The Action Factory Podcast

#151 Why Dieting Feels So Hard And How "The Weightless" Think Differently

I’m Michael Dawson, author of Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink, and in this episode, we’re diving into one of the biggest reasons diets feel like a constant uphill battle, even when we’re motivated to change.
We all know someone who seems to eat anything they want and never gain weight. Meanwhile, you just glance at carbs and your clothes feel tighter. The truth? It might not be what you’re eating, but how you're trying to change.
This episode introduces the Levels of Change model — a psychological framework that explains the deeper forces behind change.
Discover how “The Weightless” approach eating, and why it works when diets don't.
Make sure you’re subscribed, in upcoming episodes, we’ll break down each level and how to apply it in your own life.
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👣 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.

#150 Quit your Diet - Think to Shrink

After the last episode, I've been thinking deeply. So many people asked me when I was going to write that book about weight loss that I discussed in the previous episode. Well, here we are in 2025, and I did much more than that: I wrote the book, and I'm currently giving away 100,000 copies on a pay-what-you-want basis. I also have a course coming soon that will support you on your “quit your diet” journey. As far as podcasts go, this episode is way outside of our usual remit, so I created a brand-new podcast. I'd suggest you subscribe, as we take you through a series of real tools to support your journey to quitting diets forever.
The new Quit Your Diet podcast is here:https://www.actionfactorypublishing.com/podcast
The free book is here:https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/70007041/quit-your-diet-think-to-shrink-full-book
Remember to stick around if you’re all about youth work, because the toolkit is growing and going strong.
Remember to stick around if your all about youth work because the toolkit is growing and going strong.

#149 - Lessons from a Weight Loss Experiment

What happens when you bring together 12 clinically obese individuals and a team of experts to tackle weight loss and save lives?
ANNOUNCEMENT
So many people asked me when I was going to write that book about weight loss that I discussed in this episode. Well, here we are in 2025, and I did much more than that: I wrote the book, and I'm currently giving away 100,000 copies on a pay-what-you-want basis. I also have a course coming soon that will support you on your “quit your diet” journey. As far as podcasts go, this episode is way outside of our usual remit, so I created a brand-new podcast. I'd suggest you subscribe, as we take you through a series of real tools to support your journey to quitting diets forever.
The new Quit Your Diet podcast is here:https://www.actionfactorypublishing.com/podcast
The free book is here:https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/70007041/quit-your-diet-think-to-shrink-full-book
 
In this episode of The Action Factory Podcast, I share the behind-the-scenes story of a groundbreaking NHS pilot program, where I was invited to be the unlikely "Mr. Motivator." From personal epiphanies to clashes of philosophy, the whole project produced some surprising lessons about the power of mindset in creating lasting change.
Most importantly this project influenced my approach to youth work and personal transformation, it confirmed it’s your brain that holds the key to success. Whether you're a youth worker or someone intrigued by the process of change, this episode is quite an eye opener, and even a sneak peek at Michael’s upcoming book.
FREE PDF
THE REAL MR MOTIVATOR
 
 WATCH THE FREE TRAINING SESSION
 

#148 - The Mystery of Self-Destruction in Youth.

Ever witnessed a young person repeat a self-destructive behavior that seems to defy all logic? I know I have. And today, I'm diving into a story I’ve never shared before — not just about the young people I’ve worked with, but about my own inexplicable, self-destructive behavior as a kid. If you're wondering why young people sometimes act against their own best interests, stick around. Because even after decades in this field, I don’t have all the answers — just the questions that haunt me still.
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Finally, if you’re a youth work team who would be interested in building team consistency, better confidence in crises, and offering better outcomes, you might want to check out my webinar below.
 WATCH THE FREE TRAINING SESSION
 

#147 - Buying back our children.

Welcome to The Action Factory Podcast, and it’s great to be back! After a long hiatus due to moving house, I want to talk about how we might save our council a few million pounds.
My name is Michael Dawson, and I developed a universal, principle-based framework for youth work teams. During the design of the Solutions Toolkit, I’m often asked about my experience. It’s broad and covers most sectors, but I’ll always refer to three fantastic and revolutionary projects that I was lucky enough to have been involved in.
In today’s episode, I want to talk about one of them. It was a project where I jokingly used to say that, in private industry, we would all be driving Mercedes.
Why?
Because, based purely on the financials, we were saving city councils millions of pounds a year. We did this by keeping young people at home instead of in the care system. In fact, (after recording) I found a fascinating article in The Guardian by George Monbiot that confirms exactly what I’ve been saying.
If you’re a City Council influencer, we could easily do this again in a new and modern way.
In this episode, I’ll describe our service and what we did. Sadly, it’s a kind of rise and fall of the most cost-effective service the City Council ever created.
Although I found the article below after recording, I think you’ll find it interesting:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/18/child-care-cost-year-wealth-funds-councils-britain-residential
Oh and the Simpsons of course 
Finally, if you’re a youth work team who would be interested in building team consistency, better confidence in crises, and offering better outcomes, you might want to check out my webinar below.
 WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR