Never Diet Again with Max Lowery

How to Stop Food Noise and Lose 20 Pounds

• Max Lowery

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If you're a high-achieving woman over 40 who can't stop thinking about food—this episode is for you. Max Lowery breaks down the real reason your mind feels so loud around food (spoiler: it’s not willpower or lack of discipline) and how "food noise" is quietly sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

You’ll learn:

  • What food noise actually is and why it dominates your thoughts


  • The science behind metabolic inflexibility (aka sugar-burning mode)


  • Why willpower always fails—and what to do instead


  • How to rewire your emotional connection to food


  • 5 proven strategies to reduce cravings without cutting carbs or tracking every bite


This episode walks you through a step-by-step process to reset your body and reprogram your brain—so you can finally feel calm, in control, and free around food.

Watch my The Cravings & Fat-Burning Masterclass:  https://www.neverdietagain.uk/register-podcast

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/max.lowery/

Book a Food Freedom Breakthrough Call: https://calendly.com/maxlowerycoaching/food-freedom-breakthrough-call

Max Lowery:

If you're a smart, successful woman over 40 who has no problem being effective at work and raising a family, but you can't stop thinking about food all day, then this episode is for you. Food noise is one big reason why drugs like Ozempic have exploded in popularity. They quiet the constant chatter about food. The issue is, you have to keep injecting yourself for life to keep that benefit. Food noise can ruin your relationship with food, drain your mental energy and make long-term weight loss almost impossible. So today I'm going to show you how to silence food noise naturally and lose 20 pounds without relying on needles. How do you create a life that allows you to lose weight, eat the foods that you love and sustain the results? Over the last 10 years, I've helped thousands of people do exactly that. I'm Max Lowery. I'm an author, personal trainer and weight loss coach. In this podcast, I'm going to share my top tips and tricks from within my one-on-one coaching program. It's my goal to give you the tools and understanding so that you never diet again. But before we get into how to reduce food noise, let's explore what it is.

Max Lowery:

Food noise is the constant mental chatter around food. It's when you're always thinking about what to eat next counting down the hours until your next meal, feeling perpetually hungry even when you've just eaten. It's obsessing about the chocolate in the cupboard. It's mentally negotiating whether you should or shouldn't have eaten. It's obsessing about the chocolate in the cupboard. It's mentally negotiating whether you should or shouldn't have dessert. It's that background hum in your brain that never switches off. For my clients it often looks like this you wake up already thinking about breakfast. By 10 am you're planning lunch, the afternoon is a battle to avoid the biscuits, dinner happens, but you're still looking for something sweet after, and then the whole cycle repeats the next day.

Max Lowery:

Food noise doesn't just make you feel out of control. It can make long-term weight loss almost impossible, because when food takes up so much mental space, willpower runs out fast. But before we can reduce the food noise, we need to be honest about the cost, because food noise can hijack your focus and drain your brain all day. It can steal the joy from eating because every meal feels like a battle. It can ruin your relationship with food by turning it into rules, guilt and negotiations. It can create decision fatigue so you cave at 3pm and 9pm. It wrecks sleep with late night cravings and blood sugar swings. It amplifies stress and anxiety and low mood. It breaks self-trust because you keep making promises you don't keep and it keeps you stuck in the all or nothing cycle and, worst of all, long-term weight loss will be very, very difficult.

Max Lowery:

Let's put a number on it. Write down how many minutes a day you spend thinking about food. If it was 60 minutes a day, that's 365 hours a year, which is about 15 days. If it's 90 minutes a day, that's 547 hours a year, which is about 23 days. So that's two to three weeks of your life every year lost to food. Noise and, let's be honest, most of you listening to this podcast think about food a lot more than that. Now that you can feel the cost, let's understand why it happens and what to do about it. First we handle the physiology, then we'll rewire the psychology. So there are two main reasons why it happens physiological and psychological. Let's cover the physiological first.

