The Action Factory Podcast

What if the secret to lasting weight loss had nothing to do with diets, calorie counting, or endless workouts… and everything to do with the way you think?

In this first chapter of Think to Shrink, Michael Dawson takes you inside a groundbreaking NHS project where twelve people, each facing life-threatening health risks were given every possible tool to change their lives.

But what he discovered in that musty tennis club meeting ro...

What if you could quit dieting forever, and be free from food rules, calorie counting, and the endless cycle of hope and disappointment in just 14 days?

In this opening to Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink, Michael Dawson shares how a life-changing NHS project working with twelve people facing life-threatening obesity inspired a radical new approach. One that throws out the old weight-loss script and focuses on the one thing every tr...

Stuck in the same old cycle with food, cravings, or motivation?

Maybe it’s time to do something completely different.

In this episode, I share a message that might just change the game: If what you're doing isn’t working, try ANYTHING else.

Even if it’s silly. Especially if it’s silly.

You’ll hear:

Why a water pistol solved a years-long family feud

How switching sides of the bed healed a marriage

The genius of supermodels and champ...

Imagine treating a drink problem by selling someone branded low-alcohol beer. Sounds ridiculous, right?

Yet that’s exactly how we often approach weight problems , with food diaries, calorie counting, and obsession disguised as control.

In this episode, I share what really works when it comes to lasting change, not willpower, but identity shifts.

We’ll explore:

The flawed mindset behind most weight-loss tactics

Why obsession is the ...

In this episode, I’ll show you how to build your personal D-Day (Diet Day) using a 14-day roadmap that leads to real, lasting change.

We’ll explore how preparation, mindset, and strong signals can shift you from diet chaos to total clarity.

We’ll cover:

Why you must build up to the day you quit your diet

How the MAP method (Map, Align, Proceed) sets you up for success

The powerful “3 feet or 3 miles” rule from beekeeping, and how i...

What if the key to quitting your diet isn’t willpower, but asking better questions?

In this episode, I’ll share one of the most powerful tools from Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and show how it can rewire your mindset around weight, failure, and progress.

We’ll explore:

Why some people see themselves as “lucky” and what it means for your mindset

How to spot the cracks in your “perfect problem”

The 4 essential SFBT principle...

As a cyclist, I've noticed something that might surprise you, and it challenges a common belief we all hold: there's often no direct correlation between size and fitness.

I've been on 80-mile rides, head down, pushing through, only to be passed by people considerably bigger than me. This isn't scientific fact, just my own observation, but it makes me question the rigid link we've created between wellness and weight.

I'm Michael Daw...

Have you ever wondered why your diet feels so resistive, like an uphill battle, while for others, it seems like plain sailing?

In my last episode, I introduced you to the Pyramid of Change, a concept that sheds light on why transforming our habits, especially around food, can feel incredibly difficult.

Today, I'm diving deeper into what that truly means for you, personally. I believe this idea explains why some people can diet for ...

So here's the idea, one that perfectly explains why so many diets feel like an uphill battle. Imagine a beautiful champagne fountain, but someone's trying to fill it from the very bottom. It's overflowing, but nothing's reaching the top levels.

I believe many of us are doing exactly this with our weight problems, working at a "lower level" that creates constant resistance. In this video, I'm going to walk you through the "Pyramid o...

I've often seen people chase what they think is "success", especially when it comes to their bodies. But what if the way we've been measuring progress, like on the scale, is actually sabotaging us?

In this episode, I'm sharing the surprising truth I learned from a mental health project: true success in quitting diets isn't measured in pounds or kilos.

I'll explore how our obsession with a number can lead to a cycle of failure and f...

Have you been feeling like your body is sabotaging your weight loss efforts? Yep, me too.

In this video, I'm revealing the powerful concept of your body's "set point", the natural weight range it strives to maintain. I'll explain why constant dieting sends "danger signals" that make long-term weight loss almost impossible. We'll discuss a gentler, smarter approach focused on building trust with your body through calm, consistency, ...

What If Quitting Diets Actually Makes Sense?

What does a world-champion cyclist building his bike from washing machine parts have to do with quitting diets? A lot, actually.

In this episode, I talk about breaking rules, facing resistance, and challenging the status quo, just like Graeme Obree did when he rewrote the book on cycling. I take on the most common (and emotional) objections I hear when people first consider quitting diet...

In this episode, we explore how survivorship bias shows up in diet culture and why it’s time to stop copying the “super slimmers” and start learning from those who don’t diet at all. These are the people I call the weightless, not because they’ve hit a number on a scale, but because food no longer runs the show. You’ll hear how identity plays a central role in real change, and how casting tiny “votes” for your future self can shift...

I’m Michael Dawson, author of Quit Your Diet: Think to Shrink. In this episode I reveal the mindset shifts that helped me drop cigarettes and alcohol for good and whether those same principles appear in my 14-Day Escape Plan to quit dieting forever. On reflection I discovered : Why a non smoker is carrying a cigarette around, how a countdown super-charges commitment. The power of my goodbye letter that closes the emotional loop wit...

It’s Michael Dawson, author of Quit Your Diet. I’ve spent my life supporting change and helping people quit things, but recently I got a fair question: has any of this worked for me?

In this episode, I’m sharing three everyday habits that used to run my life, extra sugar in every mug, a lifelong nail-biting reflex, and a coffee schedule so predictable that baristas recognized me on sight. I’ll explain the quick mindset shifts that ...

Many years ago, back in what I call “the good old days,” I was in a nightclub, as I often was. I spotted this older guy on the dance floor, maybe 60 or 70 years old, surrounded by a crowd of people no older than 25. He was dancing, pulling moves, flirting, and having a great time. My mate turned to me, screamed over the music, and said, “That’ll be you at 60.” I nodded.

I thought, Yeah, of course it will. Why wouldn’t I still be ou...

What if the reason you keep starting diets and quitting them has little to do with willpower, and everything to do with a script you’ve unknowingly been following for years?

In this episode, Michael Dawson reflects on a life-changing moment triggered by one simple glance through his old journal. From quitting alcohol as a type one diabetic to uncovering the subconscious pattern that fuels diet failure, he breaks down a familiar cyc...

In this episode, I’m talking about why pretending can be one of the most powerful tools for personal change.

We start with the true story of Chris Gardner, the man behind The Pursuit of Happyness, who showed up every day acting like he belonged in a world that hadn’t accepted him yet. He wasn’t successful, he was pretending. But that act changed his life, and it’s something you can learn from too.

I dive into the psychology behind ...

A woman looked in the mirror after plastic surgery and still saw someone she didn’t like. That moment changed the life of Dr. Maxwell Maltz—and it changed the way I think about weight loss too.

I’m Michael Dawson, author of Quit Your Diet, and in this episode, I’m digging into the conversation around Ozempic, Wegovy, and the so-called miracle weight-loss drugs. But instead of just focusing on the headlines, I want to talk about wha...