Dare to Begin with Leslie Begin

We talked about comparing yourself to other people last time. Today I want to give you another way to think about the same phrase. You vs. you.The past can educate you. The future can inspire and compel you. But you are only actually in this game today. The decisions you make today are what lead you to that future version of yourself, and those same decisions are informed by the former version of you.There is real research behind this. Psychologist Hal Hershfield has spent years studying something called future self-continuity — the extent to which you feel genuinely connected to your future self, like she is actually you and not a distant stranger. His research found that people who feel a strong sense of connection to their future self make better long-term decisions, report better health outcomes, and are less likely to choose a small immediate reward over a bigger future one. The more real your future self feels, the better your choices become today.In this episode I walk through how to let your future self compel you forward and let your former self coach you from behind, all while remembering you only get to actually play the game today.What we cover:Hal Hershfield's research on future self-continuity and why it predicts better health outcomesWhy your future self is not a fantasy but a real compelling force in your decisions todayWhy your former self is a coach, not a source of shameThe one question to ask before every decision that honors both versions of youYour tiny step from this episode:Ask yourself this question before your next decision. What would future me thank me for right now? And what has former me already learned that applies to this exact moment?Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: future self continuity, Hal Hershfield research, long term decision making, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, delayed gratification, self improvement psychology, future self visualization

If you compare your journey to someone else's, it will always, ALWAYS get you off track. In one direction or the other.In this episode I break down the real psychology behind comparison. Leon Festinger's Social Comparison Theory from 1954 shows we evaluate our own worth by comparing ourselves upward, to people doing better, or downward, to people doing worse. And research specifically on weight loss found that women with a stronger tendency toward upward comparison actually had LESS successful outcomes overall.I walk through both directions of comparison and why each one sabotages you differently. Comparing up can spiral into a "whatever, I'll just eat the cookies" mentality when you're in a stuck mindset. Comparing down gives you permission to stay stagnant because at least you're doing better than someone else. Either direction pulls your eyes off your own lane and onto someone else's journey entirely.What we cover:Leon Festinger's Social Comparison Theory and what it reveals about self worthThe research connecting upward comparison to less successful weight loss outcomesWhy comparing up can either inspire you or completely derail you depending on your mindsetWhy comparing down feels like relief but actually keeps you stuckHow to keep your eyes on your own lane and your own progressYour tiny step from this episode:The next time you catch yourself comparing up or comparing down, say this out loud. This is me versus me. And bring your eyes back to your own lane.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: social comparison theory, comparing yourself to others, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, upward and downward comparison, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, weight loss motivation, Leon Festinger research, comparison and self esteem

Hear me out today, mama. Criticizing your body hurts you. But it also hurts your daughter. Curse your body, and she will look for flaws in her own.In this episode I share the story of a client whose parents were morbidly obese, and how her fear of becoming like them pushed her to the opposite extreme — overexercising, overthinking every health decision, and sacrificing friendships in the process. And I talk about the equally real danger on the other side — the mom who is constantly critical of her body out loud, in front of her kids, without realizing her daughter is absorbing every word as her own future inner voice.The daughter who hears her mom criticize her own body will do as you do, not as you say. Your outer voice becomes her inner voice. So this episode is a call to a both and. You have a responsibility to learn to love your body WHILE also being willing to work on learning and growing healthier.What we cover:Why a mom's self talk about her own body becomes her daughter's internal scriptTwo different extremes that can result from a mom's unresolved body imageWhy loving your body and working to improve your health are not oppositesA pointer back to Leslie's gratitude episode as a practical starting placeYour tiny step from this episode:The next time you catch a critical thought about your body forming, especially out loud, in front of your kids, pause. Choose a different sentence. She is always listening, even when you think she isn't.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: body image and daughters, self talk and motherhood, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, breaking generational body shame, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, modeling self love, raising confident daughters

You are more powerful than you realize. If you can talk yourself into eating something off your plan, compromising on your goals... you can talk yourself out of it too. You are just that powerful.That expert negotiator in your head is so good at making the case for "just this once." It's a special occasion. You've had a hard day. You'll get back on track tomorrow. In this episode I show you that the exact same negotiating skill can work in the other direction — if you just give it the chance.I walk through a real weekend scenario — a plan packed with healthy, protein-forward snacks, and the rationalization that creeps in and talks you right past it. And I show you how pausing for even thirty seconds lets that same brilliant brain argue FOR your goals instead of against them.What we cover:Why the same mental skill that talks you into a compromise can talk you out of oneA real weekend scenario of rationalization in actionHow to pause and let your inner negotiator argue the opposite caseWhy this is a skill you already have — you just need to aim it differentlyYour tiny step from this episode:The next time you feel yourself being talked into something off your plan, pause and ask your inner negotiator to argue the opposite case. Let it talk you back into your goals.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: rationalizing bad food choices, mindset for weight loss, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, self talk and willpower, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, weekend sabotage, negotiating with yourself, staying on track at parties

I cannot coach what I cannot see. Often when I am coaching someone and they are not getting results, I have to make the invisible visible. And one of the best ways to do that is by asking one simple question. Pretend you are a high performance coach looking at your own life. What would you say?Because here is the truth. I am not in your real life. I don't see the moments you are standing in the pantry when you should be out for a walk. I don't know the nights you are lying in bed scrolling when you should be asleep. I don't know the times you should be connecting in community and instead you are isolating.But you know. You know the nooks and crannies of your life, the stressors, what you are REALLY eating during the day, which scroll holes you disappear into, and exactly what you choose to avoid.In this episode I walk you through the exercise I use with clients to make their own blind spots visible — and why you are the only one who can actually coach yourself through what you already know.What we cover:Why Leslie says "I cannot coach what I cannot see"The exercise of imagining yourself as your own high performance coachWhy you already have all the information you need to answer thisWhat to ask yourself to stop and what to ask yourself to startWhy you are the hero of your own story, and a coach is just the guideYour tiny step from this episode:Sit down for five minutes. Write down what you would tell yourself to stop doing, and what you would tell yourself to start doing. Then go do it.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: self coaching exercise, blind spots in health journey, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, accountability tools, coaching yourself, honest self reflection

I was interviewing a high performance coach. And as the interview went on, he started asking me questions, and I was giving him all the right answers. I knew what to do. I knew exactly how to get to the goals I had set. I was exhausted with the lack of progress, but I was feeling pretty confident. Like... I've got this. I probably don't even need the coach.Then he asked me about Brendon Burchard's framework on the three kinds of lives people live — caged, comfortable, and charged. And he asked me which one I was living in. I realized, in a lot of areas of my life, I felt caged. Trapped by expectations. Tethered to where I was. Imprisoned by fear even though I knew exactly what to do to get free.There was a pause. And he said something I have never forgotten. "Common knowledge is not always common practice. That is why you need a coach." I paused. And then I purchased the full program.In this episode I unpack what that line taught me about the gap between knowing and doing — and why that gap is exactly where a coach lives.What we cover:The interview that revealed Leslie was living caged in several areas of her lifeThe line that made her realize knowledge alone was not enoughThe real difference between knowledge and practiceWhy coaches exist to close the gap between what you know and what you actually doHow to get out of your own head and move knowledge into actionYour tiny step from this episode:Ask yourself honestly — am I caged, comfortable, or charged right now? And if you already know exactly what to do but you are not doing it... that is your sign you might need more than knowledge. You might need a coach.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: why you need a coach, knowledge vs action, Brendon Burchard caged comfortable charged, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, accountability coaching, closing the knowledge gap

