Heal Your Food Addictions | 071 - It Has to Be Me

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tess Masters (00:00):
Sugar cravings rule your life, or you feel crippled by other food addictions and can't gain control over your body. This is the episode for you. I am speaking to Liz and Susan and Kim from our skinny 60 community about how they broke the cycle of emotional eating with our 60
day reset. A lot of people joinour program to work with our dietitians to successfully change their food habits. I spoke to food journalist Wendy Hargraves a couple of weeks ago on the podcast about how she changed her relationship with food in our community. She did the program earlier this year,

(00:34):
and the reason that I invitedLiz and Susan and Kim on to share their stories is that they all did the program a while back. Liz was in the beta group six years ago. Susan came into our community five years ago, and Kim started with us back in 2023 and not only did they get amazing results during their
time with us, but they've allmaintained their health and positive relationship with food years later, and that's the triumph. I absolutely adore these ladies. They are such beautiful, generous, kind women, and they are beloved members of our community and continue to mentor and support the other

(01:11):
women in our group. Oh, thejourney that these ladies have been on will blow your mind. You are not going to believe what has happened to them and what can also be possible for you. So let's get the skinny from Liz, Susan and Kim.

Unknown (01:28):
Oh, I'm so happy

that we could all come together like this. So listener, get a cup of tea, and hopefully you'll feel like you're sitting with us having lunch or something. So Liz, I want to start with you, because you're in the beta group all those years ago, and what made you decide to join the
community? What was it that madeyou go? It has to be me.

Liz Donnelly (01:51):
Well, I had taken the decadent detox that you and Karen did, yep, and there were rumblings during that group. I didn't hear an announcement or anything, and I'm like, What? What is this? It's a beta what? And I had such a fear of missing out that I looked into it thoroughly and said, I want to
do that. I want to do that.

Wow. And was there.
You got really great resultsfrom the detox, and you felt good, so you knew the food was good. Was it just that you wanted to continue feeling better, besides the FOMO of wow, I don't want to miss out on this

community. Well, I was morbidly obese. I wanted to lose weight, which I'd done before, and found it all and then some more every time. And this sounded like, Well, I knew you from the decadent detox, and being in a beta program is exciting for anybody to kind of be the first to see it. And I

(02:46):
think we got a little extraattention.

Unknown (02:50):
You did, yeah?

So, yeah, I had released 30.7 pounds in the 60 days, my BMI went down like five points. Blood glucose and a 1c got in the normal range. My blood pressure went to normal range after the first after the beta group of the skinny 60. It was like a miracle, actually.

Oh, it was thrilling. I remember that final call, when you shared that, I think some tears were shared. It was quite amazing. Susan, you then came into the next group. You were in the very next group. So you also did it very early on, and wow, you also got some extraordinary results. So what
was it you had the talk withyour doctor, didn't you? And you'd just gotten your lab results back, and it was

Susan Ryan (03:42):
like the real swift kick from her. She just looked at me. She said, You're not eating right. And I thought I was. I mean, I buy organic, I try to have balanced meals, but things were clearly a little off kilter. Plus, I have an enormous sweet tooth. And, you know, I heard the results from some of

(04:03):
the women in the group, and Ithought, Oh, well, I've tried everything else. I'll try this. And I have to admit, I was so surprised. I mean, at the end of 60 days, I not only felt better, my skin was clear, my energy levels were up. And so after three months, when I went back to the doctor for a new blood
panel. She says, What have youbeen doing? And I said, Well, I joined a group. There was a lot of support, and here I am. My a 1c, went from seven plus down to 5.2 my cholesterol dropped 20 points. I had dropped 12 pounds. And I guess the surprising thing for me in all of this was how easy it was. I mean, I joined

(04:48):
other groups in the past, and itwas not nearly as easy. The support was enormous, not only from new tests and the candor. In our conversations, but from Megan and the other participants, and when you see that kind of success from other people, and the momentum is just very easy to stick with. So I'm

(05:15):
thrilled.

Oh, gosh, oh, it's It is thrilling to be, to be a part of, for sure. Kim, then several years later, you joined our community, and it was equally as thrilling. So what made you go? It has to be me and join, join our community.

Kim Brantley (05:37):
So the community, it started just as Susan and Liz said, with the decadent detox, with Kip, Karen, Karen Kip, yes, Karen Kip, and that was, it's just amazing. I mean, I love the juicing we did. We did juicing. I did the very early one, seven day, yeah, seven day. And it was such, so transformational. I

(05:58):
can't even just grasp howtransformation was just that, and was pretty easy to stick to. So then the decadent detail, I'm sorry, then the skinny 60 program came around, and no one has talked yet. Everyone else was sort of Liz and Susan were sort of saying some of the things that happened to me as
well. But the meals are sodelicious, I think that is something that is so groundbreaking about this, this program, is that, you know, I have a sweet tooth and a savory tooth, so I'm caught. I'm caught at both ends, like the ping pong ball. So there's no hope. There was no hope, you know, and like

(06:39):
my eating. I'm just a disorderedeater, and I just couldn't get control. You know, I was diagnosed pre diabetic in 2017 and that's what made me seek you out. But I had a tremendous, a tremendous weight loss as well. I did four cycles, so I had like recipes for a full year. That's what I wanted to like all the

(07:01):
recipes for a full year everyseason. But I lost 65 pounds, and it 65 pound weight loss. So the bathing suit is always the curse of the bathing suit. You know, never going to put on a bathing suit again. I'll be 60 next month. So 50. When I was 50, I was 56 I think, and I traveled with a friend to

(07:25):
Brazil, and I took so manybathing suit shots because I just, I gotta say, I looked hot and sexy. You know it was I was I? I don't know if we get to share pictures, but people will get to look at the profiles, hopefully, yeah, but I took, I wear three different bathing suits and just on Copacabana

(07:49):
beach, you know, with all theselittle, skinny kids, just, but that, that's what really grabbed me, that I had that confidence again. I had my life back. I had my health back so,

and you had been really honest about how you had family members who had serious health conditions, and that you one of the motivating factors for you was that you didn't want to have that same fate. So that was a big it has to be me for you, right?

Absolutely, absolutely, and not only, you know, sadly, not just struggling with these diseases, but passing away from these, you know, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and Alzheimer's. Because you have talked about how the gut, it has like its own brain, it's like another brain,
and unhealthy eating fuels thatout the Alzheimer's. And my whole, my mother's whole family was taken out by by Alzheimer's. So it's, it's just, it's not just the struggle. Is they are? They were dying. And so I was like, please help us this, this, I have to be the one to transform the family saga, you

(08:59):
know, to to to take that nextstep, change

the story. Yeah, which you all did? I want to ask you, Liz, you were very, very honest about the fact that you had been an emotional eater, and that you ate everything in sight, whether you were hungry or not, and that this, this this experience helped you change your relationship with food and

(09:24):
approach, just like Kim istalking about. So can you share a little bit about what that was like for you?

Yeah, I grazed all day long. I was never I was never physically hungry, because as soon as I finished breakfast, I had something, and then all of a sudden it was lunchtime, and on and on and on. It was, I'm an emotional eater, and then I found out I'm addicted to sugar. I mean, it's, it's plain and

(09:53):
simple that hasn't, that hasn'tbeen said enough in the nutritional circles that that you are you can get. Addicted to these ultra processed foods, and I was and the foods, as the others have said, the foods were delicious. I think I sent you once in one of my ending of the 60 days, well, I'm not a cook.

(10:14):
And you said, Liz, you're notstupid. You can read and you can do this. You've done it before.

We did talk about my friend Lynn. I talk about this in one of the first four episodes where my friend Lynn said, when people say I can't cook, she goes, Well, can you read? Cooking is real. If you can read, you can cook now, gourmet chefs, Michelin star chefs, of course, there's a
little bit more to being areally great cook with flavors and techniques and so forth, but for to be a home cook, if you just follow the recipes and read. And we all laughed, didn't we? Because everybody just started laughing. Because so many people say, Well, I'm not much of a cook. That was what

(10:53):
you always said. That was yourphrase, I'm not much of a cook,

well and well. And it took a long time because I had to stop and Google information on what this means to do to this food. I don't understand that term, even so. So I think I gained a lot of knowledge besides the food and the recipes, just knowing what this means to do this to this
food, which I never knew before.

So yeah, what kept you going to keep persevering when you didn't know what to do. Was it because the food was so delicious? Was it because you were experiencing results? Was it because the community was so wonderful? What was it that kept you on track when you were

Unknown (11:32):
going I don't know what to do?

Well, the food was delicious, the community support was just fabulous. You know, the Facebook I'm still friends on Facebook, on my own private page with several of the people that were in the beta group. And, yeah, yeah, it just everything you mentioned, but yeah, I'm like, this is delicious, and I
made it.

Oh, yeah, yeah. There's a sense of accomplishment, pride, gratitude about that for sure, Susan, you were talking earlier about the candor in the conversations, and that was something that was helpful for you. Tell me more

Susan Ryan (12:16):
about that than in other food groups, and it's mostly someone lecturing to you, and that just didn't work for me. So on the calls in the group on the Facebook page, there was such a relaxed candor between the members of of the skinny 60 that it felt like, you know, my neighbors, these are my friends,

(12:44):
and I just can't say enoughabout how that kept me going. I didn't feel like I was an outlier, or that my issues were unique because people were candid about what got them into the program. And you know, we're all here for the same reason, to feel better, to look better, to be healthier. So I was, I was

(13:15):
sold on it.

You say that you've joined a lot of other groups. What is it about community? About joining groups that appeals to you, as opposed to just doing it on your own? What keeps you

Susan Ryan (13:30):
it was a there was a level of sensitivity from members of the group. If I said I don't think I could do this if I have to eat one more, whatever they say, oh, okay, never thought of that. So then I, you know, shift or pivot a little bit. And things worked. And so with a number of individuals in

(13:59):
the group and all the variedexperiences, there's something in there for everybody, and that's what I found. I tend to be a little bit of a loner, particularly in groups. I'll hide in the back of the room. I know people don't believe it, but I am an introvert. And so there was a drawing out of those

(14:22):
moments of hesitancy, where Ithought, I'm not sure this is going to work, but then I kept seeing results. You know, the numbers on the scale kept going down. I kept feeling a little bit better. I was getting a little more sleep. So all of these incremental points were adding up. And then I remember

(14:46):
someone in one of theconversations said, see if you stick with it, you'll see it. And I not only saw it, I felt it. And so that's what kept me going so.

Yeah, what about your sugar? Your sweet tooth?

Susan Ryan (15:06):
Lise was

talking about how she was addicted to sugar. You're at that camp, and all of us, by the way, like, Come on, we all love some sweet stuff. Well, how did that change, materially?

Susan Ryan (15:18):
I mean, when I looked at the program, initially, I thought, wait a second, there's no ice cream on here. Where's the where's the cookies for dessert? So I thought, well, I'll give it a shot. But and I have an enormous sweet tooth, and even now, I have to kind of tap myself on
the shoulder and say, No, youreally don't need a half a pint of ice cream for dinner. You're just stressed. Take a deep breath and try pulling out a soup. So what after about? Probably after about the first 30 days, I could feel my anticipation of a dessert going away. I didn't necessarily have

(16:04):
that hankering for a plate ofcookies or whatever, and I was finding myself actually drawn to making the meals I like to cook, but I was working at the time, and, you know, coming home after a long day and making a meal was not high on my priority. Eating a plate of cookies was, um, but I just said, Okay, we're going

(16:31):
to try we're going to try this.So I started prepping in advance. Sunday was my prep day. I made the soups, I got vegetables chopped. I did whatever was needed for the meals that were identified for that week, and it made things so much easier. Things were ready. The salad was all chopped. I

(16:52):
just put a little dressing onit, and away we went. And I felt better. So it was, it was a good experience and a surprise for me, because I didn't think that I was going to be as open to it as I was. And plus, when the meals are so dark and good,

