"We all have our own inner doctor"
This week I welcome, Sherry Shaban, an extraordinary fitness and life coach who’s battled back from the brink of paralysis to transform not only her body but her entire outlook on life. With over 23 years of experience in the fitness industry, Sherry is a renowned expert in the most challenging weight loss cases and has helped thousands of people worldwide transform their health and fitness using her revolutionary method to rewire the brain, release self-sabotaging limiting beliefs, and patterns, and fall in love with fitness so that weight loss becomes easy, predictable, and enjoyable.
For the first few years of being a gym owner, Sherry felt like a phony. She was frustrated with herself, disappointed and angry for being a “victim” of her circumstances, unable to demonstrate a single squat. But her turning point toward recovery came from understanding that one of the central elements of transformation is to let go of debilitating and self-limiting thoughts, and to begin to rewrite a new story.
If you want to connect with Sherry, visit the following:
Instagram: @sherryshabanfitness
Website: sherryshaban.com
FREE workbook: www.makepeacewithfood.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the Plant-Centered and Thriving
Podcast.
I'm your host, ashley Kitchens.
I'm a plant-based registereddietitian and virtual nutrition
mentor.
I was raised on an Angus CattleFarm, grew up with a lot of GI
issues and used the power ofplant-based eating to promote
healing.
Here you'll find inspiration,ideas and encouragement for your
(00:23):
own plant-based journey.
I'm so thrilled you're heretoday.
Let's get started.
Welcome to the showPlant-Centered Listener.
My name is Ashley and I am yourhost today.
Thank you so much for takingtime out of your day to listen
to this episode.
Today I have an extraordinaryfitness and life coach named
Sherry who get this.
(00:44):
She battled back from the brinkof paralysis to transform not
only her body but her entireoutlook on life.
This conversation is incrediblytransparent.
Sherry is vulnerable in herstory and I just really
appreciated everything that shehad to say.
So get this.
For the first few years of beinga gym owner, sherry felt like a
phony.
She was frustrated with herself, she was disappointed and angry
(01:08):
for being a quote victim of hercircumstances and she was
unable to demonstrate a singlesquat.
But her turning point towardrecovery came from an
understanding that one of thecentral elements of
transformation is to let go ofdebilitating and self-limiting
thoughts and begin to rewrite anew story.
(01:28):
And that's what she walks usthrough today, sherry, I will
say she will challenge yourconventional wisdom on dieting
and fitness.
As we take a look at why dietsfail and what you can do
differently, we're unpacking thenuances of what transformation
actually is versus results andhow you can move from a life of
(01:49):
limitations to one of endlesspossibilities.
Oh my goodness, that just getsme so excited.
She's got over 23 years ofexperience in the fitness
industry and she has quite thestory that has gotten her here.
So please join me in welcomingSherry to the show.
Welcome to the show.
Thank you so much for beinghere today, ashley.
It's an honor.
Thank you for having me.
(02:10):
From what I understand, youwere on the brink of paralysis
at one point, so I'm really kindof curious if you could just
like back us up and tell us sortof what happened and really
what led you to what you dotoday, which is amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Well, thank you so much.
Growing up I was reallyinvolved in sports.
I was a tomboy.
I would compete against theboys, I had to do more push-ups
in them, I always had to letthem know that I could run
faster, and so that really wasmy identity growing up in
elementary school, and then bythe time I got to high school, I
was in varsity sportsbasketball, volleyball, track
(02:44):
and field and so, again, thatwas really my world, and I was
MVP, often for the varsity teams, and I was actually, at that
time, living in Europe.
I was in boarding school andthis one day I heard Pearl Jam
was in town.
So I don't know, that's likedating me.
I was an alternative girl.
I heard Pearl Jam was in town,so my roommate and I went
(03:05):
downtown to purchase Pearl Jamtickets, and as we were trying
to rush back to grab the bus tocome back on campus because you
had to check in on time andthere were serious consequences
if you didn't I ran as fast as Icould to catch the bus, and I
did not see the car coming, andso I was struck by a car, and
the next time I became aware andregained my consciousness, I
(03:27):
actually woke up in the hospital.
So I think what had happenedaccording to my roommate, who,
poor girl who witnessed all ofthis she saw me get hit by a car
and then fly across the road tothe other side of the sidewalk
and when I woke up in thehospital it was funny because I
had honey on my face and inaddition to all the abrasions,
my face had scraped up theconcrete.
But I had honey and brokenglass in my hair because we had
(03:47):
just gone grocery shopping tobuy honey and yogurt and little
things for our dorm rooms.
