Holistic Health That Actually Works: Simple Habits to Build Energy and Prevent Burnout

What if improving your health didn’t require doing everything at once… but simply starting with one thing?

In this episode of Beyond My Diagnosis, Michele Weston sits down with health and wellness coach Tess Cheng to explore how sustainable lifestyle changes can help you build energy, reduce stress, and feel better, especially when living with a chronic condition.

This conversation goes beyond nutrition and dives into what holistic health really means. It’s not about dieting or perfection. It’s about understanding how sleep, stress, movement, and connection all work together to support your well-being.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to “fix” your health, this episode will help you simplify your approach and focus on what actually works in real life.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why nutrition alone isn’t enough for long-term health
• The difference between dieting and creating a sustainable food plan
• How to build habits that fit your schedule and lifestyle
• Why doing one thing at a time leads to better results
• Simple ways to incorporate movement into your daily routine
• How breathwork can reduce stress and improve focus
• The role of mindset in creating lasting health changes
• Why personalized wellness matters more than one-size-fits-all solutions

Being certified holistic health and wellness coaches, Michele and Tess also share real-life strategies for managing busy schedules, reducing overwhelm, and creating habits that feel good instead of forced.

“It’s not just one thing… sleep, stress, movement, and connection all work together.”

This episode is your reminder that your health journey doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be intentional.

🔗 Connect with Tess Cheng

https://glowithtess.com/

Tess Cheng is a certified health and wellness coach with over 13 years of experience helping ambitious women build sustainable energy, focus, and resilience. With a Master’s in Clinical Nutrition from NYU, she supports entrepreneurs and high-performing professionals in creating simple habits that prevent burnout and fit real life.

She is also a contributing author to Confident You: The Raw Conversations, where her chapter focuses on sustainable habits for energy, focus, and health.

