Love Yourself Thin Podcast

Latest Episodes:

221. When Food Becomes Your Most Reliable Relationship (And How to Change It) Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of the Quilter's Coach Podcast, Dara explores why food has become the "old faithful" in so many women's lives and provides a roadmap for changing this dynamic.

Key Topics Covered:

🗝️The reliability factor: Unlike relationships with people that can be unpredictable or disappointing, food provides consistent comfort and never "abandons" us

🗝️Childhood coping strategies: How early experiences with scarcity, emotional neglect, or family dysfunction create patterns where food becomes our primary emotional outlet

🗝️The counterfeit friend concept: Understanding how we use food to fill emotional needs that should be met through self-compassion, presence, and healthy coping strategies

Member success story: A powerful example of learning to eat mindfully after spousal loss, including a touching moment with a Red House Finch that appeared as a symbol of good fortune

Main Takeaways:

✔️You don't have a knowledge problem - you have a thinking problem. Most women know what to eat; they struggle with why they eat.

✔️Diets fail because they address the wrong problem. Restricting food without addressing the emotional relationship will always lead to rebounds.

✔️Food relationships are unique to each person. Whether it's the crunch of chips, the comfort of ice cream, or the companionship of popcorn during TV time, each person has specific emotional connections.

Struggling with the snacking and want some healthy alternatives? Try this Healthy Food Swap Guide

Want to try a coaching call? Dara is offering free coaching calls this month so you can get a taste of what is possible. There are a limited number of spots available so be sure to book your time slot now! This free opportunity doesn't happen often so don't miss out. Book HERE

220. How Hating Math Will Guarantee Your Next Breakthrough (Yes, Really) Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

In this deeply personal episode, Dara reveals how her childhood struggle with mathematics became the foundation for her revolutionary approach to weight loss coaching.

Key Topics Covered:

✔️The French immersion math disaster: How ambitious goals without proper fundamentals led to years of struggle and self-doubt

✔️The memorization trap: Why trying to follow steps without understanding concepts creates frustration in both math and weight loss

✔️Emotional self-preservation modes: How trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze, people-please) keep us stuck in cycles of avoidance

✔️The teaching breakthrough: How becoming a math teacher finally revealed the missing fundamentals and transformed Dara's relationship with the subject

The Weight Loss Connection: Dara draws powerful parallels between struggling with math and struggling with weight loss:

✨Both involve missing fundamental skills (emotional regulation vs. mathematical concepts)

✨Both trigger shame and "I'm broken" narratives

✨Both can be solved by going back to build proper foundations

✨Both require self-compassion during the learning process

Main Takeaways:

🗝️You're not broken - you're missing fundamentals. Weight loss isn't about willpower; it's about building emotional regulation skills.

🗝️Avoidance keeps you stuck. Just like avoiding math homework, avoiding difficult feelings maintains the problem.

🗝️Curiosity beats perfectionism. The member who keeps asking for help with bread is making more progress than someone who gives up.

🗝️Small traumas create big patterns. Childhood experiences of feeling "not smart enough" can drive decades of self-sabotage.

Perfect for: Anyone who feels "broken" around food, women who've tried every diet without lasting success, and those ready to address the emotional fundamentals of weight loss rather than just the surface behaviors.

Action Step: Identify one area where you feel defeated and ask yourself: "What fundamentals might I be missing?" instead of "What's wrong with me?"

Ready to take it the next step further? Book a call with Dara or jump into her program and discover your next breakthrough! Check out all the support options HERE

Also, don't forget to sign up for the Quilter's Life Summit - a free virtual summit that runs from October 21-23, 2025. Sign up HERE

Watch this episode on YouTubeHow Hating Math Will Guarantee Your Next Breakthrough (Yes, Really)

219. The Golden Pen: Writing your Weight Loss Story Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

In this transformative episode, Dara introduces "The Golden Pen" - a powerful tool for rewriting the stories that keep us stuck in cycles of self-sabotage and weight regain.

The Golden Pen Process:

Step 1 - Raw Writing: Write out your current story without judgment. Let all the victim language flow onto paper.

Step 2 - Curious Questioning: Why might others behave the way they do? Is there any truth worth examining in criticism? How would different people interpret this situation?