So that's what I remember.
And when it first happened, youknow there was some scrapes and
some bruises and you know myknee hurt a little bit and I was
on crutches and that was sortof the extent of what they
thought had happened.
And so it wasn't actually untilI came back to basketball
practice, maybe a couple ofweeks later, that I started to
(04:08):
feel intense pain in my rightglute and it just kept getting
worse and at first I thought itwas muscle soreness.
I'm like, okay, well, I've beenout of practice for a couple
weeks, that must be it.
But then it just progressivelykept getting worse until it was
all the way down my leg and allthe way to my little toes, and
it got to the point where Icouldn't walk up hill every time
I went from seated to standing.
(04:30):
It was excruciating pain andeventually I needed assistance
to shower, to go to the washroom, things like that.
And that was at that pointwhere I flew back home.
I went to see my parents and Iwent to see the doctor and I had
my first back surgery and I'vehad two, by the way.
The second one would come later.
But after my surgery I was toldyou're not allowed to play
(04:50):
sports again like you have tostop.
You're now at high risk in caseyou re-injure yourself.
You can do some light walkingon a treadmill, that would be
appropriate.
And should you ever becomepregnant one day, well, we'd
have to monitor you becausethere's gonna be a lot of risk
on your lumbar spine if ever youdo so.
I remember I was so mad when Iheard this.
I was so angry, I pounded myfist so hard on the table.
(05:13):
I mean, this was like someonebasically robbing me of, like,
my love, my passion.
But I listened.
I had to listen because it wasserious and I was so young, and
so I continued just to listen towhat the doctor's advice had
said.
What the doctor's advice was, Istarted to take the pain
medication that they wereprescribing me, because now I
had excruciating back pain fromthe surgery, and I just
(05:36):
continued to, for the next fewyears, follow this path and
eventually it led me to a newpeer group, a peer group that
did not resonate or align at allwith my old values.
In fact, I would got more intothe party scene and raves and
things like that.
And I just remember this onemoment in my early 20s where I
just woke up one day just likewho is this person?
(05:59):
This is not me.
I always envision myself to bevery active and athletic, and I
love that.
I never thought I would do anyof the things I'm doing right
now and that this would be mylife, and so that was the first
moment I actually stepped into agym.
I decided that day to sign up atthe local gym, even though I
was a chemistry nerd at the timeI was actually doing my
(06:20):
master's degree in chemistry Iwas like, okay, I'm just going
to sign up.
And so I just started copyingpeople around me and I just
started imitating the exercisesI saw, and I consistently did
that for a few months until Irealized that I was able to
actually come off of painmedication.
My pain was gone and I now feltso strong and so stable and this
(06:42):
is someone, by the way, who,like their whole life revolved
around pain.
I mean, during that time,before I actually got into the
gym, the amount of time I wouldsit in a chair, what type of
chair it was, what type of car Iwould sit in.
If I would go to someone'shouse, I'd always have to ask if
there was a place for me to liedown, because I can sit for
more than an hour.
And so I went from that tosuddenly gaining a lot of
confidence in my body, and thenthat led to really buying a
(07:05):
treadmill, working up to an hourof running and then eventually
being able to do that outside,and then dropping out of my
master's degree in chemistry topursue this new career, because
it hit me Like if I could dothis and if I'm able to overcome
my injury and my struggle withback pain, I want to help others
do the same thing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yeah, because I'm sure you realize that there are
probably so many other peopleout there who are scared out of
going to a gym or, oh, you havethis injury.
You need to take it easy, youneed to rest and for some reason
, that is the case in somecircumstances, but for a lot of
times, what we know is thatstrengthening your body, getting
into the gym responsibly, canactually really benefit the pain
(07:47):
that you're undergoing, thischronic pain that you're
suffering from and it soundslike that was your testimony.
You're like OK, chemistry, seeyou later.
I'm going to go help otherpeople achieve what I achieved,
which is possible.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Right, yeah, and I love that you say that, because
the body is so resilient and we.
It's interesting because and Isay this with utmost respect
because thanks to doctors andallopathic medicine, I am where
I am today and both my parentswere doctors and my brothers are
doctors, and so I say thisabsolutely respectfully but we
(08:18):
have our own inner doctor andand it's hard to really connect
with that part of us becauseit's scary, because as soon as
we hear the diagnosis, we thinkit's, we think it's so scary and
and there is no way to overcomethat, especially when we've
heard about the odds or thedoctor said we can do such and
such, and so if we are gettingto that place where we're
listening to our body,respecting our body and lovingly
(08:39):
honoring our body, we'll beable to pick up the cues.
