Talking with Emma: Stop fighting food & weight

Emma Wright
  • 5.0 (1)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS

Talking with Emma is the podcast for women who are tired of obsessive food thinking, struggling with body image and feeling like food and weight is the one thing they can’t get sorted. I’m Emma Wright — feminist health coach, author, and someone who knows exactly how exhausting it is to live like not matter how much you try, your health is never quite “good enough.” After years of controlling my weight, focusing on food, exercising harder, and constantly feeling like a failure, I discovered something different — and more powerful:  Coaching tools that help you trust yourself again - and take charge of your health the way you want to. Each episode, I’ll share the tools I use with clients who want relief health feeling so confusing — and who are ready end emotional eating, stop thinking about food all the time and improve their body image.  If you’re ready for those things, this podcast is for you. 📥 Want to go deeper?  Download the Self-Assessment — a free tool to evaluate what’s really going on beneath the food and body thinking. Curious about working together?I’m currently welcoming new 1:1 clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about how to achieve the health goals you have and what kind of support you need to do that, and of course, whether coaching with me feels like the right fit.

  1. 6D AGO

    50: Why Your Habit Isn't Happening

    Have you ever set a goal, genuinely wanted it, done all the right things and still found yourself not following through? You're not lazy. You're not lacking willpower. And you are not the problem. >> Subscribe to Wait, What? In this episode of Talking with Emma, cognitive behavioural coach and Intuitive Eating coach Emma Wright shares the real reason most women struggle to stick to health and wellness goals, and why the usual advice of habit stacking, accountability, and pushing harder almost always makes it worse. Emma opens with a personal story: years of trying to get to the gym regularly, despite truly wanting to go. She tried every productivity trick in the book. Nothing worked until she stopped trying to force herself and got curious instead. What she found surprised her. She wasn't avoiding the gym because of laziness or lack of discipline. She was avoiding it because it felt lonely. That insight made going to the gym straightforward. This episode introduces a simple four-question framework rooted in cognitive behavioural coaching that helps you understand what is actually driving your behaviour around health goals. No willpower required. No shame involved. Just a genuinely different way of looking at why you do what you do. Emma walks through each question slowly and in depth, with real examples, so you can follow along and apply it to your own life before the episode is even over. This episode is for you if you have ever felt cynical about your ability to change. If you have tried the plans, the apps, the challenges, and the habit trackers — and you are starting to wonder whether the problem is you. It is not. But understanding what is actually going on is where real change begins. What you will learn in this episode: why health and wellness goals fail even when you genuinely want them, how diet culture has trained us to treat ourselves like productivity problems rather than human beings, what cognitive behavioural coaching reveals about avoidance and behaviour, the four-question framework for understanding what is really driving your actions, and how to stop fighting yourself and start working with yourself instead. Topics covered include: goal setting, behaviour change, diet culture, intuitive eating, cognitive behavioural coaching, body image, health and wellness, women's health, motivation, habit formation, and food noise. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman you know who has been hard on herself for not following through on her health goals. She needs to hear this. Subscribe to Wait, What? — Emma's free Sunday newsletter for the woman who has become cynical about health trends because she has tried so many things. Every week Emma takes you down the diet culture off-ramp with personal stories that will make you think: wait, what — I've been lied to? Subscribe here.

    20 min

  2. APR 20

    49: Body Image and Mental Health (Specifically Bi-Polar) with Katie Rickson

    What happens when life-saving medication changes your weight, but the medical system keeps focusing on it? Katie Rickson lives with bipolar. She has been hospitalised. She has been through the years of misdiagnosis - depression, anxiety, ADHD - before finally getting an answer that made sense of her life.  And having been to the doctor, seriously unwell, a psychiatrist noted in a report that she was a "slim young woman." So we talk about it.  Katie is now, by her own account, the heaviest she has ever been. She is also the most mentally well. In this episode, we talk about what it actually takes to get there — and what the medical system, and diet culture, gets wrong along the way. In this episode we cover What bipolar disorder actually is — and why it takes an average of 9.5 years to diagnoseWhy Katie's mental health is better now in a bigger body than it ever was when she was slimThe real reason bipolar medications cause weight gain — and why that is not a side effect to simply fixBeing offered weight loss injections by a doctor who was not asking the right questionsHow Katie learned to separate nutrition from body size — and what she asked her dietician to focus on insteadThe Spoon Theory — a practical tool for understanding your energy capacity on any given dayThe "grand bargain" Katie has with the people close to her, and why it mattersEmotional literacy — what it is, why most of us were never taught it, and how to startHow changes in appetite can be an early signal that something needs attentionWhy food belongs in the coping toolkit — and how to use it consciously rather than shamefullyPractical ways to protect yourself in medical appointments when you know weight will come upThe self-compassion practice Katie credits with changing her relationship with food and her body — including the work of Dr Kristin NeffFind Katie Katie's websiteBusiness in the BathLinkedInInstagram: @katie.writes.edits / @businessinthebath Find Emma Emma's website  ·  Follow on LinkedIn If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a woman you love. The more we talk about leaving diet culture, the more women get to stop fighting themselves and start living the way they want to.

