The Pursuit of Excellence with Josh Hillis

In today’s episode, Josh Hillis joins us again for a practical and refreshingly honest conversation about skill-building, emotional eating, perfectionism, and the messy, human reality of behavior change. We dive into what it really means to practice eating skills, why the checkbox is the practice, not the outcome, and how the pursuit of excellence looks a whole lot more like peaceful striving than perfection. Josh breaks down the “training-wheels” approach that helps people build confidence slowly, intentionally, and compassionately, instead of swinging between rigid control and all-or-nothing chaos.

You’ll hear us talk about emotional eating without shame, how to navigate food without relying on strict diet rules, and why the most meaningful changes happen when you stop waiting to “feel ready” and instead get in the game: fumble around, learn, adjust, and keep going. If you’re someone who’s been stuck in the cycle of trying, “failing,” quitting, and starting over…this episode is the permission slip and the roadmap you’ve been searching for.

“The checkbox is the practice, not the outcome. The outcome comes later.”

- Josh Hillis

“The number one predictor of eating-behavior change is willingness to feel..”

- Josh Hillis

This week on Here’s the Deal:

• Why practicing skills (not accomplishing them) is the real path to sustainable eating behavior change.
• How pausing before eating builds agency and separates wanting from choosing.
• Why emotional eating can be intentional, values-aligned, and not something to fear.
• A training-wheels approach to navigating “trigger foods” without overwhelm or blowouts.
• How perfectionism leads to more quitting, not better results
• What pursuit of excellence actually looks like.
• Why “easy practice” matters more than tackling the hardest food in the hardest situation.
• How tracking something (skills, not just calories) helps maintain structure without slipping into diet culture.
• Why the magic happens when you allow yourself to learn, fumble, and layer skills over time—with patience and compassion.

Connect with Josh Hillis:

• Cravings, Emotionally Flexibility, and Your Goals with Josh Hillis
• Josh Hillis on Instagram
• Josh Hillis Website
• Eating Skills Class: Three Foundational Skills
• Fat Loss Happens on a Monday Book
• Lean and Strong Book

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

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