What if building better habits wasn’t about more discipline — but about designing your environment, relationships, and daily systems for success? In this episode of The Better Body Lab Podcast, we sit down with behavioral scientist Katie Mehr to explore the real science of habit formation, motivation, and sustainable behavior change.

Together, we examine how resilience, performance, and health optimization are shaped within the human ecology of behavior — where environment, mindset, and social influence drive long-term outcomes. Katie shares why willpower alone often fails, and how strategies like environmental design, social accountability, and structured goal setting create lasting change.

We unpack the science behind SMART goals, temptation bundling, and micro-habits, along with the hidden downsides of public goal-setting and perfectionism. We also explore social contagion — how the habits of those around us influence our own — and why flexibility and self-compassion are essential for consistency. This episode offers practical, evidence-informed tools to move from intention to action through smarter systems, not more pressure.

Katie Mehr:
Katie Mehr is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta and a behavioral science researcher focused on motivation, consumer behavior, and habit formation. She earned her PhD from The Wharton School and studies how people build and sustain real-world behavior change.

Learn more: https://www.katie-mehr.com/
Take the quiz: https://healthdailyquiz.org/

Follow Katie Mehr here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmehr/
BSKY: https://bsky.app/profile/katiemehr.bsky.social
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=J_jD-LYAAAAJ&hl=en

Key Timestamps:
00:00 — Behavior Change Foundations
04:22 — Willpower vs. Environment
08:14 — Public Goals & Accountability
16:47 — Temptation Bundling
28:12 — SMART Goals Framework
41:40 — Social Contagion
01:00:34 — Myth of Willpower

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Dr. Taryn Marie: www.resilience-leadership.com/

Mike Alden: https://www.mikealden.com/

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https://bioaccesslabs.com/

What if the future of weight loss and metabolic health isn’t just about new medications — but about access, personalization, and how the body adapts over time? In this episode of The Better Body Lab Podcast, we sit down with endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist Dr. Rekha Kumar to explore the evolving science of GLP-1 therapies, hormone health, and sustainable health optimization.

Together, we examine how resilience, recovery, and performance are shaped within the “human ecology” of metabolism — where biology, mindset, environment, and daily habits intersect. We unpack the shift from injectable to oral GLP-1 medications, challenges around affordability and off-label prescribing, and how new delivery technologies may expand treatment access.

We also explore key drivers of metabolic dysfunction, including hormonal transitions, insulin resistance, and muscle loss, along with practical insights on microdosing strategies. Ultimately, we discuss how individualized, evidence-based care can support long-term vitality and performance resilience.

About Dr. Rekha Kumar:
Dr. Rekha Kumar is an internationally recognized leader in Obesity Medicine and serves as Senior Medical Advisor at Found, advancing personalized, technology-enabled weight management. She also practices endocrinology at New York-Presbyterian, helping bridge traditional care with digital health innovation. She is triple board-certified and serves on the advisory board of the Duke Global Health Institute.

Follow Dr. Kumar here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rekha-kumar-m-d-m-s-70b481237/

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

For information about Found visit: https://joinfound.com/

Key Timestamps:
00:00 GLP-1 microdosing & prescribing realities

02:33 Shift toward oral GLP-1 therapies

13:01 How oral delivery technology works

23:01 Benefits beyond weight loss

36:20 Hormone therapy considerations for women

50:22 Metabolic health stigma & bias

55:21 Muscle mass, glucose metabolism & performance

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

Dr. Taryn Marie: www.resilience-leadership.com/

Mike Alden: https://www.mikealden.com/

Follow Dr. Taryn Marie here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTarynMarie

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

Follow Mike Alden here:

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

Visit:

https://bodycaremd.com/

https://bioaccesslabs.com/

Follow The Better Body Lab Podcast here:

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582408795363

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBetterBodyLabPodcast

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

Dr. Taryn Marie: www.resilience-leadership.com/

Mike Alden: https://www.mikealden.com/

Follow Dr. Taryn Marie here:

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Visit:

https://bodycaremd.com/

https://bioaccesslabs.com/