🔗 Stay Connected with Michele Weston

micheleweston.substack.com

Instagram @beyondmydiagnosis.podcast 

Threads @micheleadvocates4health

Transcript

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Hello, this is Michele Weston and I am doing my weekly podcast for Beyond My Diagnosis, a podcast about living your best life, making lifestyle and behavior changes with a chronic condition because we all know those of us living with that. It's not a death sentence. It's not the end of our lives. It just shifts and changes and there's always a fork in the road. So it's important to remember that. Today I've asked Tess Chang to join me and she's down in Florida. So you got Florida and New York. And Tess comes to us as a holistic coach. She's studied nutrition. She's studied lifestyle coaching. I'm thrilled to have her on and connected by the lovely Julie DeLuca Collins, one of my many magical human beings. So I was glad to meet her a couple of weeks ago and said, "I think we have to come on and talk about ideas and ways and things to think about when you're living with a chronic condition." Because everybody comes at it a little differently. Nutrition is of course very important. I didn't say the word diet. Notice I said the word nutrition. Right Tess? And I always say a food plan. I don't like a diet because that's what it sounds like. It sounds like D-I-E with a T. So food plan is much more interesting to me in a lifestyle shift, a change, making your quality of life better by adjusting yourself and your food choices. Because today we have more information, more choices, some good, some not so good. So both Tess and I are on the same page of that. So hello Tess. How are you? Hello Michele. I'm very well and I'm excited to have this conversation with you. Absolutely. So how did you, I know that you made a shift in your career like I did. How did you shift into nutrition and then into lifestyle coaching and merging them together? What was important to you that you felt this was a good thing that you could bring to clients and people and patients that would help them on their journey in life? Well I got my masters from NYU in clinical nutrition. I was after I was being diagnosed with hypoglycemia with a family history of diabetes. I was always spot on with my checkups because I wanted to make sure that I kept an eye on it and if it actually got worse then I could actually make some changes to adjust it and to reverse the level. So I decided to go to NYU to complete a masters because I wanted to help people to be more aware of making wise eating choices. I practiced as a nutritionist for many years in Los Angeles and then I decided after having worked with a lot of clients that I realized that food is just one factor of lifestyle and to actually manage your overall well-being. The other elements are important such as sleep, stress management, movement, social connection. All those things are very important and they all work together. So it's not just one thing and if one of them is out of whack then it has an impact on all the others too. So I decided to go into holistic coaching, wellness coaching to actually really help people understand the importance of making lifestyle changes as a whole. And so now that's what I do and it's wonderful because when I see someone actually succeed and actually feel better, have more energy and even if they are living with chronic conditions they just manage them so much better and they feel good in general every day and that's important. I agree. I agree. We're on the same page there. The word holistic is new to me in the sense that today that seems to be a word that we're using for people to understand instead of integrative or complementary. The word holistic is being utilized. So when you hear holistic that is not a woo thing, that's not Chinese medicine, that's not Indian medicine, it's holistic meaning the whole person. And we treat patient centered care, we treat people centered education and people who want to dive into better ways to change your lifestyle, change your behavior because it would be good for you. And that means it's personalized because every person, every body, B-O-D-Y is different and we all have to keep that in mind. That's why I like to talk to people who are more integrative and more holistic and more interested in a way to work with their clients that look again as I always say to you guys listening. A coach is nothing without their coachy. And that's not just because they pay us, but the act of coaching is a partnership. And if you are interested in partnering with somebody to figure out what works for you, this is a wonderful way to work. We are not therapists, we're not psychologists, we're not psychiatrists, we're not doctors, we're not nurses. We're coaches who hopefully ask you motivational, powerful questions that you can tap into you. And we can bat around things and ask you to think about things a little differently, but we're not there to tell you what to do, which is probably a little different for you in nutrition, which is more, this is what we know, this is what we recommend. This is more an exploration for the person, right? Right, absolutely, yes. I give suggestions, especially if the client asks what are the different ways of doing something and then we can actually brainstorm and come up with some ideas. And that's also great about coaching, as you said, is a partnership. It's very different when you're actually working with someone, getting some support and guidance, then actually just working on your own and trying to figure it out. That can be really overwhelming. Yeah, and it's good to have somebody who doesn't know you since you were a kid. We deal with you now, in the now. We're not going backwards, we're not looking at, "Oh my God, when I was five years