I know we, we all like to eat really delicious food so Kim your savory, sweet, everything tooth, as you put it,

Unknown (17:28):
one of the things

that really struck me about what you shared on the final call was that you said, I have a sense of empowerment with food that I never had before. Take us inside of that journey for you,

yeah, but, um, you know, as Liz and the others have said, food was an enemy. Was an enemy. We were not friends, because I just did not know what to eat, and I had such bad reactions, the acid reflux sometimes would put me in bed for days where I couldn't get up, I couldn't not get up,
coughing all day, wheezing, justbecause you can't breathe. It's like the, you know, the acid goes into the esophagus, in the lungs, and you cannot breathe. You saw me, you know, using the inhaler because, you know, we're coming out of the summer, so the asthma, you know, can get bad. But those problems were lifetime

(18:23):
problems, and so when Susan saidthere's a candor in that group, it's because we all knew we were on you. We were onto something. This is something big, that database, the database that that's there, that and I still go there. If there's something that's going on with me. I can go to that database. How can you

(18:44):
eat well in the morning, beforeyou go out to exercise, food combining things like this. And I remember this now. It's ingrained in my mind now. So this, yes, I was empowered, because there's such a vast education, the addictions are, are what they are, and it's difficult. It is very difficult.

(19:07):
However, the cause and effectthat you experience where if I eat this, I love this, but if I eat it, I'm going to pay, and I don't, I didn't want to pay. That was the real sense of empowerment, having a clean, healthy, strong body. It was such a reward that I was just taken aback.

Oh, so there is something about what you're saying, the knowing in your body. So there's an intellectual knowing of, yeah, eating good is good for me. I know I'm supposed to eat vegetables, blah, blah, blah, but you know, the pint of ice
cream is pretty delicious overthere. Like you were saying, Susan,
when you feel the difference inyour body, you can't shy away from that. It's so extraordinary. So you're all talking about feeling so much better. And. Then you wanted to keep doing stuff and then the learning. So Liz, what? What did you learn? Besides the different cooking techniques that you

(20:10):
spoke about, what have youlearned within the database, off the website and the nutrition education that you got that really continues to carry you?

Well, the science was important to me too, because I've worked in the medical field my whole adult life. So as Kim mentioned, that the food combining the formula for the amount of protein we should have by how much we weigh. I mean, I had to have over 100 grams of protein when I first started.
I'm like, how on earth can Iever get that? It just seemed, it just seemed impossible to eat that much before, when I was filling myself with something sugary and then something salty, and it never quite filled that hole. It never filled the hole. And and this food does, and in a nice way, in a good way, and

(21:06):
all, all meanings of the wordgood, good to eat, and good for me and for us. And, yeah, the dietitian helped the living plate

that we are. You like living plate. Our community split 5050, people either love the meal planning software or they don't want to deal with

it. I didn't use it totally correctly all the time to tell you the truth, but I did like that. It was there, and it did help me with various things. I'm not, I will, I will say I'm not a smart computer person, because you probably disagree with that too, like I know

well, you're able to use it, so I'm going to disagree. Because you would do it all

Unknown (21:54):
you would do. It

was there, it was there. So the the communication from you, from the dietitian, from the Facebook group, from the videos where we talk to each other on Zoom, and then the science of all that you put all your effort into figuring out and then put out to us and the recipes. And it was, it was the

(22:18):
whole path. It opened a portalto me for the rest of my life.

Ooh, tell me more about that. What, what was, what was in the portal? What, what, like, what was in there, and what, what's come out of it?

Since I didn't want to live the way I was living, you know, I was very uncomfortable. I was tired all the time. I couldn't do all the things I wanted to do with family and friends, and this just opened a portal that you can't eat right. You can eat good, you can eat proper, you

(22:53):
can you can be satisfied withfood and get healthy at the same time. It's not an either or, and so, yeah, I have, I it just opened. It just opened doors to me that, that I think for the rest of my life now I'm, I am full of joy and vitality, that that skinny 60 just opened the door to it.

Susan Ryan (23:22):
I don't know how else to put it.

Yeah, well, I love it. I love it. And you keep walking through the door because you just keep getting stronger and healthier. And you and I communicate via email quite a bit, and it's wonderful to hear the flow on effects, how it is a chapter that that keeps on giving it does.

And I was just going to put a plug in here, meeting you in person in October of 2022 was one of the highlights of my life.

Oh, thank you so great. Where we got to have a hug after being on all the zooms and the emails. And I hope that I get to have the same
experience with you, Susan andKim, because I am in New York and I am in California, it was so so so special. And I spoke at an event in Kansas City, and Liz came, and

(24:17):
she was just sitting there, andI waited, I waited until the end of it, and we had this beautiful hug. It was so amazing. So there,
look, there, it's something,gosh, what you've all been saying, you come into the community as strangers, and then we realize that, like you were saying, Susan, that we're more alike than we are different. And you do make friends and these connections, and you do feel seen and heard and that you know

(24:44):
people I experienced that too,holding the community, because we're all holding it together. So thank you for being so transparent and open and sharing, as you all did in your own way. Susan, you talked. Talked about the connections, and then it surprised you, and that you're an introvert by

(25:08):
nature, and yet you kept dippinginto the well, so what did you learn about yourself? Just personality wise, that was connected to the relationship with food and the things that you were craving, and how that

Susan Ryan (25:25):
question, yeah, for me, it was opening up and trusting. And I found that when my colleagues on the call or on the Facebook page would be asking questions that were so deeply personal, and the responses back there was a level of trust that rose to the top, and that, for me, was a Game

(25:59):
Changer. And so when I would aska question, and I would get a really legitimate response back, instead of something dismissive or, Oh, that's just your sweet tooth talking or whatever, but something very concrete and tangible that I could use it made all the difference in the world. And plus, when I took

(26:22):
those recommendations andsuggestions and feedback and incorporated it into my daily lifestyle, it made a difference. I mean, I became a little more outgoing with people that I didn't necessarily know, I initiated conversations, listened a little bit more intentionally, and it's made a

(26:52):
big difference, even goingforward in in other aspects. So that was a big deal. So it was a portal

for you, as well as saying it opened you up in other ways besides your health

Susan Ryan (27:08):
and really nutrition. I thought that going in this was going to be another sort of prescriptive, eat this, not that, track this, eliminate that. And while there are aspects of boundaries within the 60 day, they're there intentionally, and when you recognize why they're there, and

(27:32):
you see what's coming out of it,it makes a difference. There's an aha moment almost every single week for me in this thing. So, two thumbs up, two thumbs up.