Step 3 - Intentional Rewriting: Consciously choose how you want to think about your circumstances, putting yourself back in the driver's seat of your life.

Main Takeaways:

✒️Everything is a story - and you get to choose which version serves you best

✒️You always get the last word because it's your life and your interpretation

✒️Perspective is power - changing how you see situations changes how you respond to them

✒️Success must be self-created - following someone else's plan won't create lasting change

Perfect for: Women who feel like victims of their circumstances, anyone stuck in repetitive self-sabotage patterns, and those ready to take ownership of their transformation journey.

Ready for more? Check out all my webinars happening in October! You don't want to miss them

And...the Quilter's Life Summit returns this fall, October 21-23, 2025! With 30 presenters, prizes and exclusive offers, you won't want to miss this event. Sign up now - Quilter's Life Summit

Watch this episode on YouTube

218. Resentment, Regret, and Disillusionment: What to Do When You Feel Let Down Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever bought something — a class, a program, a tool — full of hope… Only to feel regret, resentment, or disillusionment when it didn't work the way you thought it would?

You're not alone.

In this episode, Dara explores what's really going on when we feel let down by something we've invested in — and how those emotions are often rooted in a misunderstanding of what we expected from ourselves.

From quilting tools to coaching programs, from parenting regrets to free-motion quilting frustration, Dara walks you through a powerful reframing:

Why resentment is a sign of unmet expectations
How to label your emotions honestly so you can move through them
The sneaky way perfectionism and victimhood can keep you stuck
What Elizabeth Gilbert, chocolate chip cookies, and Christmas planning all have in common
Why your emotional weight must be addressed before lasting physical change can happen

If you want to stop abandoning yourself every time something feels hard — this episode will help you turn pain into perspective, and regret into power.

Want to see the power of coaching in a free live coaching call? Grab your spot (this is a limited time offer!) - https://dara-tomasson-coaching.mykajabi.com/sample-coaching-calls

Or if you want to take the next step and see if Dara is the right coach for you, book a free curiosity call with her -

https://connectwithdara.as.me/schedule/c1f1dcdc/appointment/26364389/calendar/6005908?appointmentTypeIds[]=26364389

217. How Greed & Trusting Others Keeps You from Trusting Yourself - Be Your Own Expert Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Stop outsourcing your power! Learn why constantly asking "just tell me what to do" keeps you stuck in weight loss and life goals. Discover how to become your own expert and trust yourself for lasting results.

🔑 Key Topics

The "How Greed" Problem - Why expert dependency kills results
Good vs Bad Pressure - Diamonds or crushed cans?
Member Win - From Starbucks rewards to real connection
5 Pillars of Permanent Weight Loss - Build your own foundation

💡 Main Takeaways

Stop asking "just tell me what to do" - Build foundational knowledge instead
You already know how to learn - Look at your quilting/hobby skills
Pressure can create or destroy - Internal motivation vs external shame
Become your own scientist - Test, adjust, repeat with YOUR results

🎯 The 5 Pillars Framework

Weight Loss Science (simple basics)
Make Your Own Eating Plan
Feel Your Feelings Instead of Eating Them
Take Responsibility (no shame/blame)
Build Self-Confidence

"The more you outsource answers, the less you actually learn for yourself. When you trust others more than yourself, you never get the results you want."

📞 Ready to Stop Expert Dependency?

Book a Curiosity Call with Dara
Join Love Yourself Thin and start your transformation!

Subscribe & Share if this resonated with you! New episodes every week on weight loss mindset for quilters and creative women.

Watch this episode on YouTube

216. Why Your Low Failure Tolerance Is Keeping You Stuck (And How to Fix It) Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

Do you know what to do… but still fall short of your goals, again and again?

In this episode, Dara breaks down a concept that might just change everything: failure tolerance — your ability to try something, not get it quite right, and keep going without making it mean something terrible about you.

Using her own vulnerable story of struggling with Instagram (yes, even as a coach), Dara reveals the emotional trap so many of us fall into: showing up like "good students" instead of empowered women. She shares what finally shifted for her, how she's applying this mindset to her current goals, and how you can build your own tolerance to failure — the essential skill for lasting weight loss, creative growth, and real life transformation.

