The Action Factory Podcast

#180 - Chapter 2 – The Project That Changed Everything | Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink

What if weight loss wasn’t about food, exercise, or willpower at all, what if the real battle was in your mind?
In this chapter, Michael Dawson takes you behind the scenes of The Morbidity Project, a 12-week NHS experiment that threw every professional resource, medical, dietary, fitness, and psychological, at a group of people living with severe, life-threatening obesity.
The mission: to give them the best possible chance of lasting change. But what Michael discovered in that fluorescent-lit tennis club meeting room would challenge everything the weight-loss industry teaches.
The problem wasn’t knowledge - it was belief. It wasn’t calories - it was identity.
You’ll hear:
Why most weight-loss programs are set up to work against your psychology
The tiny mindset shifts that sparked powerful, real-life changes in participants
Why success has to be defined by you not the scales
How the tools that transform addiction, trauma, and high-pressure business can transform weight loss too
This isn’t about fad diets, rigid rules, or punishing yourself thin.
It’s about learning to work with your mind instead of against it, because once you think differently, everything changes.
Listen now to discover the insights that became the foundation for the Quit Your Diet – Think to Shrink program.
Join for FREE tools & downloads: actionfactorypublishing.com and receive your free interactive copy of the book that started it all, 'Quit Your Diet – Think to Shrink,' packed with proven, life-changing methods to transform your mindset and body.
Coming Soon:
The training course! Become a site member today and you'll get early lifetime access to this powerful course FREE upon release.
LET'S HAVE COFFEE! All Buy Me a Coffee supporters get exclusive invites to my monthly live coffee mornings.
Support this channel: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/quityourdiet Subscribe now to never miss insights, techniques, and tips to revolutionize your relationship with food—and yourself.
Connect with me: actionfactorypublishing.com

#179 - Chapter 1 – Can We Make You Thin | Think to Shrink

What if the secret to lasting weight loss had nothing to do with diets, calorie counting, or endless workouts… and everything to do with the way you think?
In this first chapter of Think to Shrink, Michael Dawson takes you inside a groundbreaking NHS project where twelve people, each facing life-threatening health risks were given every possible tool to change their lives.
But what he discovered in that musty tennis club meeting room would turn conventional weight-loss wisdom upside down. This isn’t about food diaries, scales, or guilt-driven plans. It’s about why some of the most common strategies can actually make things worse… and how small, mindset-based shifts can create real, lasting change.
You’ll hear:
Why being “on a diet” can be a warning sign of weight gain
How everyday habits on autopilot keep us stuck, and how to break them
The surprising conflicts inside traditional weight-loss programs
Why defining your own success is the game-changer no one talks about If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, this is your invitation to try anything different - starting with the way you think.
Listen now to uncover the mindset tools that could change everything, whether you’re losing weight or chasing any life goal.
Join for FREE tools & downloads: actionfactorypublishing.com and receive your free interactive copy of the book that started it all, 'Quit Your Diet – Think to Shrink,' packed with proven, life-changing methods to transform your mindset and body.
Coming Soon: The training course! Become a site member today and you'll get early lifetime access to this powerful course FREE upon release.
LET'S HAVE COFFEE! All Buy Me a Coffee supporters get exclusive invites to my monthly live coffee mornings.
Support this channel: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/quityourdiet Subscribe now to never miss insights, techniques, and tips to revolutionize your relationship with food, and yourself.
Connect with me: actionfactorypublishing.com

#178 - Introduction – Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink

What if you could quit dieting forever, and be free from food rules, calorie counting, and the endless cycle of hope and disappointment in just 14 days?
In this opening to Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink, Michael Dawson shares how a life-changing NHS project working with twelve people facing life-threatening obesity inspired a radical new approach. One that throws out the old weight-loss script and focuses on the one thing every traditional program overlooks, your mindset.
You’ll hear: Why traditional diets often fail, not because you’re weak, but because they focus on the wrong problem
The MAP method - a 3-step process to break free from dieting forever
How “D-Day” can become your Diet Day, the moment you step out of diet territory for good
Why victory isn’t about what’s on your plate, but what’s in your head If you’re ready to stop fighting with food and start working with your mind, this is where the journey begins.
Listen now and discover how to prepare yourself for your final diet day, and the freedom that comes after. Join for FREE tools & downloads: actionfactorypublishing.com and receive your free i
nteractive copy of the book that started it all, 'Quit Your Diet – Think to Shrink,' packed with proven, life-changing methods to transform your mindset and body.
Coming Soon: The training course! Become a site member today and you'll get early lifetime access to this powerful course FREE upon release.
LET'S HAVE COFFEE! All Buy Me a Coffee supporters get exclusive invites to my monthly live coffee mornings.
Support this channel: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/quityourdiet Subscribe now to never miss insights, techniques, and tips to revolutionize your relationship with food, and yourself.
Connect with me: actionfactorypublishing.com

