Lifestyle School Podcast

Hope Plack
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Nutrition
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Lifestyle School Podcast was created to help you design a life you love while achieving the health results you’ve always wanted. We focus on how small, sustainable changes to your lifestyle can lead to transformative improvements in both your health and overall well-being. It’s time to step off the diet-and-shame treadmill and put practical systems in place so you can reach your health goals effortlessly—on autopilot.

  1. 2d ago

    92: When Your Body Is Asking for Change

    What do you do when you’re doing a lot of the “right” things for your health—but you still don’t feel good? At eight months postpartum, I’m halfway through losing the 60 pounds I gained during pregnancy. I’ve lost about 30 pounds, my sleep is good, I’m managing stress, and I’m not overexercising. But recently, I’ve been dealing with increasing joint pain in my hands and wrists, along with chronic back pain that I’m tired of accepting as normal. So I’ve decided it’s time to investigate. In this episode, I’m bringing you along as I begin an elimination diet using the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) as a framework. I’m sharing why I’m choosing to experiment with my diet before jumping into expensive testing, what I hope to learn, and how I plan to track my symptoms and eventually reintroduce foods. But this episode isn't really just about AIP. It's about learning to pay attention when your body is telling you something—and being willing to make changes even when the timing isn't convenient. With trips to San Diego and Minnesota coming up, four kids to feed, work, holidays, and normal life, there is no perfect time for me to follow a restrictive elimination diet. And that's exactly the point. Sometimes we have to stop asking, “When will this be easy?” and start asking, “Is this important enough to do while it's hard?” In this episode, we talk about: Why weight loss and health aren't necessarily the same thing The joint and back pain that made me reconsider what I'm eating My previous experience with food sensitivities and elimination diets Why I'm choosing AIP as an elimination framework What the AIP diet temporarily eliminates Why an elimination diet shouldn't automatically become a forever diet The importance of systematically reintroducing foods Why I'm not starting with expensive food-sensitivity testing How I plan to track pain, stiffness, digestion, energy, and other symptoms Why changing 15 things at once makes it nearly impossible to know what's actually working How I'm preparing my kitchen and creating simple default meals The difference between a willpower problem and a planning problem How I plan to navigate AIP while traveling Why there is never a perfect time to make a difficult health change Finding a “why” that's stronger than inconvenience Why persistent symptoms shouldn't automatically be blamed on food When symptoms deserve medical evaluation rather than another dietary experiment Why the ultimate goal isn't restriction—it's learning what your body actually needs I'm not sharing this experiment from the finish line. I don't know yet whether changing my diet will resolve the symptoms I'm experiencing. And that's why I want to bring you along. Over the coming weeks, I'll share what I'm eating, what's difficult, what happens while traveling, how my symptoms change, and eventually what I learn as I begin reintroducing foods. Because the goal was never just weight loss. The goal is building a body—and a life—that you can live well in. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today!

  2. Sep 25

    91: Do You Like Yourself?

    Episode 91: Do You Like Yourself? What if one of the biggest factors in achieving—and maintaining—your health goals has nothing to do with knowing what to eat or finding the perfect workout? What if it starts with a much harder question: Do you like yourself? So many health and weight-loss journeys begin with dissatisfaction: I hate how I look. I can't believe I let myself get here. I need to fix this. And that can be powerful motivation. Self-hatred can get you moving—but it's a terrible fuel source for a lifelong pursuit of health. In this episode of the Lifestyle School Podcast, we're talking about the difference between trying to change your body because you dislike yourself and taking care of your body because you genuinely believe you're worth caring for. We also dive into the complicated relationship between body positivity and intentional weight loss. The body-positivity movement got something incredibly important right: you don't have to lose weight before you're allowed to like yourself, participate in your life, or believe you have value. But does accepting your body mean you're never allowed to want it to change? We explore the recent conversation surrounding Meghan Trainor's weight loss, the rise of GLP-1 medications, and why some people who had stopped pursuing weight loss are choosing to pursue it again now that their experience of hunger and food noise has changed. Most importantly, we talk about why self-acceptance and change don't have to be opposites. In this episode, you'll learn: Why knowing what to do is often not the real problem How self-hatred can motivate weight loss—but struggle to sustain lifelong health The difference between self-acceptance and complacency What the body-positivity movement got right Why loving your body doesn't require staying exactly the same What Meghan Trainor's weight loss reveals about our cultural expectations around body acceptance How GLP-1s are changing the conversation around weight loss and food noise Why your body—and how you choose to care for it—isn't a moral scorecard Why liking yourself doesn't mean indulging every desire How keeping small promises to yourself builds self-trust Why identity becomes even more important once the weight-loss phase is over The question I want you to take away from this episode isn't simply: “How do I lose the weight?” It's: “What would I do differently today if I genuinely believed I was someone worth taking care of?” You can want change without hating where you're starting. You can accept yourself without settling. You can tell yourself the truth without being cruel. And maybe the healthiest version of you isn't simply the woman who finally lost the weight. Maybe she's the woman who learned to take really good care of herself. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today!

  3. Sep 18

    90: Hydration Is More Than Water

    Hydration is about a lot more than hitting a water goal. In this episode of the Lifestyle School Podcast, Hope breaks down what actually happens to water and electrolytes in your body—and why your hydration needs can change when you're fasting, lowering insulin, exercising, or spending time in the heat. In this episode, you'll learn: How much water men and women actually need What your lab work may reveal about dehydration The roles of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride Why we've become so afraid of salt How lower insulin levels can increase sodium and water loss Why fasting can change your electrolyte needs Why fasting in the heat can feel dramatically harder Which beverages can affect hydration Why some electrolyte supplements contain surprisingly little sodium Why drinking more plain water isn't always the answer How long it can take to rehydrate Why rapid changes on the scale may simply be water Hydration isn't about drinking as much water as possible. It's about maintaining the right fluid and electrolyte balance for what your body is doing. Listen to Episode 90 of the Lifestyle School Podcast to learn how to hydrate smarter. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today!

  4. Sep 11

    89: The Optimization Trap

    When did being healthy become a full-time job? From sleep scores and glucose monitors to protein targets, fasting windows, supplements, steps, HRV, cold plunges, and morning sunlight, the wellness world is obsessed with optimization. And while optimization can be incredibly useful, there’s a point where the pursuit of better health can actually start making us less healthy. In this episode of the Lifestyle School Podcast, we’re talking about the optimization trap—what happens when the tools designed to improve our health become rigid rules we use to judge ourselves. We’ll talk about: The difference between healthy optimization and obsession Why the fundamentals still matter more than the latest biohack How optimization feeds black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking Why one glucose spike, missed workout, late night, or imperfect meal doesn’t undo your progress The importance of building a healthy baseline instead of chasing perfection Why your health habits need to survive vacations, holidays, stressful seasons, and real life Five questions to help you recognize when optimization has gone too far Why the ultimate goal of health should be more freedom—not more rules Healthy optimization creates information. Unhealthy optimization creates judgment. We aren't pursuing health so we can spend the rest of our lives pursuing health. We're pursuing health so we can spend the rest of our lives living. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today!

  5. Sep 4

    88: How to Quiet Food Noise Without a GLP-1

    GLP-1 medications have taught us something incredibly important about weight loss: hunger matters. When the constant food noise quiets down, making healthy choices can suddenly feel a whole lot easier. But what if you don't want to take a GLP-1—or you've tried one and the hunger came roaring back? In this episode of the Lifestyle School Podcast, Hope breaks down the biology behind ravenous hunger and explores practical ways to improve appetite regulation through metabolic health and lifestyle changes. We talk about: Why constant hunger isn't simply a lack of willpower Ghrelin and why hunger often comes in waves How CCK and peptide YY help signal fullness and satiety Leptin resistance and why you can have plenty of stored energy and still feel hungry The relationship between insulin resistance and hunger What metabolic flexibility means and why accessing stored body fat matters How protein, fiber and minimally processed foods influence satiety Why constantly grazing may be making hunger harder to understand How fasting can help you learn the difference between hunger and habit The roles of sleep, stress, movement and muscle What to do if you've tried a GLP-1 and the food noise came back Why medication shouldn't be your only strategy for long-term metabolic health The goal isn't to never feel hungry again. The goal is appropriate hunger: getting hungry before meals, feeling satisfied afterward, and not spending your entire day thinking about food. Ready to Reset Your Hunger? If you're tired of fighting ravenous hunger and food noise, The Hunger Reset Method is a 28-day framework designed to help you work on the lifestyle factors that influence hunger, blood-sugar regulation and metabolic health. Instead of becoming better at fighting the hunger monster, let's work on turning down the volume. Learn more about The Hunger Reset Method and get started today. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today! This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always speak with your healthcare provider before changing medications, beginning a fasting protocol, or making significant dietary changes—particularly if you take blood-sugar or blood-pressure medications, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history of an eating disorder, or have a medical condition affected by fasting.

