
Podcast: The Food For ThoughtCast: Call Me Chef
April 30, 2026 · 1 hr 23 min
Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, food fans! Today on Episode 149, we are joined by Brian Baumal, a registered psychotherapist who specializes in food addiction. This is a bit of a different episode, really focusing on the "thought" part of the "cast." We explore diet…
Listen

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.
Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, food fans! Today on Episode 149, we are joined byBrian Baumal, a registered psychotherapist who specializes in food addiction. This is a bit of a different episode, really focusing on the "thought" part of the "cast." We explore diet culture, the stories we tell ourselves about food, the mindsets that determine how and why we eat, and Brian helps us understand the connection between the brain and all things sustenance. This was an incredible conversation and we had a great time learning from Brian and honestly, we could have probably gone on for another hour or so. We all had a chance to be a bit vulnerable, and we hope that you have as great of a takeaway from this chat as we did. Takeaway, that's a food reference. But anyway, share us with a friend and don't forget to watch us on YouTube! Now with more facepalms.
Guest: Brian Baumal
Thriving As A Physician: How to Lose Weight & Love Your Lifehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-therapist-on-why-diets-keep-stalling-interview/id1449336543?i=1000774720682Jun 2026Play episode →
Bite Back with Abbey SharpThe CBT Mindset HACK to Support Sustainable Weight Loss (& Why “More Discipline” Isn’t the Answer) with Brian BaumalMay 2026Play episode →
High on LifeDismantling Diet Culture with Psychotherapist Brian BaumalMay 2026Play episode →
The Jōrni PodcastEpisode 385 - Weight Management Psychology with Brian BaumalMay 2026Play episode →
Leadership Circle PodcastPerfectionism Is Destroying Your Progress | Brian BaumalApr 2026Play episode →
Resilient HumansEpisode 184: Shame, Self-Sabotage, and Sustainable Change w/ Brian BaumalMar 2026Play episode →7+ podcast & stage appearances. Remote or in studio, broadcast-grade audio.