Catherine was no stranger to health and fitness. A former personal trainer and fitness instructor, she spent decades chasing the “perfect plan” but behind the scenes, she was battling burnout, trauma, and years of emotional eating.
At 56, with four grown kids and a life that looked successful on the outside, Catherine realized she was still silently suffering, constantly thinking about food, starting over every Monday, and feeling stuck in self-sabotage.
In this powerful conversation, Jennifer and Catherine explore how the SMART Weight Loss program helped her unlock deeper healing, beyond food and exercise—through emotional awareness, structure, and self-trust.
This is the story of a woman who stopped abandoning herself… and started building a life and body she truly loves.
If you've ever felt like you should know what to do by now but still can't make it stick, this episode will hit home.
In this episode:
- 00:00 – Meet Catherine: A 56-year-old former fitness instructor stuck in the cycle of burnout and self-sabotage.
- 01:31 – Why decades of health knowledge weren’t enough—and what was really missing.
- 03:24 – How trauma and transition periods became triggers for emotional eating.
- 05:12 – The turning point: realizing food was filling a deeper emotional gap.
- 06:39 – Letting go of “perfect plans” and learning to trust herself again.
- 08:14 – Transition eating, depletion, and the cost of putting herself last.
- 10:06 – Rebuilding consistency through structure and what finally made it stick.
- 12:01 – Why the scale wasn’t the only (or most important) measure of success.
- 13:43 – The joy of cooking again and how it signaled healing from within.
- 15:00 – Catherine’s wins: physical vitality, emotional regulation, and self-respect.
- 17:36 – How community and coaching helped her stay grounded and committed.
- 20:05 – Rewiring her response to stress and learning how to process emotions instead of eating them.
- 21:58 – What she would tell her younger self and every woman still stuck in the “start again Monday” loop.
- 24:15 – Why Catherine no longer fears going backwards—and how she’s finally free.
Episode Resources:
- 📩 Ready to take 30 seconds of brave action? Email jennifer@jenniferpowter.com with “READY” in the subject line. We'll reach out to book a time to talk.
- Learn more about the SMART Method for Sustainable Weight Loss here
- Read Jennifer's books for free - "Diet Disruption" and "Stop Sabotaging Your Weight Loss"
- Book a FREE Weight Loss Breakthrough Call here.
- Join my free Diet Disruption Facebook Community here.
- Got a burning question about weight loss, mindset, emotional eating or breaking free from the dieting cycle? I’d love to hear it! You can Ask Me Anything here
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