Life feels serious and hard when you constantly measure yourself with the measuring stick of Pinterest boards and little peeks at the slices of perceived perfection in other people's lives. It leads to heavy mom guilt. Crushing comparison.But around here, we say shame OFF you. When the voices in your head have been saying shame ON you for all the different ways you feel like you have not been measuring up.In this episode I want to help you be free of the shame that tells you there is something wrong with you. We talk about lifting the mental load of seeking perfection and rehashing failures, and getting rid of the weariness that comes from being tired of measuring up to a standard that was never real in the first place.What we cover:Why the Pinterest board and highlight reel comparison is quietly wrecking your peaceThe difference between shame ON you and shame OFF youHow to lift the mental load of perfectionism and rehashing old failuresReleasing the weariness of constantly measuring upYour tiny step from this episode:The next time you catch yourself measuring up against someone else's highlight reel, say it out loud. Shame off me.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: shame and body image, mom guilt, comparison culture, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, releasing perfectionism, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, Pinterest perfection, self compassion for moms, faith and shame

Dieting in the dark. Not telling anyone what you're doing. That is a problem.In this episode I make the case for living your health comeback out loud instead of hiding it. Tell a coworker. Tell a friend. Tell your Bible study girlies. Tell your family. They need to know you have a plan, that you are prioritizing your health and yourself, and that you want to be lean and strong for your longevity. Most people will cheer you on when you have a goal.I also talk about why this matters even more given the culture we live in. We are in an obesogenic environment — it is truly an uphill battle to get healthy right now. Your friends and family need to know what you are doing so it is easier for them to support you as you move forward, instead of accidentally working against you.And here is what usually happens when you share your healthy habits out loud. Other people contribute things that have helped them. You likely have friends quietly on the same journey who can now cheer you on instead of struggling in separate silence. And you very likely inspire someone you have been worried about — someone who needed to see it was possible.What we cover:Why keeping your health journey secret works against youWhat to actually say when you tell someone what you're doingWhy we live in an obesogenic culture and what that means for your comebackThe three things that happen when you share your healthy habits out loudHow sharing turns your private struggle into shared accountabilityYour tiny step from this episode:Tell one person what you are doing. Out loud. Today. Tell them you are prioritizing your health and you are thankful for their support.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: accountability and weight loss, sharing your health journey, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, obesogenic culture, healthy habits for women, community and accountability, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, telling people your goals, support system for weight loss

I was in a hotel room, overwhelmed, anxious about going downstairs to add more chaos to my already full life by walking into a conference I was there for. I could not get any traction with the anxiety. It just kept swirling.And I felt the Lord ask me to do something simple. Sit down. Write down the five most pervasive thoughts circling my head and my heart.The first thing I noticed shocked me. I was not thinking in complete sentences. I was thinking in one massive run-on sentence packed with unfinished thoughts crashing into each other. Writing them down forced me to finally finish them.Then He said something that changed how I have handled overwhelm ever since. "Go one by one through these sentences, and ask me for wisdom." In this episode I walk you through exactly what happened next — one thought I had to fully surrender, one I was told to lay aside for tomorrow, one that just needed a quick action step, and one that required a decision I already knew but had been avoiding.Overwhelm often is not actually five hard things. It is one tangled sentence made of five different things, none of which have been separated out or dealt with individually.What we cover:The hotel room story and the moment God asked Leslie to write down her five most pervasive thoughtsWhy writing thoughts down reveals how tangled and unfinished they actually areGoing one by one and asking God for wisdom on each specific thoughtThe four different responses — surrender, lay aside, take quick action, or make the decision1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:34, and James 1:5 and how they apply directly to overwhelmYour tiny step from this episode:Sit down. Write out the five most pervasive thoughts circling your head right now. Go one by one and ask God for wisdom on each one specifically.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: overwhelm and anxiety, prayer for anxiety, sorting your thoughts, faith and mental health, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, casting your cares, biblical anxiety relief, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, James 1:5 wisdom, 1 Peter 5:7, Christian mental health

The thoughts you think matter. Not the first thought that pops into your head uninvited — that one is not a big deal. It is the thoughts you allow to build a nest and live there. The ones you ruminate on. Those thoughts determine how you feel. Your feelings determine how you act. Your actions create your results. And your results become your habits.Most people try to just change their behavior. But your thoughts are what is actually running the whole show underneath it.In this episode I walk through what the Bible says about taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ, and how that lines up with something called the CBT triangle from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — thoughts, feelings, and behaviors all continuously influencing each other in a loop. I give you a practical tool called auditing backwards, where you trace an unwanted result all the way back to the thought that started it. And I walk through the exact reflection questions to help you identify unhelpful thoughts and build new, healthier loops.What we cover:Why your thoughts, not your behavior, are actually running the showTaking every thought captive and lining it up with what is true, noble, and rightThe CBT triangle — how thoughts, feelings, and actions continuously influence each otherHow to audit backwards from an unwanted result to the thought that triggered itReflection questions to identify unhelpful thoughts and build new, empowering onesYour tiny step from this episode:The next time you notice a strong feeling, pause. Ask what thought came right before it. Write it down. Ask if it is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy. If it is not, choose a new one.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: thoughts feelings behaviors, CBT triangle, taking thoughts captive, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, cognitive behavioral therapy, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, renewing your mind, Philippians 4:8, mindset transformation

Imagine a line running horizontally right in front of you. Everything in your life falls either above it or below it.Above the line is ownership, accountability, and responsibility. Below the line is blame, excuses, and denial. Above the line you are open and curious. Below the line you are closed and defensive. Above the line we see solutions. Below the line we see a lot of problems.In this episode I walk you through this simple but powerful framework and show you why the goal is never perfection — it is awareness. Where are you right now? Above or below? That is not a judgment. It is just a location. And once you know your location, there is one more question that can shift everything.If you COULD... how would you do it?That single question moves your brain from stuck to creative, from closed to open, from below the line to above it.What we cover:The full above the line, below the line framework and what lives on each sideWhy most of us default below the line without even realizing itWhy awareness, not perfection, is the actual goalThe one question that shifts you from stuck to creativeHow to use this tool in real time, in any hard momentYour tiny step from this episode:The next time you catch yourself below the line, ask the question. If I could, how would I do it? Write down whatever comes to mind, even if it feels small.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: above the line thinking, conscious leadership framework, ownership vs blame, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, self awareness tools, accountability mindset, getting unstuck

I have clients who do great for stretches and then completely fall apart — at the weekend, on vacation, during a stressful week, wherever their pattern shows up. And a lot of them tend to lean negative already, beating themselves up before I even say a word. So instead of lecturing them, I use a coaching game that gets them out of shame and into insight almost instantly.I ask them one question. "Are you willing to play with me?" Then I say, "I am going to pay you a pretend hundred dollars to teach me a class called How to Be Sure You Sabotage Your Goals. Make it dramatic. Over the top. Use words like ALWAYS and NEVER. Give me ten quick lessons."In this episode I walk you through the entire exercise, live, and show you why it works so well no matter where your pattern shows up. When you teach someone else how to sabotage themselves on purpose, dramatically, with absolutes and exaggeration, your own patterns become impossible to miss. And the solution becomes obvious.What we cover:The coaching tool Leslie uses whenever a client's pattern of self sabotage shows upWhy humor and role reversal lift shame faster than direct confrontationThe full ten lesson dramatic "class" on how to guarantee sabotaging your goalsHow flipping every lesson reveals your actual plan forwardWhy play moves you above the line faster than lecture ever couldYour tiny step from this episode:Write your own over the top, dramatic ten lesson class on how to sabotage yourself. Then flip every lesson into its opposite. That flipped list is your plan.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: self sabotage patterns, coaching tools for accountability, breaking bad habits, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, above the line thinking, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, conscious leadership tools, humor in coaching, accountability exercise

