How to Develop a Healthy Mindset About Food With The Fitness Chef Graeme Tomlinson

The Fitness Chef Graeme Tomlinson

Verywell / Julie Bang

Every Monday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life.

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Meet Graeme Tomlinson

Graeme Tomlinson is a nutrition coach and a personal trainer. His Instagram account has attracted over 1 million followers, making it one of the most popular nutrition/fitness social media accounts in the world. 

He’s made it his mission to educate people on the facts about healthy eating. He debunks many of the popular diet culture myths and helps people better understand the false information that is spread in food advertisements.

His latest book, "Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind," explains how to develop a healthier relationship with food.

Why Graeme Tomlinson Is Mentally Strong

Graeme isn’t afraid to tackle popular diet culture messages that spread quickly on social media. He gets challenged by people who disagree with him, but he continues to share facts about specific foods and fad diets in an attempt to educate people about health.

His book takes a common-sense approach that may cause some people to think his message sounds too good to be true. But, he’s made it his mission to help people see that many popular messages about food just aren’t accurate.

What You’ll Hear on the Show

  • The most popular diet myths most people believe
  • The truth about weight loss and healthy eating based on science
  • The dangers of trying to punish yourself for overeating
  • How to stop being so hard on yourself when you eat something you consider unhealthy
  • Whether it’s actually a good idea to count calories for weight loss
  • Where real motivation for healthy living comes from
  • How to incorporate the foods you love into your life (and why that’s essential)
  • Why you shouldn’t allow yourself to have “cheat days”
  • What you should really know about the ingredients in food that you can’t pronounce
  • The benefits of cooking meals at home
  • The truth about clubs and organizations that have you weigh in on a weekly basis
  • How to stop feeling guilty about the foods you eat
  • How to develop a healthier mindset about food
  • How 70% of your calories actually get burned
  • How many calories you actually burn from cardio and weight training

What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength

  • Your body won’t do what your mind doesn’t tell it. This is especially true when it comes to your daily habits, like eating.
  • Your physical health and your mental health are closely related. Caring for your body is essential to caring for your mind.
  • Taking steps to manage your mental health can also improve your physical health. 
  • That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the things you’re putting into your body. Food fuels your brain and your body.
  • But there are so many misconceptions about what constitutes healthy eating that it can be hard to decipher fact from fiction. That’s why it’s important to educate yourself on the facts–so you can trust that the food you’re eating is good for you.

Quotes From Graeme

Graeme Tomlinson

So what is it that you want to change? Why is it that you want to change and how are you going to make that change?

— Graeme Tomlinson
  • "Unfortunately, people beat themselves up and, and think that they're a bad person for eating a pizza...when actually it turned out to be like 4.5% of their weekly intake."
  • "I think the introduction of social media over the last 15 years has made things a lot harder. For instance, I've just described personalities who are hugely engaging, and who can resonate and connect with people emotionally with the wrong information. So, therefore, hundreds of thousands and millions of people will now believe this information to be true when it isn't."
  • "If you want to find the truth about something, there will be conflicting studies. One saying one thing, and one saying the complete opposite. So it is so difficult. I think if possible, and you do choose to go and look at some of the science and research, make sure that you have a look at quality papers."

More About the Podcast

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Links and Resources

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By Amy Morin, LCSW
Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk,  "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.