Have you ever noticed how we willingly sign up for a very specific type of pain, when in general, pain is the very thing we spend our lives trying to avoid? We crawl out of warm beds to lift heavy things. We run until our lungs burn. We push ourselves to the point of exhaustion. And we do it on purpose. This willingness to choose pain on purpose is one of the greatest lessons that exercise can teach us, and it got me thinking about the profound lessons hidden in our choice to embrace physical discomfort. Listen in this week to hear how every rep, every mile, and every bead of sweat is teaching you something beyond fitness. You'll discover why willingly walking into discomfort changes your brain's relationship with pain, how physical challenges teach you to handle emotional challenges, and what your workout habits reveal about how you handle challenges everywhere else in your life. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/177 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
What if that moment your brain starts screaming "This is too hard" when you're trying to change a habit isn't failure? What if it's actually the exact moment where real change happens? Most people walk away at this point, convinced they need a better plan or more willpower, but they're missing the crucial piece that makes habit change actually stick. While everyone gets laser-focused on perfect macro splits, new tracking apps, and detailed meal prep systems, they're overlooking what really matters: how you think when things get uncomfortable. Tune in this week to learn why habit change requires both a solid strategy and the mindset to stick with it when your brain inevitably freaks out. You'll hear why your plan is useless if your brain isn't on board when discomfort hits, how the right thinking gives you staying power, and why you need willingness, not willpower. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/176 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
You start a new workout program with all the excitement in the world. The spreadsheet is color-coded, your meal prep containers are lined up perfectly, and you've got that brand new notebook with matching pens ready to track every detail. For those first few weeks, you're unstoppable. Checking boxes, hitting targets, feeling like you've finally cracked the code. Then something shifts. The salads taste boring, your fancy notebook sits unopened, and you're already negotiating with yourself about tomorrow's workout. This isn't a moral failing or a lack of willpower - it's your brain chemistry at work. Tune in this week to learn how dopamine affects your motivation and why it's working against you. I break down why your brain loves starting but hates maintaining, how to find satisfaction in the "boring" habits that actually change your life, and simple strategies to retrain your brain for long-term success. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/175 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
Pushing harder isn't working. Despite your best efforts, you're still stuck in the same patterns: starting strong then quitting, living in extremes, or running yourself into the ground. If you've ever waited for the "perfect time" to start something, thrown in the towel after one slip-up, or pushed yourself to exhaustion because "that's just what it takes," this episode is for you. The belief that more effort equals better results keeps you trapped in cycles that leave you exhausted and frustrated. Most high achievers live by this belief, nodding knowingly when they hear it out loud, yet continuing to grind away hoping things will finally fall into place. Listen in this week to hear the three biggest traps that are currently keeping you stuck. You'll learn how each trap operates differently, and you'll gain practical tools to recognize these patterns and choose different ways of thinking that actually move you forward instead of keeping you spinning in the same exhausting loops. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/174 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
Most people carry around a mental scorecard of their failed attempts. Every diet that fell apart, every workout routine that fizzled out, every promise to stop snacking that ended with your hand in the chip bag - they all stack up as evidence that maybe you're just not cut out for lasting change. Your brain uses this track record like a crystal ball, predicting that your next attempt will end the same way. And when you're stuck in that loop of trying and failing, it becomes harder to trust yourself each time you want to try again. The real challenge with habit change isn't finding the perfect program or the right motivation. It's believing you can actually stick with it when your history says otherwise. Join me this week to discover how to stack small wins, expect discomfort, and keep moving forward even when belief feels far away. If you're tired of starting over and ready to build lasting habits (even if you don't fully believe you can yet), this episode is for you. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/173 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
When life gets overwhelming, there's a natural human tendency to look around and wait for someone to fix it. But that waiting becomes a trap - a comfortable but suffocating space where you convince yourself that your circumstances will magically improve. And while you wait, the years slip by and nothing changes. Join me this week as I share seven words from David Goggins' book Can't Hurt Me that completely shifted my perspective. You'll discover practical ways to stop making excuses, own your choices, and focus on solutions instead of living in your problems. Most importantly, you'll understand why taking control of your life - even when it's messy and imperfect - is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/172 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
What if that constant feeling that you're not doing enough is actually the very thing that's breaking you down? Join me this week as I tackle the paradox of sufficiency and why your pursuit of "more" often backfires and leaves you with less. You'll learn how we've been conditioned to believe that our worth equals our output, creating a cycle where rest feels dangerous and stopping feels like failure, and practical tools for defining what sufficiency looks like in your life, because here's the truth: you cannot out-hustle the belief that you're not enough. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/171 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
The roller coaster of healthy habits is exhausting. You're either completely on track with your workouts, meal prep, and sleep schedule, or you're completely off: avoiding the scale, eating whatever's easiest, and telling yourself you'll deal with it later. Most high achievers experience this pendulum swing because our brains are wired to chase immediate rewards. When work blows up or life gets messy, we default to what gives us the fastest payoff - answering emails at 10 p.m. instead of going to bed, or finishing projects instead of heading to the gym. The good news is that breaking this cycle doesn't mean preventing every slip or creating stricter rules. Tune in this week to learn why you find yourself stuck in the on-again, off-again cycle with your healthy habits, how both extremes of the pendulum offer temporary comfort but keep you stuck, and tools that will keep you from abandoning yourself. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/170
You've read the books, tracked the data, and analyzed your patterns. You can explain exactly why you eat when stressed, skip workouts, or stay up scrolling. Yet week after week, nothing changes. That gap between your sharp awareness and your stuck behavior has a name: insight paralysis. Tune in this week to learn why awareness alone keeps you stuck and concrete tools to bridge the gap between knowing and doing. Most importantly, you'll discover how to stop circling the same thoughts and start taking the tiny actions that actually create change. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/169
If you're wondering why you keep falling into the same patterns with your health and fitness goals, you're not alone. After coaching countless physicians, lawyers, executives, and entrepreneurs, the same handful of recurring struggles comes up over and over again. That's why, this week, I'm sharing the top five struggles my clients face when they change their habits, plus the tools to overcome them. Join me on the podcast today to learn concrete tools, actionable strategies, and mindset shifts you can practice immediately. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/168
Have you ever caught yourself thinking that if you just had the right fitness tracker, the perfect app, or the latest gadget, your health and fitness goals would finally click into place? I get it. Data feels safe. Numbers feel concrete. When everything about your body, health, fitness, and weight loss feels unpredictable, numbers might feel like a lifeline. But here's the truth: Your Oura ring won't get you to bed earlier. Your food tracking app won't put vegetables on your plate. And your CGM won't stop you from reaching for those M&Ms. Tune in this week to learn about how you might be over-scientizing weight loss - a phenomenon I see repeatedly with clients who fill their homes with gadgets, but aren't using that information to guide or change their actions. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/167
Have you ever found yourself obsessing over every single bite of food you eat? When you've imposed rigid rules around healthy eating, the very thing meant to make you feel better ends up making you miserable. The constant mental checklist and fear of messing up takes up way too much brain space, and that's why this week, I'm exploring why perfectionism around food backfires, especially for high-achievers who apply their usual excellence to every bite they take. Listen in this week to discover why sometimes our pursuit of healthy eating can actually backfire – and more importantly, how to fix it. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/166
That old photo where you looked amazing might be lying to you. You know the one - where your arms looked defined, your waist looked tiny, and you got compliments everywhere you went. The photo that makes you think, "I want that body back," while forgetting that you were actually exhausted, hungry, and missing out on life just to maintain it. This disconnect between looking good and feeling terrible is something I see constantly in my coaching practice. Tune in this week to discover why your brain tricks you into wanting a body that made you miserable, and more importantly, how to create a version of yourself that both looks good and feels amazing. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/165
This episode tells the powerful story of a client who transformed not just her body, but her entire approach to life after a single dinner changed her perspective. After years of yo-yo dieting and trying programs like Optavia, she came to coaching wanting something different. Listen in this week to hear exactly what happens when someone decides their own opinion matters most. Her story demonstrates that real, lasting change isn't about willpower or perfection. It's about becoming someone who sticks to the commitments they make to themselves. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/164
The disconnect between wanting to exercise, eat better, or sleep more and actually doing it can feel incredibly frustrating. You know these things matter, you genuinely want them in your life, but somehow they keep getting pushed aside. Listen in this week to learn how to recognize the difference between "I don't have time" and "This isn't a priority right now," and why that distinction gives you back your power. Most importantly, you'll learn practical ways to start aligning your daily choices with your true priorities, even if it means making uncomfortable trade-offs. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/163
That window between getting home from work and going to bed can feel like clocking into a second full-time job. The second shift - your role as mother, wife, pet parent, chauffeur, chef, and manager of all the things - is emotionally charged and exhausting. You're physically tired from your day, legitimately hungry from meals eaten hours ago, and experiencing mental whiplash from switching between your structured work role and the emotional labor of caregiving. Add decision fatigue from making thousands of choices throughout the day, and it's no wonder your brain defaults to takeout, cereal, or wine and popcorn. Tune in this week to learn practical strategies to transform this chaotic time into something more manageable and grounded. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/162
Have you ever noticed how exhausting it is to fight against your emotions? Whether it's trying to resist a craving, suppress anxiety, or push through difficult feelings, the constant battle is draining. And here's the truth: fighting against discomfort actually makes things harder. But what if there was another way? This episode was inspired by a surprising conversation with my 12-year-old son after his first 5k race, where a simple statement captured something profound about how we handle discomfort in every area of our lives. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/161
Have you ever noticed how easily we break promises to ourselves? Maybe it's the workout you swore you'd do this morning, the meal prep you planned for Sunday, or the evening routine you promised to stick to. Each time we break these promises, we're doing more damage than we realize. It's not just about the missed workout or the skipped meal prep – it's about the relationship we're building with ourselves. If you've ever felt stuck in a cycle of making and breaking promises to yourself, this episode is your roadmap to breaking free. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/160
White-knuckling through food cravings is what happens when you try to manage an urge by force alone, without any skill, strategy, or self-awareness to back it up. It's holding on with all your might and hoping the urge ends, treating every craving like a threat that must be shut down immediately. Join me this week to discover how to be in the presence of a food urge without needing to fight it, fix it, or feed it. You'll hear how real growth happens when you stop white-knuckling through your cravings, and I share practical tips that will help you transform your relationship with cravings from a battle into peace. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/159
The post-vacation spiral is real. The guilt about what you ate, the dread of your inbox, the feeling that you need to "make up" for enjoying yourself... it's exhausting, and it's not serving you. So before you reach for that juice cleanse or promise yourself double workouts for the next month, let's talk about what you really need right now. Join me this week to learn how your current vacation re-entry mentality might be working against you, and how to re-establish your habits without going to extremes or starting over. You'll learn why the first 48 hours after vacation set the tone for your entire re-entry and how to use them wisely, and what to do with those big realizations that often surface during time away. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://carriehollandmd.com/158