Bite Back with Abbey Sharp

The CBT Mindset HACK to Support Sustainable Weight Loss (& Why “More Discipline” Isn’t the Answer) with Brian Baumal

Brian Baumal · May 26, 2026

Wellness · Life Coach

Interview with Brian Baumal

The CBT Mindset HACK to Support Sustainable Weight Loss (& Why “More Discipline” Isn’t the Answer) with Brian Baumal

Podcast: Bite Back with Abbey Sharp

May 26, 2026 · 32 min

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The CBT Mindset HACK to Support Sustainable Weight Loss (& Why “More Discipline” Isn’t the Answer) with Brian Baumal

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Key topicsThe scale isn’t a judge, it’s exposure therapyFor many, the number becomes a horror movie monster-so they either obsess over it or refuse to look at it at all. Brian reframes weigh-ins as exposure: a controlled way to stop running from reality so “panic decisions” don’t drive the next week of eating. The value to listeners is learning how to interact with the scale without worshipping it or fearing it. Why diet culture needs you to believe urgency is disciplineMost people assume their weight struggles come from not acting fast enough, when in reality that urgency is learned. Brian unpacks how diet culture trains people to treat speed as virtue and delay as failure, which quietly keeps shame doing the heavy lifting. The insight lands when listeners see how slowing down isn’t “giving up,” but the first move toward a plan that doesn’t collapse at the first mistake. The moment you mess up is when real change either starts or endsMany listeners believe they fail because they’re not disciplined enough, when the real issue is that they treat mistakes as moral proof they’re “bad.” Brian connects the dots between that moral self-talk and the instinct to quit entirely, showing how perfectionism is really fear dressed up as standards. The episode reframes relapse as a skill gap, not a character flaw, and walks through how learning to recover is what actually keeps progress alive. View all topics →

About Brian Baumal

Registered Psychotherapist Specialist in Weight Loss, Overcoming Deep Shame, CBT for Sustainable Behaviour Change, Food Addiction and Support for GLP-1's or Weight Loss Medications.

100 lbs Sustained weight loss10–12 Typical treatment sessions2026 Became Chair of the Sugar & Food Addiction Professionals NetworkRegistered Psychotherapist

Brian Baumal is a Toronto-based psychotherapist who helps people lose weight without turning their lives or their self-worth into collateral damage. His work sits at the intersection of cognitive behavioural therapy, eating disorder treatment, and the emotional reality of long-term weight change. What makes his approach distinctive is not just clinical training, but lived experience.

In his early forties, Brian found himself in Disney World, often described as the happiest place on earth, facing a sudden wave of fear and shame after a health scare that never fully materialised. Surrounded by family, uninsured, and acutely aware of his own physical limits, he realised that weight was not just a health issue. It was shaping how he moved through the world, how safe he felt, and how harshly he judged himself. When he returned to Toronto, he did not start a diet. He started a plan, using the same therapeutic tools he had been trained to offer others.

Rather than chasing speed or perfection, Brian focused on dismantling shame and slowing expectations. He learned how to stay engaged after missteps instead of treating them as proof of failure. Over time, the weight came off and, more importantly, stayed off without relying on restriction, punishment, or rigid rules. That process became the foundation of his clinical work.

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About this episode

Here’s a run down of what we discussed in today’s episode:

Diet Culture Beliefs That Keep Us Stuck

Why Urgency Feels Like Discipline

How Chronic Dieting Fuels Anxiety

Why Extreme Diet Overhauls Backfire

Why Slow Progress Works Better

Scarcity Mentality & the Binge Cycle

How to Learn from Slip-Ups Without Shame

Using the Scale Without Spiraling

How CBT Changes Weight Loss Psychology

Building Habits That Actually Last

Check in with today’s amazing guest:Brian Baumal

Website: alivapsychotherapy.com/our-team/brian-baumal

References:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1499404621007582

Disclaimer: The content in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is never a substitute for medical advice. If you’re struggling with with your mental or physical health, please work one on one with a health care provider.

If you have heard yourself in our discussion today, and are looking for support, contact the free NEDIC helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or go to eatingdisorderhope.com.

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Guest: Brian Baumal