Too Much on Her Plate with Dr. Melissa McCreery: Emotional Eating Help for Smart, High-Achieving Women

Emotional eating, limited bandwidth, and the tools that actually help

What if your eating struggles aren’t a willpower problem, but a capacity problem?

In this episode, I share the real reasons emotional eating gets worse when your bandwidth is gone, and why pushing harder doesn’t work. You’ll learn:

• Why autopilot overeating happens (especially at night)
• What to do instead of starting another “plan”
• Tools that work when your capacit...

Overwhelmed and overeating? This episode shows you a better way.

Feeling stretched thin, overloaded, or stuck in emotional eating patterns—but don’t have the energy to fix it? You’re not alone. Most smart, high-achieving women don’t struggle because they’re lazy. They struggle because their capacity is maxed out—and they’ve been taught to blame themselves.

In this episode, I share how to shift your approach to overeating and emotiona...

The truth about diets? They keep you stuck.
As the new year approaches, you might feel the pull of another plan, another try, another round of willpower. But what if the problem isn’t you? What if it’s the diet itself?

In this best-of episode, I’m sharing 25 powerful reasons not to start another diet - not in January, not ever again.

You’ll learn:

• Why diets don’t work
• How they increase obsession and emotional eating
• What to do i...

Before you commit to a new weight loss plan, here’s what you really need to know.

If you’re a high-achieving woman, chances are your overeating has nothing to do with willpower—and everything to do with the hidden hungers that traditional food plans ignore.

In this best-of episode, I’m sharing:

• The 5 hidden hungers that fuel emotional eating
• Why “just be more disciplined” always backfires
• What to focus on instead of restriction and ...

Struggling with autopilot eating habits during the holidays? You’re not alone, and there’s a better way than just trying to control your eating with willpower.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What autopilot eating habits look like in December
• Why willpower backfires for high-achieving women
• A 3-question check-in to reconnect with what you really need
• How to start changing your patterns today (no big plan required)
• Hidden Hungers Quiz:...

Overeating in December? It’s not your fault - and here’s what helps

Struggling with overeating in December? It’s not about willpower. In this episode, you’ll learn how holiday stress, time pressure, and constant food cues trigger autopilot eating patterns - and what to do instead.

You’ll learn:

• Why old patterns feel stronger this season
• What NOT to do with food in December
• How to feel more in control (with zero perfection required)
<...

Strength training isn’t just for athletes—it’s one of the best things you can do for your health, energy, and confidence after 40.

In this episode, I’m talking with physical therapist and health coach Michele Riechman about why strength training for women over 40 matters, how it supports your metabolism and hormones, and simple, realistic ways to start - without falling into the all-or-nothing trap.

If you’ve been waiting for the “ri...

Why do you lose control around food even when you know better?
It’s not about willpower. And it’s not about discipline.

In this episode, I’m walking you through:

• The shortcut your brain has learned (and how to unlearn it)
• Why “just try harder” always fails
• What the urge to eat is really about
• A question that can change everything

This is the first in a series spotlighting Peace with Food: The Emotional Eating Toolbox - my n...

Trusting yourself with food again isn’t just possible, it’s the smarter way forward.

If you’ve lost count of how many times you’ve started over, this episode will help you understand why the cycle keeps happening and what it really takes to create lasting change.

In this episode:

• Why we stop trusting ourselves around food
• How control and perfectionism erode confidence
• Four steps to start rebuilding self-trust today
• What changes when ...

You’ve heard the hype — Ozempic, quick fixes, magic pills. But if you’ve ever struggled with emotional eating, there’s something these “solutions” can’t fix.

In this episode, we’ll unpack:

• Why quick fixes often fail women who overeat for emotional reasons
• What Ozempic can’t fix about your relationship with food
• How to rebuild trust with yourself and stop outsourcing control
• What actually works to create lasting peace with food

T...

Tired of eating Halloween candy without even realizing it? In this “Best Of” episode, Dr. Melissa McCreery walks you through a powerful mindful eating experiment you can try with candy (or any food) to stop autopilot eating, reduce emotional eating, and build more peace with food.

This episode is perfect for high-achieving women who want to stop overeating during the holidays without dieting or deprivation. You’ll learn how to slow ...

When it comes to ending the struggle with food, most smart women overcomplicate things. We tell ourselves we need more willpower, more control, or the perfect plan - and then we either never quite get started, or end up in cycles of not hitting that perfect mark and endlessly starting over. Real freedom from overeating often begins in the simplest, most human ways - through small, imperfect steps and compassionate consistency.

Toget...

Ever wondered why your efforts don’t bring results - even when you eat “clean” and stick to all the rules? This episode with Dr. Beth Westie digs into the relationship between hormones and cravings, energy slumps, and emotional eating. Beth breaks things down with a simplified approach to what to do instead of beating yourself up.

Dr. Beth Westie is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, chiropractor, bestselling author, and host of Th...

Tina had done the therapy, the journaling, the inner work – she even wrote a book about her transformation. But food still held power over her.

In this powerful conversation, Tina shares what worked after decades of working to fix emotional eating. She reveals how Your Missing Peace helped her create a new relationship with food – one rooted in choice, freedom, and self-trust.

Listen to hear:

• The mindset shift that changed everyth...

You make a plan, get motivated, and expect yourself to follow through perfectly. But when things go off track, the cycle starts again.

In this episode, we’re looking at how hidden perfectionism fuels overeating - and what actually helps you build habits that stick.

Learn more about Your Missing Peace:
https://toomuchonherplate.com/ympclub-web/

Full show notes and transcript at https://toomuchonherplate.com/perfectionism-fuels-over...

Why do smart, successful women struggle with food, motivation, and happiness? Yale psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos joins Dr. Melissa McCreery to unpack the real reasons behind emotional eating, self-sabotage, and toxic motivation. Tune in to learn why self-compassion isn’t weakness - it’s your greatest strength.

Resources:

• Dr. Laurie Santos' podcast: The Happiness Lab
• Laurie's course: The Science of Well-Being on Coursera
...

After a stressful day, do you ever find yourself saying “screw it” and heading straight for the snacks? You’re not alone – and it’s not about lack of willpower. In this episode, we’ll unpack the real reasons behind that snap, why food feels like the only option, and how to create new patterns without perfectionism or shame.

You’ll learn:

• What’s really happening in the “screw it” moment
• How to shift the cycle of stress eating
• Practi...

Do your weekends leave you feeling like you’re starting over every Monday? In this episode, I unpack why weekend overeating happens, what role diet mentality plays, and how to shift into a food relationship that works every day of the week. It’s not about more rules—it’s about creating lasting freedom.

🎧 Learn how to stop the weekend food spiral and discover the exact framework I teach inside Your Missing Peace.

🎓 Watch the free ma...

You make great choices all day. You stick to your plan. You avoid the breakroom snacks. But when the evening hits, all bets are off. You sit down, the TV goes on, and the snacks come out.

If you keep blowing it at night and wondering what’s wrong with you, this episode is for you.

Dr. Melissa McCreery shares what’s really happening when nighttime eating sabotages your goals—and it’s not what you’ve been told. This is not a discipline...