And so I didn't walk into thegym actually deadlifting a bus,
like there was no way.
Right, I was, I was verycautious, I was very mindful, I
was, I was doing a little bit ata time.
And you know, throughout thelast 25 years since that moment
I walked into the gym, I'veinjured myself many times.
I've had another back surgery.
(09:00):
That was in 2012, where I wasmillimeters away from paralysis,
opening up my first crossfitgym and I've had two babies.
And so, after every singleinjury and every time your body
has to go through these massive,massive forms of trauma because
that's what it is and thesestressful events, you have to
reconnect and you slow down andyou listen to the cues, because
(09:20):
I never saw the advantage ofinjuring myself or pushing
myself to the point where Iwould almost break Right.
And so if we're able to reallyconnect with our body and just
just be patient, that's the mostimportant thing that I find
most of us are actually missingthese days is just the patience
to allow the body to adapt andthen remember also to speak to
the body so lovingly, because weactually many of us too when we
(09:43):
start at our health and fitnessjourney, essentially and
especially, we're alreadywalking into so much self
loathing.
Right, I have to work outbecause I can't stand my body.
I have to stop eating thisbecause I need to lose weight,
because look at me, right, thatis so abusive actually that's
very abusive talk and so thatdoesn't actually dry peeling
that that triggers the nervoussystem to feel like we're being
(10:05):
attacked, and then, when we'rein that place, then of course,
there's going to be absolutelyno healing.
And then, for sure, we're notgoing to fall in love with the
process, fall in love withfitness and stay committed and
consistent towards our goals.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, yeah, I could not agree more, and I want to
just reiterate what you saidabout that inner wisdom, that we
have that inner doctor.
We are all born with that and Ijust I could not agree more
that it's so important to, justas best as you can, slow down
and practice listening, becausethe more you practice listening,
the more you're going to buildthat relationship with yourself
that you had in the beginningwhen you were born, right.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yeah, so good.
And just to distinguish thedifference between listening to
my body and listening to my mind, right, because the mind is the
ego, right, like that's the egopart of us.
That's actually being verydisrespectful to what we're
currently experiencing, and sothe question always comes up is
okay?
So how do I know the differencebetween my body and my mind,
(10:56):
right?
So I want to have some Oreocookies, and is it?
Maybe it's my body that wantsit?
That could be true.
Your body could want some Oreocookies, but your body never
wanted you to eat the entire rowor half the box of Oreos and
then feel sick afterwards, right?
And so that's what the bodydoesn't want.
If we really get to the placewhere we're intuitively moving,
intuitively eating and reallyintuitively even choosing our
(11:18):
diet and I want to say that ourdiet is not just what we're
putting or consuming through ourmouth, it's who we're hanging
out with, it is theconversations we're listening to
, it's the media that we'rewatching, it's the information
that we're hearing so if wedecide that we get to choose
what we allow to become our diet, we can start to actually super
fine tune with those messagesand anytime that we're thinking
(11:42):
oh, I did.
I had such a tough week, Ideserve a pizza Right.
Or I had such a tough week Ideserve to eat all these things.
Or I deserve to drink.
I deserve All these harmfulthings, let's say things that
don't serve us because we usethem in excess.
That is not the body speaking,that's the mind speaking, and
you can get to that place whereyou're able to tune in, to
(12:04):
determine who's speaking to yousimply by stopping that negative
self talk and really bringingin more love and respect and
patience.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
That's a really good point, actually, and how do you
recommend because I know thatyou work with people who are
kind of in this place right nowhow do you recommend someone
start kind of stopping thatnegative self talk, Because that
can be a hard cycle to get outof.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Right, yeah, it is.
And you know, I like to bringin the analogy of, let's say,
your grass, your lawn Do youhave a lawn?
Do you take care of your grass?
Yes, I don't take care of mygrass.
Okay, I'm gonna go on and say Idon't take care of my grass,
but there was this one summer,okay, when I used to take care
of my grass.
Actually, this was like maybeseven, eight years ago.
(12:47):
There was this one summer I sawall the weeds on my grass and
I'm like all right, I'm going togo pick them all.
And we had, like, this littlepicker.
So I'm like, oh, my God, tookme a good two hours to pull out
every single dandelion from mylawn.
But guess what happened when Icame back the next day?
There were more there, right?
So it's like I did all thatwork and then I come back the
next day and there are moreweeds in my lawn.
(13:10):
And so you cannot remove thenegative thoughts.
By removing the negativethoughts.
The only way that you canactually do it is by putting in
more grass seed.
So that's what I've learned is,if you really want to take out
all the weeds in your lawn, youadd more grass seeds, and so the
only way as well to reallyreposition the mind to more
positive thoughts and morefavorable and self-serving
(13:31):
thoughts is, instead of tryingto block or resist the negative
thoughts, we start to implantpositive ones, right.
And so we start to maybeincorporate a morning routine
where we are speakingbeautifully to ourselves.
And one of the most powerfulexercises I like to share is the
mirror exercise, where we standin front of the mirror naked
(13:52):
and we just scan the body andjust appreciate every teeny,
tiny square inch of our body andhave gratitude.
Something as simple as beinggrateful for the eyes that can
see, being grateful for my mouththat can speak right now, right
, being able to swallow is agift.
So all of these things, becauseI know people who've had throat
(14:13):
cancer who weren't able toswallow, and that's something so
small, right, and we onlynotice these things once they're
gone, and so can we get intothat practice of being grateful
and having gratitude for ourbody.
So as I go for a run, I thankmyself, I thank my body and I
remind myself I get to do this,I don't have to do this, right?
This is a privilege.
(14:34):
Someone else in a wheelchairwould give anything to be able
to do this.
This is a privilege, right, andso we start to just incorporate
more positive thoughts,positive affirmations, and
slowly weed out the negativeones.
Oh, I like that.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I like that.
I think that's such greatadvice and a good place to start
for someone who might bestruggling with that right now,
who just feels like they're inthat cycle of negativity and
can't quite get out and I'mproud out those negative
thoughts with some positive ones.
So start playing those grassseeds Right.
Well, sherry, I also know thatyou're not a big fan of those,
the fad diets.
You're a fan of having andcultivating a helpful
relationship with food.
(15:07):
So I'm curious, with it sort ofbeing still the beginning of
the year, what is your opinionon why diets, fad diets
specifically fail or don't last,or why they're just
unsustainable?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So much to unpack around that.
And I think the first questionis we have to ask ourselves
about sustainability, right?
So when we take on certaindiets and it's exactly what you
said actually they're superextreme and they're fad, and you
know there's probably a lot ofbuzz around that.
But the question we oftentimesdon't ask ourselves is okay, so
(15:39):
if I start this, can I continuethis?
Right, if I take carbs out ofmy diet to release X number of
pounds, can I still continue tolive this way?
So that's the first thing isreally just asking ourselves can
I keep this Up Because dietculture has set our brains to
think that this is a temporarything?
Right, there is an end date tothis.
There's an expiration date, andI only have to push so hard and
(16:02):
I have to suffer through thesenext few weeks, because then I'm
going to get the results thatwe want, and so we've already
had it set up in our mind thatwe're going to stop working the
moment that we achieve our goal,which is like what we do every
year when we submit our taxes.
Right, I get my stuff ready forthe accountant.
It's like a couple of weeks oflike ah, but then I submit it
and then I forget about it untilthe next year, right, and so
(16:25):
that's the way the brain works.
We want to know when this ends,and once it ends, I don't need
to do it anymore, especially ifthere was a lot of pain involved
.
And the pain that comes withdieting is the hunger, it's the
restriction, it's the feelinglike you're missing out.
You don't get to hang out withyour friends and have all these
foods, and maybe there's afamily event and you don't get
to have it.
And so there's this constantdrive towards an outcome.
(16:45):
So diets are so outcome focused, and they also say to us that
life is on the other side ofthat outcome.
So when I release 30 pounds,then I'll be happy.
When I have my six pack, thenI'll be fit.
Or when I get the guy, then mylife will be amazing, right.
So when we set up goals in ourmind like that, what we actually
(17:05):
say is that we're going todelay our happiness to this one
moment in the future, distantfuture.
I don't know when it's going tocome and, by the way, I
actually have no control over it.
So there's a lot of stress andanxiety that already comes with
just setting up our mind in thatway.
And then the other thing, too,is just the confusion around
diets.
If anyone has gotten into dietsor has experienced several
(17:27):
diets, you'll notice thatthere's a lot of contradictory
information, which is all backedby science, by the way, which
what makes it even more curiousand more confusing.
So when we're on the keto diet,there's a lot of evidence that
high fat is good and that carbsare not good for us.
But then when we're on a vegandiet, then that's another
(17:47):
conversation.
And then when we're on a paleodiet, then that's another
conversation.
And so when we choose to eat acertain way, if we decide to
become vegan, as an example, ifthe focus is about losing weight
, then again the idea set up sothat I can achieve this outcome.
But when the focus is aroundhealth and the focus is around
how I feel, and the focus isaround how I'm sleeping, and
(18:08):
maybe my skin's cleared up andmaybe all these other conditions
have resolved themselves, andperhaps even my impact on the
environment is something thatI'm so proud of, and so all of
these reasons become sustainable.
This makes the processsustainable.
And so the thing is again withdiets is, anytime we restrict
ourselves because we're lookingfor this future outcome that we
(18:31):
cannot control.
It starts to build this massivereward system in our minds and
it starts then to get us toengage in unwanted eating
behavior.
So it's very common that webinge eat after a diet, or even
some diets actually suggest orencourage you to binge eat on
your cheat day.
That's your cheat day.
You can have whatever you want.
So we've already conditionedourselves to feel like we're
(18:53):
either on or off.
We're either on the wagon oroff the wagon.
We're either being really goodor really bad.
We're either eating really goodfood or really bad food.
And all of this now starts toplay with our psyche because
we're now adding self-worth,no-transcript and self-value to
what we eat, how we look, whatour weight is, and then, of
(19:13):
course, that starts again toplay with emotions.
So I'll feel really happy andlife is really good.
And if I got on the scale and Idropped a couple pounds, my
world is amazing.
But then, when I get on thescale and it went up a couple
pounds, now I'm really upset andI'm frustrated.
I'm having the worst day everand that's just gonna drive me
to more unserving eatingbehaviors.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, wow, I just think that's really helpful,
helpful information, and I knowright now, especially with it
being still in the beginning ofthe year, that there are a lot
of people who are maybe kind ofin this place where is what I'm
doing sustainable?
Is this something that I can dothe rest of my life?
And so I think, kind of usingthese outcomes that you're
talking about, these sustainablegoals that you have, whether
(19:57):
it's health-related,sleep-related, maybe
workout-related that's so muchmore sustainable than maybe just
a number on a scale or a pantssize or something like that.
Do you think, sherry, it'spossible to sort of like rewire
your brain around food or toreally take those steps towards
healing your relationship withfood?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Absolutely, absolutely, and it is the
greatest gift that you will giveyourself if you right now feel
that food, the thought of food,what to eat, what not to eat,
and your self-worth, a lot ofthe shame, frustration, doubt,
disappointment and self-of Ifyou are consumed in that space
the majority of your day.
It is so freeing because themoment that you can relax around
(20:37):
food and you're notoverthinking food, you'll have
one cook and you'll walk away.
Or you'll have a slice of pizzaand it's done and you don't
think about it, right, insteadof oh my God, I had a slice of
pizza.
I can't believe I ate carbs.
Oh, my goodness, I'm out ofketosis right now, and then, now
that starts to become well,since I'm already here, I may as
well just have six more slicesof pizza, because then the next
day I'm going to be clean again.
(20:58):
And so, yes, absolutely,actually, it does create that
level of anxiety, and what Iactually would like to offer
anybody who's looking atcreating sustainability and
transformation is maybe toreframe, like you're saying, our
goals.
So, instead of them beingoutcome focused, we actually
maybe create system focusedgoals.
(21:20):
So, as an example, if let's say, our goal this year is to
release 30 pounds and, by theway, that's still okay.
And I want to say that beinganti-diet, being an intuitive
eater and helping women overcomeunwanted eating behavior does
not contradict with movingtowards health, right, it's just
that if I'm going to start toaddress my health habits, my
nutrition habits and my fitnesshabits and I have an unwanted
(21:41):
eating behavior, binge eating,emotional eating, stress eating,
nighttime snacking, any ofthese things that's actually
driven by the nervous system,let's address that first,
because once you address thatfirst and now, you start to make
positive changes around what issustainable for you when it
comes to nutrition or fitness.
That is so much easier tocommit to, and so that would be
the first step.
(22:01):
But let's say our goal is I wantto release 30 pounds.
Instead of saying I want torelease 30 pounds, which is an
outcome focused goal, let'sinstead reframe that and say
what would happen who do I haveto become to be the person who's
30 pounds lighter?
So what kind of person is that?
Who do I have to be to be thatperson?
(22:22):
Because now I could start toactually reverse, engineer some
habits that I can start toincorporate into my schedule.
And if I don't know what thatcould look like?
So if I'm like, ok, I want tobe the person who is 30 pounds
lighter, I don't want to justlose weight.
And, by the way, you're goingto hear me always say release
weight instead of lose weight,because when I lose my keys, I
want to find them, but when Irelease something, it is gone
(22:42):
and done right.
So if that is the goal, andreally the goal is to release
that weight, then what do I haveto do to become the person?
