Before Dieting...

Bronwyn Fletcher
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  • Fitness

Investigating Weight Regain Before You Try to Fix It. If you've spent years losing weight, regaining it, and wondering why the same pattern keeps repeating, this podcast is for you. Before Dieting is an investigative podcast from the Weighting for Happiness Project. Using women's experiences as a starting point, each episode investigates a different part of the weight ecosystem, revealing connections between seemingly unrelated experiences and the way we eat. Each episode replaces judgement with understanding, helping you see familiar experiences in a completely different way. The Weighting for Happiness Project is built on one simple distinction: Weight loss and weight regain are different problems. Many women have proved they can lose weight. The unanswered question is what keeps recreating the same pattern. Before Dieting exists to investigate that question. Whether you've tried countless diets or you're simply tired of blaming yourself, this podcast offers a different place to begin. Not by asking what's wrong with you, but by asking what conditions make this eating necessary. These questions are worth asking before you begin another diet. That's what Before Dieting is here to investigate.

  1. 6d ago

    When One Diet Leads to the Next

    Weight-loss programs spend a lot of time telling us how to lose weight. Far less attention is given to what happens afterwards. The usual language is maintenance: you’ve lost the weight, now the job is to keep it off. But that framing can hide an important part of the picture. Your biology doesn’t simply move into a new phase because the diet does. In this episode of Before Dieting, I look at what can happen when calorie restriction ends, why the maintenance phase can shift responsibility for weight regain back onto the woman, and why the period after a diet contains information worth investigating. I also share Vivienne’s story. After two decades of dieting, she knew she was good at starting diets but had trouble sticking with them. Her solution was to choose diets that promised increasingly fast results, until she found herself considering a five-day water diet. When Vivienne stopped looking at each diet as a separate event and brought them together, a pattern became visible. Her previous dieting experiences were influencing what she chose to do next. In this episode Why the term maintenance deserves closer examinationWhat calorie restriction can ask of a biological systemThe holding-your-breath metaphor and what it can tell us about biological responses to restrictionWhy difficulty maintaining weight loss isn't explained simply by willpowerHow one dieting experience can influence the diet chosen nextWhat Vivienne discovered when she stopped looking at her diets separatelyWhy repeated weight regain needs to be investigated as a patternHow your dieting history can become evidence rather than a record of successes and failuresSomething to think about Rather than asking what you should do differently on your next diet, consider your previous diets together: What have all my previous diets been trying to tell me? The diets you finished, the ones you abandoned, how restrictive they became, how long you could stay on them and what happened afterwards may reveal far more than any single diet viewed on its own. Next week Before Dieting welcomes its first guest. I’ll be in conversation with Lanette Helene, owner of Canberra Pilates, talking about something I hear from many women living with repeated weight regain: feeling disconnected from their bodies. Our conversation ranges across midlife, balance, flexibility and practical ways to stay connected with your body as you get older. Lanette also shares some simple exercises you can try yourself, starting with your feet. It’s a longer episode than the usual Before Dieting monologue and the first of our occasional guest conversations. Read my Blog:

  2. Aug 4

    The Questions Diets Never Ask

    Show Notes: You can read the accompanying Blog here or copy and paste the Link below: Blog post for episode In Today's episode: Most women know how to investigate a diet. They can tell you how long it lasted, how much weight they lost and why they think it failed. But very few have ever been shown how to investigate what happened after the diet ended. In this episode, Bronwyn explores why the period after a diet can hold some of the most valuable clues to understanding repeated weight regain. Using questions from two listeners, she introduces a different line of inquiry. Rather than judging another diet as a success or failure, she explains how looking more closely at what happened afterwards can reveal patterns, unexpected experiences and overlooked evidence that help explain why the cycle keeps repeating. You'll also hear why the Weighting for Happiness Project takes a collegial approach to understanding repeated weight regain. Your lived experience provides one kind of knowledge. Weighting for Happiness provides questions, tools and ways of organising that experience so the patterns become easier to see. Together, those different perspectives create a fuller understanding than either could achieve alone. Today's Investigation Before your next diet, spend some time investigating the one you've just finished. Instead of asking only, "Did the diet work?" try asking, What happened after the diet ended?What patterns kept repeating?What surprised me?What did this experience teach me about the way I eat?Sometimes the clues you've been searching for aren't hidden in the diet itself. They're waiting in what happened afterwards. In This Episode we examine: Why conversations about weight regain often feel much harder than conversations about weight loss.Why the period after a diet deserves as much attention as the diet itself.The different questions Weighting for Happiness asks once a diet has finished.How repeated patterns often become visible only when you look back over several dieting attempts.Why rushing straight to the next diet can mean overlooking valuable evidence.Why one woman's experience after weight loss can be completely different from another's.How unexpected feelings after weight loss can become important clues rather than something to dismiss.Why understanding repeated weight regain begins with investigation rather than judgement. Key Takeaway Repeated weight regain is rarely explained by a single event, decision or diet. It's usually the result of many experiences that have gradually become connected over the course of a lifetime. Understanding those connections begins by asking different questions. We'd Love to Hear From You Many episodes of Before Dieting begin with questions from listeners. If today's episode has sparked a question of your own, I'd love to hear from you. hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au DM Me on LinkedIn While I can't answer every question individually, many of them become the starting point for future episodes because, if you're asking it, chances are many other women are wondering the same thing too.

