Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast

If one tough day has you thinking you’ve ruined everything, this episode is for you. Dr Lucy and Dr Mary unpack consistency, perfectionism, and the all-or-nothing thinking that can make healthy habits feel impossible to sustain.
When life is busy, plans change, and the gym, meal prep, or healthy eating routine goes out the window, it’s easy to believe you’ve failed and need to start again on Monday. But consistency isn’t about doing everything perfectly every day. It’s about zooming out, recognising the small blips for what they are, and having a realistic plan for the days when your usual routine isn’t possible. Dr Lucy and Dr Mary share practical ways to lower the friction around food, movement, morning light, and self-care, including the value of a “bare minimum” plan.
You’ll come away with a more useful way to interpret the moments that don’t go to plan. Rather than labelling yourself as lacking willpower or “self-sabotaging”, you can get curious about what’s driving your behaviour, make one small adjustment, and keep going. Because your health isn’t built on perfect days. It’s built over time.
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/
Episode, show notes & transcript
https://www.rlmedicine.com/how-to-stay-consistent-when-life-gets-messy
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the missing piece isn’t another diet, but learning how to work with your brain when food feels loud? In this honest conversation, Dr Lucy speaks with Louise Govier, a 59-year-old woman from England, about moving from years of frustration, dieting and feeling stuck to building habits that better support her health.
Louise shares why reducing sweet and savoury “sugar” foods helped quieten her constant thoughts about eating, but also why food was only one part of the picture. Together, she and Dr Lucy explore emotional eating, non-hungry urges, intermittent fasting, strength training, sleep, stress management and the mindset tools that helped Louise navigate difficult moments. You’ll hear the powerful metaphors that made a difference for her, including the “dog on the couch”, using guardrails rather than rules, and learning when to “snip the thread” of an unhelpful habit.
This isn’t a story about perfection or quick fixes. It’s about self-awareness, practising new skills and returning to what helps when life gets messy. If food noise, all-or-nothing thinking or repeated restarts feel familiar, Louise’s experience may leave you feeling understood, encouraged and more hopeful about your own next step.
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/
Episode, show notes & transcript
https://www.rlmedicine.com/from-food-noise-to-food-freedom-why-mindset-matters
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your brain is filtering your life for evidence that you’re failing, without you even realising it? In this episode, Dr Lucy and Dr Mary explore the reticular activating system, or RAS, and how this powerful brain filter can shape your mindset, habits, and momentum.
Think of it like your social media algorithm: what you pay attention to, your brain is more likely to show you again. That can leave you noticing every mistake, feeding all-or-nothing thinking, and asking, “What’s the point?” But with awareness and intention, you can begin to direct your focus towards the small actions, opportunities, and evidence that support the life you want to build.
Dr Lucy also shares a candid personal experience of recognising an unhelpful spiral and recommitting to the habits that help her feel better. You’ll hear practical ways to use specific goals, visualisation, self-care, and positive attention to help your brain work with you, not against you. This isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about choosing where you place your attention, one realistic step at a time.
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/
Episode, show notes & transcript
https://www.rlmedicine.com/stuck-in-a-negative-spiral-start-here
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is getting older something to fear, or something worth embracing? In this episode, Dr Lucy and Dr Mary have an honest, warm conversation about what post-menopausal life actually looks like, and why it does not have to be the doom and gloom we are so often told to expect.
They talk through the real physical changes that can come with menopause, including shifts in metabolism, bone and muscle health, and visceral fat, and why stress management may help support these changes. They also explore the social side of ageing: why women can start to feel invisible as they get older, and how to find a healthy balance between caring for your appearance and tying your self-worth to it. Throughout, they share personal stories and practical lifestyle strategies, from nourishment to sleep to prioritising yourself, that may support your health through this life stage.
You will walk away with a grounded, hopeful perspective: that the post-menopausal years can be a time of wisdom, agency and glory, not decline. If you are moving through menopause or supporting someone who is, tune in for a reminder that this stage of life deserves to be lived loudly, not hidden away.
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/
Episode, show notes & transcript
https://www.rlmedicine.com/post-menopause-the-glory-years
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered why some women sail through perimenopause while others feel like everything's fallen apart? In this episode, Dr Lucy is joined by pharmacist and nutritionist Sarah Gray, author of It's Not You, It's Perimenopause, to explore the surprising link between your gut and your hormones.
Sarah introduces listeners to the estrobolome, a group of gut bacteria that may help support how the body processes oestrogen during the menopause transition. They chat about why gut diversity often dips in perimenopause, and continues in the post menopause period.
They also discuss the real differences between prebiotics, probiotics and fermented foods, and why not every yoghurt or jar of sauerkraut on the shelf actually contains live cultures.
If you've been putting your symptoms down to just getting older, this chat offers a fresh, evidence-informed way to think about what might really be going on, and some simple, practical changes to try. It's a fascinating listen for anyone wanting to feel more at home in their body during perimenopause and beyond.
Here are Sarah’s links and special offer for our listeners:
🌐 Website: https://thenutritionpharmacist.com/
📚 Book: It’s Not You, It’s Perimenopause https://thenutritionpharmacist.com/perimenopause-book
🎁 Special offer: Get 10% off Sarah’s book with code PERI10.
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_nutrition_pharmacist/?hl=en
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063626828191
For more information about Real Life Medicine and our programs and special offers: https://www.rlmedicine.com/
Episode, show notes & transcript
https://www.rlmedicine.com/have-you-heard-of-the-estrobolome
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.