Max Lowery:

Many women over 40 are stuck in what's called sugar burning mode, also known as being metabolically inflexible. This means your body relies on a constant drip feed of food for energy. Here's the science in very simple terms, your body can run on three main energy sources. Firstly, the food you've just eaten, which gets broken down into glucose, secondly, stored carbohydrate, which is called glycogen, and it's stored in the muscles and the liver. And then you have stored body fat. When you're metabolically inflexible, your body struggles to tap into glycogen and fat. When you're metabolically inflexible, your body struggles to tap into glycogen and fat, so you depend heavily on the food you eat rather than being able to tap into your stored energy. When you go too long without eating, your brain can sound the alarm. Here are some typical signs that your body is stuck in sugar burning mode. You need to eat every few hours to feel normal. If you skip a meal, you feel lightheaded, lethargic or irritable. You're perpetually hungry and you think about food constantly.

Max Lowery:

Some of my clients were so afraid of going without food. They would stash snacks everywhere in the car, in their desk and in their handbag, just in case. This isn't just inconvenient, it can actually increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure over time. So what do you do about this? We'll help our clients shift into fat burning mode, which is our natural state. We are designed to be metabolically flexible, able to effortlessly shift between the different available fuel sources. So over the last 12 years, I've come up with some very specific step-by-step habits which will help shift our clients into fat burning mode without restriction, without deprivation, still enjoying. They cut out the snacks and stop grazing on food all day. They prioritize protein at each meal, they stay hydrated and they move regularly throughout the day, aiming for anywhere between 7,000 to 15,000 steps.

Max Lowery:

A lot of our clients also suffer from a lack of structure with their meals, which can cause a lot of problems for women over 40. So we help and encourage our clients to eat three square meals a day. At the same time. This reduces hunger, stabilizes blood sugar and reduces food noise. It's not easy at first. Shifting into fat burning mode can take 7 to 14 days and there can be negative side effects, but the payoff is huge. Once your body learns to burn fat for fuel, you'll feel less hungry, more in control, you'll be able to regulate yourself better and your energy levels will be stable and food noise will drop dramatically. And, because of this, staying in control of your calorie intake will be much, much easier without restriction, without deprivation, without cutting out your favorite foods. If you want to learn more about shifting into fat burning mode and metabolic flexibility, make sure you check out the Cravings and Fat Loss Masterclass by clicking the link below.

Max Lowery:

So now we understand the physiology, let's talk about the psychology, and this is the part that nobody talks about. All diets, and even most personal trainers and nutritionists, focus entirely on the physiology of weight loss. They'll tell you what to eat, when to eat, how to move, maybe even to track your calories to the gram, but they rarely address the psychology, the mental patterns, beliefs and the emotional habits that drive your calories to the gram. But they rarely address the psychology, the mental patterns, beliefs and the emotional habits that drive your eating in the first place. They do not address the why. They only address the what. Why do you overeat? Why do you eat when you're not hungry? Why do you binge in the evenings? And not addressing this is a huge problem, because if you ignore the psychology, you might make some progress in the short term, but as soon as willpower, motivation runs out, the food noise will creep back in and you'll return back to existing habits. And this is because you haven't actually addressed the root cause. You haven't rewired the thoughts and emotions that keep you stuck. And in my experience coaching thousands of women, the two biggest psychological drivers of food, noise are number one, your dieting history and the scarcity mindset it creates. And number two, using food to manage emotions. So let's break this down.

Max Lowery:

If you spent years or even decades dieting, you've probably been told to divide foods into good and bad. The good foods are the ones you're allowed to eat. The bad foods are the ones you should avoid or feel guilty about or earn with exercise. This might seem harmless, just a way to make healthy choices, but here's what it actually does to your brain it creates a scarcity mindset, the belief that certain foods are scarce, special or off limits. When something feels scarce, your brain automatically wants more of it. Think about it. If you tell a child they can't have a toy, they'll think about that toy all day long. It's no different for you with food. When chocolate, pizza or wine is bad, you can't stop thinking about it.

Max Lowery:

And when you finally have it, the scarcity mindset pushes you to overeat because, in your head, this is your only chance. This is why so many women swim between two extremes all in or all out. When you're all in, you're cutting out favorite foods, eating perfectly and filling in control. When you're all out, binging on those exact foods, filling out of control and promising to start again on Monday. And the issue is both these phases create food noise. When you're on track, the food noise is high because you're constantly resisting temptation. When you're off track, the food noise is high because you're constantly planning your next hit. The scarcity mindset is exhausting. It turns food into a forbidden prize rather than a normal, enjoyable part of life. It fuels guilt and shame every time you eat something you shouldn't, and it can keep you stuck in a cycle of losing weight and putting it back on for years.

