How to Find Your Set Point Weight with Colleen Christensen, RD

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Episode 66. Today I’m talking to Colleen Christensen, RD, ALL about Intuitive Eating, set point weight, and how to embrace the journey even when you are scared to do so.

We cover the following (and more!):

Colleen’s history of an eating disorder, how she healed it, and how she can to doing this work.
The main things that helped her break out of the diet cycle, and what she would do differently knowing what she knows now.
What set point weight is, how to find it.
The crucial shifts she sees people make to help them get over the fears of weight gain.
The pros and cons of social media both for people learning about Intuitive Eating there, and for social media influencers.

Colleen Christensen is a Registered Dietitian who believes in the power of food freedom. Through her social media channels, blog, videos and incredibly popular membership community, The SociEATy, she helps women to stop dieting and start fueling their bodies intuitively- without food rules! As a dietitian Colleen knows the importance of nutrition but also that an unhealthy obsession can be detrimental to our health. Finding the “balance” we’re all striving for isn’t a mystical unicorn; it’s 180% within everyone’s reach and Colleen guides & inspires others to find this style of food freedom that feels GOOD… mentally and physically!

“People ask me how do I find this magical set point weight; it’s by not focusing on weight.”
-Colleen Christensen, RD

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Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?
Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and Health
Episode 2: How Dieting Steals Our Motivation
Episode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)
Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”
The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroom
Social events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”
Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.

You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.

Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.

You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.

It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate

Main Takeaways

Don’t skip the biology. Colleen talks about the importance of not skipping over the biological piece before addressing diet mentality. Unconditional permission to eat and allowing all foods typically will backfire if you aren’t connected with your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Don’t fall into this trap. There may be a honeymoon phase of more eating when more foods are allowed, but make sure you connect with your body’s cues and listen first, before trying to tackle bringing all previously avoided foods into your home.
Take baby steps. Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to do all the things. She talks about taking small baby steps along the way, and celebrating those wins as you go. This is a process and it will likely take time. And you can do this.
Understand and honor your biology (by understanding the concepts of set point weight). Learn about what this is, how to re connect with your body and it’s cues, and trust that your body will do what it needs to do. This is the hardest part for so many, so please make sure you have support if you need it.
Use social media wisely. Social media simplifies and amplifies different opinions, it’s what it’s designed to do. That can create more confusion about these topics. Make sure you are getting the full picture about Intuitive Eating from someone who can help explain the nuances and help you apply it to yourself!

Support Independent Bookstores Near You!

Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?

Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!

My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.

So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!

The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.

Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).