#177 - If What You're Doing Isn't Working… Try 'ANYTHING' Else

Stuck in the same old cycle with food, cravings, or motivation?
Maybe it’s time to do something completely different.
In this episode, I share a message that might just change the game: If what you're doing isn’t working, try ANYTHING else.
Even if it’s silly. Especially if it’s silly.
You’ll hear:
Why a water pistol solved a years-long family feud
How switching sides of the bed healed a marriage
The genius of supermodels and champagne on trains (courtesy of Rory Sutherland) Why logic kills magic, and what that means for your weight journey
Six real, quirky, and surprisingly effective pattern-interrupts you can use today This isn’t about willpower. It’s about breaking patterns, having fun, and building momentum in unexpected ways.
____________________________________________
👣 What to do next...
If today’s episode hit home, take the FREE quiz to find out which level your weight obsession lives on — and how to start changing from that level:👉 https://quit-your-diet.com
You’ll get:✔️ A custom PDF based on your quiz results✔️ A support video made just for your stage✔️ The first 3 chapters of Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink✔️ Free lifetime membership with tools, downloads, and invites
🎥 Prefer video? You can watch this episode and the rest of the series over on the Quit Your Diet YouTube channel:👉 https://www.youtube.com/@Quityourdiet
🎓 Become a site member today and get early, free access to my full training course when it launches.
☕ Like what you’re hearing? Support the show on Buy Me a Coffee and get exclusive invites to my monthly live coffee mornings:👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/quityourdiet
📚 Explore more tools and resources at:👉 https://www.actionfactorypublishing.com
Thanks for tuning in — and remember:The healthiest decision you could make might be quitting diets for good.
 

#176 - Breaking Free from Food Obsession: Why Real Change Starts in the Mind

Imagine treating a drink problem by selling someone branded low-alcohol beer. Sounds ridiculous, right?
Yet that’s exactly how we often approach weight problems , with food diaries, calorie counting, and obsession disguised as control.
In this episode, I share what really works when it comes to lasting change, not willpower, but identity shifts.
We’ll explore:
The flawed mindset behind most weight-loss tactics
Why obsession is the enemy of progress
What a revolutionary NHS project taught me about food and psychology
The power of “building boats” and why purpose can outperform any diet
How real transformation happens at the top of the change pyramid, not the bottom
This isn’t about fixing your “relationship with food.” It’s about moving your focus entirely, toward something more meaningful, more fulfilling, and more you.
If that sounds like the shift you’ve been looking for, there’s enough in the free membership area at actionfactorypublishing.com to get you started today. And don’t forget the 12-question quiz to find your level on the change pyramid, link’s somewhere around here.
____________________________________________
👣 What to do next...
If today’s episode hit home, take the FREE quiz to find out which level your weight obsession lives on — and how to start changing from that level:👉 https://quit-your-diet.com
You’ll get:✔️ A custom PDF based on your quiz results✔️ A support video made just for your stage✔️ The first 3 chapters of Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink✔️ Free lifetime membership with tools, downloads, and invites
🎥 Prefer video? You can watch this episode and the rest of the series over on the Quit Your Diet YouTube channel:👉 https://www.youtube.com/@Quityourdiet
🎓 Become a site member today and get early, free access to my full training course when it launches.
☕ Like what you’re hearing? Support the show on Buy Me a Coffee and get exclusive invites to my monthly live coffee mornings:👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/quityourdiet
📚 Explore more tools and resources at:👉 https://www.actionfactorypublishing.com
Thanks for tuning in — and remember:The healthiest decision you could make might be quitting diets for good.