old, this is what happened." No, that's not what we're doing. We're always looking forward, we're looking towards the future and we're asking you, "So how did this feel? How was this? Is this like something you've experienced before? Was this something that you would repeat? Was this something you wouldn't repeat? How do you feel after you've had so and so?" Because those are the questions that stimulate the mind of our coachee, of our client, to think out of the box for them. Sometimes we just get stuck, right? People just get stuck and they're like,"Oh, I'm so tired of doing this this way," or, "I don't think this is working anymore." So what would work and what could you do and how is your life and do you like to be outside? Do you like to be an... All those questions make our clients think for themselves and just really look into, "Well, I like walking, but I don't like biking. I don't like going to the gym. I have no interest this lifetime in going to the gym." I used to, but I found that Pilates, for me, Tess, is a much better fit. Because I live in Manhattan, I get to walk a great deal and I get 4,500 steps in five seconds. That's now our new goal. It used to be 10,000 steps. Now we realize if people can get to 4,500 steps a day, it's a pretty good baseline. It doesn't mean you can't go for 10,000 for more. Absolutely. But what we find in science and in studying human behavior and what happens to humans, that's why both Tess and I are probably still very interested in studies and research studies. I'm doing a new study for MS. They did a study at Columbia University of wood taking Tylenol or aspirin helped someone with multiple sclerosis bike longer and be able to continue and exercise longer if they were taking and using acetaminophen. This is what they were using. But now I've been asked to do a study at Hunter College here in New York and my old physical therapist is now one of the top professors over there in physical therapy and is teaching young physical therapists who will go out and carve their own way. He called me and said, I'm doing this new study, but we're not going to do bikes. And I said, Oh, because not everybody rides a bike. He just started to laugh. Yeah. I said, yeah, he goes, we're going to go and do this by walking because we want to see what your heart rate is like. And we also want to see what your core temperature is like. So it'll be a very interesting study. Right. Because I walk and so, you know, are we saying, well, you should be taking Tylenol every day because you walk. No, that's not what we're saying. We're seeing if certain things make it more tolerable for people with a chronic illness, especially I bet you this would be a very interesting study with people who have fibromyalgia with that muscle nerve issue where that inflammation is really interruptive. You know, my sister has fibromyalgia. So she has more pain than I do. I don't have the same level of pain that she has. So would this be something that will be worth diving in? And that's how we all come up with, is this a great new tool? Is this not a tool for certain people? And if you're somebody with a chronic condition, I always, always, always, especially if I'm with faculty at a hospital because I like being, I think that's why I also love New York because we're very teacher centered hospitals. Well, it's great because those are the new upcoming doctors. And when you're investing in helping the future doctors and leaders, they're going to look for ways to do things even better. So I always put on if they say, "Oh, are you interested in joining clinical trials?" Yeah, sure. Yeah. I guess what I'm saying is a lot of people think clinical trials are only about taking medication. No, no, no, no, no, no. I just described to you, they're doing a study that's about what is it like? How long can you walk before your heart rate and your core temperature get to a degree that would not be the best choice for somebody living with a chronic illness? That's for me, nerve centered. Everything is affected by my nervous system. So people with Parkinson's, people with diabetes, people with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, they're all going to come at that a little differently. Yeah. Right. And we don't have these studies going on and some are paid, some are not. Hunter College does not pay. But I adore Herb Karpatnik, who I've had on the show before. And what he's doing with his intense interest in focusing physical therapy on MS, which is his corner of the universe. That's what he likes to do research in, is I'm helping, hopefully, which is always the goal, make it better and easier for those that come behind me or now that are looking for tools and ways to do things. You know? Yeah. Sure. I'm sure at NYU you had that, you know, in nutrition because we don't know. I mean, like, is it better to be a vegetarian than to be a pescatarian? I don't know. I mean, it depends, I guess, on the person and what they want. Yeah. Right? Yeah. It depends on their goals and their cultures and their lifestyles and their work schedules and where they live. Yes. Very much. Yeah. I know over my decades with MS, eating a lot of red meat and processed sugar, not good because it inflames the nervous system. So I don't eat a lot of red meat. I don't. I'm very particular when I'm going to do that. It is not something I cook every week. I cook a lot of chicken. I love fish. I like vegetarian dishes. I don't mind them. I love beans. I'm cooking with beans and legumes. Absolutely. But I know because I've sort of self-tested myself that my... Experiment. Right? What will you do? Like, you do a chicken. Like, my hands really hurt after I have a lot of processed sugar. They hurt. And it's like, ooh, well, that's a note. Maybe that processed sugar is making my nervous