  3. Jul 28

    Weight regain and fear: Why looking more closely can feel so frightening

    Weight regain and fear: Why looking more closely can feel so frightening If you've ever found yourself putting off looking more deeply at your weight regain, I don't think it's because you don't want to understand it. Most women I've spoken to have spent years searching for answers. They've read books, followed diets, listened to podcasts and promised themselves that this time will be different. That doesn't sound like someone who isn't interested in change. What I think is happening is much more understandable. Looking more closely can feel risky because we've been taught that if we discover what's causing our weight regain, we'll immediately have to stop doing it. If the answer is chocolate, we have to give up chocolate. If it's eating late at night, we have to stop eating late at night. Understanding has become tied to giving something up. But what if that isn't the purpose of investigation at all? What if the purpose is simply to understand what your eating has been doing for you? Not so you can judge it, but so you can finally see why it has been so difficult to change. That single shift turns investigation from something threatening into something useful. Instead of asking, "Why don't I stop?" you begin asking, "What problem is this eating solving?" They're very different questions and will lead you to very different places. So, before you start another diet, perhaps spend a moment with one question instead. What are you afraid you might find if you looked more closely at your weight regain? You can read my Blog post here or, on Apple, copy and paste the link below https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/post/weight-regain-and-fear For answers you can start here or, on Apple, copy and paste the link below: https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/weight-and-diet-history-diagnostic OR If you have any questions, please email me at: bronwyn@weightingforhappiness.com.au #weightregain, #emotioneating, #overeating, #foodrules, #eatingsystem, #womenshealth, #midlifewomen, #dieting, #weightlossafter40, #dietcycle, #menopauseweightgain, #psychologyofeating, #beforedieting, #reliefeating, #comforteating, #emotionaleating, #8eatingtypes

  4. Jul 21

    Eight Different Reasons We Eat

    Before Dieting... Episode 53 Why do we eat? It sounds like a simple question, but the answer is rarely straightforward. In this episode of Before Dieting, Bronwyn responds to a listener's question about the Eight Types of Eating. Rather than looking at eating as simply "good" or "bad," she introduces a different way of thinking: eating is purposeful. This episode is an overview of the Eight Types of Eating, the framework that sits behind many of the stories explored throughout the podcast. You'll discover why eating isn't one behaviour with one cause, but many different behaviours serving different purposes. Bronwyn introduces: Functional EatingSecondary EatingDietingRestricted EatingSocial EatingComfort EatingRelief EatingConscious Eating Along the way, she explains why understanding why you're eating is far more useful than judging what you're eating. If you've ever wondered why your eating can feel completely different from one situation to the next, this episode provides a practical map for understanding your own eating patterns. Key Takeaways Eating isn't one behaviour with one cause. Different types of eating serve different purposes, and recognising those differences is an important part of understanding repeated weight regain.The purpose of eating matters more than the behaviour itself. The same food can serve very different functions depending on the situation, whether it's nourishment, comfort, social connection or emotional relief.The goal isn't perfect eating. The goal is conscious eating, where you know what you're choosing, why you're choosing it, and no longer feel driven by your eating. If this resonates, start with the Weight Ecosystem diagnostic. https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/diagnostics/weight-ecosystem-diagnostic Please subscribe to this Podcast and leave a rating, so other women can find it. If you know any other woman who is struggling with weight regain, please pass this on. If you have any questions, please email me or copy and paste the link below hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au If this resonates, start with the Weight Ecosystem diagnostic or copy and paste the link below: https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/diagnostics/weight-ecosystem-diagnostic ========================================================== #weightregain, #emotioneating, #overeating, #foodrules, #eatingsystem, #womenshealth, #midlifewomen, #dieting, #weightlossafter40, #dietcycle, #menopauseweightgain, #psychologyofeating, #beforedieting, #reliefeating, #comforteating, #emotionaleating, #8eatingtypes

  5. Jul 14

    Kate’s Story: When Weight Regain Was Telling a Deeper story

    When Weight Regain Returns You to Safety. Kate’s story and the pattern that food alone could not explain. Season 3 Episode 52. Kate knew how to lose weight. She had done it many times. What she could not explain was why reaching a lower weight left her feeling frightened, exposed and unprotected, or why familiar eating patterns returned soon afterwards. For years, she blamed her sweet tooth and lack of willpower. But when she worked through her Weight & Dieting History, a different pattern became visible. Kate had grown up in a volatile home where avoiding attention helped keep her safe. Being smaller and more visible as an adult activated a discomfort that dieting advice had never examined. Her history also revealed an early connection between secrecy, sweet food and the time she spent with the parent who made her feel protected. The food was part of the story, but it was not the whole story. In this episode of Before Dieting, Bronwyn explores why losing weight and understanding weight regain require different lines of inquiry. Kate’s story demonstrates what becomes visible when the investigation extends beyond calories, food choices and whether a woman followed the plan. In this episode you'll discover: Why successful weight loss does not explain repeated regainHow a Weight & Dieting History reveals patterns across separate attemptsWhy the point after weight loss may contain the most useful informationHow early experiences can continue influencing adult responsesWhy secret eating may serve a function that food rules cannot addressHow changing the question changes what becomes visible Your weight history is not proof that you failed. It is evidence that needs to be included in the investigation. Explore the Weight & Dieting History diagnostic: or copy and paste the link below. https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/weight-and-diet-history-diagnostic You can also read my accompanying Blog or copy and paste the link below: https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/post/kate-s-story-when-weight-regain-was-telling-a-deeper-story Please subscribe to this Podcast and leave a rating, so other women can find it. If you know any other woman who is struggling with weight regain, please pass this on. If you have any questions please email me at hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au Content note: This episode includes references to parental alcohol misuse and childhood family violence. #weightregain, #emotioneating, #overeating, #foodrules, #eatingsystem, #womenshealth, #midlifewomen, #dieting, #weightlossafter40, #dietcycle, #menopauseweightgain, #psychologyofeating, #beforedieting, #reliefeating, #comforteating, #emotionaleating, #8eatingtypes

  6. Jul 11

    Before Dieting - Trailer - Why diets fail

    Before Dieting... Most women who regain weight are not beginners. They have followed diets, changed their eating, lost weight and proved they can do it. But knowing how to lose weight and understanding why the weight keeps coming back are two different problems. Before Dieting is the podcast from the Weighting for Happiness Project that investigates the patterns behind eating, dieting and weight regain. Each episode begins with a woman's story. Together, we examine what happened, investigate the patterns hidden inside her experience, and uncover what becomes visible when we ask different questions. Along the way you'll discover: • why weight regain follows patterns • why your weight history contains valuable information • how food rules learned decades ago can still shape eating today • why relief eating makes more sense when you understand what it is doing • why knowing what to eat isn't the same as understanding why you eat • how to investigate your own story before starting another diet Hosted by Bronwyn Fletcher, Before Dieting... brings systems thinking into the weight conversation to help women see what has been hidden in plain sight. Because your weight history is not proof that you failed. It is information you have not been shown how to read. Before another diet, investigate the story your own experience has been trying to tell. New episodes Tuesdays, wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave a review so other women can find the podcast. Download my FREE e-book Why diet's work until they don't or paste the following link https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/e-book-request-form And if you know a woman who would benefit from hearing this information, please pass on the link to this Podcast or the e-book. You can leave me a message at: OR directly email me any questions to hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au or copy the link hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au #weightregain #emotioneating #reliefeating #comforteating #overeating #foodrules #eatingsystem #womenshealth #midlifewomen #dieting #weightlossafter40 #dietcycle #menopauseweightgain #psychologyofeating #beforedieting #8eatingtypes

    Before Dieting - Trailer - Why diets fail

  7. Jul 7

    Why Diets Fail - Childhood Food Access and your Eating Blueprint.

