Welcome to Your Midlife Comeback Story, the go-to podcast for smart, successful, high-achieving women over 40 who are ready to break free from emotional eating, lose weight without dieting, and finally feel like yourself again.

You’ve probably asked yourself… how is it that I’ve risen to the top of my career, I’m crushing it with my family, and I’m a pillar of my community because of the systems and habits and discipline, but those same strategies don’t work with losing weight? And more than that, you’re diving into the snacks every night. And if we’re completely honest, there are probably more days than not that you just feel like a shell of who you used to be. And you might be wondering… how do some women in midlife seem to have this glow-up and confidence, while I’m over here looking all frumptastic, feeling like every day is a fight with my own body?

I’m your host, Holly Bertone. I’m a former FBI Chief of Staff for Counterintelligence turned Certified Holistic Health Coach. I help women in midlife break free from emotional eating so they can achieve a healthy and sustainable weight without counting calories or diets. Here’s the thing, I don’t just teach this. I lived it. I’ve been through my share of midlife struggles - juggling 20 years in project management consulting and federal government, battling breast cancer, healing myself from an autoimmune disease, divorce, empty nest, and losing my mom. But the throughline of all of this, I stopped prioritizing myself, I completely lost myself, and I turned to food to take the edge off. I’m a recovered emotional eater of over 40 years.

I found a new way to create my own 50-something comeback, and that’s what you get in these episodes. This show dives into the psychology of weight loss, emotional eating triggers, and what it takes to thrive in midlife.

But we do things a little differently around here. You’re not going to hear about diets, calories, or macros. You get FBI counterintelligence-inspired strategies, the real psychology behind why you sabotage, and tools to finally feel… you again.

If you’re ready to be a little rebellious, to reclaim your It Girl Era energy, to create your comeback story that is worthy of an 80’s movie montage, and if you’re ready to own every room you walk in, to finally feel strong, free, confident, and at home in your body, you’re in the right place. Your comeback starts now.

Let’s go.

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - THE PSYCHOLOGY-BASED METHOD TO OUTSMART EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.

A student in my program asked me, “If I take away comfort food… how am I supposed to take the edge off?” And that question? It cracked everything wide open. In today’s episode, we are digging into why those big emotions feel so scary and why many women feel like they can’t handle them. Oh, and we’re also going to throw in some dating stories, ghosting, and this whole Gen X disconnect that seems to be trending and hitting a little too close to home. So let’s go.

Together, we will unpack:

• What emotional eating and ghosting in dating have in common (and it’s not what you think).
• The crossed wire that changed everything for Gen X women.
• What to do when comfort food becomes your therapist.
• What dating at 53 taught me about emotional avoidance.
• How our brains are still riding in the back of Mom’s station wagon.
• The Frogger Effect: How we dodge discomfort 24/7.

Mentioned Resources:

▶️ Book Referenced: Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt - link: https://amzn.to/4mbU3yc

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.

I’m breaking down the truth behind emotional eating and food addiction… and why these labels might be doing more harm than good.

You’ll also get the 8 important questions you need to ask yourself to determine if food addiction or emotional eating is something that you shouldn’t worry about, or something that you should seek help with.

If you’ve ever said “I feel out of control around food,” or wondered if you’re actually addicted to food, this episode will change how you see the problem, and more importantly, how you solve it.

Together, we will unpack:

• Why food addiction isn’t what you think, and why the label might be working against you.
• The real difference between stress eating, emotional eating, binge eating, cravings, and food addiction.
• The truth about sugar detoxes and going cold turkey.
• Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn responses - and how each one shows up in your emotional eating habits.
• The 8 questions you can ask yourself to determine if you need help with emotional eating or food addiction.
• How your nervous system uses food to manage emotions and stress.

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.

What if your food cravings aren’t random? What if they are the result of invisible patterns you’ve been running since childhood? On today’s episode of Your Midlife Comeback Story, I’m pulling back the curtain behind the 1,791 cravings profiles that I analyzed to reveal the real story behind the Emotional Eating Psychological Profile that’s been blowing people’s minds. Once you see your pattern, you’ll never unsee it.

Together, we will unpack:

• Real-life patterns from 1,791 cravings profiles analyzed.
• How a childhood obsession led to cracking the code on emotional eating.
• The FBI counterintelligence methods Holly used to decode food cravings.
• The hidden childhood patterns driving emotional and stress eating.
• The surprising link between birth order, childhood coping mechanisms, and emotional eating.
• What makes the Emotional Eating Psychological Profile scary accurate for midlife women.
• Why understanding your emotional eating patterns is the first step to lasting weight loss without dieting.

Mentioned Resources:

▶️ Episode 161 - You Run Your Career Like a Boss. Time to Do the Same for Weight Loss.

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.

In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what I observed inside a room full of seven-figure entrepreneurs - multi-million dollar business owners - and how those same success patterns apply to healing your relationship with food, breaking free from emotional eating, losing weight, and finally creating the healthiest version of you.

These millionaire patterns are about building a legacy with your body, just like they’ve done with their businesses. If you ever wanted to know what separates the winners, if you want the insider secrets that go on behind the Zoom squares so that you can apply these same principles to your weight and health, this episode is for you.

Together, we will unpack:

• The 3 millionaire patterns that can transform your weight loss and health journey.
• The mindset shift that high performers use to break through plateaus.
• Why information is the killer of all dreams.

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.

If you are curious about what it takes to truly heal - I'm talking mind-body and spirit, and you're secretly wondering if there's something more out there than just conventional advice, today's conversation is for you.

My guest today is Amy Stark. She is a Master Healer, author of the brand new book Bridging the Divide, A Powerful Path to Personal Transformation by Healing the Mind, Body, and Spirit, and host of The Stark Transformation Show. For two decades, she’s helped thousands of people heal from trauma, rewire limiting beliefs, and reclaim their power, blending neuroscience, energy medicine, and intuitive wisdom.

This conversation may sound a little “woo woo” at first… but I invite you to keep an open mind, because everything we talk about is backed by science. That’s the magic of Amy’s work. She bridges the divide between spirit and science so that true, lasting transformation becomes possible.

Together, we will unpack:

• How Amy went from chronically ill to thriving by rewiring her beliefs and aligning mind, body, and spirit.
• The science behind energy healing: how Amy changed the structure of water with her mind (and proved it in a lab).
• Why people-pleasing and perfectionism are actually trauma responses, and how to finally break free.
• What EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) really does for trauma, and why it’s a game-changer for healing without reliving the pain.
• How Bridging the Divide blends neuroscience, energy medicine, and spiritual insight into a practical roadmap for lasting transformation.

Connect with Amy Stark:

▶️ Website - https://www.starktransformation.com/

▶️ Book: Bridging the Divide - https://amzn.to/4d5wfyM

▶️ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starktransformation/

▶️ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@starktransformation

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.

You know those days when you’ve hit your breaking point and you throw yourself a pity party… and food is the guest of honor? I’m talking sweat pants, messy bun, and diving head first into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s kind of day? If that’s been your day, or your week… or honestly, your life… this episode’s for you. Keep listening. Because today’s pity party’s got a plot twist.

Together, we will unpack:

• Why your late-night snack attack isn’t a lack of willpower.
• The real reason emotional eating spikes at night.
• How your Good Girl Spiral leads straight to the emotional eating food buffet.
• The neuroscience of why you raid the pantry when life feels too life-ey (and how to interrupt the cycle).
• The surprising connection between midlife stress and the food you can’t stop eating.

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.

I’ve had so many women reach out to me recently and say, I don’t even know where to start anymore. And honestly, I get it. Because when you’ve tried all of the diets and nothing works, and then Dr. Google has 47 different answers for you, it’s easier to just give up.

But... we don’t give up around here. I’ve got 5 simple steps for you that you can take right now that will get you started in the right direction.

Together, we'll unpack:

• Why saying “I don’t even know where to start” isn’t a failure; it’s a symptom of a broken system.
• The 5 rebel-tested steps to get started, regardless of your diet or protocol. And without counting a single calorie.
• How your brain’s threat response keeps you trapped in the start/quit cycle.
• The truth about motivation (and why it’s the last thing you should rely on).
• What Reese’s cups, push pins, and a beat-up Dodge Dart can teach you about building consistency.
• Why you don’t need another plan. You need a Pla (yes, like Phoebe from Friends).
• How to finally become the woman who actually follows through.

Connect with Holly:

▶️ FREE TRAINING - HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM EMOTIONAL EATING IN 10 DAYS - https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/hollybertone

▶️ FREE EMOTIONAL EATING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE - https://pinkfortitude.mykajabi.com/weight-quiz

▶️ Follow Holly Bertone on Instagram - @holly.bertone

▶️ More resources for Your Midlife Comeback Story - yourcomeback.coach

If today's episode resonated with you, be sure to hit the follow button where you are listening and also tap those 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a great review because it would mean so much to me to hang out with you every week and because it will also help to get this podcast and message out to more listeners!

Your Comeback Story Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.