Tell me about some of the aha moments I want to get inside.

Susan Ryan (27:53):
Well, my sweet tooth would always get in front of everything. You know, I was looking on the living plate for the desserts. Well, there were desserts. Distance, exactly what was in my refrigerator or my freezer. So I had to do some serious let's move this stuff out to somebody else who can
enjoy it. So, you know, out whenthe ice cream out with the cookie batter that was waiting for the oven for a hot cookie after dinner. You know, those kinds of things. So I just had to do some soul searching and say, This is what's important. This is what's important. And as I got further into the

(28:39):
boundaries of the of the of theprogram, the more I liked it, the more I felt better. It was easy to stick with because it was real food. I didn't have to go out and buy a package of this or a box of that. These were real things that I could get at the farmers market or at the supermarket. But I mean, it was

(28:59):
real food, and that made a bigdifference. And so I was full at the end of my meal, and so I didn't necessarily have to lean into the sweets or the desserts. Now, that's not to say there weren't a couple of moments where I had to slide slide in. But overall, I didn't miss it. I didn't miss it. And even now I'm

(29:27):
going to pat myself on the back.I can actually say no thanks. I don't need that cobbler right now. Thank you.

Pat yourself on the back. We love patting ourselves on the back in this community and putting out everybody else on the back. It's so amazing. I love what you're saying
about trust. Kim, I want to askyou about that, because that was a really big part of it for you as well.

Yeah, it's the embarrassment that you know if you have an addiction, if you're. You know, you're significantly overweight, because I'm five foot three, and I was well over 200 pounds, and so, you know, I was talking about the base, the bathing suit thing. It had been probably two
decades since I put a bathingsuit on and went outside. So it's the embarrassment, but the embarrassment would sort of cause me to come into the room and be like a hermit, you know. But as Susan was saying, when you would hear other people share about the challenges that they were going through, not

(30:35):
just, you know, disorderedeating or addictions, but they had significant health challenges that they were facing, life threatening health challenges that they were so candid about, that really helped me to feel more trust, and it made me step over a threshold of, you know, holding back and
knowing that what you share maybe able to save someone's life. Just let it, you know, stop being so judgmental, which is like a thing, you know, with me that I've had to monitor, being judgmental, being critical, you know, stop being so critical and just let it out and share because it could help others.

(31:12):
They were certainly helping me.So that is where the trust grew, yeah.

How did, how did the experience open you in other ways.

So it's much more outgoing, much more not only I would say I'm more of a hermit, but I was a homebody, and I would just get out, like six in the morning. There's, I live in Brooklyn, New York, near the Verrazano Bridge, and there's a long pier about three miles. And I would go that through walk in
six in the morning in the pitchblack, dark in the winter sometimes, and walk three miles in one direction and three miles in the other. And so just becoming more daring, I'm getting into a I shared in the in the group that I my side job is a I'm a screenwriter, yeah, writing screen screenplays for

(32:03):
film and television and so thatcareer is really blossoming now. I mean, I just want to say it was such it was such a struggle, so disheartening. But taking risks and being visible, that was such a hard thing for me, to be visible, to be on camera, to get into social media, all these young kids, and I'm going to be

(32:24):
60, that coming out, you know,allowing myself to be exposed, be vulnerable, is something that skinny 60 help with, because you get in shape and you get healthy and you get strong. Your mind is very strong because it's being nourished. So, you know, I gained a new a new addiction of great results in my life. You

(32:46):
know that I never thought werepossible, and I was so happy to be addicted to that more than sugar and pizza and whatever.

Unknown (32:54):
Oh, okay,

so this is opening up something that we talk about a lot in the community about being really clear about what your nose and your yeses are, and saying no to things that you were saying yes to before in order to say yes to the things that you want more, because we're all hiding, in some ways,

(33:19):
You were talking about being ahomebody, keeping yourself small, not showing yourself. Susan, you were talking about being more outgoing and striking up a conversation with someone that you may not have before, and it opening up other possibilities. Liz, you you have had some unbelievable tragedy in
your life, and you have been socandid and open about it, which has given other people permission to share their fears, their their messiness, their struggles, as you were saying. Kim, it gave you permission and then you wanted to share more, because it could help somebody what keeps you sharing? Liz,

(34:03):
because I think it's one of yoursuperpowers.

Thank you. Well,
number one, it's important to meto say my two daughters names that are no longer here. It's important for me to tell their stories and and it might help. It might help. So if it helps just one person or one family, then you know, then I've served my purpose. When, when Jenny died in 2005 when she was

(34:39):
murdered by her ex husband, waybefore skinny 60. Of course, I couldn't eat right afterwards, but when I started eating again, I didn't stop. And I really thought if I ate enough, I could go join her. And that didn't happen. I just got more miserable, and it was. To do things. I never saw myself as

(35:03):
big as I was, even in pictures.I look at them now and I'm like, Oh my gosh, I never, you know, I saw other people who were probably smaller than I was, and thought, oh, isn't that too bad? You know, she's got such a pretty face, or whatever, whatever the and I don't see myself now that I'm in the body
I'm happy with, either until Ilook in the mirror or see pictures and it's like, Oh, is that me? So when Kay was dying of a grade four glioblastoma, a very aggressive brain tumor that nobody survives and only 5% make it five years, and she was two months short of five years when she died. And she had asked me,