You'll hear:

Why being "a good student" doesn't guarantee results
How perfectionism sneaks in as resentment, shame, and powerlessness
Why failure is not personal — it's essential
The difference between diet thinking and growth thinking
How to start failing forward instead of spiraling

If you want to stop living on autopilot and start rowing your own boat — this is your episode.

Ready to change the way you think about weight loss? Book a call with me to find out why you aren't seeing the results you want.

Or better still, jump into my membership for the full transformation!

And...my webinar about working WITH your hormones (not against them) is happening Septmeber 17, sign up for free HERE

215. Why a Masterclass Can Truly Change Your Life Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

What's the big deal about a masterclass? Can an hour a day really make a difference?

In this powerful episode, Dara walks you through exactly what happens inside her masterclasses — and why the experience can shift your thinking, your self-awareness, and even your identity.

You'll learn:

Why real change starts with understanding your brain, not just your habits
How journaling, community, and coaching combine to unlock powerful insights
What makes women finally stop blaming their past and start owning their future

This isn't just education. It's excavation.

If you've been circling the idea of attending a training, this episode will help you see exactly what's possible — and why staying "safe" might be costing you the life you actually want.

And if you're ready to jump in, join my next webinar on September 17, I can't wait to see you there 🩵

And for more about me and what I offer, check out my website!

Don't forget to check out this episode and more on my YouTube channel.

214. Fall Planning Isn't Just for School Kids: How to Plan Your Identity Shift Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

Back-to-school season isn't just for kids — it's the perfect time for women to hit refresh and redefine who they want to be. In this powerful episode, Dara dives into five identity myths from Dr. Benjamin Hardy's Personality Isn't Permanent and how believing these myths keeps women stuck in old patterns of people-pleasing, overeating, overspending, and playing small.

You'll learn how to:

Debunk the myth that your personality is fixed or defined by your past
Reclaim authorship over who you're becoming
Use autumn energy to commit to growth and emotional rewiring

You'll also hear real stories of Dara and her clients who are making brave changes — like saying no to people-pleasing and sugar, and yes to connection, calm, and courage.

👉 If you're craving a reset and want to stop feeling like a failure every time fall rolls around, this is your episode.

Ready to do some personality growth? Book a call with me to talk about how I can help!

Don't delay, sign up for my free webinar "Why Weight Loss is Harder After Forty"

213. How to Celebrate Without All the Food Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

When every celebration feels like a food fest, the aftermath—guilt, bloat, weight gain—can overshadow the joy. In this episode, Dara shares how to shift the spotlight off food and onto true connection, belonging, and meaning.

You'll hear stories of clients who broke free from the emotional grip food had on their celebrations and finally learned to belong to themselves instead. Dara also shares her own story of navigating her anniversary trip while sticking to a personal goal—not out of restriction, but from love and self-respect.

She'll guide you through:

Why food has become the default celebration tool—and how to change that
The simple swaps and mindset shifts that actually work
How to honor yourself and stay committed to goals without shame
Why connection, not calories, is what we're really hungry for

You don't need to villainize food to stop using it for false connection. You just need to rewire your relationship with celebration—and this episode will show you how.

212. Losing Weight for a Wedding (or Other Event) Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

Have a wedding, anniversary, or big event coming up and want to feel amazing in the pictures—but without falling into the shame spiral of diet culture? In this episode, Dara shares a refreshing, no-nonsense 5-step approach to weight loss that actually sticks. She'll show you why the "how" matters more than the number on the scale, and how chasing validation through weight loss never leads to lasting peace.

You'll learn:

Why liking your reason is step one (and why that's NOT selfish)
The power of getting the right kind of help (hint: not your fudge-pushing friends)
What 100% commitment really looks like
How discomfort is the price of real transformation
Why coaching, not criticism, is the game-changer

Whether you're walking down the aisle, celebrating 30 years, or just want to feel proud of how you show up in life—this episode is your loving, firm push in the right direction.

Follow Dara on social media for more @dara_tomasson

As a bonus, grab her Free Food Swaps guide to help you in making food choices!

Watch this episode on YouTube

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