Max Lowery:

The only way out is to shift into an abundance mindset where no food is off limits. Really quick one for me. Guys, I don't run ads on this podcast and I do aim to give you as many high-value tips and tricks as I can for free. All I ask in return is that you help me spread the word. That way I can help as many people as I can to never diet again. The way to do that is to rate, review and share this podcast. A review will only take 30 seconds, but it would mean the world to me. But, more importantly, it could help change the life of someone else when you know you can have chocolate tomorrow, next week or next month.

Max Lowery:

The urgency to overeat it right now fades, food becomes just food and the noise starts to quiet. So how do you shift into an abundance mindset? Here are my top quiet. So how do you shift into an abundance mindset? Here are my top tips. So it's not about eating whatever you want whenever you want. It's about removing the mental rules and guilt so you can make food decisions from a place of choice, not compulsion. So, number one remove the good versus bad food labels. Stop putting foods into moral categories. Chocolate isn't bad, salad isn't good. Food doesn't have a moral value, it's just food. The moment you stop demonizing certain foods, your brain stops fixating on them.

Max Lowery:

Number two ditch extreme restriction. Restriction is like a spring the harder you push it down, the harder it rebounds. If your diet bans bread, wine or dessert, you're setting yourself up for a binge later. We help our clients include their favorite foods regularly and in a way that aligns with their goals. When you know you can have them anytime, the urgency to overeat them drops. Number three learn how to practice restraint, not restriction. Restriction is I'm not allowed to have this food because I'm on a diet. Restraint is I can have this food anytime, but I'm choosing when and how much in a way that serves me. Restriction is rooted in fear and rules. Restraint is rooted in choice and self-respect. Restriction says no bread, ever it's bad. Restraint says I'm having bread tonight because it's fresh from the bakery, but I'll skip it tomorrow because I want to feel light and energized. When you practice restraint, you stay in control without triggering the rebellion, overeating and guilt that restriction causes. It's the sweet spot between freedom and structure and it's a core skill for quieting food noise.

Max Lowery:

Number four build neutral exposure. The more you see a food as normal, the less powerful it becomes. We sometimes have our clients keep a small amount of trigger foods in their house, not to eat immediately, but to prove to their brain that it's not scarce. At first this can spike food noise, but over time the novelty wears off and the compulsion fades. Number five focus on how food makes you feel. Instead of judging foods by good or bad, judge them by how they make you feel. Does it leave you feeling satisfied and energized or sluggish and craving more? When you start making choices based on how you want to feel, rather than following arbitrary rules, you naturally eat in a way that supports your goals.

Max Lowery:

Breaking this ghastly mindset is an instant. It takes repetition, self-awareness and often guidance to help slipping back into old patterns. But every time you eat a food you used to fear and stop when you're satisfied, you prove to yourself that you can be trusted around it. You learn to trust yourself and every time you do this, food noise gets quieter. So breaking free from the scarcity mindset will dramatically lower food noise. But there's another layer and for many women it's the most powerful one. Even if you stop labeling foods as good or bad, even if you have permission to enjoy anything, if you're using food to cope with emotions, the food noise will still be there, because now it's not about the food itself, it's about what food does for you.

Max Lowery:

This is where emotional regulation comes in. Emotional regulation is the hidden driver of food noise. If you turn to food when you're stressed, bored, lonely, overwhelmed, frustrated or even to celebrate, you've built a powerful habit loop. It works like this you have a trigger, which is an emotional state or situation which leads into the response. You eat something that gives you comfort or distraction and that gives you the reward temporary relief, pleasure or escape. Do this often enough and the loop becomes automatic. You might not even notice the emotion anymore. You just suddenly feel hungry and need something. It's a craving that comes out of nowhere. Here's why this drives food noise. When your brain learns that food is the solution to an emotional problem, it starts scanning for opportunities to get that reward. That means every stressful meeting, every quiet evening, every moment of overwhelm can trigger thoughts of food. And the more emotions you manage with food, the louder the food noise will be.

