January 30, 2024 • 42 mins
Mentioned in the Intro: Get on Ella's NEW coaching program waitlist HERE. (https://sexyfitvegan.com/waitlist/)
I'm down at least two sizes and it feels really good because I did it in a way that was healthier. I was full and eating normally and I worked out. So not only do my clothes not fit, but I also feel really strong and really light... and my numbers, like my cholesterol, are better in three months. - Jen Whorton
This is an incredibly inspiring episode featuring one of my most recent coaching program graduates, Jen Whorton, who, in just 3 short months, experienced extraordinary shifts in not only the size and shape of her body, but also in how she moves through the world, to the point that we joke that her friends are not going to believe it’s her talking on this podcast.
I felt called to invite her to come on the show and share about her journey, with the intention of helping others who are unhappy with their body, who feel out of control when it comes to consistently eating healthfully, who are sick and tired of dieting and quick-fix-type programs out there making promises that lead to 80-90% of people gaining all the weight they lost back, and who are ready to align their lifestyle with true health and finally find FREEDOM.
It's been such a privileged to play a role in Jen's metamorphosis that took her from the shackles of emotional eating to the liberation of a plant-based lifestyle. Her story is nothing short of awe-inspiring and it exemplifies how changing our relationship with food isn't just about what we eat, but why and how we eat.
It's been an emotional voyage, marked by the trials of disordered eating and the joy of finding peace in aligning values with actions. Jen's story isn’t just about weight; it's about unwrapping the layers of self-love and kindness that have been buried under years of struggle. It's clear that the journey to well-being is about more than just the physical—it's a holistic path paved with mindfulness, creativity, and an open heart to the world around us.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jen Whorton (00:00):
We didn't focus on it, but none of my clothes fit
and I mean that's a greatproblem to have.
So I don't mean to sound likeI'm complaining, but I like some
of these clothes, you know.
But yeah, and it happens all atonce.
I mean there were things that Iphysically could not wear.
Like I tried on this outfitthat I wore a million times
before and the jeans were justlike falling off of me, my bra
was like gaping and I was likewhat is happening?
(00:21):
And you know, even sometimes Ilike watched by my husband.
He's like holy crap, like youare looking really, like you're
losing weight, and I was like,yeah, I mean I weighed myself, I
think, twice while we weretogether.
Both times are super triggeringand I ended up having a binge.
So I stopped doing that.
So I don't know how much I'veactually lost numbers wise, but
my clothes do not fit.
I need all new clothes.
(00:41):
I'm down at least two sizes soand it feels really good because
I mean I feel like I did it ina way that was healthier, I was
full and eating normally and Iworked out a lot too.
So I'm feeling not only like myclothes don't fit, I feel
really strong and really light,I guess.
So it's not what we werefocusing on, but it has been an
(01:02):
amazing side effect because Ijust feel better and I feel
healthier and my numbers like mycholesterol and stuff are
better in three months, likeeverything just feels so much
better.
Ella Magers (01:19):
Hey there and welcome to Rise and Thrive with
me, ella Majors.
I created this high vibepodcast from a place of profound
curiosity, fierce compassionand the deep desire to connect
you with the wisdom ofinspirational wellness, health,
fitness and conscious leadersand change makers.
Here's to discovering our blindspots and embracing life as the
(01:41):
adventure it is.
The time is now.
Let's do this.
Hey, chen, welcome.
Hey, thanks, I'm so happy to behere.
Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited.
You weren't just willing to behere, you were like hell, yeah,
let's do it.
Yes, I mean, I've beenlistening to the podcast for a
while and I'm honored to be onit, so it's so great, I love it.
Jen Whorton (02:03):
Yeah well, it takes courage, though, to come on a
show and share your journey whenit is so personal.
Ella Magers (02:10):
And it's so personal and I'm so happy to be
here.
I'm so happy to be here and Iwant to thank so much again,
again, for trying to come toyour journey when it is so
personal and there's so muchinvolved.
Jen Whorton (02:23):
How do you feel right now about sharing that on
this bigger scale?
I am a little bit nervous, butI think it's time.
I've been kind of suffering insilence for a long time and one
of my new things is I'm going tohelp people, even if it's just
somebody to listen to thispodcast.
So I'm ready.
Ella Magers (02:42):
I'm a little nervous.
Jen Whorton (02:43):
I've never been on a podcast before, but I'm pumped
and this has been a really hugeachievement too.
So I'm excited to share, like,a lot of the wins that I've had.
Even though it was tough, I won.
You know a lot.
Ella Magers (02:55):
A lot and that's how we started out right.
So we worked together and wehad so much fun.
I don't know about you, but Ihad fun, a lot of fun, working
with you.
Jen Whorton (03:03):
So much fun.
Ella Magers (03:04):
We had a lot of laughs, even in the midst of
some really tough weeks whichthere were tough weeks in the
three months that we wereworking together.
Jen Whorton (03:11):
For both of us.
Yeah, I feel like we wentthrough a lot in three months
but, yeah, we laughed and it wasgreat and I feel like we
connected and we got to do somereally cool things.
It was one of the best thingsI've done.
So if you are trying to shoutout your coaching, I'm
definitely like everybody shoulddo it.
Everybody that you acceptshould do it if they can.
Ella Magers (03:31):
Thank you, yeah, so what I want to do, I want to
talk about kind of how you wereshowing up in the world before
we worked together, how thatchanged throughout the program
and now how you're showing up inthe world, also some of the
most powerful tools and maybesome stories around how these
shifts have changed your lifeand how you move through the
(03:55):
world, if that's what?
Jen Whorton (03:56):
with you?
Absolutely.
Ella Magers (03:58):
All right.
So let's take it back to beforewe started working together in
that question of how were youshowing up in the world and I
think talking about just beforethe coaching, but also any
background information thatcould be helpful to provide
people.
Jen Whorton (04:13):
Yeah, definitely, I often found myself angry, like
any emotion I felt, whether Iwas sad or hurt or frustrated or
even when I was happy, it cameout as anger and I spent so much
time just hating myself and itcame out as anger, often to the
detriment of people around me.
I went through a lot of changesand I was about seven and a lot
(04:36):
of them would end up being goodchanges, but at that time it
was too much to handle.
My mom got married and we movedaway from my family and my
grandparents that I loved and Ilived with for the first seven
years of my life and food wasthe only thing that sort of
soothed me.
It was the only constant in mylife and so I started just
(04:57):
eating to soothe.
Whether I was hungry, whether Iwas often angry, I would eat.
So we're talking 30 plus yearsof disordered eating, and you
and I have talked about how foodaddiction is tricky because you
can't just stop eating, right.
So eventually it catches up toyou and I would eat to feel
better and then I would gainweight, and then I would punish
myself and restrict and then eatmore and gain weight and it was
(05:19):
just this like vicious cycleand I was so mean to myself and
then I showed up in the world asan angry, mean person a lot of
the times.
Ella Magers (05:28):
So the how you were talking to yourself reflected
how you're talking to others andvice versa, and the physical
manifestation of that was weightcycling up and down with the
weight.
Tell us about the physical sideof that.
Jen Whorton (05:43):
Just the toll it takes, right, like I grew up
around unhealthy eating habitsand I made a lot of my own, so
it was like I would get downfive pounds and be so excited I
would eat something liketerrible for me and be like, oh,
I deserve this.
And then I would be mad and Iwould restrict and then I would
eat and it really took a toll onmy self-esteem.
My clothes didn't fit.
(06:04):
I probably gained over thecourse of like five or six years
like 50 pounds, which is a lot,and I'm only five, four.
So it showed in every singlepicture and every single nook
and crannies.
And then I would avoid mirrorsand hide from pictures and if
anybody complimented my likeoutfit I'd be like, okay, we
(06:25):
haven't, I'm so fat underneathit and like it was just terrible
.
The whole thing was justterrible.
I couldn't even look at myself.
That's an awful feeling.
Ella Magers (06:33):
And when we started working together.
Well, let's take it to whatmade you decide to work with me.
Jen Whorton (06:42):
Well, I'm gonna fan girl a little bit right now,
but I've been following you fora long time and I always thought
like your views were amazingand you and actually no meat
athlete were like so strong andso I don't know.
You just like had theseconvictions that I was so
jealous of and wanted for myself.
And then you sent out a surveyand it just like came at the
exact right time and I wasfeeling like I'm so ready to
(07:05):
just be free from all of thisstuff.
I'm 40, I'm ready, and Ianswered all of your questions
honestly.
And then they spoke to you andthen I was like I have to do
this.
This is like I was ready for it.
It came to me, I have to do it.
Ella Magers (07:19):
I think that word freedom is a big word, right,
that seems like it was a bigdriving factor for you, this
wanting to be free, what wereyou wanting?
To be free from?
Jen Whorton (07:27):
The biggest thing I wanted to be free from, and the
thing I meditate on everysingle day, is freedom from this
food obsession.
Right, Like I would wake upthinking about food.
If there was something quoteunquote bad for me in my fridge
or in my pantry, I would justlike think about it until I
could eat it.
Like if I was out with otherpeople and we had to share an
appetizer or bread or somethinglike that.
(07:48):
Like I would mentally map outlike who got you know what
portion?
And if I, when I could like goin for seconds and not, you know
, be looked at as a pig orwhatever.
And then the other side of it,I was like, okay, well, I ate
all this stuff.
Like how now do I get thecalories off?
And I was just constantlythinking about food and when I
(08:09):
could eat and how much I couldeat, and then how I could lose
weight.
And it just became thisobsession and I just wanted to
be free from it.
It's exhausting to think aboutit all the time.
Ella Magers (08:19):
Oh, so exhausting I mean, and there and there
myself, I know, and it takes upso much energy and we've talked
about this a little bit theenergy and the space in our
lives that that takes up andwhich means that other things,
healthy things, healthy thoughts, healthy actions, creativity
none of that has space If it'salways taken up by thoughts
(08:42):
about food and how much, when,where, how much we're gonna eat,
right, and then what about theplant-based side of things, they
I know you've been an animallover.
Jen Whorton (08:51):
Forever.
Oh my gosh.
I've always loved animals, eversince I was a kid, I mean.
I was always like I wanted mylittle ponies, not Barbies or
dolls.
I always want pets and all thisstuff, and I've actually been
accused more than once ofscaring out animals more than
people, and it never felt rightto me to do harm so that I could
eat.
But I didn't really grow up inan area or in a time when not
(09:14):
doing that was something Ireally thought of.
It was just like this is whatyour parents put on the table,
so you eat.
