I cover what we know about HRT and weight gain, why weight and body shape can change during perimenopause and menopause, and the different factors that can make weight management feel harder at this stage of life. We’ll look at changes in body fat and muscle, everyday movement, protein and fibre, strength training, alcohol, sleep and appetite – plus what can help if you want to maintain your weight or lose body fat without becoming more and more restrictive with food. I also explain why seeing the scales go up after starting HRT doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve gained body fat, and how improving menopause symptoms may indirectly make looking after your health and weight easier. If you’re considering HRT, already taking it, or simply finding your weight harder to manage through menopause, I hope this helps you understand what’s happening and where you still have plenty of options to make progress. And if you would love support with your nutrition, strength training and weight loss goals, here's the link to find out more and apply for coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Online Coaching with Hayley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Does your brain have a habit of jumping straight to the worst-case scenario? A message with no reply, a health worry, something going wrong at work, or slow progress with weight loss can quickly turn into a whole story about what might happen next - and before you know it, you're worrying about a future that doesn't even exist yet. Inspired by a brilliant episode from Jay Shetty, in this episode I talk about why our brains are so quick to predict the worst, why worrying can feel like problem-solving, and how possible can start to feel probable. I also share some really useful ways to challenge catastrophic thinking, cope better with uncertainty, and build more confidence in your ability to deal with difficult things if and when they happen. We also look at how negative thinking around weight loss can affect your actions, contribute to emotional eating and sometimes create the very outcome you're worried about. If you're an overthinker, tend to assume the worst, or find uncertainty difficult, I hope this episode gives you some practical tools you can come back to when your brain starts running away with you. Here's the link to Jay's episode: On Purpose If you would love support with your nutrition, strength training and weight loss goals, here's the link to find out more and apply for coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Online Coaching with Hayley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What if one of the most underrated tools for fat loss isn’t another workout? In this episode, I’m talking about NEAT - all the movement you do outside of deliberate exercise - and why it can make a surprisingly big difference to how much energy you burn across the day. I cover some surprising research into why some people naturally burn far more calories through everyday movement, why NEAT can be particularly helpful if you’re a shorter woman with fewer calories to play with, and how your activity levels can change without you really noticing. We’ll also look at: Why people who seem able to “eat loads” may naturally move much more

If you know what you ‘should’ be eating but still find yourself reaching for food when you’re stressed, tired, anxious or overwhelmed, trying harder probably isn’t the answer. In this episode, I look at four things that can drive emotional eating - biology, emotions, beliefs and environment - and why focusing only on stopping the eating can leave us stuck in the same cycle. We’ll also look at what can help before, during and after emotional eating, including sleep and nutrition, restriction, stress, self-talk, your environment, mindful eating and why what you do after overeating can make such a difference. The goal isn’t to never emotionally eat again. It’s to understand what’s driving it, build more ways of coping, and have more awareness and choice around food.