system a little too active. Right? And so talking with the nutritionist, talking with the dietitian, you can look at your food plan and say, "Well, do we have other ways that we could do this?" And I think also looking at the whole person is really important because wellness and well-being, even more than health and wellness, I think today I sort of like wellness and well-being because it's including health. But I don't know. I guess I don't know how you feel about this. I like preventative medicine better than once the person has it, right? Yeah, absolutely. Prevention is always better. That's the key. It is. Yeah. And I'm sure that you found that. I mean, you probably have clients and examples of how would this be better for this person? What have you found that works? Because we were talking before, do we give suggestions? I don't. Unless I put on my patient advocacy hat, then I will declare I have my patient advocacy hat on right now. And you're asking me, so I'm going to suggest. I try very hard because my master's was around a lot of ethics and the rules and the parameters of what does a coach do that's different than a therapist. So because of that education, we were taught to really try and check ourselves. Tess, it's not easy. It's just that you can use... Oh, I know. I know. Because as human, we want to give advice, especially if we believe that we have the solutions. Yeah, or even suggestions. We have some suggestions. But if it's freeze in a certain way, I think, and I'm sure you work on that as much as I work out on as any health and wellness coach or health and well-being or wellness and well-being coach works. You're trying to have someone look at something that they may have been doing for years and it may not. They may have just hit a wall, right? And it's not working anymore. Right. Right? I mean, what's your examples of that? What have you found that people come to you as a wellness coach? Very often they have demanding schedules. And so it's difficult for them to actually find time to go and exercise or go for walks. They just feel overwhelmed. And so they just don't know what to do. And they have a family very often. They've got travel schedules. And they just come to me and say, look, I don't feel good. But I know that there might be something I can do better. But at the same time, I'm short of time. So I really, and they are at the last. They've tried everything and they feel nothing's working. And I think it's important then to step back and say, just try one thing at a time. That's a good suggestion, right? It's overwhelming. Yes. Because if you try five or six things at the same time, you don't know which one is working anyway. Very good. I like that. And by the end, you think, okay, I'm not going to bother because it seems nothing is working. So do one thing at a time and see if that works for you and you can build on that. I think so. I agree with you. I always think of smart goals because we were taught smart goals. So you're dealing with things that are specific, that are measurable, that are time sensitive and can be recognizable, responsible and realistic. Very realistic. Very important, right? Yeah. And I think that what I always say is sometimes they'll come, I'll say, work on some smart goals that you think are important to you. And I'll say three or four, two or three, no more than that. And they'll come back, why have like a dozen I want to do? I said, well, you have to choose because I don't want you to be overwhelming yourself. I want you to choose. And we can do those things later. So let's like choose one or two, two or three that are manageable for you. Yes. Right. I mean, it has to be manageable for you because when you think that you're, I'm going to do this 110%. No, you're not. Yeah. I was saying, you know, going to gym six times a week. You're not? Yeah. So it's important that it's manageable, but also it's something that you actually don't mind doing. Yes. Yeah. And that's why the gym for me, it doesn't mean I don't like the gym. I enjoy weightlifting. I do. I enjoy it. I always have. I am very strong in my body and very flexible, but I didn't enjoy it like I do going to Pilates. Like I really, really enjoy 55 minutes of the class in Pilates. I really enjoy a walk around Manhattan. Yeah. Yes. You know? And so I think both of us want people to choose things they can repeat. Yes. And also you can actually combine it with something else. For example, walking is great because you can do it with a friend. Yeah. Or, right. And if you want to make it a little harder for you, if your, if your goal is to shed some pounds and you hit a wall, which everyone does, I'm at that wall right now. So I'm like fighting with five, eight pounds. It's like, where did you come from? Cause I'm not eating more, but sometimes you get more sedentary, things change, blah, blah, blah. You get older, things change and you have to go, well, what am I up for now? I give people, you know, say put on two pounds sand weights on your wrists or on your ankles and make it a little harder to walk. Yeah. Because you're, because it's also, you and I know it's better for our bone strength to add a little bit of sand weight. You know? Yeah. Do you want to carry hand weights? Sure. If you want to walk down the street that way, I'm not walking down the streets of New York with hand weights. Maybe you though, maybe you on the beach, on the beach may do that, right? I mean, I can totally understand hand weights on the beach. Sure. But in New York, if I saw somebody seriously, when I see somebody, unless they're in Central Park, I'm going to actually sidebar that unless they're in Central Park doing that intentionally, walking intentionally as an exercise. When I talk about walking, I'm talking about daily walking. I take the subway stairs down. I take, you know, I choose to go to certain areas of the city that are a little more hilly if I want to have more of a challenge, right? Yeah. Or you get off at a stop or two before or after where you're going. Which I was going to say that. Right? Yeah. I mean, you just, there's simple things that you can do that are manageable, that aren't going to be like, "Oh, I can't believe that I have to do this." I hate to break it to everybody, but everybody's trying to figure out the ways that work for them. Yeah. Yeah. Find something that works for you. If you drive, you know, then park a bit further away from your destination and then you have to walk there. So just little things. And as you said, you know, all these are just little experiments and you just do them and see what works. And you can have fun with them as well. I think the important thing is having that mindset for change, for actually finding something that actually gives you more energy. You know, if you don't enjoy going to the gym, that's fine. Go and do an activity with a friend or pilates or find something you enjoy. But rather than just thinking, "Oh, nothing's going to work, and I just don't like to work out." But actually just have that mindset and say, "No, it's good for me. So I'm going to find something that will gain me joy." Right, right. And what will I get from this? Yes, bringing ourselves joy is also really important. What do you love? What do you finish doing? And you go, "Wow, I forgot how much I like that." Or "I forgot how much I like the way I feel as I'm doing that or after I'm doing that." Because I don't want to do anything that just feels like a job. Yeah. Yeah, that's what we do. Yeah, no one does. No, I mean, we have jobs. So why should exercise be a job? Why should nutrition be a job? We can make it so that they become lifestyle shifts, lifestyle changes that work for you. Not for me, not for Tess, but for you. And that's not easy. It becomes more challenging as you get older because the things you may have done in your 20s and your 30s, maybe you don't want to do them in your 40s and 50s. You may go, "You know what? I'm not enjoying if you're a runner the way that my knees feel." And you may say, "You know what? I may want to shift this." And then maybe just that you shifted into jogging, that you shifted into speed walking. Instead of running against a clock, trying to run faster and harder. But that's your choice. That's you figuring it out. It could be... Understand, guys, yoga is exercise, but it's also a different kind of exercise. So is Pilates. So is Tess. I love Tai Chi. I love, I love Shigong. I love the movements and the flow of it. Oh, yes. Right? And so that's moving your... Anything outside. Right. But it's movement and it's your body. And some people love that. They really... It depends on where you live, right? When I visited my girlfriend when she lived in Flushing, I could go to her house and outside in the park. And she was like, "Oh, we're doing Tai Chi or Tigong." Oh my God, it's so cool to join. And they're all ages, right? Yeah. Yeah. All kinds. Yeah. And that's so... It's uplifting to see people really choosing to follow a movement and really move their bodies in space. That's what we're talking about. We're talking about why is physical activity good for you? Because moving in space is what we do anyway. And if we can find a way to move in space that lengthens and strengthens our body, that helps us to be more toned, to have better core strength. Cool. I mean, it's a win-win situation, right? Oh yeah. It's good for the brain and it's good for the mood. Yeah. Yeah. And the muscles. I love my Pilates teacher when I know Genesis, I love when she's teaching because she always goes, "Guys, breathe. Don't separate it because your muscles need you to breathe in order to contract and expand. And the more you take in a full breath and the more that you manage it going in and out, the longer and the stronger you become and the more of a goal of an achievement. It will be if that's what you're looking for." Yeah. Yeah. Breathing is so important. That's why people now, I encourage them to do breath work, especially throughout the day when you actually feel a bit stressed and you can do that anywhere. So it's important. So we stress very often. We hold our breath. Yes. Oh gosh. Yeah. So to actually have to do the breathing exercises could really actually improve everything. And it's something we can just squeeze in between our meetings or calls, assignments, and anything. And it's actually very good because some people find meditation a bit difficult to start with. Well, because they feel it's so, "I have to do this. I have to cross my legs." No, it's not that important. If you take a walk in the park or down the street, that is a meditation. If you are able to say,"Wow, look at these trees. I love the way that the flowers are coming in." Or, "Gosh, I didn't realize that the leaves are falling off." It gives you a chance to meditate. And be prescient. Thank you. Thank you. But that's a key word. Being present with yourself for you makes your day better. Oh yes. Yes. And this is what the breathing exercises allow you to do, to be prescient, to focus on your breath. Do you have favorite breath work that you like to give to people? I know I love Andrew Weil. I mean, Andrew Weil, or Andrew Wheel, depends on who you're speaking to. I love his breath work because he does... I can have people do the 4-7-8 breathing technique because it's simple and it calms people's system down. And doing that is almost like a natural tranquilizer for your system. I know. And so when I say that, I should probably tell you what it is. So it involves inhaling through the nose for four seconds, holding for seven seconds, and exhaling loudly through the mouth for