We all have areas in our lives where we want to make better choices. The problem is that our default patterns keep us trapped! Join us to learn how to disrupt those old patterns while giving yourself permission and freedom!

Irene Pace is a dietitian and nutrition professional who coaches, speaks, and writes as a champion of high achievers who are eager to get control of their eating. She helps smart, successful folks get peace with food and pants that fit. In today’s show, Irene discusses the patterns we fall into regarding food, but those patterns extend into so many other areas of life. She will share how to disrupt the default paths that we fall into that don’t always serve us best.

Show Highlights:

● How Irene arrived where she is today after a time of intense personal challenges and a powerful experience of impulsive eating of donuts and ice cream bars

● Why it’s important to recognize when you need help

● The importance of hiring a professional and taking a mindset shift to allow you to focus on your “stuff” and move through the work

● Why it is important to approach change from a place of safety and give yourself permission to be human

● Why every behavior is an attempt to solve a problem

● Why food actually “works” as an attempt to make us feel better–even though we might know better

● How Irene helps clients understand their relationship with food with her three-step process:

○ Greet the “pull.” (The pull is the craving or drive to eat food.)

○ Create a pause. (We have to disrupt the default pattern.)

○ Give yourself permission. (Looking out for yourself sometimes means choosing food, but it can mean choosing another option.)

● Why it is important to practice a new awareness, beginning with greeting the pull

● Why there is truth in the saying, “If it’s hysterical, it’s historical” when it comes to our reactions

Resources:

Connect with Irene: Irene Pace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook

Eat Like You Teach: How to Reset Your Weight and Reclaim Your Life by Irene Pace, RD

Help Meg earn sponsorship for the show by leaving a love letter here

Connect with Meg

STaR Coach Show

Mentioned in this episode:

Join Mentoring Program!

If you’re a coach who wants to grow—not just check a box—this is for you. I’m enrolling coaches now for my Spring Mentoring Program. Some are here for credentialing hours. Others are here because they want to become the coach their clients rave about. Inside the program, we work on your actual coaching. You’ll hear yourself differently. Learn from other coaches. Develop more presence. And ask questions that create real transformation. If you’re ready to deepen your skills and your impact, I’d love to support you. Learn more at starcoachshow.com/mentor I’d love to work with you.

Mentor Program

If you're working toward your ACC or PCC credential, or if it's time to recertify your ACC mentor, coaching isn't just a requirement on a checklist. It's one of the most transformative investments you can make in yourself and your coaching. I've taught or mentored over 2000 coaches, and I hear the same thing again and again. I came because I had to, and I am so glad that I did. Coaches tell me they walk away with renewed energy, deeper confidence and a community of peers who genuinely support each other. Here's what you need to know right now. Mentor coaching must span a minimum of three months, so the time to start is not when your credential is just about to expire. And if you complete your hours in 2026, you get ahead of the upcoming ICF changes, which means peace of mind along with skill development. My fall cohort is already filling up. Every group is capped at ten. It's small, personal, and powerful. If you've been waiting for the right time, this is it. So head over to Star Coach Show. That’s https://starcoachshow.com/mentor/ to grab your spot or to learn more. I'd love to work with you. Now, let's get into today's show.