It.
Never even occurred to me thatI didn't have to, so I would try
to mitigate it by just being asfar away from the source as
possible, Like this is just food.
But there were a lot of timesand this has been, I think, my
whole life there have been timeswhen I'd be like halfway
through something and be like,oh my God, this used to be alive
and I would not be able tofinish, or like I would have
(09:36):
like a rare steak or somethingin my mouth.
I would just feel like it wasjust blood and I was just like I
cannot do this.
And then one time the worstthing I accidentally went to a
pig roast.
I thought it was just like aregular party and I like saw
this pig and I was absolutelyhorrified.
I was like what is happening?
Like I wanna leave this partyand then so I think part of my
anger too is like I was kind ofliving against my values, Like I
(09:59):
love animals, but here I amharming them for my own personal
gain, when you don't even haveto.
Ella Magers (10:04):
And where were you when we first started on your
journey to being vegan orplant-based?
Jen Whorton (10:10):
I had already stopped eating red meat and a
lot of dairy, partially becauseI just cannot process it anymore
.
It hurt my stomach and itwasn't processing and I don't
know if it was purely physicalor if my mind was finding like
you stop this.
And then after that, I think Iwas still eating fish sometimes
when I talked to you, but it waslike once you stop eating one
(10:31):
thing like I stopped eating cow,okay, well then it's still like
it doesn't feel right to alsoeat these other beings, right.
So it was just kind of like itjust kind of happened pretty
quickly once I started workingwith you and it's been great.
I finally feel like I'm livingthe way I should be.
Ella Magers (10:50):
What does that feel like?
To be feel more aligned.
Jen Whorton (10:53):
I just feel very calm and centered, I feel
lighter, you know, and I feellike there's this little farmers
market that I go to where youcan feed the cows, like they
have these like old vegetablesthat you can feed the cows.
So now, like when I go, I feellike I can look them in the eye
and be like oh my God, I loveyou.
You're these like goofy, likegreedy, hungry beings and you're
(11:15):
just living your life.
And now I feel like being inline has given me a lot of
freedom.
It has freed me up for so manythings, because now I don't
really have to think about it.
Ella Magers (11:24):
Was there anything that surprised you or I know you
had your doubts right.
You were willing to commit tothe process and to the coaching
and you were all in, and I makesure that that's the case with
anybody who would like to workwith me.
You know I say this is not easy.
This is a process.
There's a lot of work involvedhere.
I'm gonna be with you everystep of the way, but you've got
(11:46):
to be as committed as I'mcommitted.
Was there anything that youfelt especially doubtful, even
though you were committed thatthis is gonna work for you?
I think.
Jen Whorton (11:56):
I mean, right off the bat, I didn't think that I
would be able to get free of mydisorder needing.
I feel like I had triedeverything else and nothing had
worked.
So why was this time going tobe different?
And I felt like I had done thework before, but I hadn't maybe
done the right things, or maybeI wasn't ready, I'm not sure.
But I was so sure that this wasjust gonna be something I deal
(12:17):
with for the rest of my life andmaybe I will in some regards.
But it's not the monster itused to be right.
So that was really surprising.
And I think the other thing waswe worked a lot on being
present in the moment and I justrewatched one of our meetings
and it was such a roller coasterbecause I was just like, okay,
yeah, I'm present, this is great, until like one thing happened
(12:40):
that I didn't wanna do was likea boring meeting, and I was like
, what am I doing?
Like being present is hard.
They never tell you that.
They're always like, oh, yeah,be present, then you could be,
then you could be in the moment.
And I was just like, oh, my God, I need to get out of this
meeting.
I'm too present.
Ella Magers (12:54):
I remember that session together so clearly.
Jen Whorton (12:57):
You were like this present thing I don't know about
this.
Ella Magers (13:01):
Thank you, you were like I'm getting it.
I don't know if I like it.
Jen Whorton (13:07):
It was not for everything.
So those are the biggestsurprises.
Ella Magers (13:11):
I think yeah no, I can't wait to get to some of
your stories, but let's firsttalk about okay.
So now and this is three months,I mean it's a relatively short
time for this coaching program,right?
I mean we're talking about veryingrained programming and
habits and thought processesthat we're working on changing
in this hardwired thoughts andbehaviors.
(13:33):
So it's a very short period oftime and a lot of things shifted
for you.
Let's talk first about on aphysical level, because the
truth is, once we got started,the focus was never on weight
loss, right, and we barely eventalked about it throughout, even
though I knew that that was agoal, of course, and there's a
(13:55):
lot of people listening to thisright now who are like I have
weight to lose, I need to focuson it.
What?
Where are you at now, Afterjust three months together and
keeping in mind we did not focuson it?
Jen Whorton (14:07):
Yeah, we didn't focus on it, but none of my
clothes fit and I mean that's agreat problem to have.
So I don't mean to sound likeI'm complaining, but I'm like
some of these clothes, you know.
But yeah, and it happens all atonce.
I mean there were things that Iphysically could not wear.
Like I tried on this outfitthat I wore a million times
before and the jeans were justlike falling off of me, my bra
was like gaping and I was likewhat is happening?
(14:29):
And you know, even sometimes Ilike watched by my husband.
He's like holy crap, like youare looking really like you're
losing weight, and I was like,yeah, I mean I weighed myself, I
think, twice while we weretogether.
Both times are super triggeringand I ended up having a binge.
So I stopped doing that.
So I don't know how much I'veactually lost numbers wise, but
my clothes do not fit.
I need all new clothes on downat least two sizes.
(14:51):
So, and it feels really goodbecause I mean I feel like I did
it in a way that was healthier,I was full and eating normally
and I worked out a lot too.
So I'm feeling not only like myclothes don't fit, I feel
really strong and really Light,I guess.
So it's not what we werefocusing on, but it has been an
amazing side effect because theyjust feel better and I feel
(15:15):
healthier and my numbers, likemy cholesterol that suffer
better in three months, likeeverything just feels so much
better.
Ella Magers (15:22):
And I think you know, and we talked about this,
and this is what I say toclients who really want to lose
weight and we're workingtogether.
It's like, well, how hasfocusing on that worked for you
in the past?
Jen Whorton (15:32):
I feel like you asked me that a lot.
You asked me how has focusingso much on this been helped you?
How has berating yourself andtreating Yourself like shit
helped you?
And you know it really hadn't,but I thought maybe someday.
Ella Magers (15:46):
Right, this time will be different that
definition of insanity doing thesame thing over and over again,
expecting different results andspoiler alert.
It's insane it really is Allright.
So what we did focus on isRelationships of, focus on your
relationship with yourselfyourself.
(16:06):
Talk your relationship withfood, your relationship with
your body, your relationshipwith others.
We're relationship with theworld, the universe.
So let's talk about yourrelationship with yourself first
, because that is kind of theroot of everything and we talked
about.
I approach myself withcuriosity and compassion as one
of the first tools.
Can you talk a little bit about?
(16:27):
In a lot of people say you know, I feel really silly telling
myself that each morning which Ihad you do every morning.
Right, talk about how you feltabout that and you know what
your kind of inner dialogue wastowards the beginning and how
that has changed things for you.
Jen Whorton (16:43):
Yeah, that was really my mantra.
That was one of the very firstthings we worked on and I felt a
little silly, I guess, but Ineeded it right, like I needed
to treat myself better becausewhat I was doing was not working
and and Eventually it justbecame what I was because and I
would have to sometimes I wouldbe like mid-borating myself like
no Kindness, curiosity, youknow, and then I would ask
(17:06):
myself questions.
I did some like unhingedbehaviors to get these things in
great, because I like stop andhave a conversation with myself.
They're like, no, you're beingnice to yourself now.
So, but it was a game changerand it's like you said, and I
will tell you.
You said in the beginning youhave to be kind to yourself if
you want to affect any kind ofchange, and I was like I don't
believe you.
Ella Magers (17:25):
I think I was like.
Jen Whorton (17:27):
But it's true.
It's true.
And if you tell yourself enoughthat you know you deserve
Compassion and curiosity fromyourself, like you always ask,
like what people would put on abillboard, and that's what I'd
be About.
Be kind to yourself Like youhave to and you deserve it.
We always learned you know bekind to others and treat others
the way you want others to treatyou, but we never taught to
(17:47):
treat ourselves that way and youdeserve it.
You're the only thing you have,like 100% of the time.
You have to be nice to yourself.
And the curiosity thing like ifI'm doing something Like I want
to eat a whole cake, I can juststop me, like why are you doing
this?
And if you know, most of thetime I can talk myself out of it
, but if I can't, it's okay.
Like, and that was, I think,the biggest change, I remember
(18:09):
One of the binges I had duringour time together.
It wasn't that I was able tostop it, but I was able to kind
of be in it a little moremindfully and I said, okay, you
want to eat this food, why?
And I would go through thecraving thing like why do you
want to eat this?
What will it do for you, blah,blah, blah.
And then, okay, you, so, when Ieat this food, go ahead Knowing
that it's gonna suck.
And then I do, and I ate itpretty mindfully, whatever, and
(18:32):
then afterwards I was able toforgive myself, which I'd never
been able to do before, and thenit's over, right, like so it
happened, but then it's over,and that was the biggest like
aha moment I think I had wasbeing kind to myself after.
Mmm and that was it.
I was like, holy crap, this isso much better to.
Sometimes they would last fordays because it was a cycle.
Ella Magers (18:52):
Right, it was like I've already screwed up.
I've continued to punish myselfand just keep going correct
before yeah, that was a gamechanger, for sure.
Now, in order to do thisapproaching yourself with
curiosity and compassion we gotto be conscious, right, and that
takes the pause, the powerpause.
Yes, talk to us about the pausein that relationship you
(19:15):
developed with the pause.
And I love and I'm adding it tomy coaching program that we'll
be launching this year the pausejewelry.
I think this is genius, it wasthe best part honestly yeah.
It's the best thing that youcame up with.
I think you came up with that Ithink it was a team effort.
Team effort.
Jen Whorton (19:34):
Maybe is there something we could have.
And then we started talkingabout jewelry.
So, like, the power pause isone of the trickiest things,
because I'm like a person likeI'm always going like 100,000
miles an hour and like if Ithink of something, I want to do
it immediately and then it'sdone.
That does not work if you're abinge eater, right, but so in
order to get me used to it, Iwould have been like three weeks
and I was like I'm not doingthe stamp pause.
I cannot remember it in timeswhen I need it.
(19:54):
So I was doing it foreverything for a week.
So we talked about the jewelry.
So I got a ring, which I love,and so not only did I get to buy
myself something nice, you know, for the coaching.
Obviously, of course, I was ableto remind myself, but again,
this is like some more unhingedbehavior that I had because I
paused for everything, like Iremember I was taking my
vitamins and I pause and be likeyou're taking your B12, and
(20:16):
then I would take it and then Ipause, be like you're taking
your lysine and then I wouldtake it.
I would like pause getting intomy car, be like you're opening
your car and you're going to getin, you're going to go
somewhere, and I was just likethis, like deranged person but
I'm like no, we're going to getthis.
And then finally, once I gotused to it, I was able to use it
for so many things.
For eating, especially, iswhere it helps me, but also for
like difficult conversations,like something was happening.
(20:39):
I could pause and be like okaythis is not going the way I
wanted to go, but I could thinkabout it and even though I still
felt shitty or whatever, you'reclearer because you just stop
and you ask yourself somequestions or think about
something or whatever it is thatyou're doing.
Just take a second.
And then I mean, tara, and youalways talk about emotions only
lasting is at 30 to 90 secondsor something.
If you take that pause and thenyou realize how quickly they go
(21:04):
by, it's yeah, but the pause isone of the hardest things for
me to master, but when I did,it's like so helpful for
everything.
Ella Magers (21:11):
Yeah, and I know you're calling it unhinged,
because I can see how, likeyou're stopping as you open your
car door and you're saying I'mopening my car door and feeling
like a little bit of a crazyperson saying that and we had
talked about how we got to startwith the things that are not
emotionally charged right,because it's when you're
emotionally charged that youforget and you go right into
(21:32):
impulse and reaction as opposedto response.
So it was a very strategic movefor you to do that, and you
know, and then those, thesethings, this is the stuff that
takes work, and what I want tojust acknowledge you for is
putting in the work and youreally did it every week, even
when it was tough, even when youdidn't feel like it was working
(21:54):
.
You know, quote you did it andit paid off in the end.
So, let's talk about a story.
We're talking about not onlyapproaching yourself with
curiosity and compassion, butreally approaching the world.
We kind of added in the worldafter you started getting these
the self.
I know you had an incident atTrader Joe's oh my.
Jen Whorton (22:11):
Trader Joe's lady.
Yes, yeah, the approaching theworld with kindness Again, like
I feel like I was such amisanthrope and I was like
people, can we?
For me, and I was always likegoing into public places was
like a battle because that's howI treated it.
But when I started thinkingabout it I was like, OK, well,
here we are at Trader Joe's.
There's only two in my area.
Neither of them are convenientand they're always crazy busy.
(22:32):
And this was like 11 am on aSunday.
I happened to be going tobrunch and I drove by and I just
like got on two wheels into theparking lot and said going to
Trader.
Joe's so busy and I just waskind of wandering around and I
went to pick up the speakingbuffalo dip that's really good
and I lean next to this lady andI said I'm reaching next to you
and she just looked so harassedand I was like, oh man, this
lady looks like she's having aday.
(22:52):
She's like of course you are,and you and I talked about it
and you're like that's prettyrude.
I was like yeah, that was rude,but I didn't take it that way.
Instead, I looked at her andwas about to ask her something
and then she had these big eyesand she turns to me and she's
like I'm so sorry.
I don't normally come at thistime, I'm normally here way
earlier, but I had to take my18-year-old cat to this special
vet.
That was an hour away and shejust kind of unloaded on me and
(23:14):
normally I would be like why areyou telling me this?
I'm not your therapist, but itwas actually a really beautiful
moment.
So then we started talkingabout our cats and how caring
for elderly animals and howTrader Joe's is crazy, but it's
totally worth it.
And then by the end of it shewas calm and I felt like I had
helped her a little bit and wewere like happy new year.
I hope you have a great yearahead of you.
And it was just this beautifulmoment that I would have missed
(23:36):
out on if I was that hissingtroll creature I used to be,
because I was just like this isTrader Joe's right now.
These are the people that arehere right now.
I'm choosing to be here, andthat was it.
And then I connected withsomeone.
It's never like people probablywon't even leave this story.
Ella Magers (23:51):
People who know you .
Yeah, exactly who is this, ella?
What have you done with our gin?
Talking to people, but it's soempowering as well.
This is what I'm kind ofgetting from you.
Here is how you've taken yourpower back, in a sense, in every
aspect of your life when itcomes to food, when it comes to
choices, when it comes tointeractions with other people.
(24:14):
You're making conscious choices, and that's powerful and free
and it feels better.
Jen Whorton (24:20):
Yeah, it feels better than being thrust into.
Either you know something youdon't want to do or I don't know
just kind of acting in a waythat's against kind of human
nature.
Like I think it's in a lot ofour nature to want to connect
and to help people and I wasjust not living that way.
Ella Magers (24:36):
And then hadn't heard.
Because this?
I think this happened after ourlast coaching session.
Jen Whorton (24:41):
But about the sauna oh my gosh, the sauna lady.
Yeah, you were in the saunawith us, for sure.
I'm not making eye contact withthe other woman that's in there
with me.
And I see this lady outside inthe locker room and she takes
like six feet of paper towelsfrom, like the paper towels, and
(25:01):
what the hell is this ladydoing?
And then, of course, she comesinto the sauna and she's just
like following up these papertowels and just like what is
happening.
And then I was like you knowwhat the tiny Ella on my
shoulder was like be curious.
So I just looked at her, aboutto be like you know what the
hell are you doing?
and she's like I don't like thefeel of sweat dripping down my
body and I was like odd choiceto come in the sauna, but maybe
(25:24):
still wants the benefits.
So then she starts like wrappingall these paper towels around
her neck and like upper armslike around her belly, and she
just sits there like covered inthese paper towels.
But being curious about her ledher to ask me if I had any New
Year's resolutions and I waslike no, these past three years
have been horrible, like I'mjust hoping that this year is.
It just happens, you know.
But as we talked for like 15minutes in the sauna and all the
(25:46):
women got involved, we startedtalking about like decisions to
have kids and like the state ofthe world and it ended up being
this like beautiful moment withthese two women that I see at
the gym all the time, like I'veseen these people before.
And you know, instead of like Istopped talking to them and
having a great conversation,instead of just going home and
telling my husband about thecrazy lady like killing trees at
(26:08):
the sauna and like notinteracting with him at all, so
different than how I normallywould have handled it.
I would not have.
I would have been like to notmake a contact with this person,
but it was beautiful and shewas so freaking nice.
Ella Magers (26:22):
Yes, I am imagining your friends right now
listening to this podcast.
Hijacked.
Jen Whorton (26:31):
Jen, I'm touched by someone nicer and more helpful.
And with baggy clothes now.
Yeah, and with baggy clothesnow.
Ella Magers (26:39):
You know, what we forgot to even mention is in the
slipped my mind when we firststarted.
You were and let me know ifyou're okay talking about this
but you are using a weight lossdrug.
Jen Whorton (26:51):
Oh yeah, I was.
Yeah, I forgot about that.
Ella Magers (26:53):
Yeah, yeah, and we talked about that at the
beginning.
Do you remember how thatconversation went in our
decision and how you felt aboutthat?
I did, and the way.
Jen Whorton (27:02):
Last drug helped a little, I will say, but the bulk
of the weight that I lost wasafter, because you and I had a
conversation about it and youwere in no way like pressuring
or anything like that, reallyjust like what do you think?
And I was like I think I can'tdo this work simultaneously with
my appetite shut off orwhatever, because that's not
really going to get me where Ineed to be, right, that's not
(27:24):
going to have to have theseurges and these things happen
normally, so that I can dealwith them in a way that I need
to and that's for longevity,right.
So, yeah, I think it was a fewweeks in and I got off it and
then only then, was I able tohandle these binges.
Right, they weren't reallyhappening on the weight loss
drugs.
(27:45):
It just kind of like slows downyour digestion.
You're just not really thathungry, but yeah, so I did start
on that and again, it helps alittle bit and maybe got five,
10 pounds off.
But the change happened when youand I started working together
and we started talking aboutthings and being present and
getting this food freedom.
That was the thing that helpsme and I was like I work out and
(28:05):
stuff like that.
But I always did.
I always worked out a lot.
That was something that I waspretty consistent about.
But I was always able to likeout eat my workouts.
So, yeah, I got off the weightloss drug and still getting off
of it, even though it was alittle dicey at first because I
was back on my bullshit for acouple of days.
But once it was out we wereable to really like dig in and
(28:26):
that was it.
Ella Magers (28:27):
Right, we decided we couldn't address the root
issues if they were being masked.
Right, the symptoms were beingmasked by this drug, right.
And so you know, and that'sagain another really courageous
thing that you did was sayingI'm going to get off this drug,
knowing that the cravings, theurges, the reasons that I went
(28:47):
on the drug in the first placeare going to come back.
And now I'm going to kind oftrust in you to guide me through
that process of dealing withthem.
Yeah, their full fledged form.
Jen Whorton (28:58):
Yeah, and they do come back and I don't know if
they were stronger.
I've heard mixed things frompeople, but sometimes they come
back even stronger.
So you're not really.
You're just kind of flipping aswitch and, like I said, I'm
asking it so you just don'treally think about it that much.
But as soon as you're off it,it just comes back full force
and worse.
Ella Magers (29:13):
Yeah, and you mentioned exercise that you've
always been into working out andall that, but did you have any
shifts that came along with yourattitude towards training or
anything with exercise thatshifted?
Oh?
Jen Whorton (29:27):
yes, the power pause helped with that a lot too
, because you stop and you thinklike, look what my body can do.
I do a mix of lifting andboxing and bar, but there's one
bar is like the ballet workoutand there was one time when I
was like I had it so that my legwas behind me, my butt was like
tight and I like looked and Iwas like, oh my God, look at my
butt's doing right now.
so I was just like, look at thebody can do, even if I'm
(29:50):
whatever not at my goal weightor whatever like my body is
doing these things, my body cando these things and I'm so
strong and I'm holding thisplank and now my legs behind me
and my butt is tight and itlooks great you know like even
before that, like I had a coupleof personal gains, like from
lifting and stuff I'm doingassisted pull ups at 95 pounds
(30:13):
and I started at 140 and eventhough it seems like a kind of a
small win because it's justlike one exercise, but I was
just like I can do this though,and it's very motivating.
Those tiny things are just verymotivating and my personal
trainer knows this, so she knowsthat the tiny things are really
like what get me going.
So we make sure we do likelittle mini celebrations and
stuff like that.
But yeah, I mean even just canbe anything, but just knowing
(30:36):
that your body can do thesethings and do what you want it
to do is just feels great.
Ella Magers (30:41):
Yeah, it just seems like you really were able to
make this shift too.
I'm training because I love ofmy body.
I respect my body, not as apunishment, not as a means to
burn off the calories I feelguilty about eating, but really
exercising for the sake ofexercising and having it feel
good and be good for me on everylevel.
Jen Whorton (31:02):
Yeah, and it's fun.
I mean, it doesn't even seemlike a punishment.
So I'm much more consistentthan I used to be, because I
find things that I enjoy and Ithank my body for it.
It sounds cheesy but it works.
You know, I'm just like.
You know what Some people can'tdo.
This.
Ella Magers (31:16):
One of the other things that happens a lot 80 to
90% of people who go on a diet.
They gain all the way backusually, and then some.
How do you feel about thesustainability of the changes
you've made and the directionyou're going at this point?
Jen Whorton (31:34):
I actually feel pretty good about it.
There are some nerves there,obviously, but there's so many
options, right, like?
I went through this the entiretime we were working together.
I was like I'm going to trysomething new every week.
So now I tried all these newvegetables and I love to cook.
That's one of the things that Ijust do for me, and it's been
so fun coming up with recipes.
(31:55):
A while ago I was already kindof not eating meat, but I like
panagate some chicken at friendshouse and say like made this
chicken and didn't know that Iwas plant-based, whatever.
So I had just like a tiny bitof the chicken and sauce and I
was like my God, what is this?
I can make this vegan and I didand it was so good, it was so
good vegan.
So, like, I just feel like I'mhaving so much fun with it and
(32:17):
you know, after working with youand working on all these
recipes, I have probably a dozenrecipes that I make all the
time and they're vegan andthey're healthy and they're
fresh and they're delicious.
And we haven't talked aboutthis yet.
Oh yeah, so the power pods andalso, you know, whole chewing
your food thing, which wehaven't talked about yet, right
yeah.
That was a tool that you said.
It was like the first thing youtold me and it helped me right
off of that.
(32:37):
Like, if you take your time andyou chew your food and you
enjoy it, you're either going tobe very sore in the jaw or,
like well, like three quartersof the way through it doesn't
taste as good as it did in thosefirst bites because you're
paying attention, and then youcould just stop.
So I think the things tocontinue to work on would be the
mindful eating, right, like,and making sure I'm not
(33:00):
distracted by TV, by whatever,by phone, and that's going to be
the thing to work on.
I think the food is prettysolid, awesome.
Ella Magers (33:08):
Yeah, that chewing your food.
It's so simple.
It's so simple and it's noteasy, you know.
It's a change in how long ittakes to eat.
It's.
Most people love to eat infront of the TV.
It's like the thing they do torelax and tune out and you're
tuning out from the world andthe food that you're eating.
And I've really found with, Ithink, every client that I've
(33:31):
worked with those who do thatone thing to see physical
results pretty quickly.
Jen Whorton (33:38):
Yeah, not only I mean obviously I've lost weight,
but also like my stomach feelsbetter, because I mean I think
you were like the digestionstarts in your mouth, so start
there, and then you won't havethese like bubble guts, sure.
Ella Magers (33:50):
Yeah, awesome, powerful.
Jen Whorton (33:53):
Not easy to do, but like simple.
Ella Magers (33:54):
Simple.
Yes, Simple and easy isdifferent than simple, but yeah,
it takes that pause.
So, yeah, you really put in thework, Jen.
Is there anything else that youcan think of that might be
helpful for people listeningthat are struggling with their
weight, with being kind ofobsessive about food even if
they don't have a full on eatingdisorder or binge terribly but
(34:20):
are spending a lot of time andenergy?
What opened up for you I guessthat's another question that I
haven't asked when you felt liketowards the last few sessions
you were like I've just got somuch More space, more time, more
energy to do other things.
What am I going to do?
Yeah?
Jen Whorton (34:38):
I guess now that I'm not obsessing over food and
I finally have the freedom I waslooking for, I have this
creativity just like coming outof my ears.
I cannot stop doing something.
I mean I've always done, notalways.
The past couple of years I'vedone paper crafts and made like
greeting cards and stuff.
But recently I got intowatercolor when my friend does
pottery, so he brought me to hispottery studio and I made like
(35:01):
four bowls the other day.
And I cannot stop creating.
Even with cooking.
I have created like six orseven recipes.
I mean I go online and get someideas, but I have just been
creating so much I don't know,so much coming out of me.
I feel right now like I'm anartist trapped in like a
corporate stooge's body becauseI cannot stop creating things.
(35:24):
So I'll try to work on gettingthe artist out a little bit more
.
But it's been so fun to not bebogged down by all these like
heavy feelings and obsessivethoughts and now I can do the
things that I like to do and Ididn't even know I could
watercolor.
Watercolor is hard.
I didn't know I could do it,but they look like cats.
So that's really.
I meant to do a cat and itlooks like a cat.
Ella Magers (35:47):
That's awesome.
I know you showed me it'sgorgeous, yeah, so they're so
cute, so cute.
Jen Whorton (35:53):
So my mother in law and my mother and, randomly
enough, my stepdad's father,they're all very creative people
and they're all like artistsfor everybody.
And that was one thing.
Like I was like no, I'm notgoing to be good at it, whatever
, but now that I have all thisroom, I don't care.
Five paper and stuff.
I'm artist for everybody and ifyou love it, then do it.
It doesn't matter.
Not trying to sell it, even ifI did, it doesn't matter.
Ella Magers (36:14):
Yeah, what would you say to anybody who's kind of
like I don't know, I reallywant to move forward, but why is
this different?
Why is this different fromeverything else that's out there
, and why would it work for me?
Jen Whorton (36:31):
It's hard and not necessarily in a bad way, but it
was a lot of work, it took alot of time and I really had to
focus on it, obviously alsopaying you.
So there's some monetary likeyou're investing in yourself,
kind of, and I think we justdon't do that enough, or at
least maybe we do it in waysthat are not as beneficial.
Like I mean, I treat myself toAmazon all the time.
That's not what I mean, like itwas hard and it cost me and it
(36:56):
was the right time.
Plus, the loving yourself waslike that was the one thing that
if you can do anything, if youcan't, you know don't have the
means or whatever to getpersonalized coaching.
If you can find a way to coachyourself and to talk nice to
yourself, then you can start,you know, affecting change on
your own.
But I think you got to do thework because if you earn it then
(37:16):
I think it tends to stick Likeright.
Like I was all about quickfixes.
Like I was doing the weightloss drug, I tried starving
myself, I tried all these dietpills and, you know, the hot
yoga and running in a trash bag.
Like I tried all of thesethings and they did not work and
they did not make me feel good.
So this was hard work but itmade me feel good once I was
(37:37):
kind of through it.
And it comes with like the highsand lows, right.
I'd be like, oh my God, likethe first couple weeks, yeah, I
got this.
And then something happens andyou're like, oh my God, I don't
got this.
You just keep going and it'shard but it's worth it.
And then, once it clicks, itclicks and I think you said that
too.
I think you said that in thebeginning.
You're like it'll click and Iwas like I don't know.
Ella Magers (37:57):
You said I don't know a lot.
I don't know.
I hear you, I'm going to do itand I don't know.
Jen Whorton (38:04):
You have to.
I mean, we talked about I'mstill reading the presence
process, right, I don't reallyget it, but that's okay, you're
going through it, you're takingwhat you can and you got to
trust the process because once Iwas through it, I was like, oh
my God, I did a thing, I wardeda binge, or I didn't beat myself
up or I lost.
However many pounds I lost, andI did it and it was hard, but
then it feels good, you got todo the work.
Ella Magers (38:25):
Got to do the work.
Got to do the work.
Anything else that we haven'tchatted about, that you'd like
to leave people with.
Jen Whorton (38:33):
No, I think this was awesome.
I love sharing my journeybecause these last three years
I'm just like I mean everythingthat's happened to us since,
including COVID I've justfundamentally changed, and then
working with you was kind of thelast part of it.
I had already changed, but nowI actually was trying to live in
(38:54):
line with my values and I didthat.
So I feel like a brandingperson and now I have all this
room for creativity and to helppeople.
I've never in my life like Isaid my friends would be like
what the hell is she talkingabout?
I've never in my life wanted tohelp people but, now I care and
I want to connect with peopleand I'm talking to random ladies
at the gym.
So this has just been really,really life changing and I
(39:14):
finally feel like, if I don'thave all the freedom that I was
looking for, I'm at least reallyclose.
Ella Magers (39:20):
And it's a journey that we're on for the rest of
our lives.
Right, there is no arrival.
Jen Whorton (39:24):
No, and it's kind of fun.
I mean you always say play alife like a game, and once again
that clicked and I think I toldyou I didn't realize how funny
everything is.
Ella Magers (39:34):
You'd come every so many sessions and be like, wow,
this thing happened and it wasfunny.
But, it was kind of just aregular I can't think of an
example right now, but kind ofjust a regular thing.
And you're like this ishilarious.
Jen Whorton (39:48):
I think it was the yoga class that I went to at
someone's house and I was inthis like yoga shed, yoga shed,
yoga shed.
But it was just a normal yogaclass, but like we were offside
down and we were doinginversions and I was like this
is hilarious.
And you were like okay, yeah,yoga is funny, I guess.
Yeah.
Yeah, I just had so manyexperiences now that I'm like
(40:09):
open to it, so it's been fun.
It was hard work, but it's beena lot of fun.
Ella Magers (40:12):
Yeah, I feel like you know, when you go to the eye
doctor and they put thedifferent lenses for you to see
in front of you, it's likeswitching out lenses and you're
now looking through the world.
You know, as we transform, weswitch out lenses and we see the
world through this new lens andit opens up all sorts of ideas
and opportunities and laughterand humor and love and light and
(40:35):
just a new way of feeling andmoving through the world.
And, yeah, you did the work toget there and I'm so grateful to
have been able to spend thattime with you and Me too.
Jen Whorton (40:47):
Yeah, thank you, jen.
Thank you for sharing.
Yeah, of course, thank you forhaving me my pleasure.
Ella Magers (40:58):
Thanks for listening to this week's episode
of Rise and Thrive with me,ella Majors.
I truly hope you found itinspiring and, if you did,
please help me spread the wordby leaving a rating and review
on your favorite podcast playerand by sharing the show with
your friends.
As you probably know by now, mylife's purpose is to use my
voice to make this world a moreconscious and compassionate
(41:20):
place, and your reviews andshares make a huge impact.
And last, I'm getting a ton ofinsanely positive feedback about
my short and sweet monthlynewsletter called the Way.
Part four the Way Out isThrough.
I give my top five latest badassdiscoveries, insights and
explorations, like veganproducts and recipes.
(41:41):
I'm obsessed with books andshows I'm loving and workouts
that have me fired up.
Head on over to my website,ellamajorscom, to sign up and
check out all the other awesomeresources I have for you and
projects I'm involved with,including Hogs and Kisses Farm
Sanctuary, where our mission isto create the best life for farm
(42:02):
animals while inspiringcompassion for all living beings
.
Thanks a lot, and I'll see youon the next one.
We didn't focus on it, but none of my clothes fit
and I mean that's a greatproblem to have.
So I don't mean to sound likeI'm complaining, but I like some
of these clothes, you know.
But yeah, and it happens all atonce.
I mean there were things that Iphysically could not wear.
Like I tried on this outfitthat I wore a million times
before and the jeans were justlike falling off of me, my bra
was like gaping and I was likewhat is happening?
(00:21):
And you know, even sometimes Ilike watched by my husband.
He's like holy crap, like youare looking really, like you're
losing weight, and I was like,yeah, I mean I weighed myself, I
think, twice while we weretogether.
Both times are super triggeringand I ended up having a binge.
So I stopped doing that.
So I don't know how much I'veactually lost numbers wise, but
my clothes do not fit.
I need all new clothes.
(00:41):
I'm down at least two sizes soand it feels really good because
I mean I feel like I did it ina way that was healthier, I was
full and eating normally and Iworked out a lot too.
So I'm feeling not only like myclothes don't fit, I feel
really strong and really light,I guess.
So it's not what we werefocusing on, but it has been an
(01:02):
amazing side effect because Ijust feel better and I feel
healthier and my numbers like mycholesterol and stuff are
better in three months, likeeverything just feels so much
better.
Ella Magers (01:19):
Hey there and welcome to Rise and Thrive with
me, ella Majors.
I created this high vibepodcast from a place of profound
curiosity, fierce compassionand the deep desire to connect
you with the wisdom ofinspirational wellness, health,
fitness and conscious leadersand change makers.
Here's to discovering our blindspots and embracing life as the
(01:41):
adventure it is.
The time is now.
Let's do this.
Hey, chen, welcome.
Hey, thanks, I'm so happy to behere.
Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited.
You weren't just willing to behere, you were like hell, yeah,
let's do it.
Yes, I mean, I've beenlistening to the podcast for a
while and I'm honored to be onit, so it's so great, I love it.
Jen Whorton (02:03):
Yeah well, it takes courage, though, to come on a
show and share your journey whenit is so personal.
Ella Magers (02:10):
And it's so personal and I'm so happy to be
here.
I'm so happy to be here and Iwant to thank so much again,
again, for trying to come toyour journey when it is so
personal and there's so muchinvolved.
Jen Whorton (02:23):
How do you feel right now about sharing that on
this bigger scale?
I am a little bit nervous, butI think it's time.
I've been kind of suffering insilence for a long time and one
of my new things is I'm going tohelp people, even if it's just
somebody to listen to thispodcast.
So I'm ready.
Ella Magers (02:42):
I'm a little nervous.
Jen Whorton (02:43):
I've never been on a podcast before, but I'm pumped
and this has been a really hugeachievement too.
So I'm excited to share, like,a lot of the wins that I've had.
Even though it was tough, I won.
You know a lot.
Ella Magers (02:55):
A lot and that's how we started out right.
So we worked together and wehad so much fun.
I don't know about you, but Ihad fun, a lot of fun, working
with you.
Jen Whorton (03:03):
So much fun.
Ella Magers (03:04):
We had a lot of laughs, even in the midst of
some really tough weeks whichthere were tough weeks in the
three months that we wereworking together.
Jen Whorton (03:11):
For both of us.
Yeah, I feel like we wentthrough a lot in three months
but, yeah, we laughed and it wasgreat and I feel like we
connected and we got to do somereally cool things.
It was one of the best thingsI've done.
So if you are trying to shoutout your coaching, I'm
definitely like everybody shoulddo it.
Everybody that you acceptshould do it if they can.
Ella Magers (03:31):
Thank you, yeah, so what I want to do, I want to
talk about kind of how you wereshowing up in the world before
we worked together, how thatchanged throughout the program
and now how you're showing up inthe world, also some of the
most powerful tools and maybesome stories around how these
shifts have changed your lifeand how you move through the
(03:55):
world, if that's what?
Jen Whorton (03:56):
with you?
Absolutely.
Ella Magers (03:58):
All right.
So let's take it back to beforewe started working together in
that question of how were youshowing up in the world and I
think talking about just beforethe coaching, but also any
background information thatcould be helpful to provide
people.
Jen Whorton (04:13):
Yeah, definitely, I often found myself angry, like
any emotion I felt, whether Iwas sad or hurt or frustrated or
even when I was happy, it cameout as anger and I spent so much
time just hating myself and itcame out as anger, often to the
detriment of people around me.
I went through a lot of changesand I was about seven and a lot
(04:36):
of them would end up being goodchanges, but at that time it
was too much to handle.
My mom got married and we movedaway from my family and my
grandparents that I loved and Ilived with for the first seven
years of my life and food wasthe only thing that sort of
soothed me.
It was the only constant in mylife and so I started just
(04:57):
eating to soothe.
Whether I was hungry, whether Iwas often angry, I would eat.
So we're talking 30 plus yearsof disordered eating, and you
and I have talked about how foodaddiction is tricky because you
can't just stop eating, right.
So eventually it catches up toyou and I would eat to feel
better and then I would gainweight, and then I would punish
myself and restrict and then eatmore and gain weight and it was
(05:19):
just this like vicious cycleand I was so mean to myself and
then I showed up in the world asan angry, mean person a lot of
the times.
Ella Magers (05:28):
So the how you were talking to yourself reflected
how you're talking to others andvice versa, and the physical
manifestation of that was weightcycling up and down with the
weight.
Tell us about the physical sideof that.
Jen Whorton (05:43):
Just the toll it takes, right, like I grew up
around unhealthy eating habitsand I made a lot of my own, so
it was like I would get downfive pounds and be so excited I
would eat something liketerrible for me and be like, oh,
I deserve this.
And then I would be mad and Iwould restrict and then I would
eat and it really took a toll onmy self-esteem.
My clothes didn't fit.
(06:04):
I probably gained over thecourse of like five or six years
like 50 pounds, which is a lot,and I'm only five, four.
So it showed in every singlepicture and every single nook
and crannies.
And then I would avoid mirrorsand hide from pictures and if
anybody complimented my likeoutfit I'd be like, okay, we
(06:25):
haven't, I'm so fat underneathit and like it was just terrible
.
The whole thing was justterrible.
I couldn't even look at myself.
That's an awful feeling.
Ella Magers (06:33):
And when we started working together.
Well, let's take it to whatmade you decide to work with me.
Jen Whorton (06:42):
Well, I'm gonna fan girl a little bit right now,
but I've been following you fora long time and I always thought
like your views were amazingand you and actually no meat
athlete were like so strong andso I don't know.
You just like had theseconvictions that I was so
jealous of and wanted for myself.
And then you sent out a surveyand it just like came at the
exact right time and I wasfeeling like I'm so ready to
(07:05):
just be free from all of thisstuff.
I'm 40, I'm ready, and Ianswered all of your questions
honestly.
And then they spoke to you andthen I was like I have to do
this.
This is like I was ready for it.
It came to me, I have to do it.
Ella Magers (07:19):
I think that word freedom is a big word, right,
that seems like it was a bigdriving factor for you, this
wanting to be free, what wereyou wanting?
To be free from?
Jen Whorton (07:27):
The biggest thing I wanted to be free from, and the
thing I meditate on everysingle day, is freedom from this
food obsession.
Right, Like I would wake upthinking about food.
If there was something quoteunquote bad for me in my fridge
or in my pantry, I would justlike think about it until I
could eat it.
Like if I was out with otherpeople and we had to share an
appetizer or bread or somethinglike that.
(07:48):
Like I would mentally map outlike who got you know what
portion?
And if I, when I could like goin for seconds and not, you know
, be looked at as a pig orwhatever.
And then the other side of it,I was like, okay, well, I ate
all this stuff.
Like how now do I get thecalories off?
And I was just constantlythinking about food and when I
(08:09):
could eat and how much I couldeat, and then how I could lose
weight.
And it just became thisobsession and I just wanted to
be free from it.
It's exhausting to think aboutit all the time.
Ella Magers (08:19):
Oh, so exhausting I mean, and there and there
myself, I know, and it takes upso much energy and we've talked
about this a little bit theenergy and the space in our
lives that that takes up andwhich means that other things,
healthy things, healthy thoughts, healthy actions, creativity
none of that has space If it'salways taken up by thoughts
(08:42):
about food and how much, when,where, how much we're gonna eat,
right, and then what about theplant-based side of things, they
I know you've been an animallover.
Jen Whorton (08:51):
Forever.
Oh my gosh.
I've always loved animals, eversince I was a kid, I mean.
I was always like I wanted mylittle ponies, not Barbies or
dolls.
I always want pets and all thisstuff, and I've actually been
accused more than once ofscaring out animals more than
people, and it never felt rightto me to do harm so that I could
eat.
But I didn't really grow up inan area or in a time when not
(09:14):
doing that was something Ireally thought of.
It was just like this is whatyour parents put on the table,
so you eat.
It.
Never even occurred to me thatI didn't have to, so I would try
to mitigate it by just being asfar away from the source as
possible, Like this is just food.
But there were a lot of timesand this has been, I think, my
whole life there have been timeswhen I'd be like halfway
through something and be like,oh my God, this used to be alive
and I would not be able tofinish, or like I would have
(09:36):
like a rare steak or somethingin my mouth.
I would just feel like it wasjust blood and I was just like I
cannot do this.
And then one time the worstthing I accidentally went to a
pig roast.
I thought it was just like aregular party and I like saw
this pig and I was absolutelyhorrified.
I was like what is happening?
Like I wanna leave this partyand then so I think part of my
anger too is like I was kind ofliving against my values, Like I
(09:59):
love animals, but here I amharming them for my own personal
gain, when you don't even haveto.
Ella Magers (10:04):
And where were you when we first started on your
journey to being vegan orplant-based?
Jen Whorton (10:10):
I had already stopped eating red meat and a
lot of dairy, partially becauseI just cannot process it anymore
.
It hurt my stomach and itwasn't processing and I don't
know if it was purely physicalor if my mind was finding like
you stop this.
And then after that, I think Iwas still eating fish sometimes
when I talked to you, but it waslike once you stop eating one
(10:31):
thing like I stopped eating cow,okay, well then it's still like
it doesn't feel right to alsoeat these other beings, right.
So it was just kind of like itjust kind of happened pretty
quickly once I started workingwith you and it's been great.
I finally feel like I'm livingthe way I should be.
Ella Magers (10:50):
What does that feel like?
To be feel more aligned.
Jen Whorton (10:53):
I just feel very calm and centered, I feel
lighter, you know, and I feellike there's this little farmers
market that I go to where youcan feed the cows, like they
have these like old vegetablesthat you can feed the cows.
So now, like when I go, I feellike I can look them in the eye
and be like oh my God, I loveyou.
You're these like goofy, likegreedy, hungry beings and you're
(11:15):
just living your life.
And now I feel like being inline has given me a lot of
freedom.
It has freed me up for so manythings, because now I don't
really have to think about it.
Ella Magers (11:24):
Was there anything that surprised you or I know you
had your doubts right.
You were willing to commit tothe process and to the coaching
and you were all in, and I makesure that that's the case with
anybody who would like to workwith me.
You know I say this is not easy.
This is a process.
There's a lot of work involvedhere.
I'm gonna be with you everystep of the way, but you've got
(11:46):
to be as committed as I'mcommitted.
Was there anything that youfelt especially doubtful, even
though you were committed thatthis is gonna work for you?
I think.
Jen Whorton (11:56):
I mean, right off the bat, I didn't think that I
would be able to get free of mydisorder needing.
I feel like I had triedeverything else and nothing had
worked.
So why was this time going tobe different?
And I felt like I had done thework before, but I hadn't maybe
done the right things, or maybeI wasn't ready, I'm not sure.
But I was so sure that this wasjust gonna be something I deal
(12:17):
with for the rest of my life andmaybe I will in some regards.
But it's not the monster itused to be right.
So that was really surprising.
And I think the other thing waswe worked a lot on being
present in the moment and I justrewatched one of our meetings
and it was such a roller coasterbecause I was just like, okay,
yeah, I'm present, this is great, until like one thing happened
(12:40):
that I didn't wanna do was likea boring meeting, and I was like
, what am I doing?
Like being present is hard.
They never tell you that.
They're always like, oh, yeah,be present, then you could be,
then you could be in the moment.
And I was just like, oh, my God, I need to get out of this
meeting.
I'm too present.
Ella Magers (12:54):
I remember that session together so clearly.
Jen Whorton (12:57):
You were like this present thing I don't know about
this.
Ella Magers (13:01):
Thank you, you were like I'm getting it.
I don't know if I like it.
Jen Whorton (13:07):
It was not for everything.
So those are the biggestsurprises.
Ella Magers (13:11):
I think yeah no, I can't wait to get to some of
your stories, but let's firsttalk about okay.
So now and this is three months,I mean it's a relatively short
time for this coaching program,right?
I mean we're talking about veryingrained programming and
habits and thought processesthat we're working on changing
in this hardwired thoughts andbehaviors.
(13:33):
So it's a very short period oftime and a lot of things shifted
for you.
Let's talk first about on aphysical level, because the
truth is, once we got started,the focus was never on weight
loss, right, and we barely eventalked about it throughout, even
though I knew that that was agoal, of course, and there's a
(13:55):
lot of people listening to thisright now who are like I have
weight to lose, I need to focuson it.
What?
Where are you at now, Afterjust three months together and
keeping in mind we did not focuson it?
Jen Whorton (14:07):
Yeah, we didn't focus on it, but none of my
clothes fit and I mean that's agreat problem to have.
So I don't mean to sound likeI'm complaining, but I'm like
some of these clothes, you know.
But yeah, and it happens all atonce.
I mean there were things that Iphysically could not wear.
Like I tried on this outfitthat I wore a million times
before and the jeans were justlike falling off of me, my bra
was like gaping and I was likewhat is happening?
(14:29):
And you know, even sometimes Ilike watched by my husband.
He's like holy crap, like youare looking really like you're
losing weight, and I was like,yeah, I mean I weighed myself, I
think, twice while we weretogether.
Both times are super triggeringand I ended up having a binge.
So I stopped doing that.
So I don't know how much I'veactually lost numbers wise, but
my clothes do not fit.
I need all new clothes on downat least two sizes.
(14:51):
So, and it feels really goodbecause I mean I feel like I did
it in a way that was healthier,I was full and eating normally
and I worked out a lot too.
So I'm feeling not only like myclothes don't fit, I feel
really strong and really Light,I guess.
So it's not what we werefocusing on, but it has been an
amazing side effect because theyjust feel better and I feel
(15:15):
healthier and my numbers, likemy cholesterol that suffer
better in three months, likeeverything just feels so much
better.
Ella Magers (15:22):
And I think you know, and we talked about this,
and this is what I say toclients who really want to lose
weight and we're workingtogether.
It's like, well, how hasfocusing on that worked for you
in the past?
Jen Whorton (15:32):
I feel like you asked me that a lot.
You asked me how has focusingso much on this been helped you?
How has berating yourself andtreating Yourself like shit
helped you?
And you know it really hadn't,but I thought maybe someday.
Ella Magers (15:46):
Right, this time will be different that
definition of insanity doing thesame thing over and over again,
expecting different results andspoiler alert.
It's insane it really is Allright.
So what we did focus on isRelationships of, focus on your
relationship with yourselfyourself.
(16:06):
Talk your relationship withfood, your relationship with
your body, your relationshipwith others.
We're relationship with theworld, the universe.
So let's talk about yourrelationship with yourself first
, because that is kind of theroot of everything and we talked
about.
I approach myself withcuriosity and compassion as one
of the first tools.
Can you talk a little bit about?
(16:27):
In a lot of people say you know, I feel really silly telling
myself that each morning which Ihad you do every morning.
Right, talk about how you feltabout that and you know what
your kind of inner dialogue wastowards the beginning and how
that has changed things for you.
Jen Whorton (16:43):
Yeah, that was really my mantra.
That was one of the very firstthings we worked on and I felt a
little silly, I guess, but Ineeded it right, like I needed
to treat myself better becausewhat I was doing was not working
and and Eventually it justbecame what I was because and I
would have to sometimes I wouldbe like mid-borating myself like
no Kindness, curiosity, youknow, and then I would ask
(17:06):
myself questions.
I did some like unhingedbehaviors to get these things in
great, because I like stop andhave a conversation with myself.
They're like, no, you're beingnice to yourself now.
So, but it was a game changerand it's like you said, and I
will tell you.
You said in the beginning youhave to be kind to yourself if
you want to affect any kind ofchange, and I was like I don't
believe you.
Ella Magers (17:25):
I think I was like.
Jen Whorton (17:27):
But it's true.
It's true.
And if you tell yourself enoughthat you know you deserve
Compassion and curiosity fromyourself, like you always ask,
like what people would put on abillboard, and that's what I'd
be About.
Be kind to yourself Like youhave to and you deserve it.
We always learned you know bekind to others and treat others
the way you want others to treatyou, but we never taught to
(17:47):
treat ourselves that way and youdeserve it.
You're the only thing you have,like 100% of the time.
You have to be nice to yourself.
And the curiosity thing like ifI'm doing something Like I want
to eat a whole cake, I can juststop me, like why are you doing
this?
And if you know, most of thetime I can talk myself out of it
, but if I can't, it's okay.
Like, and that was, I think,the biggest change, I remember
(18:09):
One of the binges I had duringour time together.
It wasn't that I was able tostop it, but I was able to kind
of be in it a little moremindfully and I said, okay, you
want to eat this food, why?
And I would go through thecraving thing like why do you
want to eat this?
What will it do for you, blah,blah, blah.
And then, okay, you, so, when Ieat this food, go ahead Knowing
that it's gonna suck.
And then I do, and I ate itpretty mindfully, whatever, and
(18:32):
then afterwards I was able toforgive myself, which I'd never
been able to do before, and thenit's over, right, like so it
happened, but then it's over,and that was the biggest like
aha moment I think I had wasbeing kind to myself after.
Mmm and that was it.
I was like, holy crap, this isso much better to.
Sometimes they would last fordays because it was a cycle.
Ella Magers (18:52):
Right, it was like I've already screwed up.
I've continued to punish myselfand just keep going correct
before yeah, that was a gamechanger, for sure.
Now, in order to do thisapproaching yourself with
curiosity and compassion we gotto be conscious, right, and that
takes the pause, the powerpause.
Yes, talk to us about the pausein that relationship you
(19:15):
developed with the pause.
And I love and I'm adding it tomy coaching program that we'll
be launching this year the pausejewelry.
I think this is genius, it wasthe best part honestly yeah.
It's the best thing that youcame up with.
I think you came up with that Ithink it was a team effort.
Team effort.
Jen Whorton (19:34):
Maybe is there something we could have.
And then we started talkingabout jewelry.
So, like, the power pause isone of the trickiest things,
because I'm like a person likeI'm always going like 100,000
miles an hour and like if Ithink of something, I want to do
it immediately and then it'sdone.
That does not work if you're abinge eater, right, but so in
order to get me used to it, Iwould have been like three weeks
and I was like I'm not doingthe stamp pause.
I cannot remember it in timeswhen I need it.
(19:54):
So I was doing it foreverything for a week.
So we talked about the jewelry.
So I got a ring, which I love,and so not only did I get to buy
myself something nice, you know, for the coaching.
Obviously, of course, I was ableto remind myself, but again,
this is like some more unhingedbehavior that I had because I
paused for everything, like Iremember I was taking my
vitamins and I pause and be likeyou're taking your B12, and
(20:16):
then I would take it and then Ipause, be like you're taking
your lysine and then I wouldtake it.
I would like pause getting intomy car, be like you're opening
your car and you're going to getin, you're going to go
somewhere, and I was just likethis, like deranged person but
I'm like no, we're going to getthis.
And then finally, once I gotused to it, I was able to use it
for so many things.
For eating, especially, iswhere it helps me, but also for
like difficult conversations,like something was happening.
(20:39):
I could pause and be like okaythis is not going the way I
wanted to go, but I could thinkabout it and even though I still
felt shitty or whatever, you'reclearer because you just stop
and you ask yourself somequestions or think about
something or whatever it is thatyou're doing.
Just take a second.
And then I mean, tara, and youalways talk about emotions only
lasting is at 30 to 90 secondsor something.
If you take that pause and thenyou realize how quickly they go
(21:04):
by, it's yeah, but the pause isone of the hardest things for
me to master, but when I did,it's like so helpful for
everything.
Ella Magers (21:11):
Yeah, and I know you're calling it unhinged,
because I can see how, likeyou're stopping as you open your
car door and you're saying I'mopening my car door and feeling
like a little bit of a crazyperson saying that and we had
talked about how we got to startwith the things that are not
emotionally charged right,because it's when you're
emotionally charged that youforget and you go right into
(21:32):
impulse and reaction as opposedto response.
So it was a very strategic movefor you to do that, and you
know, and then those, thesethings, this is the stuff that
takes work, and what I want tojust acknowledge you for is
putting in the work and youreally did it every week, even
when it was tough, even when youdidn't feel like it was working
(21:54):
.
You know, quote you did it andit paid off in the end.
So, let's talk about a story.
We're talking about not onlyapproaching yourself with
curiosity and compassion, butreally approaching the world.
We kind of added in the worldafter you started getting these
the self.
I know you had an incident atTrader Joe's oh my.
Jen Whorton (22:11):
Trader Joe's lady.
Yes, yeah, the approaching theworld with kindness Again, like
I feel like I was such amisanthrope and I was like
people, can we?
For me, and I was always likegoing into public places was
like a battle because that's howI treated it.
But when I started thinkingabout it I was like, OK, well,
here we are at Trader Joe's.
There's only two in my area.
Neither of them are convenientand they're always crazy busy.
(22:32):
And this was like 11 am on aSunday.
I happened to be going tobrunch and I drove by and I just
like got on two wheels into theparking lot and said going to
Trader.
Joe's so busy and I just waskind of wandering around and I
went to pick up the speakingbuffalo dip that's really good
and I lean next to this lady andI said I'm reaching next to you
and she just looked so harassedand I was like, oh man, this
lady looks like she's having aday.
(22:52):
She's like of course you are,and you and I talked about it
and you're like that's prettyrude.
I was like yeah, that was rude,but I didn't take it that way.
Instead, I looked at her andwas about to ask her something
and then she had these big eyesand she turns to me and she's
like I'm so sorry.
I don't normally come at thistime, I'm normally here way
earlier, but I had to take my18-year-old cat to this special
vet.
That was an hour away and shejust kind of unloaded on me and
(23:14):
normally I would be like why areyou telling me this?
I'm not your therapist, but itwas actually a really beautiful
moment.
So then we started talkingabout our cats and how caring
for elderly animals and howTrader Joe's is crazy, but it's
totally worth it.
And then by the end of it shewas calm and I felt like I had
helped her a little bit and wewere like happy new year.
I hope you have a great yearahead of you.
And it was just this beautifulmoment that I would have missed
(23:36):
out on if I was that hissingtroll creature I used to be,
because I was just like this isTrader Joe's right now.
These are the people that arehere right now.
I'm choosing to be here, andthat was it.
And then I connected withsomeone.
It's never like people probablywon't even leave this story.
Ella Magers (23:51):
People who know you .
Yeah, exactly who is this, ella?
What have you done with our gin?
Talking to people, but it's soempowering as well.
This is what I'm kind ofgetting from you.
Here is how you've taken yourpower back, in a sense, in every
aspect of your life when itcomes to food, when it comes to
choices, when it comes tointeractions with other people.
(24:14):
You're making conscious choices, and that's powerful and free
and it feels better.
Jen Whorton (24:20):
Yeah, it feels better than being thrust into.
Either you know something youdon't want to do or I don't know
just kind of acting in a waythat's against kind of human
nature.
Like I think it's in a lot ofour nature to want to connect
and to help people and I wasjust not living that way.
Ella Magers (24:36):
And then hadn't heard.
Because this?
I think this happened after ourlast coaching session.
Jen Whorton (24:41):
But about the sauna oh my gosh, the sauna lady.
Yeah, you were in the saunawith us, for sure.
I'm not making eye contact withthe other woman that's in there
with me.
And I see this lady outside inthe locker room and she takes
like six feet of paper towelsfrom, like the paper towels, and
(25:01):
what the hell is this ladydoing?
And then, of course, she comesinto the sauna and she's just
like following up these papertowels and just like what is
happening.
And then I was like you knowwhat the tiny Ella on my
shoulder was like be curious.
So I just looked at her, aboutto be like you know what the
hell are you doing?
and she's like I don't like thefeel of sweat dripping down my
body and I was like odd choiceto come in the sauna, but maybe
(25:24):
still wants the benefits.
So then she starts like wrappingall these paper towels around
her neck and like upper armslike around her belly, and she
just sits there like covered inthese paper towels.
But being curious about her ledher to ask me if I had any New
Year's resolutions and I waslike no, these past three years
have been horrible, like I'mjust hoping that this year is.
It just happens, you know.
But as we talked for like 15minutes in the sauna and all the
(25:46):
women got involved, we startedtalking about like decisions to
have kids and like the state ofthe world and it ended up being
this like beautiful moment withthese two women that I see at
the gym all the time, like I'veseen these people before.
And you know, instead of like Istopped talking to them and
having a great conversation,instead of just going home and
telling my husband about thecrazy lady like killing trees at
(26:08):
the sauna and like notinteracting with him at all, so
different than how I normallywould have handled it.
I would not have.
I would have been like to notmake a contact with this person,
but it was beautiful and shewas so freaking nice.
Ella Magers (26:22):
Yes, I am imagining your friends right now
listening to this podcast.
Hijacked.
Jen Whorton (26:31):
Jen, I'm touched by someone nicer and more helpful.
And with baggy clothes now.
Yeah, and with baggy clothesnow.
Ella Magers (26:39):
You know, what we forgot to even mention is in the
slipped my mind when we firststarted.
You were and let me know ifyou're okay talking about this
but you are using a weight lossdrug.
Jen Whorton (26:51):
Oh yeah, I was.
Yeah, I forgot about that.
Ella Magers (26:53):
Yeah, yeah, and we talked about that at the
beginning.
Do you remember how thatconversation went in our
decision and how you felt aboutthat?
I did, and the way.
Jen Whorton (27:02):
Last drug helped a little, I will say, but the bulk
of the weight that I lost wasafter, because you and I had a
conversation about it and youwere in no way like pressuring
or anything like that, reallyjust like what do you think?
And I was like I think I can'tdo this work simultaneously with
my appetite shut off orwhatever, because that's not
really going to get me where Ineed to be, right, that's not
(27:24):
going to have to have theseurges and these things happen
normally, so that I can dealwith them in a way that I need
to and that's for longevity,right.
So, yeah, I think it was a fewweeks in and I got off it and
then only then, was I able tohandle these binges.
Right, they weren't reallyhappening on the weight loss
drugs.
(27:45):
It just kind of like slows downyour digestion.
You're just not really thathungry, but yeah, so I did start
on that and again, it helps alittle bit and maybe got five,
10 pounds off.
But the change happened when youand I started working together
and we started talking aboutthings and being present and
getting this food freedom.
That was the thing that helpsme and I was like I work out and
(28:05):
stuff like that.
But I always did.
I always worked out a lot.
That was something that I waspretty consistent about.
But I was always able to likeout eat my workouts.
So, yeah, I got off the weightloss drug and still getting off
of it, even though it was alittle dicey at first because I
was back on my bullshit for acouple of days.
But once it was out we wereable to really like dig in and
(28:26):
that was it.
Ella Magers (28:27):
Right, we decided we couldn't address the root
issues if they were being masked.
Right, the symptoms were beingmasked by this drug, right.
And so you know, and that'sagain another really courageous
thing that you did was sayingI'm going to get off this drug,
knowing that the cravings, theurges, the reasons that I went
(28:47):
on the drug in the first placeare going to come back.
And now I'm going to kind oftrust in you to guide me through
that process of dealing withthem.
Yeah, their full fledged form.
Jen Whorton (28:58):
Yeah, and they do come back and I don't know if
they were stronger.
I've heard mixed things frompeople, but sometimes they come
back even stronger.
So you're not really.
You're just kind of flipping aswitch and, like I said, I'm
asking it so you just don'treally think about it that much.
But as soon as you're off it,it just comes back full force
and worse.
Ella Magers (29:13):
Yeah, and you mentioned exercise that you've
always been into working out andall that, but did you have any
shifts that came along with yourattitude towards training or
anything with exercise thatshifted?
Oh?
Jen Whorton (29:27):
yes, the power pause helped with that a lot too
, because you stop and you thinklike, look what my body can do.
I do a mix of lifting andboxing and bar, but there's one
bar is like the ballet workoutand there was one time when I
was like I had it so that my legwas behind me, my butt was like
tight and I like looked and Iwas like, oh my God, look at my
butt's doing right now.
so I was just like, look at thebody can do, even if I'm
(29:50):
whatever not at my goal weightor whatever like my body is
doing these things, my body cando these things and I'm so
strong and I'm holding thisplank and now my legs behind me
and my butt is tight and itlooks great you know like even
before that, like I had a coupleof personal gains, like from
lifting and stuff I'm doingassisted pull ups at 95 pounds
(30:13):
and I started at 140 and eventhough it seems like a kind of a
small win because it's justlike one exercise, but I was
just like I can do this though,and it's very motivating.
Those tiny things are just verymotivating and my personal
trainer knows this, so she knowsthat the tiny things are really
like what get me going.
So we make sure we do likelittle mini celebrations and
stuff like that.
But yeah, I mean even just canbe anything, but just knowing
(30:36):
that your body can do thesethings and do what you want it
to do is just feels great.
Ella Magers (30:41):
Yeah, it just seems like you really were able to
make this shift too.
I'm training because I love ofmy body.
I respect my body, not as apunishment, not as a means to
burn off the calories I feelguilty about eating, but really
exercising for the sake ofexercising and having it feel
good and be good for me on everylevel.
Jen Whorton (31:02):
Yeah, and it's fun.
I mean, it doesn't even seemlike a punishment.
So I'm much more consistentthan I used to be, because I
find things that I enjoy and Ithank my body for it.
It sounds cheesy but it works.
You know, I'm just like.
You know what Some people can'tdo.
This.