eight seconds. And you repeat it more times. And you could be at your desk and doing that. I like it because I also do it underneath the desk if I'm in a meeting and I'll count it out to myself. If it's a frustrating meeting or you're just agitated, it gives you a chance to just reconnect with yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I had to give that a go. It sounds really good. Yeah. It's easy. It's very easy. I'll send it to you because Dr. Weil, that was one of my favorites. It's such an easy formula for people. It's not complicated. It's very easy. It doesn't matter where you are. You could be on the train. You could be driving. Yeah. You could get your desk, as I said. You could be with the kids on the playground. And if you need to just shh and just check in with you because life is life. Yeah. Life is life, right? Yeah. Yeah. Life is life. And it's very complicated. But... Well, it is. I wish all of us didn't feel as... That it was so sometimes stressful. I mean, it just sometimes it because... It's easy to feel overwhelmed. Right. And it's so... And you just feel everything's coming at the same time. Yes. And so sometimes you want to just have an easy way to say to yourself, "Let me just check in with myself." Honestly. And I think that that's... I think it's easy. Yes. And it's easy to explain to people. Do you have a favor, a way to have people check in with themselves? I'm sure you do because... Yes. I suggest the box briefing. That's what the military does. Yep. So it's like a box, you know, in hell for four. It's out for four. And you hold for four. And you do it all over again. So that one is simple to do. But the other one I do in the morning is the 11-minute breath work with Wim Hof. Well, I don't know that one. Yeah. I will send that to you. That would be great. You can download that from YouTube. Okay. And I like doing that because I have a balcony. So I just go out there. Perfect. And at the same time get some sunlight exposure, the first thing in the morning to reset my circadian rhythm and then listen to the birds chirping. So it's really nice. But it's so important to just be able to do that, to check in with ourselves because we have to take that time and find our way. As I said, you know, everybody got the 11-minute, you got the box breathing, you got the... Dr. Wills way, Dr. Wills way. But find the way that works for you. Yes. You know? Because I don't think everything works for everybody. I really don't. I think that some people are just more attracted to the simple. Some like it a little more complicated. Yeah. And we have different personalities. Yeah. I agree. So we have different preferences. So find what works for you. But at the same time, it's important to check in with yourself because we really, you know, from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, I mean, there's a lot going on. And it's important to give your brain a break in between because we are not machine... We're not. We're not. ...go on forever. No. Because otherwise you would just, you know, that's when people get burnt out. I agree with you. And at times we get those people that are burned out, so they want a new way to do something that isn't as demanding. Yes. You know? Or is more helpful, more relaxing, that they get more benefit from. Have you found anything that you love from nutrition that seems to call to you more than other things? I would say one thing I always say is limit your sugar intake. Okay. There's nothing good about sugar. Yeah. We don't need it. Especially processed sugar. It is. And it's very addictive. And so the more you have it, the more you want it. And it spikes the blood glucose level, increases your risk of, you know, diabetes. And at the same time it's not good for the brain either. So I think it's something that is best to actually be mindful about. And I always say, you know, use it as a treat. If you, I'm not saying cut it out completely. And I'm not saying don't have dessert. We all like desserts. I like pies. I don't make them myself. I don't have them at home. And it's a treat to me. So if I go to a restaurant that I know has some desserts I like, I say, okay, tonight I'm going to have some desserts. But at the same time, I would say, well, the following day I'll make up for it. Then I will have something, you know, healthy. I will eat at home. So it's a balance. But with sugar, if you don't have it at home, if you don't have the desserts, you don't have the ice cream in the freezer calling you every night. It's better that way. My husband would love that, that ice cream calling from the freezer. You know, I always tell him, do me a favor. Don't buy any ice cream that I like. And then he brings home one that I love. And then of course I want a little bit of it, but I have little bowls. So I chose to handle it that way. So like almost like, um, the bowls that you use when you're making a dish, you know, when you're chopping up things, those little bowls, I say, just put it in one of those. And that's fine. Because then I'm limiting myself, but I'm also enjoying it and having more like a cup of it as opposed to three cups of it. Yeah. Please. I mean, we all think a pint is a serving. It's like, no, pint is for serving. It's for guys. It's for in there. I know. I used to, um, I work with bariatric patients and people who are doing a medically managed weight loss. The challenge I give them is if you want, um, who have an ice cream at home, this is the deal. You have to get dressed. If you're not, if you're sitting there in your robe or, you know, in your pants, whatever, go to the store and buy small cups of Haggadah's or small cups of Ben and Jerry's because that's one serving. Why I want you to buy that is because you start to see what a serving looks like. And they're like, Oh, I could buy a couple and keep them in the freezer. I said, no, I didn't say that. I said to you and I'm dealing with the new workers. So there you go. I said, I told you, you can go get one. Choose what one you want. Because if you want another one, what I always want for people is to be more mindful because I think in weight loss and maintenance, if we can be more mindful when we're eating, it helps a lot. So I'll say if you want another one, you're going to have to put back on your shoes and go get it. Then you're going to decide, Oh, do I really want it? And that stopping and thinking mindfully, do I really want it? That's when I hope people have a chance to go, I really want to go out and get it. Because there's like four servings in the freezer. I'm just telling you, you're having four and that's a pint. And so why set yourself up to fail when you could just set yourself up for success? Yeah. You know, so go to go to Haggadah's go to Baskin Robbins, get one scoop, get one kiddies scoop in a cup. Choose what one you want. Enjoy it to death. I don't even care if you put some hot fudge on it and nuts. I don't care. But I want you to give yourself a smaller portion of sugar because then it's more manageable. I like that Tess likes pie. I like pie too, because normally it's fruit pie. I'm a bigger fruit pie. Only in between that is like cream pies, but the only one I like that's really cream pie. Only one. I don't like Boston cream pie. I don't like chess pie. I love key lime pie. So I get my fruit because I love the tang of that. And I love the meringue because it's egg whites, you know, so we're not like going insane. And I love a good, well, I do. I like a good, you know, graham cracker crust. If I can have that. Oh, I love that crust. Right? Right. I mean, just like, and so what's great is, you know, my husband and I, we're like, oh, my husband and I have been together since we started dating eight years and I can get one slice and eat a third of it and he eats the rest of it. And I'm fine. Yeah. I'm fine. But you hear what I'm saying. So you have two different ways. Tess will choose to eat it out and enjoy and not have it in the house because it is, it's a temptation. And sometimes you just remove the temptation. That's all. You know? I choose to have it. No, I don't have a whole pie here ever, by the way. Sorry. No, no, no, no, no. First of all, it'll go to waste because of the spoil. But I will order like, you know, when you're ordering in, get a really good slice of pie. Right now, I like four and twenty blackbirds from Brooklyn. This woman has created some of the most divine, you know, pie. And they change season to season and it's sort of, you know, it's cool. It's cool to see what people do. But we will get one and then I'll have a third of it. If it's a super treat, like it's a birthday or something like that. I may get two slices and let him have his. And I may put half of mine in my mouth and then half of it have it later. But that's also the part that's about moderation. Absolutely. And maintenance. And maintenance is not easy. I still think it's harder than losing weight. Yes. Yeah. Right. You lose weight and you lose weight. But then you have to keep staying that way. And because of all the temptation and distractions and also just how the human brain works. You know, you always go back to your old habits and you're constantly fighting and it takes a long time. And it takes a lot of self control and discipline. But it's all worth it because you've seen the results. So you want to keep the results. I agree. I think it's better to sometimes find your way on how you're going to do it. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. But, you know, as you said, you know, we all have different ways. It's not one size doesn't fit all. And that's why when you work with someone, you can actually come up with what works for you. Because what may work for your neighbor, you know, may not actually work for you. And so it's important actually to find something that you are not fighting constantly and trying to, you know, to make it work. I love it. Well, listen, I loved talking to you and I hope everyone who's listening on Wellness Wednesday is enjoying our conversation on how do you use a coach well? What works for you? What is nutrition as opposed to dieting and, you know, and treating exercises, physical activity because everyone has to move. Bodies have to move, right? Yeah. And when the podcast goes up, guys, I'll make sure to have Tess's information on how to reach her in Florida because we work with all different states. So yeah, and sometimes all around the world. So you never know. And to reach her because every coach is a little different. And I think having choice is important. Oh, yes. Yes. And, you know, it's important to find someone that you enjoy working with. I totally agree. Yeah, it's been a pleasure. I thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. And we'll come around another time and talk about another subject. I would love to. Thank you. Thanks so much. Have a good day. You too. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Beyond the Diagnosis. If something we talked about today resonated with you, if you're craving deeper understanding, better support, we just want to know you're not alone on this journey. Make sure to subscribe to my free substack at Micheleweston.substack.com. That's where I share personal insights, expert takeaways, and extra resources to help you stay informed, empowered, and one step closer to the clarity you deserve. And if you found this episode helpful, leave a review or share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your voice helps this message go further. Until next time, keep asking questions, keep trusting yourself, and keep going beyond the diagnosis.