In this episode, Dr. Stacy Heimburger discusses the importance of setting intentions for the new year by focusing on identity rather than just actions. She emphasizes the need to build a foundation of identity to support habit formation and introduces the concept of a focus word as a guiding principle for personal growth. The conversation also highlights the significance of community support in achieving goals and encourages listeners to reflect on their values and desired identity for the year ahead.

Key Takeaways:

• We often fail at habits because we skip building a foundation.
• Changing our identity is crucial for lasting change.
• Focus on who you want to become, not just what to do.
• A focus word can help guide decisions and actions.
• There is no deadline for making positive changes.
• Community support can enhance personal growth efforts.
• Visualizing your future self can clarify your goals.
• Small, incremental changes can lead to significant growth.
• Your focus word acts as a filter for opportunities.
• You don't have to navigate this journey alone.

Join Kickstart 2026! www.sugarfreemd.com/kickstart2026

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Merry Christmas, friend! 🎄

Today’s episode is your calm, grounded reminder that the holidays do not have to be a food free-for-all. If you’ve ever walked into a Christmas gathering and immediately scanned the dessert table before you even said hello… same. You're human, you're normal, and you’re culturally trained to think “food = fun.”

But it doesn’t have to run the show anymore.

In this episode, we’re breaking the holiday food spell and learning how to enjoy Christmas without overeating, numbing out, or abandoning yourself in the name of “festive fun.” You’ll learn:

✨ Why holiday culture wires us to overeat
✨ How to gently separate “holiday joy” from “holiday food”
✨ The 3 non-food pleasures your brain tends to ignore

• Emotional pleasure (connection)
• Sensory pleasure (lights, coziness, music)
• Memory-making pleasure

✨ The difference between savoring and numbing
✨ Tiny examples of holiday presence you can use today
✨ How to enjoy the food you love — without making it the main event

This is your invitation to make Christmas feel good in your body, not just festive on your plate. Presence is the real luxury. Food is optional.

Mentioned in this episode:
⭐ Download the free Habit Tracker so your habits actually stick → www.sugarfreemd.com/habits

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

December is basically a holiday obstacle course — and if you’re feeling like your routines are slipping through your fingers, this episode is your safety net. Today, we’re breaking down how to stay consistent without perfection, pressure, or pretending you suddenly have more free time than you actually do. Spoiler: you don’t.

Instead, I’m giving you The Bare-Minimum Blueprint — tiny, doable, non-negotiable habits that keep you feeling grounded and in control, even when life looks like a glitter-covered circus.

Inside the episode, we cover:
✨ Why December is exactly the time to simplify
✨ How to stop the all-or-nothing spiral before it starts
✨ Why “bare minimum” isn’t slacking — it’s strategy
✨ Six tiny habits you can pick from (choose 1–3!)
✨ Micro habits you can do even while traveling
✨ How these small actions build the identity you want for January

You’ll walk away knowing exactly what your “no matter what” habit is — the one thing you’ll do to support yourself through the rest of the year.

Want a place to track your bare-minimum blueprint? Grab my free Habit Tracker here:
👉 www.sugarfreemd.com/habits

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Think your brain is too busy to meditate? Think again. In this episode, Dr. Stacy shows you how meditation is really just training your brain to come back — not emptying your mind or sitting perfectly still.

You’ll learn quick, doable “mini-meditations” that take 10–60 seconds and actually fit into real life, including:

• The 10-second breath
• Grounding through your feet
• “What do I see/hear?” resets
• One-breath-before-you-eat
• Sensory focus tricks
• Music, shower, cooking, and walking meditations
• Forest bathing (yes, with real science!)

Perfect for the easily distracted, overcommitted, holiday-season human who wants more calm, more focus, and fewer impulse decisions around food.

📥 Download the Habit Tracker: www.sugarfreemd.com/habits

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

If you’ve ever had one “off-plan” moment and immediately thought, “Well… I blew it. I’ll just start again in January,” this episode is your new holiday survival guide.

December is basically a giant obstacle course — school events, travel, office parties, cookies multiplying like they’re trying to take over the world. Your routines will absolutely get shaken up… but that doesn’t mean your progress has to.

Today, I’m teaching you how to turn any slip-up into momentum using one simple mindset shift and a powerful 60-second evaluation tool. No shame. No spiraling. No “I’ll start over Monday.”

Inside this episode:

✨ Why slip-ups are neutral data, not moral failures
✨ The 4 evaluation questions that turn mistakes into strategy
✨ What makes restarting feel SO hard (hint: brain momentum + dopamine)
✨ How to use a “Minimum Reset Step” to reboot your habits fast
✨ The 6-Hour Turnaround for getting back on track the SAME day
✨ Why compassion—not perfection—is what actually creates consistency

Whether you overate at a holiday party, skipped meals all day, or had a “cookie ambush” moment at work, this episode shows you exactly how to recover quickly… and confidently.

Want support building habits that actually stick (without all-or-nothing thinking)?

Grab my free habit tracker here → www.sugarfreemd.com/habits

It’s the tracker I teach all my patients—because progress counts even when it’s imperfect.

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

This Thanksgiving, we’re talking about something deeper than turkey and pumpkin pie — gratitude. 🦃✨

In this episode, Dr. Stacy dives into how gratitude isn’t just good for your mood — it’s a proven mindset tool that can lower stress, improve emotional eating, and make healthy habits stick. Learn how a daily gratitude practice can help you feel calmer, sleep better, and finally shift from “what’s wrong” to “what’s working.”

You’ll hear:
💛 How gratitude lowers cortisol and helps regulate appetite
💛 Why focusing on what’s enough changes everything
💛 Simple gratitude practices you can actually keep up with
💛 How to use gratitude to calm cravings or negative self-talk
💛 Real ways to make gratitude part of your day — no journaling marathons required

By the end, you’ll see that gratitude doesn’t replace your protein or workouts — it amplifies them.

So before you dive into leftovers, tune in for a mindset reset that could change how you see your body, your habits, and your health journey.

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

If you’ve ever been told to “skip breakfast before Thanksgiving” or “earn your pie with a workout,” this one’s for you. Those diet rules sound smart — but they actually backfire.

In this episode, Dr. Stacy dives into five common holiday food rules that are keeping you stuck in the overeating–guilt–restart cycle and shows you what to do instead. You’ll learn how to enjoy your favorite foods, keep your energy steady, and avoid the “I’ll start again in January” mindset.

She covers:
✨ Why skipping meals makes you overeat later
✨ How to move because it feels good — not as punishment
✨ The smart way to enjoy dessert without guilt
✨ How to stop cleaning your plate out of habit
✨ Why “holiday weight gain is inevitable” is a total myth

You’ll leave this episode knowing how to enjoy the season, feel good in your body, and stay consistent — no food guilt required.

Listen now to drop the diet drama and keep the joy this holiday season!

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

It’s the season of mashed potatoes, pie, and stretchy pants—but what if you could enjoy all your favorite holiday foods without the crash or the guilt? In this episode, Dr. Stacy shares her practical, no-nonsense guide to building a balanced holiday plate that keeps your energy steady and your mindset strong.

You’ll learn how to beat the “I’ll start in January” cycle, calm the scarcity mindset that leads to overeating, and make simple food swaps that actually taste amazing. Plus, she shares her favorite leftover strategy for stress-free meals later (yes, turkey + roasted veggie soup is a thing!).

In this episode, you’ll discover:
✨ Why holiday meals trigger the “last chance” or scarcity mindset
🍗 The power of starting with protein (especially if you’re on a GLP-1)
🥦 How to add real color and fiber to balance your plate
🥔 Why choosing what you love most leads to better satisfaction
🧁 Smart dessert strategies that let you enjoy without overdoing it
🥡 How to pack “balanced freezer plates” and turn leftovers into healthy future meals

Holidays are meant for joy, not guilt. Build your plate with intention, enjoy every bite, and wake up feeling proud—not puffy.

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.