We say "I fell off the wagon" like it was an accident. Like we tripped. Like it just happened to us.But you did not fall. You jumped.That is not shame. That is your power handed back to you. Because if you jumped, you can climb back on. In this episode I walk through six practical, honest steps for what to do after a relapse — whether that is a full return to old habits or just one hard day that spiraled into three. Accept what happened without excuses. Take radical responsibility. Tell someone, because you are only as sick as your secrets. Forgive yourself instead of spiraling into shame. Identify and avoid your triggers. And take it one day at a time.A relapse does not erase your progress. It does not define your comeback. What matters most is what you do in the minutes right after.What we cover:Why the language of "falling off the wagon" quietly removes your powerThe six step framework for recovering from a relapse or a hard stretchWhy telling someone is one of the most powerful tools you haveThe difference between forgiving yourself and making excusesHow to identify your specific triggers so you can plan around themYour tiny step from this episode:If you have had a hard stretch, tell one person right now. Send the text. Make the call. You are only as sick as your secrets.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: relapse recovery, radical responsibility, getting back on track, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, accountability after setback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, overcoming a bad week, self forgiveness, honesty and recovery

I can have a ton of raw meat sitting in my fridge and a beautiful meal plan written out. That is a plan. But if I do not actually prepare those meals, cook them, portion them, have them ready to grab... I am not going to thrive. The plan just sits there, raw and useless, at seven o'clock when I am starving.In this quick episode I break down the difference between having a plan and actually being prepared — and why that difference is often what determines whether you follow through or not. I share the exact habit that changed everything for me: preparing the actual next day the night before. Not just the week. The next twenty four hours, decided in advance.What we cover:Why a plan without preparation falls apart under real life pressureThe exact questions to answer the night before to remove morning decision fatigueHow preparing tomorrow tonight sets you up to simply execute instead of decideYour tiny step from this episode:Before you go to bed tonight, prepare tomorrow. When you are working out, what the workout is, where you are doing it, what you are wearing, and when you are showering. Take the decisions off your plate before you even wake up.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: meal prep vs meal plan, decision fatigue and health goals, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, preparing for workouts, healthy habits for busy moms, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, quick health tips, morning routine for weight loss, night before preparation

I hear this all the time. Women telling me they want to like what they see when they look in the mirror. And I also hear women quoting Paul, saying he learned to be content in all circumstances, and wondering if that means they should just accept where they are and stop wanting more.In this episode I untangle that for you. Because you can do both. You can find genuine contentment right where you are AND choose not to be complacent.I dig into the Greek word behind Paul's "content" in Philippians 4:11 — autarkes — and what it actually means that he LEARNED it while chained to a Roman soldier, facing possible execution, still writing, still moving forward. I bring in Isaiah 26:3 and the promise of perfect peace for those whose minds are steadfast. And I unpack why we so often misinterpret contentment as resignation, when it was never meant to be a pause button.Peace is your inheritance as a daughter of the King. It is a fruit of the Spirit. And it is not dependent on the scale, the mirror, or the photo. You can be at peace with the woman you see today AND be actively becoming someone who is all the way healthy in her heart, mind, body, and spirit.What we cover:Why women constantly misinterpret Paul's contentment as permission to stop wanting moreThe Greek word autarkes and what it actually meansWhy Paul's contentment was his internal posture, not his pause buttonIsaiah 26:3 and the promise of perfect peaceHow peace and progress can be true at the exact same timeWhy nowhere in Scripture does God ask you to be content with unsatisfactory conditionsYour tiny step from this episode:Look in the mirror. Say out loud, "I am at peace with you today. And we are still growing." Let both things be true at the same time.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: contentment vs complacency, Philippians 4:11 meaning, body image and faith, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, peace and progress, Isaiah 26:3, faith and body image, Christian weight loss, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, mirror confidence, biblical contentment, fruit of the spirit peace

I got a text this week from a friend on day three of her reset. And she said... "I am DYING."Hungry and irritable on Saturday. A headache she could not shake on Sunday. By Monday she was fully convinced her body was shutting down.Friend... she is so dramatic. Somebody hand this woman an Emmy.In this episode I walk through four things that might actually be going on when you feel like you cannot survive the first few days of a health reset — and spoiler, none of them are dying. Maybe you need a few adjustments if you are very active. Maybe you are just feeling real hunger, which is normal. Maybe you are experiencing something called dry drunk syndrome, a real recovery term for the restlessness that shows up when you remove a coping mechanism without doing the emotional work underneath it. Or maybe that physical hunger is triggering something deeper — an emotional, spiritual, or mental hunger worth paying attention to.Whatever the reason, you are not dying.What we cover:Why the first few days of any reset feel dramatically worse than they actually areWhen to make practical adjustments like electrolytes and extra protein for active bodiesHunger as a normal feeling, not an emergencyDry drunk syndrome and why it applies to way more than alcoholThe deeper emotional or spiritual hunger that physical hunger can sometimes triggerYour tiny step from this episode:Run through the four questions. Do you need more electrolytes or protein? Are you just physically hungry? Are you feeling restless because you removed a coping mechanism? Or is something deeper trying to get your attention? Text one person and tell them what you are feeling.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: starting a health reset, sugar detox symptoms, dry drunk syndrome, hunger vs emergency, electrolytes for active women, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, comfort eating, emotional eating recovery, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, first days of a diet, food as coping mechanism, spiritual hunger

You wake up late. Skip your plan. Grab something you did not intend to eat. And by nine in the morning you have already decided the whole day is a wash.No. You get to start again at lunch.This quick episode is a reminder that every single meal is a brand new decision point. Breakfast does not own lunch. Lunch does not own dinner. One bad meal is just one meal — it is not a verdict on your whole day and it is not evidence that your plan does not work.What we cover:Why one off-plan meal does not have to ruin the whole dayThe permission to restart as many times as you need to, any time of dayWhy waiting for Monday is a myth you can let go of todayYour tiny step from this episode:If today has already gone off plan, do not wait for tomorrow. Start again at your very next meal.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: getting back on track after a bad meal, progress over perfection, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, restarting your health plan, quick health tips

I hear women say the worst things about their own bodies. I am disgusted by my body. I hate what I see in the mirror. I detest this part of me, that part of me. And it breaks my heart every single time.I grew up watching my mom's body work against her. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was in fourth grade, and I watched her disease progress over years. Then my dad was diagnosed with Corticobasal Degeneration, and I watched his body start failing him too.Growing up watching both of my parents lose the ability to trust their own bodies gave me a gratitude for mine that I have never been able to shake. Hands that can sign my name. Legs that carry me where I want to go. Arms that hold and hug my children. A body that built and gave birth to six babies and carried me through more emotional pain than I could ever count.I can confidently say I have never spoken words of hate over my body. And in this episode I share why I believe gratitude is the one thing that can change how you see yours too — including the simple question I ask my clients and friends that almost always starts with silence... and ends with a shift.What we cover:Why the way we talk about our bodies matters more than we realizeLeslie's story of watching her mom's MS and her dad's Corticobasal Degeneration progressWhy gratitude for your body is not naive — it is perspectiveThe exercise Leslie uses with clients and friends to shift how they speak to themselvesFive things to be grateful for about your body starting todayYour tiny step from this episode:Write down five things you are grateful for about your body. Say them out loud. Let that be the new way you speak to yourself.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: body image and gratitude, loving your body, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, body positivity, gratitude practice, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, self talk and body image, chronic illness perspective, faith and gratitude, appreciating your body

A craving feels like an emergency. It is not. It is a wave.In this quick episode I share the one truth about cravings that changed everything for me. They pass. Most cravings peak and start fading within about two minutes — if you just outlast the wave instead of giving in immediately.I give you a simple, practical tool to use the very next time a craving hits. Set a timer. Do something else while it counts down. And check back in. Nine times out of ten, the intensity has already dropped.You do not have to white knuckle your way through an entire evening of willpower. You just have to survive two minutes at a time.What we cover:Why a craving feels urgent but is not actually an emergencyThe two minute rule and how to use it in the momentSimple things to do while you wait out the waveWhy outlasting a craving is easier than fighting it head onYour tiny step from this episode:The next time a craving hits, set a timer for two minutes. Drink some water, step outside, or text your accountability partner while it counts down. Check back in and see how the intensity has shifted.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: how to stop a craving, food cravings and willpower, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, craving management tips, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, quick health tips, willpower and cravings, mindful eating tips

Leslie shares a quick mindset shift to overcome the 'I don't wanna' moments, emphasizing the importance of adulting and accountability in achieving personal goals. keywordsmindset, motivation, accountability, self-control, personal development, overcoming procrastinationMindset shift from 'I don't wanna' to 'I do want to'The metaphor of driving the bus and managing inner voicesAccountability to others and oneselfThe importance of perspective in overcoming resistancePractical steps to start despite reluctance You are the adult in your mind driving the bus.Accountability to others can motivate action.Changing perspective can turn 'I don't wanna' into 'I do want to.'Your future self is counting on you to make good choices.Small mindset shifts can lead to significant progress.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the 'I Don't Wanna' Mindset00:30 The Bus Metaphor: Managing Inner Voices00:58 Taking Control: The Adult in Your Brain01:28 Accountability to Others and Yourself02:27 The Power of Perspective in Motivation02:49 Practical Steps to Overcome Reluctance03:17 Choosing to Act Despite Feelings03:47 The Mindset Shift: From 'I Don't Wanna' to 'I Do Want To'

What feeling am I trying to avoid when I reach for this?What do I believe this habit gives me that I cannot get any other way?What would I have to feel if I put it down?What has this habit cost me? In my health. In my relationships. In my relationship with myself.In the last episode I asked you one question. Could you become her without it?Today we get practical. Because curiosity without a next step is just a feeling. And we are women who take tiny steps.Getting curious does not mean you are committing to give something up forever. It does not mean you are declaring you have a problem. It does not mean your life is about to get boring or small or joyless.Getting curious means you are willing to ask one honest question. What legitimate need has this habit become an illegitimate substitute for?Because nothing we reach for compulsively is random. We reach for it because it is meeting a real need. Rest. Comfort. Connection. Relief. Joy. Feeling like yourself for five minutes after a hard day. Those are real needs. The question is whether the thing you are using to meet them is actually working. Or whether it is just covering them up long enough to get through the night.In this episode I give you four honest questions to sit with, my personal challenge for the next three days — or thirty — and the practical tips I learned for navigating social situations without my crutch. And I point you to a free guide on my website specifically designed to help you process through this with the Lord — a space to get honest and get curious with God about what this habit is really covering up.Whatever your thing is... you deserve to find out what life looks like without it running the show.A note before you listen:If what comes up for you feels heavier than a habit — if it feels like something you genuinely cannot control or stop even when you want to — please reach out to a doctor, therapist, or trusted person in your life. That is not weakness. That is one of the bravest things you can do.What we cover:What getting curious actually means and what it does not meanThe one honest question underneath every compulsive habitFour questions to sit with as you explore what your habit is really covering upThe three day challenge and what to do if that caused a little panic in your chestPractical tips for navigating social situations without your crutchWhy you can apply sober curiosity to sugar, scrolling, food, or anything else you have been using to copeBooks and resources that have helped Leslie and the women she knows on this journeyFree resource:Leslie's free sober curiosity guide is available at lesliebegin.com/guides — a space to process through this with the Lord.Your tiny step from this episode:Name your thing. Write it down. Ask yourself one of the four questions. Find one person to tell. You are not committing to anything forever. You are just getting curious.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

A few years ago we had family pictures taken. And I remember that morning thinking about who I wanted to be in those photos. Fun. Relaxed. Patient. Playful. Fully present.And then I thought... I know exactly how to become that version of myself.I poured a glass of wine. And honestly I did not even sip it. I chugged it. Because the purpose of that glass was never to enjoy it. It was to make me feel something. To make me become something I did not know how to be on my own.That is the story I believed. In order to be the ideal version of myself... I needed wine to do it.In this episode I share the moment everything shifted. Sitting at a girls night out with a margarita in my hand. Watching what alcohol had almost cost someone I loved deeply. And asking myself one question I could not stop thinking about.Could I become the person this drink is making me feel like... without it?But this episode is not really about alcohol. It is about whatever YOUR thing is. The thing you use to cope. To numb. To become who you wish you already were naturally. Because every single one of us has one.Scrolling. Sugar. Food. Overworking. Cleaning. Helping everyone around you so you never have to sit still long enough to feel your own feelings. Painkillers. Porn. Television.Every single one of us is on a scale of dependence with something. And most of us know what ours is. We just keep looking away from it.In this episode I talk about the log and the speck — why it is so much easier to focus on someone else's habit than to look honestly at our own. And I ask the question I want you to sit with today.Could you become her without it?What we cover:The family photo shoot story and the glass of wine Leslie chugged to become the mom she wanted to beThe moment at girls night that changed everythingWhy this episode is not just about alcohol — it is about whatever your thing isThe full list of habits and substances we use to numb cope and become who we wish we already wereThe log and the speck — why we focus on everyone else's habit instead of our ownWhat Leslie found on the other side of giving up alcohol nine years agoThe one question to sit with todayA note before you listen:If what comes up for you feels heavier than a habit — if it feels like something you genuinely cannot control or stop even when you want to — please reach out to a doctor, therapist, or trusted person in your life. That is not weakness. That is one of the bravest things you can do.Your tiny step from this episode:Name your thing. Write it down. Even if you burn it afterward. Because you cannot get curious about something you have not named.Visit lesliebegin.com/guides for Leslie's free guide to process through this with the Lord.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: sober curious women, giving up alcohol, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, coping mechanisms and health, could I become her without it, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, alcohol and motherhood, wine culture moms, sobriety story, numbing emotions, food and scrolling addiction, faith and sobriety, women and alcohol

