Why does eating feel SO much harder than it “should”?

Why do hunger cues feel unreliable, why do emotions or food feel overwhelming or why do I always seem to swing back and forth between control and chaos?

We’re answering that in today’s episode

As well as giving you reason number 5648 why it’s not your willpower that’s the problem when it comes to how you behave with food

We explore the often-overlooked connection between neurodivergence (especially ADHD and autism) and your relationship with food

We talk about why eating is one of the most neurologically demanding things you do every day, how sensory processing, executive function, dopamine, control and masking shape your eating patterns and why diet culture and wellness advice so often fail neurodivergent brains

This episode is for you if you’ve ever been told you’re lazy, fussy, undisciplined, emotional or ‘lacking in self control’ and you’ve quietly wondered if there’s something deeper going on (spoiler alert…there always is)

But this is a piece you might not have considered…

If you’re enjoying Break the Rules, please share the podcast link with a friend who wants to leave the diet culture and self blame BS behind and rebuild trust and lasting freedom with food and their body

And if you’re ready for support in untangling and transforming your relationship with food, yourself and your body, 1:1 coaching is where we get underneath your body’s story and shift that at the root so you can leave behind the on/off cycles, self criticism and constant feeling that food and your body are a project that will never be done

APPLY HERE

Has this month got you feeling snappier? Lower? Maybe even one comment away from tears and a menty b?

Are you then feeling the pressure to “snap out of it”, push through or show face until you can retreat into the comfort of no social events from the 26th?

If yes, then this is the mini episode you need

We’re not fixing anything

We’re not shaming you into joy

And I’m definitely not going to tell you to be more “present” or “grateful”

Instead, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to support yourself on the days when you’re not doing great...without pressure, shaming yourself for feeling crap or pretending everything is fine

Pop it in your ears now and send to a friend you know needs to hear it!

If you have ever been on weight loss programs or consumed a fitness coach's content on Instagram and felt like a failure then this one is for YOU

Because I am here today to tell you that you are NOT in fact broken, or lazy or undisciplined or not trying hard enough

You have in fact been lied to

You have in fact outgrown the diet culture BS that your only options are discipline/tracking calories/shrinking yourself OR shame/hating yourself…

So if you’ve tried being “good”, you’ve tried counting macros, you’ve tried restricting your calories, shedding kgs and still haven’t felt at peace or ever really felt like you’ve nailed it

If December makes you feel like you have to shrink, hide, or explain your food choices again…this one’s for you

I’m going to tell you exactly why that is and what you need to do instead, especially if you feel like you are in your head all the time about food, your body and whether you did “enough” today

✨ And if you're ready for the third option diet culture never gave you where I support you in transforming your relationship with food, yourself and your body so you can finally wave goodbye to the food noise, body shame and constant yo-yo dieting/micromanaging without waving goodbye to your health, your confidence or your right to live fully nourished and at peace...

⁠Here is where we make that happen⁠

You told yourself this year would be different. That you’d slow down and wouldn’t overstretch yourself. That you wouldn’t crawl to the finish line, burnt out and nursing a cold that you tried to avoid as hard as you could.

But here you are already bracing…

Already hearing that voice saying “just get through the next few weeks, then you can switch off”

Already comfort eating your way through the evenings and feeling like a bit of a failure for not getting to the gym as often as you’d like

But this isn’t a you problem or a discipline problem and you don’t need to go into a self berating “why am I always like this” loop. You’re just running a December pattern you’ve never been taught to interrupt or get to the root of.

And if your calendar is full but your capacity absolutely is NOT…

If you’re doing everything for everyone but feeling quietly resentful

If you know what rest looks like but still don’t feel like you can quite action it before you collapse in a complete heap on Christmas Eve

This episode is for you

We’ll talk about the stories keeping you exhausted and exactly what you need to check in with before your body forces you to stop

And if you’re finally ready to get beneath the patterns that play for you around food, around how you feel in yourself and around your body so you can stop burning out, feel lifelong calm around food and know you have your health on lock for life (without all the panic, restriction or food noise)

Apply for coaching now

I know you don’t really want to be searching for yet another fat loss challenge or saving “healthy eating resets” on Instagram in case you need them in January

You want your head to be quiet for good and the confidence in yourself to know December is no longer a month that derails you or sends you spiralling into food guilt and body shame

But every time you try to “fix” your eating, feel better in your body or take the reins back again…

It never actually lasts. Or you’re just left panicking about how you’re going to sustain it all and the mental calculations and rumination in your head is all too much.

