Episode Details

Welcome to a new episode of the Nutrition and Life podcast! Today, our host, Lisa, is joined by Maddie Hawley, a registered dietitian, personal trainer, and coach, who’s passionate about helping women find balance, food freedom, and confidence through an integrative approach to wellness.

In this episode, Maddie opens up about her own journey from burnout in the corporate world to building her own coaching business, and shares practical tools for achieving client consistency, embracing the "gray area," and getting results that last. Lisa and Maddie dig deep into how to avoid the all-or-nothing mentality with nutrition, why “perfect” tracking isn’t always the answer, the importance of periodizing your nutrition, and ways to foster true flexibility in your health journey.

If you’re tired of rigid dieting, want to understand reverse dieting, or are searching for habits that actually fit your real life, you don’t want to miss this power-packed conversation!

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 - Introduction & Maddie’s Story

02:21 - Pivoting to Dietetics & Launching an Online Business

02:54 - Common Macro Tracking Challenges

03:23 - Building Healthy Relationships with Food & Tracking

05:04 - Learning to Live in the Gray Area

06:06 - Tracking as an Educational Tool

07:24 - Pitfalls of “Tracking Didn’t Work”

08:28 - Why Eating Out and Special Occasions Matter Most

09:50 - Food Logs: Learning from High Calorie Days

10:30 - Adjusting Meals for Social Events

11:29 - Why Consistency Beats Perfection

13:42 - Nutrition Periodization & Setting Realistic Targets

14:16 - What Is a Reverse Diet?

16:20 - Reverse Dieting: Mindset Challenges & Missteps

17:18 - Why Intuitive Eating Can Backfire Post-Diet

18:15 - Feeling “Fluffy”: Overtraining, Inflammation, and Plateaus

19:06 - The “Five Dials” Approach to Wellness

21:07 - Impact of Sleep, Stress, and Food Quality

24:09 - Processed Foods and Calorie Accuracy

25:40 - Maddie’s Recommended Training Routine

27:23 - Cardio vs. Strength Training Mistakes

28:17 - Overtraining and Hormones in Perimenopause

29:31 - Integrating Training, Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, Mindfulness

30:38 - Mindfulness Practices That Work

32:31 - Mindfulness in Action: Breaking Food Patterns

34:57 - Downregulating Stress After Workouts

36:05 - Maddie’s Own Fitness Routine

37:27 - Walking, Post-Meal Movement, and Blood Sugar

38:46 - Connect with Maddie & Episode Wrap Up

Connect with Maddie:

Instagram: @maddiehawley Website: www.maddiehawleycoaching.com

Connect, Share & Subscribe: Want more expert guests and practical tools for nutrition and life? Subscribe to the podcast, follow us on Instagram @nutritioncoachingandlife, or check out the website at https://nutritioncoachingandlife.com. Share your favorite takeaway from this episode and tag us!