I heard John Maxwell say something in person that hit me so hard I wanted to get it made into art and hang it by my front door."The question in my mind changed from 'How long will this take?' to 'How far can I go?'"In this episode I talk about why we are all obsessed with the timeline and why that obsession is quietly killing our comebacks. We live in a world where Amazon delivers same day in Atlanta, DoorDash shows up in under an hour, and the phone in our pocket delivers a dopamine hit in thirty seconds. We have been completely conditioned for instant. And real transformation is the ultimate delayed gratification.I share how this one question shift carried me through a rocky season in my marriage when I wanted immediate healing and had to learn to ask how great can this marriage actually get instead. How it changed the way Trey and I built our businesses. And how I need it desperately right now in my own health comeback.I also get real about something I am passionate about for my eighties and nineties girls. We are not asking how skinny can you get and how quickly. Those two questions go hand in hand and we are done with both of them. We are chasing strong. Lean. Toned. All the way healthy in body mind spirit emotions and relationships. And John Maxwell was right. There is no finish line on that journey.What we cover:Why the timeline obsession is stopping your comeback before it gets momentumThe John Maxwell question shift that changes everythingHow Leslie applied this to her marriage her businesses and her health comebackWhy slow is not failure — slow is how real transformation actually worksThe truth about what we are really chasing — and why skinny is not itHow to stop measuring your comeback by dramatic moments and start measuring by daily disciplinesThe difference between asking can I and asking how can IYour tiny step from this episode:Write down this question and put it somewhere you will see it every single morning. Not how quickly will I get there. How far can I go? Let that be the question that carries your comeback.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: John Maxwell how far can I go, delayed gratification and weight loss, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, strong not skinny, sarcopenia women, long term health goals, instant gratification culture, marriage healing, business growth mindset, all the way healthy

I am recording this one from the trenches. Not from the mountaintop. Not from the other side of a win. From the middle of a hard week where the toddler committee is loud and the cereal is right there and nothing feels good.I just got back from a trip where my nutrition was actually great. I did the thing. And then I came home to VBS week, late nights, a house on the market with six kids living in it, a to do list with no bottom, and somehow ended up eating cereal. And then the toddler committee took over.In this episode I share what nobody talks about enough. Changing habits that have been your coping mechanisms and your counselors through every hard season of your life is not going to feel good. Because you have been in a long relationship with these habits. They have shown up for you. Numbed things. Comforted things. And breaking up with them feels like loss even when it is the most right thing you have ever done.I also share something I heard recently that stopped me in my tracks. Motivation is only good for getting you to the starting line. After that it is decision. Resilience. A tool set. And showing up on the days when nothing in you wants to.This episode is a real time report from someone in the middle of a hard week choosing anyway. One decision at a time.I am raising my water cup to you friend. We have got this.What we cover:Why coming back after a trip or an event is one of the hardest moments in a health journeyWhy habit change is not going to feel good and why that is actually normalThe truth about motivation and the only job it actually hasHow every episode in this series was training for exactly this kind of dayWhat doing it anyway actually looks like on a hard Tuesday in the thick of summerYour tiny step from this episode:Just one decision. Not the whole plan. Not the whole week. One decision right now that moves you forward. Make it. Then make the next one.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: healthy habits after vacation, getting back on track after a trip, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, motivation and habit change, doing it anyway, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, habit change is hard, resilience and health, real talk wellness podcast, summer health tips, codependency and food habits

You are making progress. Real, visible, undeniable progress. And you have absolutely no idea what to do when someone notices.At first they cannot quite put their finger on it. They look at you and say... "Did you get a haircut?" And you can just laugh and say, "No! But I lost some weight so maybe my hair looks shorter! I feel great, thanks for noticing!"And then a little further down the road they get more specific. "Have you lost weight?" And most of us deflect. We minimize. We say oh it is nothing, I still have so far to go.In this episode I want to teach you something really important. Accept the compliment. Own your work. Say it out loud. And then add three little words that pivot the whole conversation and turn your progress into an opportunity to encourage someone else.Because the truth is... people do not ask because of YOU. They ask because of THEM. You are an inspiration. And owning your results is not bragging — it is giving someone else permission to begin their own comeback story.What we cover:Why deflecting and minimizing your progress is actually working against youWhat accepting a compliment gracefully actually sounds like in real lifeThe three words to add after you accept the compliment that change everythingWhy people ask about your journey because of THEM not because of youHow to loan someone your confidence by sharing what has worked for youWhy the twelfth step of the twelve steps is to pass it on — and why that applies hereHow sharing your results solidifies your own commitment to keep goingYour tiny step from this episode:The next time someone notices your progress — do not deflect. Look them in the eye and say thank you. And mean it. You earned it.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: accepting compliments gracefully, owning your progress, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, inspiring others on your health journey, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, passing it on, paying it forward, health transformation, you are an inspiration, metabolic health women

Someone older and wiser sat across from me once and said something I have never forgotten."Leslie. As you heal, your kids will heal."In this episode I unpack what that means and why it changed everything for me as a mom. Your health comeback is not selfish. It is not taking from your kids. It is one of the most generous things you can do FOR them. Because people do what you do. Not what you say. And every habit you build, every truth you learn, every hard step you take on this journey is being watched, absorbed, and inherited by the people sitting across the dinner table from you.I also talk about learning out loud — sharing what you are discovering on your journey in real time so the people around you can learn it faster than you did. In the car. At the dinner table. On social media. Let them catch what you are carrying.What we cover:The moment someone told Leslie "as you heal your kids will heal" and what that unlockedWhy people do what you do and not what you say and what that means for your health journeyThe practice of learning out loud and why the people around you will learn it faster than youWhat to put in your ears in the car and at home so your kids are absorbing healthy truth alongside youPaul's challenge to imitate me as I imitate Christ and what that looks like as a mom on a health comebackWhy pursuing your health is not selfish — it is one of the most generous investments you can make in your familyHow the habits you build become the habits they adoptYour tiny step from this episode:Share one thing you are learning on this journey with someone in your life today. Your daughter. Your husband. A friend. Post it. Say it out loud. Learn out loud. Let them catch what you are carrying.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: generational health, healing and motherhood, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy habits for moms, faith and health, learning out loud, imitate me as I imitate Christ, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, moms and self care, generational healing, healthy family habits, Christian women wellness

My husband Trey used to listen in on my coaching calls in the early years. And after hearing me troubleshoot with client after client — asking questions, trying to figure out why results had stalled — he finally said... "Leslie. Always start with water. It is always the water."And he was right. Almost every single time.In this episode I share the surprising science behind why not drinking enough water actually causes your body to hold onto water weight, why dehydration can keep the scale stuck even when you are doing everything else right, and why your brain is often sending you to the kitchen for food when what it actually needs is a big glass of water.I also give you my five practical tips for actually getting your water in — including why the size of your cup matters more than you think, why front loading your water early in the day changes everything, and the sugar free electrolyte that has been a game changer for me living in the deep south.Short, practical, and possibly the episode that finally moves your scale.What we cover:Why Trey always said start with water and why he was right almost every timeThe surprising science of why dehydration causes your body to retain water and keep the scale stuckHow your brain confuses thirst signals for hunger signalsThe combination of green tea extract and caffeine and what research shows about thermogenesisFive practical tips for getting your water in consistently every dayWhy front loading your water early matters if you want to sleep through the nightThe sugar free electrolyte game changer for anyone who sweats regularly or lives somewhere hotYour water goal from this episode:Half your body weight in ounces every single day. Fill up the biggest cup you own and drink it before you do anything else today.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: drinking more water for weight loss, dehydration and the scale, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, how much water to drink, water retention and dehydration, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, electrolytes for women, green tea extract benefits, hydration and metabolism

I am in a week full of social engagements and I am excited about every single one of them. But I am also reminding myself of the habits I mastered the first time I lost weight and kept it off for a long time. Because social situations used to be where my health goals went to die.Here is the honest truth. I used to go to baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, and parties completely focused on the food. That was genuinely part of what I looked forward to. And I had to shift. I had to start reminding myself what the event was actually about. Because it was never actually about the food.In this episode I give you my full six step practical playbook for navigating any social situation on your health journey. From how I fuel before I walk in the door to what I put in my hand the moment I arrive to exactly what I say when someone asks why I am not drinking or eating the thing.Social situations are not the enemy of your health journey. They are the proving ground. Every single event you navigate with intention is a vote for the woman you are becoming.What we cover:Why shifting the focus from food to people changes everything at social eventsFueling before you go so you never walk in desperate and hungryThe fancy glass strategy and why your hand should never be emptyHow to do a protein veggie and fat scavenger hunt at any buffet or party spreadThe permissive language shift from I cannot have that to I am choosing this insteadThe one line to use when someone asks why plus a little New Orleans wisdom for pivoting the conversationHow to focus on what you are creating not what you are avoidingYour tiny step from this episode:Look at your calendar this week. Pick the one social situation that feels most challenging. Decide right now — before you get there — how you will fuel beforehand, what will be in your hand when you arrive, and what you will say if someone asks why.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: healthy eating at social events, navigating parties on a health journey, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, social pressure and healthy eating, how to stay on track at parties, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, sober at parties, healthy lifestyle social situations, food pressure from friends, girls night out healthy choices

You do not have to eat the cake just because your grandma made it and her feelings might be hurt if you don't. And honestly... your feelings could be hurt if she guilts you into eating it.In this episode I share two real stories from my very first week of prioritizing my health. A tea party with friends where I called ahead, told my friend my goals, and offered to bring food that fit my plan. And a girls night out where the pressure was real — "why aren't you drinking?" and "a little queso won't hurt" — and I found myself whispering to my coach from the girls bathroom.This episode is about learning that you do not owe anyone an explanation for your health choices. You can be warm, gracious, and fun AND stay true to what you are building. Nobody has to be comfortable with your choices for your choices to be valid.What we cover:The tea party story and how one phone call made it completely easyThe girls night story and the exact line Leslie's coach gave her from the bathroomWhy you do not have to explain justify or defend your health choices to anyoneHow to be the most fun person at the table without participating in everything on itPractical tips for navigating food pressure with grace and confidenceYour tiny step from this episode:Think about the next social situation on your calendar. Decide right now what you will say if someone questions your choices. Practice it out loud before you go.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: social pressure and healthy eating, how to stay on track at parties, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, food pressure from friends, healthy lifestyle social situations, saying no to food at parties, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, healthy habits for women, navigating social events on a health journey

You have to brainwash yourself. On purpose. In the best possible way.The toddler committee in my head has been running the show for a long time. And as I have been making changes on this comeback there have been moments where I found myself standing in the pantry or almost grabbing something off the counter that had nothing to do with my goals. And I realized in those moments that willpower alone was never going to be enough.I needed to fill my head with something better.In this episode I talk about the practice of intentional brainwashing — putting healthy voices in your ears and keeping them there. Not just I AM statements on a sticky note. Audiobooks. Podcasts. Music. Content that keeps reminding you of your why and telling you the truth about how your body and brain are actually changing.I also share how I approach learning a new topic — hyperfixating, reading fast to let it wash over me, then going back slowly to let it soak from my mind into my heart. And I share the book that changed everything for me the first time I wrote my own health comeback story.Find the voice you need to hear in this season. Let her be a big sister to you. Let her words go in so many times they start to become your own thoughts.What we cover:Why willpower alone is never enough and what to do insteadThe difference between information getting into your mind and truth getting into your heartHow to hyperfixate on one topic to accelerate real transformationThe resource inside our coaching app that is full of the science and psychology of true habit changeWhy this podcast series exists and what Leslie hopes it does for youThe book that changed everything for Leslie on her first health comeback and the author she may have completely fan girled when she metYour tiny step from this episode:Pick one voice. One book, one podcast series, one resource that speaks directly to where you are right now. Put it in your ears today. And commit to coming back to it again and again until it moves from your head into your heart.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: healthy mindset for women, personal growth podcast, brainwashing yourself for success, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, Made to Crave Lysa TerKeurst, Habits of Health, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, faith and health, intentional learning, mindset transformation

Before we dive in — this episode is for the average person navigating a health comeback. If you have a history with disordered eating, this one is best processed with a professional who knows your specific story. You deserve that kind of personalized support.For everyone else... let's talk about hunger.Hunger is a sliding scale. And most of us in America have never experienced the low end of it. I have traveled to Guatemala, Kenya, and the Philippines and served families there. I have seen real hunger. Patient hunger. Kind hunger. People who do not use the word hangry because the level of discomfort we call hangry is not something they have the luxury of complaining about.In this episode I walk you through the hunger scale from negative ten to positive ten, share what is actually happening in your body when you eat too fast and bypass your own fullness signals, and give you four practical questions to ask yourself the next time you feel hungry before it is time to eat.Hunger is not a commandment. It is not an emergency. It is your body communicating — and you get to decide how to respond.What we cover:The hunger scale from negative ten to positive ten and where most of us actually liveThe satiety hormones CCK, GLP-1, and peptide YY and why they need twenty minutes to signal your brain you are fullThe rhythms of fasting and feasting found throughout Scripture and why hunger is a natural and healthy signalFour questions to ask yourself before you eat — is it time, is it physical or emotional, how hungry are you really, and what will actually satisfy itThe difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger and what your cravings are really telling youYour tiny step from this episode:The next time you feel hungry before it is time to eat, pause. Ask the four questions. Make a choice from your best self instead of your most desperate self.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: hunger cues for women, emotional hunger vs physical hunger, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, mindful eating, hunger scale, satiety hormones, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, faith and health, fasting and feasting, hunger and weight loss

Too many choices are secretly sabotaging your health journey more than any food choice ever could.I took one of our international students to the grocery store recently and she stopped dead in the middle of the cereal aisle. Completely overwhelmed. She turned her head slowly from one end to the other and said... "How do you choose?" And I looked at that aisle through her eyes for the first time in years.Hundreds of cereals. Hundreds of cookie and cracker options. Hundreds of chip and pretzel and popcorn options. We are spoiled by options. And our toddler committees are absolutely in heaven.In this episode I share why too many choices are exhausting your brain before you even get to dinner, and why limiting your options is not a punishment - it is actually the thing that sets you free. I bring in psychologist Barry Schwartz and his book The Paradox of Choice, which argues that more options do not make us happier - they make us more anxious, more exhausted, and less satisfied. He calls it decision fatigue. And by the time you have made a hundred small decisions throughout your day your brain is genuinely tired. And a tired brain does not make good choices.I also share what my own comeback has looked like - stashing protein forward, low glycemic food in my purse, my glove compartment, and my pantry, eating when my alarm goes off, and never negotiating with the toddler committee about what is on the menu.Limitation is not the opposite of freedom. For most of us... limitation IS freedom.What we cover:Why the paradox of choice is exhausting your decision making before dinner even hitsDecision fatigue and why your brain is genuinely tired by the time food cravings strikeWhy your clients saying "I am bored" with a simple plan is just the toddler committee throwing a fitHow stashing simple protein forward food everywhere changed everything on this comebackWhy the program we coach works — options delivered to your door plus the outer aisles of the grocery storeThe freedom that comes from stopping the all day negotiation with yourselfYour tiny step from this episode:Write down your five proteins, five vegetables, and two healthy fats. Put the list on your refrigerator. That is your menu for the week. Stop negotiating. Start executing.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: decision fatigue and food choices, paradox of choice Barry Schwartz, limiting food choices for weight loss, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, food noise, toddler committee, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, simplifying your eating plan, freedom through limitation, metabolic health women