    57 min

  3. APR 13

    48: How to leave diet culture with Lotta Dann

    What does it look like to leave diet culture behind — to truly walk away from it? Lotta Dann did it with alcohol. Then, a few years into sobriety, she found herself deep in a diet hole — losing weight, receiving praise, feeling like she was "floating on a cloud of thin." Inevitably, it all fell apart. In this conversation, Lotta and I talk about what happened next: how she found anti-diet content, what helped her see the lies diet culture has her believe, and what it actually took — emotionally, practically, and culturally — to leave. This is a conversation I have wanted to have for a long time.  In this episode we cover How Lotta went from sobriety to a strict diet — and why the language of addiction made it seem like the answerWhat "floating on a cloud of thin" was so compelling, and what it costThe moment she stumbled across anti-diet content and why it clicked so fastThe biggest lies diet culture tells us — and the one Lotta found most heartbreakingHow leaving dieting compares to leaving alcohol — and where it is much harderWhy weight gain is almost always part of the process, and how to navigate itThe behaviours to stop immediately, and the practical steps that actually help "Thinness is highly valued in our culture — you're deemed a success regardless of your mental health or how you're actually functioning day to day." "I refuse to feel bad about my body size. I've built a fierce defence against it — and it took time, mantras, and a lot of practice to get there." — Lotta Dann Mentioned in this episode Mrs D is Not on a Diet — Lotta Dann's book on leaving diet cultureLiving Sober — Lotta's free online community for people quitting drinking@mrs_d_alcoholfree — Lotta on InstagramMidlife Body Image Guide — Emma's free guide for women ready to stop fighting their bodies Emma's website  ·  Follow on LinkedIn If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a woman you love. The more we talk about leaving diet culture, the more women get to stop fighting themselves and start living the way they want to.

    1h 7m

  4. APR 6

    47: How The Fear Of Weight Gain Leads To Food Noise In Your Brain

    You have done everything right. You have been eating well, making good choices, feeling in control. And then something happens — a birthday dinner, a celebration, a moment of genuine pleasure around food — and suddenly the noise is back. Loud, familiar, exhausting. Register for the End Food Noise Without Weight Loss Jabs Here. In this episode, I talk about the emotion that almost nobody names in the wellness space — and why it is one of the most powerful drivers of food noise there is.  What you will learn in this episode: Why the fear of gaining weight is a completely rational response to the culture we live in, and why knowing that intellectually is not enough to make it go away What fatphobia actually means — and why it is less about individual cruelty and more about a belief system so deeply internalised it feels like reality How the fear of a bigger body keeps the restriction cycle going even when you know restriction is not working A two-step compassion practice you can use the next time fear shows up after eating — one that works at the nervous system level, not just the thinking level Mentioned in the episode: Free masterclass, End Food Noise Without Weight Loss Jabs (or giving up on health).  I walk you through an exercise that shows you exactly which type of hunger is driving your food thoughts. The masterclass will give you a completely different way of understanding what has been happening. Register here. Curious about working together? I’m currently taking private clients. Book a consultation to discuss what you want to achieve, and you’ll leave with a clear, step-by-step, individualised plan to achieve it. Whether I can help you achieve your goal or not, you’ll leave knowing what the next steps are. 🌐 Emma's Website 📱 Follow on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Let’s help more women stop fixing their bodies and start trusting them.  Keywords: food noise, fear of weight gain, fatphobia, emotional eating, intuitive eating, body image, why can't I stop thinking about food, diet culture, women's relationship with food, how to stop food noise, feminist health coaching, Emma Wright, Talking with Emma