(35:51):
before she died, to promise herthat when she left I would not go crazy and and eat everything inside and gain all the weight back. And I said, Honey, I won't do that. I won't do that. So this has been a very different experience. Can't say that the pain is any easier either way, but, but I physically, the felt,

(36:14):
sense, the the feeling healthy,like, I'm like, my lifespan is going to be a health span the whole time. The whole way is just makes living easier. And life is life for everybody, but it just depends on the choices we make and how we how we choose to handle things. And I think being in a in a right sized

(36:47):
body, if that's what you want tocall it, eating foods that have awakened my taste buds. So I'm really not craving the things I was I don't even it doesn't bother me when people are eating those things around me, like you say, Susan, the ice cream doesn't call to me. The pizza doesn't call to me. It's It's
amazing. It's absolutely amiracle,

a miracle that you created by deciding it has to be me and embracing change and doing the work it wasn't bestowed on you. You keep choosing it, and you keep re choosing it, which is what inspires me about all of you. So Susan, what are you choosing now? What do you want more than

(37:37):
the ice cream and the cookiesevery day like the quality of life that you're actively choosing every day.

Susan Ryan (37:46):
My mother lived a very long life. She passed,

Unknown (37:52):
yes, she did amazing

Susan Ryan (37:56):
a few months shy of 102 and that
and she was brightly, amazing.
You know, her last week she wasin a nursing home in her last week, actually, the day before she went into the hospice home, she was playing bingo and won $10 and was, you know, flipping around the money. And even when she was in her hospice bed, she was singing a song along with her caretaker. There, it was

(38:37):
amazing. So that for me, is mygoal is to meet that or see if

Unknown (38:50):
that'd be great,

Susan Ryan (38:51):
yeah, going to be turning into another decade, sooner than I would like to acknowledge. But and I feel good. You know my energy is good. I can still bend over and pick something up off the floor, and you know things are where they need to be. And so I'm extremely grateful for that.

You've got a mom like I've got like, she is so sprightly and energetic. She's got more energy than I do. It's like extraordinary. So when you have that example, that promise of what life can be like as an older person, it's really quite glorious. So Kim, because you don't have that necessarily, you

(39:40):
were, you know, very candidabout your family members having a lot of serious health issues. What's the beacon for you now? Is it yourself and how great you feel like these it has to be maze of putting yourself out there as a screenwriter turning 60. That is that. A beacon for me, that's a lighthouse.

Susan Ryan (40:04):
So it's just,

I feel more empowered to follow my dreams, you know, like, like what Susan just said, it's like having a heart full of smiles to the very end regarding regardless of what you've endured in life, because we've all been, you know, just haunted by horrors, you know, in our lives. And so you can choose

(40:28):
to cling to that and make ityour identity, or you can say, Look, I'm not giving up on my dreams. They will have to put me in my grave, my whole family at all, lineage in our, you know, my grave to get me to stop. I'm not going to stop. So that's sort of the beacon for me, that to prove to myself that, you

(40:50):
know, I can do anything, and Ican go as high as I desire. And I do it, not just for myself, but for my family. Because, you know, maybe it's like their wings were clipped, you know, a little bit they succumb to the addiction. It's just it's so heartbreaking, so heartbreaking to watch one generation after
another be consumed by addictionand knowing where it's all going. And so sometimes it's one person who steps out of the saga. It's called a family saga. And then you just tell yourself, this is for all generations, for all generations forward, all generations backward, ancestors, everybody. You know that this is

(41:30):
what it's for. And so this hasbeen my beacon, that we can be a living transformation, a light sea, like, you know, like there or whatever, for not just ourselves, before our families, the world, our friends, society. So that's what the beacon is. Being a light is the beacon?

Yes, I love what you're saying about we've got to step out in order to step in. And when we get healthy, and we are the light, and we carry the light, and we are the light keeper. As you were saying, We give others permission to do the same, just as you have all been talking about, the community

(42:13):
kept giving you permission. Keptholding you as you were holding them. We're all holding each other, which is what I love so much about this community.
And you all just keep comingback to the delicious food. That's what kept you going. That's what kept me going, the delicious foods. I mean, because, let's be honest, we all love our food, right? And we want to be eating delicious food. So let's, let's get into that, because I'm excited to

(42:36):
hear about some of yourfavorites, and I know you know everyone's always sharing in the group about what they're making. And Liz, what were some of your favorites? Were there some surprises where you went, What's those ingredients? And then you made it? You were like, what?

Yeah, well, first of all, let me interject sauerkraut in here. That was my favorite.

I love it. How we talk about delicious food, and you go to sauerkraut.

Okay, when I was a little kid in public school, and they served lunches, and you couldn't go out to the playground until you ate all your lunch. And I remember, and I don't remember much about that, was a long, long time ago, sitting there with tears running down my face because I could not
eat the sauerkraut. And nevercould until I started to, you know, and I have, like, a tablespoon before lunch and tablespoon before dinner. Now, every day I

Unknown (43:29):
love that you're still doing that.

I liked the, is it an Asian omelet that you put in the oven?

Unknown (43:39):
Oh, the bait Asian omelet,
yes, yeah,

yeah, you haven't made that.

Unknown (43:50):
Oh,

you're in for a treat. That might be the greatest omelet on planet Earth. Oh, you're going to be kissing Liz all over her face to the computer. When you guys try that one,

of course, I really liked all the treats. And I had had to cut those out because I couldn't have the suggested amount. I love them. The lemon arugula, asparagus arugula salad. Oh, the lemon asparagus arugula salad. Yeah, when I take that to pot lucks and stuff, that's just a

(44:28):
favorite.

Oh yeah, that's a good one.

Susan Ryan (44:34):
Susan, I laughed when Liz talked about the sauerkraut. I'm addicted to that stuff. I mean, I have a fork full at lunch and a four full before dinner. Years for me it's, it's a lot of the side dishes, the discovery. After mashed potatoes with the old oil in it was a game changer. It was

(45:06):
a game changer for me, and Imade that for my last Thanksgiving meal with some friends. And everyone said, Gee, this is really good. I said, Yeah, it is. Nobody missed a pound. Do they have the butter or sour cream? It usually goes into potatoes, but it was so that, God bless. Olive oil is

(45:29):
like the damp lemon cake. I takethat to events, and it's always a crowd pleaser, and the Bolognese. Come on.

