The Action Factory Podcast

#158 - Why You're the REAL Expert in Your Weight Loss Journey | Quit Your Diet

I want to share something today that’s not exactly revolutionary,  but it can transform your weight journey forever:
You are the true expert in your own life.
In this episode of Quit Your Diet, I draw on my years of experience working in tough therapeutic environments to explain why outside advice so often falls short, and why trusting yourself is the key to lasting change.
You’ll hear about a real conversation I had with a young client, a powerful moment where I resisted the urge to offer solutions and let him lead instead. What happened next taught me one of the most important lessons of my career. And it’s directly relevant to your journey with food, weight, and self-trust.
My approach flips the traditional diet mindset on its head. Instead of handing you another plan to follow, I help you build your own 14 day roadmap to quitting diets forever.
In this episode, I’ll even share a simple but eye-opening exercise I use with professionals that shows how powerful your own solutions can be, when you’re given permission to trust yourself.
This is part of my seven-part framework designed to help you quit diets for good and build a new, natural relationship with food.
If that sounds like something you need, you’re in exactly the right place.
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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.

#157 - The Road, The River and Why Diets Are So Resistive

What if your biggest weight struggles aren’t really about food, but about the mental map you’ve been using to navigate your life?
In this second episode of the Quit Your Diet: Assumptions series, Michael Dawson shares a powerful story that reveals how our beliefs shape what we see, feel, and do, even when those beliefs are completely off the mark.
You'll explore the first of seven core assumptions Michael makes about every client:
The map is not the territory.
Discover: Why perception often overpowers willpower How unseen beliefs shape your identity A fresh way to view dieting “failures” and why they’re not your fault If you're tired of calorie counting and meal plans, and ready to rethink the way change actually happens, this episode is your starting point.
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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.

#156 - Assumptions: The 7 Invisible Rules That Could Reshape Your Life

What if the story you’re telling yourself... is completely wrong?
In this episode, Michael Dawson kicks off a powerful new mini-series by revealing the hidden power of assumptions, those snap judgments we make about others, the world, and most dangerously, ourselves.
With a gripping story about a speeding driver, a compassionate cop, and a twist that flips everything on its head, Michael shows just how much a single sentence can rewrite reality.
You’ll discover:
Why the assumptions you make without evidence are silently steering your life
How to use Michael’s 7 Assumptions to change how you think, speak, and act, starting today
How beliefs like “You are the expert of your own life” and “There is no failure, only lessons” can unlock lasting change
The surprising truth about human behavior and why “pretending you can” might be the key to becoming who you want to be
Whether you’re here because your Quit Your Diet quiz pointed to identity and beliefs, or you just feel stuck, this episode gives you a fresh, compassionate lens to see yourself through.
Hit play now and learn how to challenge the lies your brain whispers, one life-shaping assumption at a time.
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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.
 

#155 - Meet Your Inner Robot: How Beliefs Shape (and Sabotage) Your Life

What if the biggest thing holding you back… was living inside your own head?
In this powerful episode, Michael Dawson dives into the highest level on the pyramid of change:
Identity & Beliefs
Where lasting transformation truly begins. Through the lens of a Big Issue seller, a forgotten psychology experiment, and a poem about a lying robot in your mind, Michael explores the hidden voice that shapes your choices, moods, and beliefs every single day.
You’ll learn:
Why someone with elite skills might still struggle to succeed (and how you might be doing the same)
How to spot and silence the five biggest lies your mind tells you daily
The truth behind priming, hedonic adaptation, and confirmation bias, and how to beat them
A powerful rewrite of your internal story using “ME-NA” - your mental DNA
A poem to remind you that you are in charge - not your inner robot
Whether your quiz pointed to identity as the source of your weight struggle, or you’re just tired of feeling hijacked by your own mind, this episode gives you the tools to take back control for good.
Subscribe now, and start rewiring your mental DNA, one truth at a time.
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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.
 

#154 - The Cookie Jar Effect: How to Unlock Your Hidden Strengths

What do a Navy SEAL, a worn-out mother of two, and your own 5 p.m. chocolate craving have in common?
In this inspiring episode, Michael Dawson explores the Capabilities level of change, the knowledge, skills, and inner strength you often forget you already have. Drawing on the powerful metaphor of the “Cookie Jar,” inspired by David Goggins, Michael shows you how to uncover the resilience, grit, and small wins you’ve been overlooking.
You’ll discover:
How a 100-mile ultra-run reveals the secret to mental toughness
Why your weight loss problem might actually be a knowledge gap about yourself
The science behind The Winner Effect - and how to trigger it without running a marathon
A simple, step-by-step method to build your own “Cookie Jar” of personal victories
Whether your daily win is surviving a stressful meeting or simply not falling into old patterns, these wins matter - and stacking them can change your life.
🎯 Listen now to find out how remembering your own power can do more than any diet ever has.
______________________________________________
👣 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.