And maybe I'm going to askAshley hey, ashley, what do you
do in the morning?
By the way, when you wake up,like, what's the first thing you
do?
What do you?
What's the first thing you eat?
What time do you eat?
What do you have?
And do you like you walk?
Like what kind of workouts didyou?
What's your last meal?
(23:03):
How do you spend your day?
Right?
And so I can start to learn fromAshley what she does and then
start to write these things downand then ask myself, one at a
time Well, well, she lovesrunning, not so much for me.
Let me try walking, I likewalking, right.
And then I can.
I can schedule that in, and sowhen we learn from others, we
are able to model them, and whatthat allows us to do is, very
(23:26):
comfortably, take on one habitand try it out.
I'm going to say the word try itout, because that's key.
I always like to say be curiousabout the habit and don't just
put it in like it is final,right.
So I'm never going to eat carbsagain, or I'm never going to
have sugar again, ever, ever,ever.
That that's a very bigstatement, right?
But if we ask ourselves whatwould happen if I stopped sugar
for 28 days refined sugar, letme see.
(23:47):
Because if the feedback in mybody intuitively is like oh my
God, thank you, I'm less swollen, I'm sleeping great, I'm
digesting great, I'm poopinggreat, all these great things
are happening, maybe I have abetter reason to release sugar
from my diet for the most partthan just because I want to lose
weight.
Right, that's not sustainableenough, that's not attaching
enough.
And so we would start to add inone habit at a time, and as
(24:11):
soon as you feel like you'vemastered a habit, let's say, you
started a daily walking ritual,done it for an hour.
Okay, that feels good.
All right, cool.
Now let's add something else.
All right, let's add morecolors into all of my meals.
My meals are a little bit beigeright now.
Let me add more color.
That's it.
I'm going to add more color.
I'm going to work on that.
So now I'm walking and now I'madding more color to my meal.
Cool, okay.
What's next?
Well, ashley told me that shewakes up in the morning and she
(24:34):
drinks a liter of water.
Okay, let's try that.
Okay, I'm going to.
She's not, I believe that.
Right.
And so, as you continue tolayer these habits, you're
noticing now you're being,you're becoming the person.
It's not about what you'redoing, it's now who you're being
and who you're becoming.
And now that becomessustainable and, more
importantly, enjoyable, becauseif you enjoy it, it'll always be
(24:56):
sustainable.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
So you're almost like envisioning this future self
and like kind of creating thesehabits and helping you get there
, in a way, and takinginspiration from other people,
which I think is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it, and that's sort of a
process I do is I help peoplecreate that avatar and, if
you're listening, this issomething that you could do on
your own.
Don't get so overwhelmedcomparing yourself with someone
else who's doing it, because weall start someplace.
And then you hear my storytoday, for example, but if you
go on my website, you're goingto see a person who's in shape
(25:30):
and works out, but you don'tknow that that person's had two
back surgeries and you don'tknow that person's gone through
so many years of struggle.
And so don't be fooled by theafter photo Someone who you find
successful.
Just know that they failed 99times to succeed that one time
and that's what you're seeing.
You never saw the 99 times thatthey failed.
I failed so many times and Istill continue to, because
(25:51):
that's how I learn and grow andI embrace that as just part of
the journey, and so don't giveup.
Just put one habit at a time.
If it doesn't resonate with you, if it's challenging for you,
maybe leave it to the side.
And always start with thingsthat you know you can master
right away.
Right, and then add on the nextchallenging one and just see
how you feel and you'll getthere.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah, absolutely.
There's a quote out there thatI can't remember who said it,
about don't compare yourbeginning to someone else's
middle, because it is soimportant, and we see these
people who can be reallyinspirational, but my goodness,
they had to start somewhere too,right?
So I think that's always agreat reminder.
Yeah, sherry, what kind ofclients do you work with?
If someone's interested inworking with you locally or out
of the country, which I imagineis okay what kind of people
(26:32):
typically work with you?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So I mainly work with women and they're busy
professionals, they're busy momsand they're really looking to
release unwanted eating behavior.
They've been dieting for years.
They're feeling so stuck andwhere they're at they feel like
no matter how they try or whatthey commit to.
It's hard to stay consistentwith them.
So, those that are reallystruggling with releasing weight
(26:56):
and working on their health and, more importantly, that feel so
over consumed by the thoughtsof food and confused about food
and a lot of guilt and shamearound food and body, those are
the women that I work with.