Oh yeah, that the bolognese is the most popular recipe. The whole thing out of hundreds and hundreds of recipes, the

Susan Ryan (45:52):
African stew I never thought I would like. Oh, as much as I do, those are great. So those are my favorites.

Water chestnuts are just a gift. They are such a lovely surprise because they just say
crunchy. They say crunchydoesn't matter what you put them in, doesn't matter how much you cook them. Oh, my goodness. I love when new people discover water chestnuts, you know, and they're like, Oh, that's not just for Asian dishes. You can put it in all of these things, right? Oh, look, I damp lemon

(46:25):
cake. Have you made that? Kim,have you made that? Liz, the cake? Oh, you guys, I love that you're introducing each other to things you haven't made before. The damp lemon cake. Do you know what's so great about that cake? Well, first of all, it's so easy blend, pour in the spring form tin and stick it in the oven,
you could not find an easiercake,
but it freezes so well. Oh, youknow, I know that you live alone, and it's so great to be able to make it and then slice it and then put it in the freezer, and it just freezes so

(46:57):
beautifully. But Oh, Kim andLiz, we're gonna have a little thread now the four of us,

Unknown (47:02):
what's going on

go forward? About that? Kim, what were some of your faves?

So Susan, hit it. That the African stew. That's a drop the mic. It's a drop the mic. Recipe, it is and dish. It's just, it's just so delicious. And I was introduced to Yep, and so easy. I was introduced to water chestnuts because I used to make my own egg foo young, yeah. But so the

(47:31):
African stew and the roastedtomato basil soup. Those soups are so delicious. So the roasted tomato basil soup with the almond crackers. They're my icebreakers. I take them everywhere. I take the almond crackers to work. I'm a court reporter by day. You know that that man, like that girl,

Unknown (47:53):
reporter, with the crackers in their past?

Yes, and I bring those and share them with everybody. Because I couldn't believe that this the menu had snacks. It's like snacks. We were like, we can have snacks. We can have cake. I couldn't, I couldn't believe that. I couldn't believe and there's, there's pizza recipes too, in
the in the Oh my gosh. So thosewere, like, my favorites. Those are my favorites, African stew, roasted tomato basil soup and the almond crackers.

Ah, yeah, listen, you know, soups are like my thing. I like to make me some soup, the dreamy, the dreamy green soup. If I want to wow somebody with a soup,

Susan Ryan (48:35):
that's one of the ones that I do, wow

I I'm just so thrilled that you're all making sauerkraut still,
or eating sauerkraut. I shouldsay
that's okay,
good, better, best. We don'tcare. Buy
it. It's you're so great. Now isthat because fermentation has just exploded that there are so many amazing commercial options. They sell it at Costco. It's extraordinary. Kim, are you still doing your sauerkraut practice? Like Susan

and Liz? I I'm not. I'm not. I need to get back to it. I forgot. I completely forgot about because, like, you know, it's getting a little as reflux sort of, when your stomach starts doing that, you have to be careful of everything, everything. So I wasn't, don't taking the
sauerkraut, but I think I'mgoing to try it again to see if it'll help. You know, yeah, see, yeah.

And listen, we're not grading anybody here. It's like, here's the cool thing about this box of tools. You take what you like
and you leave the rest right,and you're all figuring out how to make this a sustainable lifestyle, your way for what's working for you. And I think at the end of the day, that's what makes this a freeing journey, that we're not doing it. We don't have to do. Do it the way everybody else is doing it. You

(50:02):
just get this box of tools andyou figure out what's going to work for you. So when we think about food and relationship with food, and you all talked about how important it was for you to feel healthy and strong as you age, you've spoken a little bit about the internal dialog that goes through your head and what

(50:24):
motivates you to stay on trackwith better choices. And it doesn't mean we don't eat the cake. It doesn't mean we don't eat the pint of ice cream when we want to. But what is that internal internal dialog with yourself now, and how has it changed?

Unknown (50:41):
Liz, I the

internal dialog is, I have a large family. You know, seven children, 12 grandchildren, 10 greats, with two on the way.

Unknown (50:53):
Wow.

The internal Yes. The internal dialog is, I want to enjoy them. I've got these two new babies coming, one in September and one in December, and I want to see them. And I want to see them more than just when they're babies. And the second thing is, I don't want to be a burden on my children. I
want to be healthy my wholelife. Yeah, your mother's a wonderful example, Susan and your mother, Tess and, you know, I'm among the elders now too, but I really, and I know we can't choose, and I know that people eat healthy and get horrible diseases too. So I'm not, not saying that I want to

(51:34):
do everything I can to make surethat I'm as healthy as I can for as long as I can and enjoy life as much as I can with my family and friends.

So your why is very strong. This, this huge
family that you are thematriarch of, and they know they love you dearly. I remember when you did your video testimonial and your grandson came over to set it up for you. It was so sweet. Do you remember that? Oh, my God. He sent me the picture. It was so

(52:07):
adorable. So your why is very,very strong, Susan, you spoke before about wanting to surpass
your mother at 102 playing bingoand being sassy. I remember you emailing that to me. She was sassy till the end.
So what's the internal dialogbesides that about your mom and wanting to age? Well, what else are you leaning into that's that's a really potent

Susan Ryan (52:31):
when I'm feeling a little off center, I I pull myself up and I just say, Okay, what's really the issue here? What's what's triggering you? And it's usually not. The first thing that comes to mind is something usually a little bit deeper. And I have to ask myself, are you going to feel

(52:53):
better after you go sideways andneed a plate of cookies, or are you going to feel better by getting into a better track of eating and finding a way to soothe whatever that upset is. So for me, it's always doing an internal check in what's really bothering you.

What's your internal check in? Kim, like, what's what? How do you play out the movie? So to speak, Susan's playing out the movie.

So for me, there was, there was sort of two things, and one was being visited. Like, so it's not superficial, but it's like, how you feel as a woman. You know the value feeling valuable, valued, attractive, desirable, and it's like, I hadn't dated just this is here we go. I

(53:51):
hadn't dated anyone in over 20years, just like sort of because gaining weight and feeling undesirable. And so it was. I started dating again and feeling, you know, being in a man's presence when you're not, you know, with not a lot of clothes on, and not being worried, not being not feeling

(54:11):
ashamed, not feelingembarrassed, like I want to go run and hide. And, you know, because we do this, we walk past the mirror like we always have to have some comment about our bodies. So a body positivity was something that really helped me, going, you know, feeling more positive, not just the weight
loss, but just accepting thatthis is it. You're healthy, you're strong. Get over yourself. Get over yourself. But the other thing was the with the addictions, I was talking about how the pizza had such an addiction on me to somebody, another woman who was very healthy and slim, and she said,

(54:48):
I work at a college, and there'sso much pizza, there's pizza pizza. And it occurred to me that what I was craving is not scarce, it's highly abundant. And I think that's. What happens with addictions? There's this sense of scarcity that the pizza is not going to be there, the cooked cupcakes and the cookies,
which I'm highly I was highlyaddicted to, they're not going to be there. So I got to get it, and I got to get as much as I can, as much as I can, in a short amount of period of time. And so understanding that all those foods that I had 1000s of times in my life, as much as I wanted, and the damage that it

(55:26):
did was what transformed for methat it's not scarce, it's it's, you know, lots of it. And if you want to have a piece of pizza, I may. I started making my own pizzas. That was how I sort of monitor, you know, check myself. I made my own pizzas. I made if I want a pizza, you got to make it. You're not going to call it
an order. If you want a cupcakeor a cookie, you have to make it. You put the labor in the sweat. And that's, you know, you just go over

Unknown (55:51):
to Susan's house. It

might be kind of dangerous over there. She got cupcakes.

Unknown (56:01):
She's playing the movie out. She's not doing it every night. It's all good, so we may have to pick our night when the cookies are ready.

I love what you're saying about scarcity and abundance and really, sort of changing the story about what that means that really resonates deeply with me. And oh, can I just tell you I breathed that into my heart when you said that you were dating again, and I saw Susan and Liz do the same thing

(56:31):
and allowing yourself to be seenagain,

Susan Ryan (56:38):
I think that that's

something that we share in the community a lot, isn't it? And you've all been speaking to this a bit about being vulnerable, allowing ourselves to be seen in the community, and seeing the other people in the community, and accepting them however they are showing up today, so thank you

(57:04):
for being so courageous andbrave and sharing in our community and sharing today on the podcast, and holding space because the three of you have all been that lighthouse for other people in our community, and when we give ourselves permission to be vulnerable, we give others permission to do the

(57:24):
same. So thank you so so much. Ialways close every episode with the same question, so I'm going to ask it of all of you within the context of what we've been speaking about. For somebody who has a dream that they want to be healthier and stronger and doesn't feel like they have what it takes to make it happen.

Susan Ryan (57:45):
What would you say to them? Liz, what would you say

they You are worthy. You are enough, and you got this. You can do it.

Thank you.

Susan Ryan (58:01):
Don't hesitate. Jump in with both feet. What have you got to lose? It's 60 days. Give it a shot. You'll surprise yourself.

Unknown (58:14):
Kim,

so I wanted to say that skinny 60 for me and hopefully for others, is the gift that just keeps on giving. It has. It's an abyss. There is no bottom to that, to the amount of joy, happiness, freedom, that you can get. It's not just a diet program. It's not a diet program, it's a whole body

(58:43):
wellness, body, mind, spiritwellness program, so and transformational.

Thank you for spending this time with me. I love you all so much. Thank you. Jess, oh, what incredible transformations. My heart is so full of gratitude for the courage of these women to share so openly in a public forum like this. I mean, they've never been on a podcast before, but by

(59:14):
sharing their fears and theirmessiness and their struggles and their triumphs, we get to dream bigger and understand our choices better, because the cycle of emotional eating and food addiction. Disordered eating can be really hard to break, but you can just like they did. I mean, Susan was
eating sugar every single night,and then by nourishing her body and feeling joy with beautiful fresh food, her sugar cravings diminished and she wanted to keep eating well, instead of grabbing food from packets, and Liz was literally eating herself to death, because the grief was so palpable from the tragedy of

(59:48):
her daughter's murder, shewanted to go and join her. She was using food as a weapon and eating anything and everything in sight, and then she was able to flip the script and use food as a tool. Learning that you can feel satisfied with food and feel joy and get healthy at the same time. It's not an either or
an all or nothing thing. Andwhen Kim said food was my enemy, that I was stuck in a spiral of disordered eating and food addiction and I just couldn't get control with food, I hear this all the time. So you've got to decide it has to be me to change. And the miracle of change, once you decide you want

(01:00:29):
it and you actively are livinginside of it, they gave that to themselves, those those transformations they didn't get to it didn't get bestowed on them. They just kept choosing it, and they kept re choosing it. Now it now it helped, because the food was incredible and they were feeling amazing.
But sometimes the hardest thingis just getting started, and the key is great food. It was fun to talk about all those delicious recipes and all their favorites. You know that you end up craving healthy food, and that's my superpower, is making really, really delicious, exquisite, healthy food that you're going

(01:01:02):
to want to keep eating. HealthyEating is easy when you love the food that you're making, and your friends and family can enjoy it too. I loved hearing those stories about Liz taking the lemon asparagus arugula salad to potlucks and everybody loving it, and Susan eating the African stew and the mashed
potatoes and the damp lemonalmond cake with their friends at Thanksgiving, and Kim enjoying the pizzas and the roasted tomato basil soup and the crackers at work, I loved when they said they've got new addictions now. They're all addicted to health and vitality and confidence and the control

