259 - How to Stop Fighting Yourself Around Food and Exercise

Описание: We’ve all been there—you wake up with the best of intentions. You know what to do. Move your body. Eat something green. Drink water instead of wine. But then… you don’t. And by the end of the day, you’re wondering what’s wrong with you.

In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m walking you through a powerful framework I use with clients called competing models—the real reason smart, capable women sabotage themselves even when they want to do better. If you've ever felt stuck in a loop of “I know better, so why don’t I do better?”—this is the explanation you’ve been missing.

You’ll learn why information and logic aren’t enough to change your habits, how your emotional brain runs the show, and what to do when your cravings or exhaustion keep winning. You’re not broken. You’re just using an outdated playbook.

Midlife health doesn’t need to feel like a constant fight. Let’s make it make sense—so you can stop feeling stuck and start building habits that last.

The Biggest Problem Midlife Women Face Regarding Health Habits
The biggest reason women in midlife struggle to stick with healthy habits—even when they know exactly what to do—is because they’re trying to use logic to override emotion. We’ve been told that if we just “try harder” or “stay disciplined,” we’ll be able to eat better, move more, and finally feel in control. But that approach completely ignores how the human brain actually works.

In reality, we don’t act on what we know. We act on what we feel. And when you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or burned out, the idea of doing something hard—like exercising or skipping the cookie—feels impossible, even if it logically makes sense. This emotional override creates an internal tug-of-war between your goals and your current needs, and your emotional brain usually wins. Understanding this conflict is the first step to real, lasting change.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Why "I know what to do" isn't enough to change your habits
How two competing thoughts can lead to inaction or sabotage
What to do when your emotional brain keeps choosing comfort over consistency

What You Can Do Right Now
The first shift is to stop treating your health choices like a discipline problem and start seeing them as a pattern of emotional responses. If you find yourself repeating the same cycle—setting goals, then abandoning them when things get busy or stressful—that’s a clue that you’re experiencing competing models.

Instead of shaming yourself for not following through, get curious about what emotion is driving your action in the moment. Ask: “What am I feeling right now, and what thought created it?” Awareness is the first step. From there, you can start practicing intentional shifts—building new emotional connections to the habits you want to do.

The Listener Takeaway: Why This Episode Matters
If you’ve been quietly wondering why you can “handle everything else” in life but still struggle with food, movement, or energy, this episode offers the relief of understanding. You’re not lazy. You’re not undisciplined. You’re not broken.

When you stop blaming yourself and start working with your emotional wiring instead of against it, you open the door to change that actually sticks. No more all-or-nothing starts and stops. Just steady, human, sustainable progress.

RESOURCES
Download the free Podcast Listener’s Guide: https://elizabethsherman.com/roadmap
Grab the 8 Basic Habits Checklist: https://elizabethsherman.com/habits