Max Lowery:

Diets do not address this. They focus on what and when to eat, not why you're eating in the first place. So women try to willpower their way through cravings, but the underlying need is still there and the emotional need must be fulfilled. That's why the noise doesn't stop. So what do you do about this? This isn't about cutting emotions out of your life. That's not possible. It's about learning to meet them in a way that doesn't involve food. Here's a step-by-step process we use with our clients.

Max Lowery:

Number one build awareness of triggers. You can't change what you don't notice. Start tracking situations where you feel a strong pull towards food outside of physical hunger. Write down where you are, who you're with, what happened just before. Label the exact emotion you're feeling and use the feelings wheel to get specific. Just google it what food you're craving and what you think eating will do for you. This proves to you that cravings have a reason. They don't come out of nowhere. Number two pause before acting when you feel the urge. Create a short gap between the craving and the action. Even 60 seconds can help. In that pause, ask what am I actually feeling right now? The goal isn't to deny yourself. It's to put choice back in your hands, instead of letting habits run the show.

Max Lowery:

Number three identify the real need. Food is often a stand-in for something else. If it's stress, you need rest, decompression or problem solving. If it's loneliness, you need connection or comfort. If it's boredom, you need stimulation or purpose. If it's overwhelm, you need clarity or a break. If you can name the need, you can choose a better way to meet it.

Max Lowery:

Number four create an instead list. Have a ready list of non-food coping strategies for each emotion you regularly feel For stress, deep breathing, short walk, stretching, journaling. For loneliness, call a friend, hug your partner, send a message to someone you care about. For boredom tidy a small space, read a few pages of a book, try a puzzle. The list matters because when emotions are high, decision making is low. You need an easy menu of options ready to go.

Max Lowery:

Number five practice self-compassion, not self-judgment. You won't break the habit perfectly every time, and that's okay. Self-criticism increases stress and can actually trigger more emotional eating. Instead, treat each slip as data. What triggered it? What could I try next time? Be compassionate to yourself and curious about what happened. Number six rewire through repetition. The more often you respond to an emotion without food, the weaker the old loop becomes and over time, the automatic I'm stressed, I eat turns into I'm stressed, I walk, breathe or journal. This is when food noise will finally stop for good.

Max Lowery:

So let me say this loud and clear this is hard. It's hard even for our clients, who have expert coaching, a proven system and daily support. So if you're trying to do this all by yourself, of course you're struggling, of course it feels overwhelming. That doesn't make you weak, it makes you normal. And this is exactly why our clients choose to invest in expert help, because they eventually realize I've been doing this alone for too long. I keep trying different diets, but I've never actually addressed the root cause. I've never been shown how to change the emotional relationship I have with food.

Max Lowery:

Most of the women I speak to every day feel like they've tried everything, and to them it really does feel like everything, but in reality, they have never addressed the psychology, the emotional regulation, the root cause. They've never had a step-by-step system, they've never had someone in their corner guiding them through a proven system. And that's exactly what we do. So if you're ready to get expert help and support, next step is to book in for a food freedom breakthrough call by clicking the link below. Think of this like a coaching consultation. It's for you to understand how we help our clients and if this is good to fit, and it's for us to help you understand what is the root cause of your struggles and if this is good to fit, and it's for us to help you understand what is the root cause of your struggles. And if you are someone we would like to work with, you don't need to do this alone. Stop telling yourself that you've tried everything. You haven't. Book a chat. It could be one of the most powerful conversations you ever have. All right, so let's wrap this up.

Max Lowery:

If you're watching this, chances are your mind feels loud. You're constantly thinking about food, food. What should I eat? Why did I eat that? Should I start again on Monday? That's food noise, and it's not your fault. This isn't about willpower or trying harder. It's happening because you've been trying to control food on the surface without ever addressing what's really going on underneath. You've been trying to fight cravings with willpower, trying to stick to diets that only tell you what to eat, never helping you understand why you eat in the first place. To create lasting freedom, you need to reset your body to burn fat and you need to rewire your brain so that you're not turning to food in times of stress, boredom, loneliness or as a reward. At the end of the day, you are not addicted to food. You're just using food to meet emotional needs that haven't been met in any other way. Thanks for listening today. Hopefully you've enjoyed it. I'll see you on.