    15 min

  5. MAR 30

    46: The Hunger That No One Told You About

    If you have ever had the experience of eating well all day and then finding yourself in the kitchen cupboards, wondering what just happened — this episode is for you. Most of us have been taught that food noise, cravings, and loss of control around food are willpower problems. They are not. They are hunger problems. And specifically, they are a type of hunger that almost nobody in the wellness space talks about. In this episode, I introduce the three types of hunger — physical, emotional, and diet backlash — and break down the one that is almost certainly behind your loudest food thoughts. What you'll learn in this episode: Why humans are biologically wired to think about food, and why that is not a character flaw The difference between physical hunger, emotional hunger, and diet backlash hunger — and why they need completely different responses What diet backlash hunger actually looks and feels like in real life — including the "I've already blown it" spiral, and why the foods on your forbidden list are the exact ones you can't stop thinking about What restriction has to do with the loudness of your food noise What weight loss jabs actually do to hunger signals, and why the backlash returns when they stop Why you are not broken, bad at weight loss, or lacking willpower — and what is actually going on instead Mentioned in the episode: Free masterclass, End Food Noise Without Weight Loss Jabs (or giving up on health).  I walk you through an exercise that shows you exactly which type of hunger is driving your food thoughts. The masterclass will give you a completely different way of understanding what has been happening. Register here. Curious about working together? I’m currently taking private clients. Book a consultation to discuss what you want to achieve, and you’ll leave with a clear, step-by-step, individualised plan to achieve it. Whether I can help you achieve your goal or not, you’ll leave knowing what the next steps are. 🌐 Emma's Website 📱 Follow on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Let’s help more women stop fixing their bodies and start trusting them.  Keywords: food noise, diet backlash hunger, emotional eating, intuitive eating, how to stop thinking about food, food cravings, why am I always hungry, weight loss jabs and hunger, how to stop obsessive food thoughts, women's relationship with food, end food noise, Emma Wright

    25 min

  6. MAR 23

    Why Cutting Out Sugar Won't Quiet Food Noise (And What Will)

    If the first thing you think about when you wake up is food and you'd like that to end, I'm hosting a free workshop to help — End Food Noise Without Weight Loss Jabs. You'll learn: where your unique food noise came from, a tool to start reducing it straight away, a clear picture of what will make it stop without compromising your health.Workshop details: Date: April 10, lunchtime. Free to attend. Register here

    2 min

  7. MAR 23

    45: Speaking Up Even When It Feels Risky with Jennifer Heuett

    When Jennifer Heuett was body-shamed in a LinkedIn comment, she didn't scroll past. She tracked down the commenter's employer, contacted the CEO directly — and days later, that employee lost his job. In this episode, Jennifer shares that story and the practical tools that helped her find the courage to act. You'll learn: Why staying silent is actually the riskier choiceHow to give yourself a "permission slip" to speak upThe love letter exercise that reconnects you with your self-worthKey questions to ask yourself when fear kicks in Connect with Jennifer: -Instagram and The Small Wins Co on InstagramLinkedInwebsite   Curious about working together? Download the Midlife Body Image Guide  I’m currently taking private clients. Book a consultation where I can help you create a clear step-by-step individualised plan to get where you want to with your health and wellbeing. Whether I can help you achieve your goal or not, you’ll leave knowing what the next steps are. 🌐 Emma's Website 📱 Follow on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Let’s help more women stop fixing their bodies and start trusting them.

    56 min

  8. MAR 16

    44: What to do when anxiety strikes (or any big emotion) - RERELEASE

    This week I'm re-releasing one of my most popular episodes. Given the state of the world at the moment, the tools you'll learn in this episode have never been more useful or needed. In the episode, I walk you through a simple, three-step process for bringing self-compassion into any big emotion.  You’ll learn: Why emotions like anxiety are not a personal flaw, but your body’s way of keeping you safeThe fastest way to calm your nervous system (hint: it starts with your hands, not your thoughts)The short kindness script that replaces self-criticism with care in under a minuteA client story that shows how quickly this can shift how you feelYou’ll finish the episode knowing exactly what to do the next time emotion takes over: Normalise. Touch. Kindness. Because you’re not your emotions — you have emotions. And that means you can work with them, not against them. Links & Resources: 🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Guide to manage your anxiety without eating your feelings.  Curious about working together? I’m currently taking private clients. Book a consultation where will discuss what you want to achieve, what you’ve currently been doing, and you’ll leave with a clear step-by-step individualised plan to achieve it. Whether I can help you achieve your goal or not, you’ll leave knowing what the next steps are. 🌐 Emma's Website 📱 Follow on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Let’s help more women stop fixing their bodies and start trusting them.

    21 min
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About

Talking with Emma is the podcast for women who are tired of obsessive food thinking, struggling with body image and feeling like food and weight is the one thing they can’t get sorted. I’m Emma Wright — feminist health coach, author, and someone who knows exactly how exhausting it is to live like not matter how much you try, your health is never quite “good enough.” After years of controlling my weight, focusing on food, exercising harder, and constantly feeling like a failure, I discovered something different — and more powerful:  Coaching tools that help you trust yourself again - and take charge of your health the way you want to. Each episode, I’ll share the tools I use with clients who want relief health feeling so confusing — and who are ready end emotional eating, stop thinking about food all the time and improve their body image.  If you’re ready for those things, this podcast is for you. 📥 Want to go deeper?  Download the Self-Assessment — a free tool to evaluate what’s really going on beneath the food and body thinking. Curious about working together?I’m currently welcoming new 1:1 clients. Book a no-cost consultation where we’ll talk about how to achieve the health goals you have and what kind of support you need to do that, and of course, whether coaching with me feels like the right fit.

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