And yet, here comes another season of programs and diets promising you lifelong confidence around food and your body ready to take you back around that same cycle all over again

But I know you’re here for something different

In this episode, I’m lifting the lid on the sneakiest new lie in diet culture:

💣 The one that sounds like empowerment, but still leaves you micromanaging every bite
💣 The one that promises calm… but only if you stay “on plan”
💣 The one keeping you from real freedom that holds for the long term when you’re not tracking calories, not in a quiet life chapter and not doing daily weigh ins

If you’re tired of being high-functioning on the outside but mentally exhausted from thinking about food and your body all day…

If you want your holidays to feel like connection and joy, not negotiations and regret…

If you're ready to stop performing control on and off and start building unshakable self-trust with yourself and with food…

This episode will show you where your real work begins and how to spot the difference between performative freedom and the real, steady, lifelong kind.

🎁 Plus, I’ll share how you can start this shift before Christmas (yes, actually) and walk into January already freer, not scrambling to get back on track or undo all the damage again.

Because food freedom isn’t found in control...
It’s built in the moments where you no longer need it

APPLY FOR 1:1 COACHING

Ever told yourself, “I’ll just have one…” and halfway through that little voice kicks in telling you “you’ve ruined it now, so what’s the point?” only for you to demolish the whole pack
Or maybe you’ve felt that hum of panic after saying yes to a food you used to avoid that leaves you wondering why food still feels so loud in your head, even when you’re trying to “just be normal” around it

You want to be able to say yes to food and actually enjoy it, stop when you’ve had enough and not spend the rest of the night thinking about it

You also want to feel like you can say no and move on with your day knowing you can have it at any time…not have the food CALLING to you for the rest of the day
You want to trust yourself

But right now, every yes feels risky and every no feels restrictive. So how do you find that ability to just take or leave the food without a second thought either way?
That’s exactly what this episode unpacks: the difference between the kinds of yeses and nos you make with food and how to start moving from fear and control toward the kind of calm, grounded self-trust that makes food just feel like food again, not a constant battle

Secret listener bonus:
There’s a question below, the answer to which is revealed in this episode

DM me your answer on Instagram before Thursday 6th November and I’ll send you a special discount code for this round of Beyond the Plate and BTP VIP before doors close

The question:

What kind of “yes” is rooted in trust, permission and respect for your body and your needs?

LINK TO MY INSTA @annieellisnutrition

Do you ever finish a meal and find yourself already thinking about the next one?

Do you swing between “being good” and saying “screw it,” only to end the day frustrated, guilty and wondering why food feels so hard?

Want to get to a place where food just feels easy without having to stay chained to restrictive methods or diet culture for the rest of time?

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how I ended years of food noise, guilt and out-of-control eating and how I help my clients do the same.

I’ll walk you through the 3 foundations needed in your relationship with food to finally feel like that person who can order what they want and enjoy it without a second thought or say no and not seem to bat an eyelid…

And if you want my hands on support in learning how to build those foundations for yourself, my 6 week program Beyond the Plate was made for you

The waitlist for the November round is open for 3 more days where you’ll get access to early bird pricing and bonuses before the public launch, so tap here to spy the details and get your name on the waitlist

Ever feel like you’re constantly fighting food?

You tell yourself to resist, to stay strong, to distract yourself, but the harder you try, the louder the food noise gets. Until you cave, and it feels like you can’t stop. And then back you go around the cycle of resisting and overeating…

You’re so not alone!

In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s actually happening in your brain when you try to resist food and why that resistance is the VERY thing keeping you stuck in the all-or-nothing cycle

If you’ve ever thought “I can’t be trusted around chocolate,” or felt like food is always on your mind, this one’s going to land deep. Because it’s not about willpower, it’s about what’s underneath the noise.

Tune in to hear what really happens when you resist food, what your cravings are trying to tell you, and how to start quieting the chaos without restriction, guilt, or fighting to keep your favourite foods out the house.

And if you are ready to learn how to shift your eating patterns from the root so you can feel in control around food in a way that lasts without food controlling you...

Message me "BTP" on Instagram now and I'll get you added to the waitlist for this round of Beyond the Plate, my 6 week program to teach you exactly that (waitlisters are the only ones who will be getting exclusive discounts and access to free limited 1:1 bonuses if they join so even if you're just thinking about it...get yourself on the waitlist!)

MY INSTAGRAM