Because, again, in my 20, almostfive years of experience, I've
always found it so peculiar how,even when I would work with
(27:17):
certain women and I would givethem a meal plan or I would help
them with their fitness andnutrition because it was a six
week meal plan Same thing thatwe've been talking about after
six weeks, boom, they'd go rightback and to be completely
vulnerable as well myself.
The reason why this conversationis so incredibly important to
me is because, even though fromthe outside you couldn't really
tell that I was actuallystruggling with unwanted eating
(27:40):
behaviors myself, being in thatspace for so long, going from
low calorie to low fat, to keto,to paleo, to primal, to all
these things and vegan, andbecause I'd gone through so many
different transitions aroundnutrition, I also started to get
very confused around food, andthen I would secretly binge,
because there's no way that themind allows us to be that
(28:03):
restrictive.
And so if you're experiencingthat, I would love to support
you, even just through aconversation, to feel, maybe,
that you could start yourjourney in a place where you
feel comfortable with.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Yeah, yeah, thank you for sharing that.
I can't people connect with youif they're curious to connect
with you online?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So they can find me on Instagram.
That's a great place to connect.
It's at Sherry Shaban Fitness,and you could also check out my
podcast.
I have these conversations.
If you've enjoyed thisconversation, it's called Fall
in Love with Fitness, andthere's a YouTube as well
version of it.
So those are all the resourcesthat you can check out for now,
Wonderful.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
We'll include those links in the show notes.
So if you're curious to connectwith Sherry, you can easily do
that just below Sherry.
Is there anything else that wemissed or anything else that you
want to make sure that wetalked about before I close it
down?
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I would love one last comment, and this one is so
important, and I love sharingthis one because I want to say
to you that it is never too lateand that it's always possible.
It is always possible and I seethis every single day.
I see women in their 50s, 60sand 70s getting gorgeous results
, and really, if you desire tomake a change, don't listen to
(29:08):
what other people are saying.
That is going against what youcan actually achieve.
The naysayers will always bethere.
Just acknowledge that, and weare the product of the five
people that we spend the mosttime with, and so the people
that we're spending time withare telling us oh, you can't,
you're too old, you've alreadyhad a bunch of kids, all your
bodies now.
We're always going to believethat as our truth, and so if you
(29:30):
really want to step away fromthat just following the
conversation that we've hadtoday about how important it is
to rewire the brain to those newthoughts, start spending time
with people who are going toinspire you.
Try to find people who you canmodel.
So the people that I follow onInstagram are in their 50s, 60s
and 70s.
There's this amazing womannamed Joan.
She started training in her 70s, and these are the people that
(29:53):
I follow, because that's myfuture.
I want to do what she's doingin my 70s, and so who you spend
time with is also part of yourdiet, and as we talk about
moving towards health and movingtowards really vitality, this
is a part of the diet that wemust also address, and so you
can do everything and anythingthat you possibly can and want
(30:14):
to do.
Just believe and you willbecome.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Lovely.
Well, I think that's theperfect way to end it.
Sherry, thank you so much forcoming on sharing your story and
just sharing your wisdom witheveryone too.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Thank you, Ashley.
I loved it.
You're amazing.
Keep doing what you're doingand sharing this message with
the world.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Yep, right back at you.
Thank you so much for tuning intoday and we'll catch you on
the next episode.
Thank you so much for listeningto the Plant Centered and
Thriving podcast today.
If you found this episodeinspiring, please share it with
a friend or post it on socialmedia and tag me so I can
personally say thank you.
Until next time, keep thriving.
Welcome to the Plant-Centered and Thriving
Podcast.
I'm your host, ashley Kitchens.
I'm a plant-based registereddietitian and virtual nutrition
mentor.
I was raised on an Angus CattleFarm, grew up with a lot of GI
issues and used the power ofplant-based eating to promote
healing.
Here you'll find inspiration,ideas and encouragement for your
(00:23):
own plant-based journey.
I'm so thrilled you're heretoday.
Let's get started.
Welcome to the showPlant-Centered Listener.
My name is Ashley and I am yourhost today.
Thank you so much for takingtime out of your day to listen
to this episode.
Today I have an extraordinaryfitness and life coach named
Sherry who get this.
(00:44):
She battled back from the brinkof paralysis to transform not
only her body but her entireoutlook on life.
This conversation is incrediblytransparent.
Sherry is vulnerable in herstory and I just really
appreciated everything that shehad to say.
So get this.
For the first few years of beinga gym owner, sherry felt like a
phony.
She was frustrated with herself, she was disappointed and angry
(01:08):
for being a quote victim of hercircumstances and she was
unable to demonstrate a singlesquat.