    Childhood Food Access: When you weren’t allowed to choose. Episode overview Most women assume that as adults they should know what ‘enough’ food looks like. But portion confidence, stopping cues, and self-trust don’t appear automatically. They’re built through early experiences of choice, permission, and authority at the table. In this episode we explore Agency: who decided what and how much you ate and how those early meal dynamics can shape adult patterns like dieting dependence, private overeating, and fear of judgement. This episode continues the paired theme with Access, because these two factors (Access + Agency) often work together to build the blueprint for lifelong eating. In this episode, you’ll learn • What food agency actually means (and what it doesn’t) • Why food confidence is often a developmental skill, not a motivation issue • Why eating differently in front of others is a protective response • How secrecy becomes a substitute for choice Key takeaways • Agency is authority at meals is for choice, portion sizing and stopping • Private overeating is often the system restoring autonomy • The dinner table taught rules that still shape eating today If agency was limited in your early life, dieting won’t solve the root issue; it only temporarily overrides it. The Weighting for Happiness Project helps you investigate your specific blueprint and diagnose the true drivers behind weight regain, so lasting change becomes possible. If agency was limited in your early life, dieting won’t solve the root issue; it only temporarily overrides it. The Weighting for Happiness Project helps you investigate your specific blueprint and diagnose the true drivers behind weight regain, so lasting change becomes possible. Please leave a review or rate the Podcast so other women can find it. Download my FREE e-book "Why Diets Work Until They Don't" using the link below: https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/e-book-request-form And if you know a woman who would benefit from hearing this information, please pass on the link to this Podcast or the e-book. You can leave me a message at: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwynfletcheratweightingforhappiness/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beforedieting.podcast/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587755296729 OR directly email me any questions to hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au Cheers Bronwyn #weightregain #emotioneating #reliefeating #comforteating #overeating #foodrules #eatingsystem #womenshealth #midlifewomen #dieting #weightlossafter40 #dietcycle #menopauseweightgain #psychologyofeating #beforedieting #8eatingtypes

  8. Jun 30

    Why Diets Fail - Childhood Food Access and your Eating Blueprint.

    Podcast Episode 50 - Show Notes ​The real drivers of weight gain start in childhood, long before dieting ever entered the picture. In this episode we explore Childhood Food Access. This is the autonomy you had (or didn’t have) to obtaining food outside regular meals, and how it shape lifelong patterns like urgency eating, secrecy, and scarcity thinking. ​This isn’t about blame. It’s about understanding. Because you can’t change what you can’t see. ​Access: 🙋🏻‍♀️who decided when you weren't allowed to eat. ​In this episode, you’ll learn: 1️⃣ How focusing on reducing on current weight prevents you discovering the root cause of repeating weight patterns 2️⃣ The difference between access and agency (and why both matter) 3️⃣How restricted access builds survival strategies around food 4️⃣Why secret eating isn’t a moral failure, it’s a system response ​Key takeaways 🔍 Food access is about permission and autonomy 🔍 Many adult eating patterns were once childhood solutions 🔍 Shame blocks the information you need to change your weight permanently If this episode has connected dots you’ve never connected before, you’re ready for deeper investigation. ​The Weighting for Happiness Project helps you investigate your specific blueprint and diagnose the true drivers behind weight regain, so lasting change becomes possible. Please leave a review or rate the Podcast so other women can find it. Download my FREE Guide Why diet's work until they don't or use the link https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au/e-book-request-form And if you know a woman who would benefit from hearing this information, please pass on the link to this Podcast or the e-book. You can leave me a message at: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwynfletcheratweightingforhappiness/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beforedieting.podcast/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587755296729 OR directly email me any questions to hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au hello@weightingforhappiness.com.au #weightregain #emotioneating #reliefeating #comforteating #overeating #foodrules #eatingsystem #womenshealth #midlifewomen #dieting #weightlossafter40 #dietcycle #menopauseweightgain #psychologyofeating #beforedieting #8eatingtypes

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About

Investigating Weight Regain Before You Try to Fix It. If you've spent years losing weight, regaining it, and wondering why the same pattern keeps repeating, this podcast is for you. Before Dieting is an investigative podcast from the Weighting for Happiness Project. Using women's experiences as a starting point, each episode investigates a different part of the weight ecosystem, revealing connections between seemingly unrelated experiences and the way we eat. Each episode replaces judgement with understanding, helping you see familiar experiences in a completely different way. The Weighting for Happiness Project is built on one simple distinction: Weight loss and weight regain are different problems. Many women have proved they can lose weight. The unanswered question is what keeps recreating the same pattern. Before Dieting exists to investigate that question. Whether you've tried countless diets or you're simply tired of blaming yourself, this podcast offers a different place to begin. Not by asking what's wrong with you, but by asking what conditions make this eating necessary. These questions are worth asking before you begin another diet. That's what Before Dieting is here to investigate.

Information

  • Creator
    Bronwyn Fletcher
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Before Dieting...