Ella Magers (31:16):
One of the other things that happens a lot 80 to
90% of people who go on a diet.
They gain all the way backusually, and then some.
How do you feel about thesustainability of the changes
you've made and the directionyou're going at this point?
Jen Whorton (31:34):
I actually feel pretty good about it.
There are some nerves there,obviously, but there's so many
options, right, like?
I went through this the entiretime we were working together.
I was like I'm going to trysomething new every week.
So now I tried all these newvegetables and I love to cook.
That's one of the things that Ijust do for me, and it's been
so fun coming up with recipes.
(31:55):
A while ago I was already kindof not eating meat, but I like
panagate some chicken at friendshouse and say like made this
chicken and didn't know that Iwas plant-based, whatever.
So I had just like a tiny bitof the chicken and sauce and I
was like my God, what is this?
I can make this vegan and I didand it was so good, it was so
good vegan.
So, like, I just feel like I'mhaving so much fun with it and
(32:17):
you know, after working with youand working on all these
recipes, I have probably a dozenrecipes that I make all the
time and they're vegan andthey're healthy and they're
fresh and they're delicious.
And we haven't talked aboutthis yet.
Oh yeah, so the power pods andalso, you know, whole chewing
your food thing, which wehaven't talked about yet, right
yeah.
That was a tool that you said.
It was like the first thing youtold me and it helped me right
off of that.
(32:37):
Like, if you take your time andyou chew your food and you
enjoy it, you're either going tobe very sore in the jaw or,
like well, like three quartersof the way through it doesn't
taste as good as it did in thosefirst bites because you're
paying attention, and then youcould just stop.
So I think the things tocontinue to work on would be the
mindful eating, right, like,and making sure I'm not
(33:00):
distracted by TV, by whatever,by phone, and that's going to be
the thing to work on.
I think the food is prettysolid, awesome.
Ella Magers (33:08):
Yeah, that chewing your food.
It's so simple.
It's so simple and it's noteasy, you know.
It's a change in how long ittakes to eat.
It's.
Most people love to eat infront of the TV.
It's like the thing they do torelax and tune out and you're
tuning out from the world andthe food that you're eating.
And I've really found with, Ithink, every client that I've
(33:31):
worked with those who do thatone thing to see physical
results pretty quickly.
Jen Whorton (33:38):
Yeah, not only I mean obviously I've lost weight,
but also like my stomach feelsbetter, because I mean I think
you were like the digestionstarts in your mouth, so start
there, and then you won't havethese like bubble guts, sure.
Ella Magers (33:50):
Yeah, awesome, powerful.
Jen Whorton (33:53):
Not easy to do, but like simple.
Ella Magers (33:54):
Simple.
Yes, Simple and easy isdifferent than simple, but yeah,
it takes that pause.
So, yeah, you really put in thework, Jen.
Is there anything else that youcan think of that might be
helpful for people listeningthat are struggling with their
weight, with being kind ofobsessive about food even if
they don't have a full on eatingdisorder or binge terribly but
(34:20):
are spending a lot of time andenergy?
What opened up for you I guessthat's another question that I
haven't asked when you felt liketowards the last few sessions
you were like I've just got somuch More space, more time, more
energy to do other things.
What am I going to do?
Yeah?
Jen Whorton (34:38):
I guess now that I'm not obsessing over food and
I finally have the freedom I waslooking for, I have this
creativity just like coming outof my ears.
I cannot stop doing something.
I mean I've always done, notalways.
The past couple of years I'vedone paper crafts and made like
greeting cards and stuff.
But recently I got intowatercolor when my friend does
pottery, so he brought me to hispottery studio and I made like
(35:01):
four bowls the other day.
And I cannot stop creating.
Even with cooking.
I have created like six orseven recipes.
I mean I go online and get someideas, but I have just been
creating so much I don't know,so much coming out of me.
I feel right now like I'm anartist trapped in like a
corporate stooge's body becauseI cannot stop creating things.
(35:24):
So I'll try to work on gettingthe artist out a little bit more
.
But it's been so fun to not bebogged down by all these like
heavy feelings and obsessivethoughts and now I can do the
things that I like to do and Ididn't even know I could
watercolor.
Watercolor is hard.
I didn't know I could do it,but they look like cats.
So that's really.
I meant to do a cat and itlooks like a cat.
Ella Magers (35:47):
That's awesome.
I know you showed me it'sgorgeous, yeah, so they're so
cute, so cute.
Jen Whorton (35:53):
So my mother in law and my mother and, randomly
enough, my stepdad's father,they're all very creative people
and they're all like artistsfor everybody.
And that was one thing.
Like I was like no, I'm notgoing to be good at it, whatever
, but now that I have all thisroom, I don't care.
Five paper and stuff.
I'm artist for everybody and ifyou love it, then do it.
It doesn't matter.
Not trying to sell it, even ifI did, it doesn't matter.
Ella Magers (36:14):
Yeah, what would you say to anybody who's kind of
like I don't know, I reallywant to move forward, but why is
this different?
Why is this different fromeverything else that's out there
, and why would it work for me?
Jen Whorton (36:31):
It's hard and not necessarily in a bad way, but it
was a lot of work, it took alot of time and I really had to
focus on it, obviously alsopaying you.
So there's some monetary likeyou're investing in yourself,
kind of, and I think we justdon't do that enough, or at
least maybe we do it in waysthat are not as beneficial.
Like I mean, I treat myself toAmazon all the time.
That's not what I mean, like itwas hard and it cost me and it
(36:56):
was the right time.
Plus, the loving yourself waslike that was the one thing that
if you can do anything, if youcan't, you know don't have the
means or whatever to getpersonalized coaching.
If you can find a way to coachyourself and to talk nice to
yourself, then you can start,you know, affecting change on
your own.
But I think you got to do thework because if you earn it then
(37:16):
I think it tends to stick Likeright.
Like I was all about quickfixes.
Like I was doing the weightloss drug, I tried starving
myself, I tried all these dietpills and, you know, the hot
yoga and running in a trash bag.
Like I tried all of thesethings and they did not work and
they did not make me feel good.
So this was hard work but itmade me feel good once I was
(37:37):
kind of through it.
And it comes with like the highsand lows, right.
I'd be like, oh my God, likethe first couple weeks, yeah, I
got this.
And then something happens andyou're like, oh my God, I don't
got this.
You just keep going and it'shard but it's worth it.
And then, once it clicks, itclicks and I think you said that
too.
I think you said that in thebeginning.
You're like it'll click and Iwas like I don't know.
Ella Magers (37:57):
You said I don't know a lot.
I don't know.
I hear you, I'm going to do itand I don't know.
Jen Whorton (38:04):
You have to.
I mean, we talked about I'mstill reading the presence
process, right, I don't reallyget it, but that's okay, you're
going through it, you're takingwhat you can and you got to
trust the process because once Iwas through it, I was like, oh
my God, I did a thing, I wardeda binge, or I didn't beat myself
up or I lost.
However many pounds I lost, andI did it and it was hard, but
then it feels good, you got todo the work.
Ella Magers (38:25):
Got to do the work.
Got to do the work.
Anything else that we haven'tchatted about, that you'd like
to leave people with.
Jen Whorton (38:33):
No, I think this was awesome.
I love sharing my journeybecause these last three years
I'm just like I mean everythingthat's happened to us since,
including COVID I've justfundamentally changed, and then
working with you was kind of thelast part of it.
I had already changed, but nowI actually was trying to live in
(38:54):
line with my values and I didthat.
So I feel like a brandingperson and now I have all this
room for creativity and to helppeople.
I've never in my life like Isaid my friends would be like
what the hell is she talkingabout?
I've never in my life wanted tohelp people but, now I care and
I want to connect with peopleand I'm talking to random ladies
at the gym.
So this has just been really,really life changing and I
(39:14):
finally feel like, if I don'thave all the freedom that I was
looking for, I'm at least reallyclose.
Ella Magers (39:20):
And it's a journey that we're on for the rest of
our lives.
Right, there is no arrival.
Jen Whorton (39:24):
No, and it's kind of fun.
I mean you always say play alife like a game, and once again
that clicked and I think I toldyou I didn't realize how funny
everything is.
Ella Magers (39:34):
You'd come every so many sessions and be like, wow,
this thing happened and it wasfunny.
But, it was kind of just aregular I can't think of an
example right now, but kind ofjust a regular thing.
And you're like this ishilarious.
Jen Whorton (39:48):
I think it was the yoga class that I went to at
someone's house and I was inthis like yoga shed, yoga shed,
yoga shed.
But it was just a normal yogaclass, but like we were offside
down and we were doinginversions and I was like this
is hilarious.
And you were like okay, yeah,yoga is funny, I guess.
Yeah.
Yeah, I just had so manyexperiences now that I'm like
(40:09):
open to it, so it's been fun.
It was hard work, but it's beena lot of fun.
Ella Magers (40:12):
Yeah, I feel like you know, when you go to the eye
doctor and they put thedifferent lenses for you to see
in front of you, it's likeswitching out lenses and you're
now looking through the world.
You know, as we transform, weswitch out lenses and we see the
world through this new lens andit opens up all sorts of ideas
and opportunities and laughterand humor and love and light and
(40:35):
just a new way of feeling andmoving through the world.
And, yeah, you did the work toget there and I'm so grateful to
have been able to spend thattime with you and Me too.
Jen Whorton (40:47):
Yeah, thank you, jen.
Thank you for sharing.
Yeah, of course, thank you forhaving me my pleasure.
Ella Magers (40:58):
Thanks for listening to this week's episode
of Rise and Thrive with me,ella Majors.
I truly hope you found itinspiring and, if you did,
please help me spread the wordby leaving a rating and review
on your favorite podcast playerand by sharing the show with
your friends.
As you probably know by now, mylife's purpose is to use my
voice to make this world a moreconscious and compassionate
(41:20):
place, and your reviews andshares make a huge impact.
And last, I'm getting a ton ofinsanely positive feedback about
my short and sweet monthlynewsletter called the Way.
Part four the Way Out isThrough.
I give my top five latest badassdiscoveries, insights and
explorations, like veganproducts and recipes.
(41:41):
I'm obsessed with books andshows I'm loving and workouts
that have me fired up.
Head on over to my website,ellamajorscom, to sign up and
check out all the other awesomeresources I have for you and
projects I'm involved with,including Hogs and Kisses Farm
Sanctuary, where our mission isto create the best life for farm
(42:02):
animals while inspiringcompassion for all living beings
.
Thanks a lot, and I'll see youon the next one.
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