  6. Sep 1

    87: He Lost 100 Pounds… Then THIS Happened

    He Lost 100 Pounds… Then THIS Happened What happens when you get too good at losing weight? In this episode, I’m reacting to a Reddit story from someone who lost 100 pounds in just seven months through obsessive calorie counting, a massive calorie deficit, and lots of running. The weight came off—but eventually, “less is better” became so ingrained that eating enough food to maintain his new weight became scary. This story opens up a much bigger conversation about what successful weight loss should actually look like. In this episode, we talk about: Why weight loss and improved health aren’t always the same thing The dangers of making the scale your only measure of success Why preserving and building muscle matters during weight loss The difference between using data and becoming obsessed with it Why constantly white-knuckling hunger isn’t a long-term strategy How insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility fit into weight loss Why exercise should build your body—not just burn calories How restrictive dieting can create a “less food is better” mentality Why your maintenance strategy should begin before you reach your goal The identity shift from being someone who is “trying to lose weight” to someone who knows how to take care of their body The goal isn’t to become really good at deprivation. The goal is to build a healthy, strong, metabolically healthy body—and a lifestyle you know how to maintain. Because eventually weight loss ends. Taking care of yourself doesn’t. Connect with Lifestyle School Follow along for more conversations about sustainable weight loss, insulin resistance, metabolic health, fasting, hunger, nutrition, movement, sleep, mindset, and becoming the person who knows how to take care of their body. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today!

  7. Aug 28

    Episode 86: Why This Time Was Different — Amber’s Story

    What makes this attempt at weight loss different from all the others? In this episode of the Lifestyle School Podcast, I’m sitting down with my former coaching client Amber to talk about her journey with weight, metabolic health, and ultimately, herself. Amber shares what she struggled with before we started working together, the moment she decided something needed to change, and why she chose to get support instead of trying to figure it all out on her own. But this conversation is about so much more than losing weight. We talk about how understanding insulin resistance and metabolic health changed the way Amber viewed her body, what she learned about fasting and hunger, and the mindset and identity shifts that have helped her continue prioritizing her health long after our coaching ended. In this episode, we talk about: Amber’s history with weight loss and what wasn’t working What finally made her decide to make a change Why she chose coaching What she learned about insulin resistance and metabolic health How fasting changed her understanding of hunger The role mindset and identity played in her transformation What she does differently when life gets hard The habits and lessons she’s still using today Why sustainable weight loss is about so much more than the scale If you’ve ever thought, “I know what I’m supposed to do, so why can’t I make it stick?” Amber’s story is a reminder that sometimes the biggest transformation happens when we stop searching for another diet and start changing how we understand and care for ourselves. Ready to Quiet the Food Noise? If you're tired of constantly thinking about food, starting over every Monday, or feeling like weight loss requires endless willpower, I created The Hunger Reset Method for you. This 67-page, step-by-step guide walks you through 28 days of working on the nutrition, lifestyle, and behavioral factors that can influence hunger, cravings, satiety, and food noise. Download The Hunger Reset Method here:CLICK HERE Because maybe you don't need to get better at fighting hunger. Maybe you need to get curious about what's driving it. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today!

  8. Aug 21

    Episode 85: What GLP-1’s Teach Us About Weight Loss

    What if the biggest lesson from the GLP-1 boom isn't about medication at all—but about hunger? For decades, weight loss has been treated like a willpower problem: eat less, move more, try harder. But the experiences of people using GLP-1 medications are forcing us to look at weight loss differently. When hunger decreases and food noise gets quieter, eating less can suddenly feel dramatically easier. In this episode of the Lifestyle School Podcast, we're talking about what GLP-1s can teach us about appetite, cravings, satiety, and why two people following the exact same diet can have completely different experiences. In this episode: Why weight loss isn't simply a willpower problem What "food noise" actually feels like How GLP-1s have changed the conversation around appetite Why calorie restriction feels different when hunger is quieter The hormones, habits, and environmental cues that influence hunger How sleep, stress, metabolic health, and ultra-processed foods can affect appetite Why fasting changed my own relationship with hunger Why this conversation doesn't need to be anti-GLP-1 How to stop asking, "Why can't I control myself?" and start asking, "What's driving my hunger?" Ready to Quiet the Food Noise? If you're tired of constantly thinking about food, starting over every Monday, or feeling like weight loss requires endless willpower, I created The Hunger Reset Method for you. This 67-page, step-by-step guide walks you through 28 days of working on the nutrition, lifestyle, and behavioral factors that can influence hunger, cravings, satiety, and food noise. Download The Hunger Reset Method here:The Hunger Reset Method Because maybe you don't need to get better at fighting hunger. Maybe you need to get curious about what's driving it. Supplement Store: Head over to my website: www.hopeplackcoaching.com and check out my new supplement store! Use code: 104567 to create an account and order today!

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About

The Lifestyle School Podcast was created to help you design a life you love while achieving the health results you’ve always wanted. We focus on how small, sustainable changes to your lifestyle can lead to transformative improvements in both your health and overall well-being. It’s time to step off the diet-and-shame treadmill and put practical systems in place so you can reach your health goals effortlessly—on autopilot.

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