142. How to Stop Emotional Eating in Midlife Without Controlling Food: The Real Reasons It’s So Hard with MJ Murray Vachon

Feb 9, 2026

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ABOUT THE EPISODE:

Midlife can feel overwhelming in ways many women never expected. The responsibilities are heavier, the body feels different, and the strategies that once worked to manage stress, weight, and emotions suddenly don’t anymore.

In this episode, Kim is joined by licensed clinical social worker, mental wellness educator, and podcast host MJ Murray Vachon for a grounded, compassionate conversation about why midlife women are struggling and why it is not a personal failure.

MJ brings nearly 40 years of clinical experience into a conversation that reframes stress, emotional eating, and weight struggles through the lens of the nervous system, culture, and self-trust. Instead of focusing on discipline or willpower, she helps women understand what their bodies are asking for and how to reconnect with themselves in practical, realistic ways.

This episode is about slowing down, removing shame, and learning how to regulate from the inside out so food, habits, and health no longer feel like a constant battle.  Listen to the end for practical tips from MJ.

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What we cover

• Why midlife women feel constantly stretched thin and emotionally overloaded
• How stress shows up in coping behaviors like emotional eating, alcohol, and cannabis use
• Why willpower and discipline stop working in midlife
• The role culture, technology, and modern life play in nervous system overload
• The difference between self-monitoring and self-attunement
• Simple body-based tools to calm stress before it turns into burnout or overeating
• Why midlife health and weight loss require a very different approach than earlier decades

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Key takeaways

• Calm does not come from thinking harder or trying harder. It starts in the body.
• Regulating the nervous system must come before reflection, problem-solving, or change.
• Much of the stress women feel is cultural and generational, not personal failure.
• Self-attunement builds self-trust, which is essential for sustainable health in midlife.
• Small, imperfect steps done consistently matter more than all-or-nothing efforts.

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About MJ

MJ Murray Vachon is a licensed clinical social worker with nearly 40 years of experience supporting individuals through anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, and major life transitions. She has facilitated more than 50,000 therapy sessions and delivered over 800 mental wellness workshops.

She is the founder of Inner Challenge, a mental wellness program launched in 1993, and the host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, which was selected by Maria Shriver as “Listen of the Week” in January 2024. MJ’s work is practical, compassionate, and rooted in helping people reconnect with their heart, body, and mind using tools they can apply immediately in real life.

 

Check out these episodes from MJ’s podcast Creating Midlife Calm:

Ep. 228 — A Calmer Approach to Ep.229 Midlife Weight Loss Using Coping Skills That Reduce Anxiety & Stress While You Lose Weight

https://pod.fo/e/376d25

Ep. 229 — Coping Skills to Overcome the Biggest Saboteurs of Midlife Weight Loss—and Decrease Anxiety & Stress
https://pod.fo/e/379386

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Connect with MJ

• Website: https://mjmurrayvachon.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-j-murray-vachon-lcsw-184252289
• Instagram: @vachonmjmurray
• Facebook: MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW

 

Connect with Kim:

Emotional Eats Podcast: Emotional Eats Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emotional-eats-podcast-end-emotional-eating-weight/id1686639038

Website:  https://wellspringcounselingandhealth.com/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kimhynesmidlife/

TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kimhynesmidlife

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Kimhynesmidlife

Want to improve your midlife focus or sleep?  Check out Brain.fm.  This app has help me be more productive, get the best afternoon powernaps and bring down my nervous system….fast.  Get 30 days for free here.

 https://www.brain.fm/kimhyneshealth

 

Get my favorite healthy Hot Chocolate (Organifi Chocolate Gold) here:

https://www.organifishop.com/

Use code:  KIMH for 20 % off

This dark chocolate tumeric tea helps promote relaxation and calm.  It's the perfect substitute for dessert and a great way to help promote sleep.

 

Other links Kim receives commission on some of these products which are used to continue providing free content and produce the Emotional Eats Podcast.

LMNT

http://elementallabs.refr.cc/kimhynes

Disclaimer:  This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  Always consult with your medical practitioner before changing habits.  This podcast is not to take the place of medical or mental health professionals.

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