Why Diets Don’t Work (Even When You Follow Them Perfectly) | Sarah Ann Macklin

Exciting news - pre-order my debut book https://linktr.ee/HealthySBTH?utm_source=linktree_profile_shareYou are doing everything right. You are eating well, you are exercising, you are optimizing. And somehow, you still aren't feeling as well as you hoped. That was me at 21, before my body finally found a way to make me listen.This week on Live Well Be Well, I want to talk to you about something I've been sitting with for the last ten years, something I've seen quietly transform the lives of my clients, something that changed the entire direction of my own life, and something I've spent the last year pouring into my new book, Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard.This episode is a deeply personal one. I trace the thread from my own health collapse at 21 all the way to the $8.5 trillion wellness industry that, despite its size, is leaving most of us feeling worse, not better. We talk about the try-slip-shame-restart cycle so many of us are trapped in, and why we keep mistaking self-criticism for self-improvement. I also dig into two landmark studies that stopped me in my tracks while writing this book: Ellen Langer's hotel maid experiment, which showed that perception alone changed women's weight and blood pressure without a single lifestyle change, and Alia Crum's milkshake study, which revealed that our thoughts directly alter our hunger hormones.The science is clear. Our bodies are listening to everything we think about ourselves.Love,Sarah Ann 💛***This episode is sponsored by:DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CONOWATCH: The compassionate health trackerConnecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/ ***The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/***Let’s be friends!📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/📹 Subscribe:http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/***If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:Ellen Langer: The Mind Can Slow Down an Aging Bodyhttps://youtu.be/VGpNMy1VxsY***Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:Science Simplified, Health Humanised.Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/***Highlights00:00:00 Intro00:00:25 Sarah's Health Collapse at 2100:00:53 The $8.5 Trillion Wellness Industry Problem00:01:17 Comparison Culture and the Shame Spiral00:02:22 The Try, Slip, Shame, Restart Cycle00:03:07 The Pizza Moment and Self-Compassion00:04:39 Self-Criticism Lives in Your Body00:08:22 Ellen Langer's Hotel Maid Study Explained00:10:48 How Your Thoughts Change Hunger Hormones00:12:22 What Self-Compassion Does to Your Body00:14:31 The Selfie Test: Your Self-Compassion Score00:18:34 The Mirror Practice and Leaning In00:19:24 MAP: Mindfulness, Appreciation, Presence Before Meals00:21:00 The Self-Compassionate Intention Before Eating00:23:27 Why Wellness Solutions Aren't Making Us Healthier00:24:41 The History of Dieting Since 186300:26:20 The Story You Tell Yourself