292: Alex Thieme - Motivation, identity & building better habits

292: Alex Thieme - Motivation, identity & building better habits

From Where Optimal Meets Practical by Jordan Lips

May 11, 2026 · 1h 35m

About this episode

In this episode, Jordan Lips interviews Alex Thieme about the psychology of sustainable fat loss and building better habits.

In this episode, I sit down with coach Alex Thieme to talk about the psychology behind sustainable fat loss, behavior change, motivational interviewing, self-belief, and why changing your environment often matters more than relying on willpower. We also dive into identity, self-talk, parenting, decision fatigue, grocery shopping, and how to build habits that actually stick long-term. --- Guest Alex Thieme is an online coach and educator known for his thoughtful approach to behavior change, mindset, and sustainable fitness. His work focuses heavily on helping people build self-belief, improve their relationship with health and fitness, and create realistic systems that fit into real life. --- What We Cover 03:55 – Becoming a parent, purpose, creativity, and life changes after kids 10:56 – Why we tell ourselves stories that may not actually be true 14:46 – Alex’s coaching philosophy and helping clients build self-belief 18:20 – Motivational interviewing, asking better questions, and behavior change 27:20 – The “five whys” framework and uncovering deeper motivations 30:58 – Optimizing your environment instead of relying on willpower 35:49 – Practical examples of reducing friction…

People in this episode

Host: Jordan Lips

Guest: Alex Thieme

Topics covered

  • motivation
  • identity
  • behavior change
  • sustainable fat loss
  • habits
  • self-belief

Keywords

  • motivation
  • identity
  • behavior change
  • self-belief
  • habits
  • decision fatigue
  • grocery shopping

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