When temptation hits... don't stand there and negotiate with it. Flee.In this episode I share one of the most practical and underrated tools in my entire health comeback arsenal — physically moving your body away from the thing that is pulling at you. The Bible says flee from temptation. Not resist it from across the room. Not white knuckle your way through it standing in front of the open refrigerator. Flee.I also share the science behind WHY this works. Your brain is seeking dopamine when a craving hits. And movement — even just dancing in your kitchen for three minutes or walking to the end of your street — floods your brain with the same feel good chemicals it was chasing with the food. Your brain was not actually hungry. It was just looking for a hit. And you can give it one without opening the pantry.What we cover:Why the Bible says flee — not resist — from temptation and what that actually looks like practicallyThe dopamine connection between cravings and movementPractical ways to flee — dancing, walking, jumping, leaving the house entirelyWhy leaving the house is Leslie's personal favorite strategy and what to do with the temptation on your way outYour tiny step from this episode:The next time a craving hits put on one song and move until it is over. See what is on the other side of three minutes of movement.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: fleeing temptation, food cravings and movement, dopamine and cravings, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, how to stop food cravings, conscious leadership above the line, healthy habits for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, movement and mental health, faith and health, overcoming temptation

I forget to eat. Not as a strategy. Not on purpose. I just get going and the next thing I know it is three o'clock in the afternoon and I have had nothing but coffee and good intentions. And then dinner hits and I am eating fast, standing up, not tasting anything, wondering why I feel terrible afterward.In this episode I am talking about mindful eating — and I promise it is not as complicated as it sounds. It is simply the practice of being present for your meals. Sitting down. Slowing down. Actually tasting what is in front of you.I share the science behind why eating slowly matters for your body and your hunger hormones. I also talk about why savoring your food is one of the most countercultural things you can do in a world that rewards speed and distraction. And I give you five practical tips for actually getting this habit into your real life — including the dinner table ritual we use in our house with eight people and zero expectation of perfect peaceful conversation.What we cover:Why forgetting to eat during the day leads to poor choices at nightThe hunger hormones that need twenty minutes to signal your brain you are full and what happens when you eat too fastWhy eating while scrolling or watching TV is quietly working against youThe dinner table ritual that works even with a full house and zero quiet momentsFive practical tips to bring mindful eating into your real life todayYour tiny step from this episode:Set three alarms on your phone for your next three meals. Name them something that makes you smile. When they go off — sit down, put the phone away, and taste your food.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackConnect with Leslie:📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcastsKeywords: mindful eating, how to eat slowly, women's wellness podcast, healthy eating habits, hunger hormones, health coach, everyday comeback, fueling your body, healthy lifestyle for moms, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, busy mom health tips, satiety hormones, eating habits for weight loss

Some nights when I think I am hungry... I am not hungry. My brain is just short circuited. It has been going all day. It is tired and depleted and it is sending me to the pantry when what it actually needs is a pillow.The late night kitchen raid is not always a craving. Sometimes it is just exhaustion wearing a snack costume.In this mini episode I share why closing the kitchen early is not a willpower move... it is a metabolic strategy. Your body at ten o'clock at night is not the same body it was at noon. It burns significantly less energy processing the same meal, your fat burning slows down, and your hunger hormones get completely confused.And the only way I have actually found to close the kitchen early? Just go to bed.I walk you through my real nighttime wind down routine — the herbal tea that signals to my brain the day is done, why the phone goes in the closet every single night, and the magnesium supplement that has genuinely changed how quickly I fall asleep and how rested I feel in the morning.Sleep is not a reward for finishing your to do list. Sleep is a health strategy. A weight loss strategy. A mindset strategy. The thing that makes every other healthy habit easier the next day.And tonight I want to give you one simple thing to try that might just change everything.Topics covered: sleep and weight loss, late night eating, how to stop eating at night, sleep as a health strategy, magnesium for sleep, nighttime routine for weight loss, women's wellness podcast, healthy habits for moms, blood sugar and sleep, everyday comeback, health coach, faith and health, Leslie Begin, comeback mindset, healthy lifestyle for busy mows, circadian rhythm and metabolismYour tiny step tonight: pick one — herbal tea, phone in the closet, or magnesium. Just one. Tonight. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

I had six babies in twelve years. I was throwing dirty diapers out the door under the carport. The laundry was never folded. The chickens were eating my mustard greens. My dad had just been diagnosed with a terminal disease. And somewhere in the middle of all of that... I desperately wanted to write my own comeback story in my health.And I had every excuse in the world not to.In this episode I get brutally honest about the real excuses I fought for the hardest in my health journey. The ones that felt completely reasonable and completely true. I was too exhausted to think about food. The kids were the priority. So I ate the crusts of their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the soggy goldfish crackers at the bottom of the bowl and told myself that was motherhood.I also share the moment I left a perfectly full margarita on the table at girls night nine years ago and never looked back... and the one question that changed everything.Because here is what I know after thirteen years of coaching women through their health comebacks. When you repeat your excuses you fight for them. And if you keep fighting for your excuses you will not fight for your goals and your dreams.Your excuses are not disqualifications. They are invitations. The most powerful why you have is probably hiding inside the excuse you have been fighting for the hardest.Topics covered: health excuses, motivation for weight loss, women's wellness podcast, healthy lifestyle for moms, comeback mindset, sober curiosity, health coach, faith and health, overwhelmed moms, healthy habits, everyday comeback, mindset for moms, personal growth for women, building healthy habits, Leslie BeginYour tiny step today: write down your three biggest health excuses. Write "which means I absolutely must" next to every one. Finish the sentence. Read it out loud. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

After hearing "wow you have your hands full" approximately one thousand nine hundred and fifty six times walking into the grocery store with my six daughters... I started to believe it.That is how lies work. They do not start as lies. They start as a passing comment, a hard moment, a number on a scale, a voice from the past. And the longer you hear them the more they feel like facts.In this episode I share the three stages that take a small painful thought and turn it into a prison - what Dr. Henry Cloud calls the death spiral of a leader. Personal. Pervasive. Permanent. And I walk you through exactly how the lies I believed about my body, my self control, and my capacity became the most compelling truths in my life... until I learned to replace them.I have no self control around food. I will never be able to lose this weight. I am too much and it will always be too much.Those were my lies. And I want to help you name yours today. Because the story you tell yourself about yourself becomes the story you live. And it is time to make sure that story is actually true.Topics covered: mindset for weight loss, replacing negative thoughts, lies we believe about ourselves, self talk and health, women's wellness podcast, faith and health, overcoming limiting beliefs, healthy mindset, personal growth for women, comeback mindset, Henry Cloud death spiral, emotional health, breaking negative thought patterns, health coach, everyday comebackYour tiny step today: write down one lie that has become your compelling truth. Then write the truth that replaces it. Say it out loud. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

It's a tale as old as time. God gave Adam and Eve permission to eat from every single tree in the garden... except one. And instead of feasting on the thousands of trees surrounding them, they fixated on the one thing they couldn't have. The enemy of their lives, their purpose, and their calling came to do exactly what he always does — steal, kill, and destroy — and his strategy was simple. Get them staring at the one prohibited thing instead of the thousands of permitted ones.His strategy has never changed. And neither has ours.In this episode I introduce one of the most powerful mindset shifts in your health comeback: the difference between prohibitive language and permissive language. The second you tell yourself you cannot have something, the toddler committee in your brain loses its mind. No running means RUN. No ice cream means ICE CREAM. And suddenly you are miserable, grumpy, and convinced you have no willpower.You don't have a willpower problem. You have a language problem.I walk you through three practical steps to flip your inner language from prohibited to permitted, why saying "I can't have that" out loud is making things worse, and how to redirect your toddler committee to what they actually get to have instead of what they don't.Spoiler: chocolate mint protein bars that taste like thin mint cookies help.Topics covered: diet mindset for women, permissive vs prohibitive language, healthy mindset, overcoming food cravings, weight loss mindset, how to stop feeling deprived on a diet, mindset shifts for weight loss, healthy eating motivation, women's wellness podcast, faith and health, biblical approach to health, taking thoughts captive, how to stick to a healthy eating plan, comeback mindset, personal growth for women, healthy lifestyle motivation, emotional eating, food freedom mindsetYour tiny step today: write down five prohibitive thoughts and flip every single one into permissive language. Read them out loud. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Perfectionism is not a personality trait to be proud of. It is keeping you stuck, preventing you from moving forward, and quietly costing the people around you too.In this episode I get honest about how perfection mentality works against your health goals, your mindset, and your relationships, and how switching to a progress mindset changed absolutely everything for me. Including something I had to ask my own kids to forgive me for.If you have ever eaten one cookie and decided the whole day was ruined... waited for the perfect Monday to start over... or told yourself you just need more willpower... this episode is for you.We talk about how perfectionism is rooted in shame, why progress mentality breaks that shame off your life, and the exact mindset shifts that will help you stop starting over and actually finish what you start.Progress compounds. Perfection postpones.Topics covered: overcoming perfectionism, progress over perfection, healthy mindset for women, breaking the all or nothing cycle, shame and self compassion, building healthy habits, weight loss mindset, consistency over perfection, how to stop self sabotage, healthy lifestyle for moms, personal growth for women, comeback mindset, building better habits, emotional health, women's wellness podcastYour tiny step today: the next time you mess up, don't wait for Monday. Restart right there, right then. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

When I was a kid, my cousins and I would spend hours on our boogie boards in the ocean, riding waves and laughing and completely lost in it. And then one of us would look up... and way down the beach, further than made any sense, we could see our moms waving us back. The undertow had been pulling us the whole time. Quietly. Without us feeling a thing.That is the drift. And it is exactly what Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy warn about in their book Living Forward. You don't end up somewhere bad on purpose. You just stop choosing. And the undertow of distraction and overwhelm and just getting through the week pulls you further from the life you meant to be living every single day.In this episode I walk you through the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, why intrinsic is the only thing that carries you all the way, and I share my own three movie scenes... the specific, vivid moments I run through my mind every single morning to remind myself exactly who I am becoming and why it matters.Then I give you four questions to build your own compelling why. Here they are:One. Where are you right now, and where do you really want to be? If you were waving a magic wand over your body and could change anything about your health, what would change?Two. How will it impact you emotionally, mentally, and physically when you reach that goal?Three. What will you do more of, or what will you say yes to, that you are currently avoiding?Four. How will reaching this goal impact your most important relationships?Write your answers down. Then picture three movie scenes of you actually being that woman. Make them vivid. Make them specific. Make them yours.You steer where you stare. Today we decide what you're staring at. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

You were not meant to do life, or your comeback, alone. In this episode, I share why real accountability isn't about punishment or shame, it's about ownership and choice... plus a story about a client who blamed her husband's ice cream habit for her own struggle (and the moment she realized it wasn't actually about the ice cream).I'll walk you through the different forms accountability can take: measurements that tell you the truth without dictating your worth, community, and yes, paid accountability and coaching. And we'll get practical... who are you actually going to text your scale screenshot to? Who is going to call you out when you start hiding?Your tiny step today: choose, by name, who you're accountable to. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

I always think about ideas for months, sometimes years, before I actually launch them. So if you've been waiting for the "perfect" time to pick a plan... I want to tell you something. There isn't one. Not the beginning of summer, not after the holidays, not when life calms down.In this episode, I walk you through the two things you have to do before picking any health plan: be realistic about your ideal, and be honest about what you're actually doing right now. I share the story of the eighteen page nutrition plan that nearly broke me while raising four kids under six, and the much simpler plan I resisted... until I couldn't anymore.If your plan isn't working, that's not failure. That's feedback. Give it a few days, and if you're still struggling, just make it simpler.Your tiny step today: write down your plan for today or tomorrow. Let's Begin.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

You call yourself an "all or nothing" girl. You try to change everything at once... and when it fails, you tell yourself you just need more grace. But sometimes "grace upon grace" looks like a large pour of wine and cutting brownie pieces off the pan until a quarter of it is gone.Let's talk about your Cornerstone Habit... The one habit that, once it's in place, makes every other habit easier or even unnecessary. It's different for everyone, and it's rarely what you'd expect. Leslie shares how she mistakenly believed cutting sugar was her own cornerstone habit for years, and what she actually found after having six babies in twelve years and learning to sleep again... a discovery that had nothing to do with bedtime and everything to do with where she charges her phone.You'll walk away asking yourself one simple question: what is MY cornerstone habit? Sleep? Stress management? Boundaries? Movement? Nutrition structure?Your tiny step today: try one habit that could be your cornerstone, and watch what shifts. Let's Begin.

You are not lazy. You are not undisciplined. You are exhausted from switching lanes every time a new reel tells you something different.In this episode, Leslie unpacks the real reason most of us stay stuck before we even begin... the overwhelming, contradicting flood of health information available to us 24 hours a day. One video says spinach will heal you. The next says it's full of phytates and wrecking your gut. So which is true? And more importantly... does it even matter right now?Leslie shares why confusion is actually a choice, and how choosing one next right step — instead of the entire plan — is the thing that actually moves you forward. Not the hundred pound goal. Not the marriage overhaul and the retirement fund and the fitness routine, all by next week. Just one small, doable, undeniable step.By the end of this episode you'll walk away with the courage to choose your own one thing... and the challenge to go do it immediately.Your one next right step starts today. Let's Begin.

I love a comeback story... Legally Blonde, the Mighty Ducks, and my personal favorite, the 80's classic Girls Just Want to Have Fun. In this first episode of my Everyday Comeback series, I'm sharing why I'm building my own comeback story in real time, and why every comeback is written one day at a time, not in one giant leap.Drawing from my own experience in codependency recovery and the wisdom of "one day at a time," I unpack why focusing on the whole mountain ahead can paralyze us... and why bringing our focus back to today, even to this moment, is what actually moves us forward.What area of your life are you ready to write a comeback story in? Health, faith, finances, family? This series will help you write yours... one day at a time.Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comebackLet's Begin.

Welcome to Dare to Begin — Show TrailerConfronted with truth and hugged at the same time.If you're overwhelmed, a little overcome, and quietly stuck somewhere — in your health, your finances, your faith, your marriage, or just your story — this is the podcast for you.I'm Leslie Begin, and in this short trailer I'll introduce you to the show: who it's for, what you can expect from every episode, and why I believe your comeback starts with one tiny step instead of a giant overhaul.I'm a health coach, a mom of six, married to my husband Trey for over twenty years, and I'm walking out my own health comeback in real time right alongside you. This podcast was born from everything I've learned the hard way - through therapy, coaching, and real life - and it's here to help you finally move forward.Hit follow so you don't miss what's coming next.It's time. Let's Begin.