(01:01:34):
that they have over their lives,the agency that they now have.
It was funny them talking abouthow they're addicted to sauerkraut because it makes them feel good and they feel the benefits of their digestion. I mean, who would ever think that? But I hear this all the time. You hear any of the other podcast episodes with members, everybody talks about the
sauerkraut. I mean, can youbelieve it? But it was
interesting what Susan wassaying about I'm addicted to the sauerkraut because it helps me so much. I haven't taken a Tums in years. It's a great reason to eat the sauerkraut. They're really talking about reframing your yeses and your nose. What are you saying yes to and saying no to the things that don't make

(01:02:14):
you feel good in order to sayyes to the things that you want more? And I think it's about anchoring to your why? What is your internal dialog and how can you change that? Is it serving you? You know, Susan now wants to exceed her mother's longevity and be healthy over 100 so she does that regular check in. That

(01:02:35):
was a good tool to steal, wasn'tit just encouraging herself to go deeper. What is the real trigger? Do I want the sugar? What do I really need right now? It's not actually the sugar, because I know that's going to make me feel bad. I want this more. And for Liz, the why is about wanting to be healthy for
as long as possible so she cando everything she wants with her family and friends. Her Why is really strong, because she's got such a huge family, and she's the matriarch of the family. She wants to see her children and grandchildren grow up and not wanting to be a burden on them. I loved when she said, You are

(01:03:07):
worthy. You are enough. You'vegot this. You can do it. What a great mantra for everything. I'm going to steal that too. And for Kim, it's about breaking the family cycle of disease and premature death. And for her, it's about confidence and self esteem. She asks herself, how do I want to feel as a woman? It's
about body positivity. It'sabout feeling attractive and desirable. And I just when she talked about dating again after 20 years, I knew about the putting the bathing suit on which I loved, but Oh god, I mean, that just pierced my heart in the most beautiful way. And I loved how they were all sharing,

(01:03:49):
how they were doing it theirway, how doing the 60 day reset is not about one path. They're all making it work in a way that works for their lifestyle and personality. You get a box of tools and you take what you like and leave the rest

Susan Ryan (01:04:03):
and the power of community,

Tess Masters (01:04:06):
how we're all allowing ourselves to be seen in the community, giving ourselves permission to be vulnerable, and then choosing to see everybody else however you're showing up today. We're all holding space for each other and teaching each other and how they all made friends, and they weren't really
sure. In the beginning, youknow, Susan was saying how she was alone. Liz was like, kind of held back. And then, you know, the trust grew for all of them. You know, they heard other people sharing, and by other people giving themselves permission to share, gave them permission to share. And then

(01:04:36):
the flow on effect, they'repaying it forward now they're sharing, and that gives new people permission to share how it was the honest conversations and the vulnerability with the members that kept them going. They realized they weren't alone. They felt seen and heard that other people were
experiencing similar things towhat they were experiencing, and then they were getting real solutions. Tangible advice that worked for for them, that was tailored to their needs, and it worked so they wanted to come back in, dip into the community and keep getting more advice. I think that it really does start

(01:05:11):
with permission, giving yourselfpermission to break the cycle, permission to want more for your life, to want change, to break away from your family rules or the cycle that's not working for you, permission to be vulnerable, permission to ask for help, permission to ask for what you want out of life, and

(01:05:34):
then permission to do thingsyour way. Doesn't have to fit into someone else's box. I loved what we were talking about, about being the light keeper, being the beacon. When you get healthy and you turn your light up, you carry the light. You are the light keeper. You give others permission to do the

(01:05:54):
same. So be courageous and braveand decide it has to be me to be the light. And I mean, you can't argue with those concrete results. I mean, Susan dropping her cholesterol by 20 points. Her a 1c going from seven to 5.2 losing 12 pounds. Her skin was clear. She was sleeping better. Her energy levels soared. She
just feels so much better. AndLiz was obese. She lost over 30 pounds in 60 days. Her BMI went down five points, A, 1c and blood blood pressure went into normal ranges. She's now eating to live in complete control of her body and her life. And Kim weighed over 200 pounds, was pre diabetic and had chronic acid

(01:06:37):
reflux that was debilitating,that left her in bed chronic inflammation, and she lost over 65 pounds. She was with us for a year. She regulated all of her levels and got her health and confidence and her life back, and then some a new life, all of them did, and they have sustained their results. It is

(01:06:57):
possible. It's not a one anddone thing. It's not a flash in the pan and then you're going to rebound. You can sustain these results and how getting in a healthy body and mind opens up so many possibilities for your life. I loved when Susan said being vulnerable in the group and choosing to be when she was
previously a loner in othergroups. She's now more trusting and outgoing and striking up conversations with people, that's opening up new possibilities that she would never have before. And how Liz saying that skinny 60 opened a portal to the rest of her life that she's now, what did she

(01:07:34):
say? I'm now full of joy andvitality, and I can do so much more with family and friends. And Kim following her dreams with the force of thunder and love, nothing's holding her back. She was a hermit, and now she's putting herself up out there dating and turning her hobby into a thriving career. As
she turned 60, because her mindand body is strong, she feels great about how she looks, so she's taken life by the balls and deciding that she can have whatever she wants. I hear these stories all the time. When you get healthy and strong, nothing is holding you back, and you just go after what you want.

(01:08:14):
Your it has to be me. It justgets so stronger, and you start trusting your intuition and going after what you want, oh, come into the love bubble, as our members call it. It opens up so many more choices for your life. So if you want to join the next group, I would love to meet you. We'd love to have you, and
you will meet some of ourbeautiful members. You can learn more about the next 60 day reset at it has to be me.com/reset and if you're not quite sure if this is for you, get on a 15 minute call with me. You can book one of those at skinny sixty.com/call and I'd love to hear more about your story so we

(01:08:54):
can decide if the 60 day resetis the right fit for you. So let me know what resonated with you from this conversation. Put a review up or put a note in the Facebook group I'm excited to hear so.

All Episodes

Heal Your Food Addictions | 071

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

24/7 News: The Latest

Dateline NBC

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Heal Your Food Addictions | 071