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

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...

Is it really about willpower? Or is your body trying to tell you something?

In this powerful conversation, Stephanie Mara Fox shares how somatic eating helps you decode your cravings, make peace with food, and heal from binge and emotional eating. You’ll learn why your nervous system matters more than discipline—and what to do when nothing else has worked.

Stephanie's website: https://www.stephaniemara.com/
Somatic Eating: h...

Mindlessly snacking through Zoom calls? You’re not alone. In this week’s episode, I answer a listener’s question about why it’s so easy to graze through meetings without even tasting the food -  and what to do instead.

You’ll learn how to stop blaming yourself, recognize what your brain is actually trying to accomplish, and try simple tools to shift the habit (without needing more willpower).

Listen to “Why You're Mindlessly Eat...

You walk in the door after work—not hungry, but somehow you end up in the fridge.

If this after-work grazing habit feels all too familiar, this episode is for you. I'm answering a listener’s question that gets to the heart of why we eat when we don’t really need food—and how to shift the pattern without relying on willpower or guilt.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why after-work snacking is rarely about hunger
• What your body a...

Overdrinking and emotional eating often go hand-in-hand, but rarely do we talk openly about alcohol as a coping mechanism—especially for high-achieving women. In this episode, Dr. Sherry Price joins me to discuss how she broke free from a wine habit that no longer served her, the emotional parallels between food and alcohol, and why abstinence isn't the only solution.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Dr. Sherry Price’s Website: h...

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of nighttime overeating or bingeing, this episode might help you direct your efforts at change in more effective directions. I’m not talking about willpower. I’m not shaming food (or hunger). I am talking about what your real needs might be in that moment, and how to stop solving the wrong problem.

You’ll learn:

• Why nighttime eating becomes such a strong habit
• The role of Hidden Hungers and what...

In this episode, I’m sharing five things every smart woman needs to know about emotional eating. If food still feels like a struggle even though you’ve tried all the things, a better understanding of emotional eating might help you understand why. I’ll explain why emotional eating isn’t always obvious, how it shows up in ways you might miss, and what you actually need to do instead of relying on willpower or control.

Here’s what I c...

If you've ever said "I'll start over Monday," only to end up back in the same old loop, this episode is for you. Too many smart, high-achieving women are stuck in a cycle that goes something like this: try hard, lose steam, get off track, blame yourself, and start again - harder this time. It's exhausting. And it's not working.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why the traditional "start over" mind...

If you’ve ever found yourself eating on autopilot, not tasting your food, or wondering how you got from “just a bite” to the bottom of the bag, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken. What’s likely happening is something I see all the time - you’re simply not with yourself in those moments. And when you’re not present, something else takes over.

Here’s what I’m covering in this episode:

• Why checking out is so common - and how it...

If you've ever found yourself reaching for food when you're stressed, overwhelmed, or just plain exhausted, it might be time to explore a powerful but often overlooked tool for lasting change: self-compassion. In this episode, you’ll hear why self-compassion is a game-changer when it comes to ending overeating and emotional eating. If the voice in your head tends to be a harsh critic, or if you find yourself stuck in the ...

I’m diving into what I call the “overeating boomerang”—a hidden mindset trap that keeps smart, capable women swinging between trying to be superhuman and using food to numb out. You’ll hear the real-life experiences (with names changed for privacy) of women inside my coaching program who realized they were stuck in this pattern, and how we began shifting it. If you've been demanding that your tired, burned-out self just push t...

If you're trying to stop emotional eating, overeating, or binge eating—but feel like nothing is changing—this episode is essential.

The truth? Most women miss the real signs that they’re making progress with ending emotional eating and overeating because they’re looking in the wrong place. And if you don’t see your results, you can’t build on them.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the mindset you bring to overcoming overeat...

Lisa knew exactly how she wanted to eat. She’d researched, made a plan, and was fully committed—until real life got in the way. Vacations, stress, and long days at work would throw her off track every time. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t stick with a healthy eating plan (even one you like), this episode will show you what’s really going on—and what to do instead.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through:

• Why knowing what to ...

Tune in to hear how small, sustainable actions can create lasting change and why waiting for the “perfect time” is a trap.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why postponing your happiness contributes to overeating and emotional eating
• The Hidden Hungers that drive cravings and how to address them
• The all-or-nothing mindset that keeps high-achievers stuck in overwhelm
• How dreaming big can actually make your goals more achievable
• Small...

In this episode, I’m covering mindset shifts, hidden roadblocks, and powerful tools that can help you break free from deprivation thinking and finally cure your overeating habits. You’ll learn why self-compassion and the right support system are essential, what you need to know about blind spots that can keep you stuck, and what you can do to rewire your brain for freedom instead of restriction.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: