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Motivation

From Guilt to Enjoyment: Improving Motivation for Healthy Eating

How different types of motivation influence eating habits and overall well-being, with strategies to build sustainable healthy choices.

60 min (flexible 30–90)
In-Person & Virtual
Victoria, BC

About this Talk

Build a healthier relationship with food

It can be challenging to find the time or energy to eat healthy, or to resist the temptation of unhealthy snacks. While many of us know what we “should” be eating, actually doing so can be difficult—yet for others, it seems effortless. What sets them apart?

In this session, Dr. Myles Maillet examines how different types of motivation influence our eating habits and overall well-being. Attendees will learn the psychological principles behind building long-lasting habits and apply strategies to cultivate more effective personal motivation. This talk provides practical, science-based tools to move beyond guilt and create a positive, sustainable relationship with food.

Quick Facts

Duration

60 min (flexible 30–90)

Ideal For

All employees

Format

In-Person & Virtual

Approach

Evidence-based, actionable tools

LEARNING OUTCOMES

What your team will learn

Attendees leave with practical, evidence-based skills they can apply immediately.

1
Understand eating motivation more clearly

Learn how different types of motivation affect healthy eating efforts and outcomes.

2
Recognize what supports lasting habits

Identify the psychological principles that help healthy eating feel more realistic and sustainable.

3
Improve personal motivation

Apply strategies to improve your own personal motivation for healthy eating in practical, science-based ways.

4
Move beyond guilt-based approaches

Understand why shame and pressure often undermine healthy behaviour change.

SESSION BREAKDOWN

What the talk covers

01

The Psychology of Healthy Eating Motivation

The session begins with an overview of how motivation influences food-related choices and why knowledge alone is often not enough.

02

Why Guilt Often Backfires

Participants examine how guilt, shame, and rigid expectations can weaken long-term motivation and create unhelpful patterns.

03

Creating Healthy and Sustainable Eating Habits

This section provides practical strategies for making healthy eating more enjoyable, self-supportive, and easier to maintain.

Man speaking to an engaged audience in a seminar.
Dr. Myles Maillet

Your Speaker

Dr. Myles Maillet

Ph.D.

Dr. Myles Maillet is an expert in research and social psychology, senior economist, and speaker specializing in motivation, self-regulation, and behaviour change. He helps organizations understand what drives people to set goals, stay engaged, and navigate obstacles more effectively at work and in life.

Dr. Maillet completed his Honours BA at Western University and his MSc and PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Victoria. He currently works as a Senior Economist with the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, where he researches behaviours and perceptions related to cannabis use and the impacts of non-medical cannabis legalization in Canada. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Outlier Analytics. Dr. Maillet has delivered talks, lectures, and workshops to academic, industry, government, and community audiences, including Medify, Sniffspot, SSI, DailyHive, the Government of British Columbia, the Western Psychological Association, and the Capital Region District’s Traffic Safety Commission. He has also taught undergraduate courses on motivation, emotion, and well-being at the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University, and has led statistical methods workshops for researchers. His research examines how and why people set goals, how they sustain effort, and what helps them overcome challenges, while emphasizing the role environments play in shaping behaviour, standards, and motivation. An award-winning educator and researcher, he has published and presented on topics including healthy eating, alcohol use, time in nature, motivation for learning, and the effects of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. When he is not reading or writing, he enjoys playing sports with friends, foraging for wild mushrooms, and paddle boarding around Vancouver Island. .

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