But her turning point towardrecovery came from an
understanding that one of thecentral elements of
transformation is to let go ofdebilitating and self-limiting
thoughts and begin to rewrite anew story.
(01:28):
And that's what she walks usthrough today, sherry, I will
say she will challenge yourconventional wisdom on dieting
and fitness.
As we take a look at why dietsfail and what you can do
differently, we're unpacking thenuances of what transformation
actually is versus results andhow you can move from a life of
(01:49):
limitations to one of endlesspossibilities.
Oh my goodness, that just getsme so excited.
She's got over 23 years ofexperience in the fitness
industry and she has quite thestory that has gotten her here.
So please join me in welcomingSherry to the show.
Welcome to the show.
Thank you so much for beinghere today, ashley.
It's an honor.
Thank you for having me.
(02:10):
From what I understand, youwere on the brink of paralysis
at one point, so I'm really kindof curious if you could just
like back us up and tell us sortof what happened and really
what led you to what you dotoday, which is amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Well, thank you so much.
Growing up I was reallyinvolved in sports.
I was a tomboy.
I would compete against theboys, I had to do more push-ups
in them, I always had to letthem know that I could run
faster, and so that really wasmy identity growing up in
elementary school, and then bythe time I got to high school, I
was in varsity sportsbasketball, volleyball, track
(02:44):
and field and so, again, thatwas really my world, and I was
MVP, often for the varsity teams, and I was actually, at that
time, living in Europe.
I was in boarding school andthis one day I heard Pearl Jam
was in town.
So I don't know, that's likedating me.
I was an alternative girl.
I heard Pearl Jam was in town,so my roommate and I went
(03:05):
downtown to purchase Pearl Jamtickets, and as we were trying
to rush back to grab the bus tocome back on campus because you
had to check in on time andthere were serious consequences
if you didn't I ran as fast as Icould to catch the bus, and I
did not see the car coming, andso I was struck by a car, and
the next time I became aware andregained my consciousness, I
(03:27):
actually woke up in the hospital.
So I think what had happenedaccording to my roommate, who,
poor girl who witnessed all ofthis she saw me get hit by a car
and then fly across the road tothe other side of the sidewalk
and when I woke up in thehospital it was funny because I
had honey on my face and inaddition to all the abrasions,
my face had scraped up theconcrete.
But I had honey and brokenglass in my hair because we had
(03:47):
just gone grocery shopping tobuy honey and yogurt and little
things for our dorm rooms.
So that's what I remember.
And when it first happened, youknow there was some scrapes and
some bruises and you know myknee hurt a little bit and I was
on crutches and that was sortof the extent of what they
thought had happened.
And so it wasn't actually untilI came back to basketball
practice, maybe a couple ofweeks later, that I started to
(04:08):
feel intense pain in my rightglute and it just kept getting
worse and at first I thought itwas muscle soreness.
I'm like, okay, well, I've beenout of practice for a couple
weeks, that must be it.
But then it just progressivelykept getting worse until it was
all the way down my leg and allthe way to my little toes, and
it got to the point where Icouldn't walk up hill every time
I went from seated to standing.
(04:30):
It was excruciating pain andeventually I needed assistance
to shower, to go to the washroom, things like that.
And that was at that pointwhere I flew back home.
I went to see my parents and Iwent to see the doctor and I had
my first back surgery and I'vehad two, by the way.
The second one would come later.
But after my surgery I was toldyou're not allowed to play
(04:50):
sports again like you have tostop.
You're now at high risk in caseyou re-injure yourself.
You can do some light walkingon a treadmill, that would be
appropriate.
And should you ever becomepregnant one day, well, we'd
have to monitor you becausethere's gonna be a lot of risk
on your lumbar spine if ever youdo so.
I remember I was so mad when Iheard this.
I was so angry, I pounded myfist so hard on the table.
(05:13):
I mean, this was like someonebasically robbing me of, like,
my love, my passion.
But I listened.
I had to listen because it wasserious and I was so young, and
so I continued just to listen towhat the doctor's advice had
said.
What the doctor's advice was, Istarted to take the pain
medication that they wereprescribing me, because now I
had excruciating back pain fromthe surgery, and I just
(05:36):
continued to, for the next fewyears, follow this path and
eventually it led me to a newpeer group, a peer group that
did not resonate or align at allwith my old values.
In fact, I would got more intothe party scene and raves and
things like that.
And I just remember this onemoment in my early 20s where I
just woke up one day just likewho is this person?
(05:59):
This is not me.
I always envision myself to bevery active and athletic, and I
love that.
I never thought I would do anyof the things I'm doing right
now and that this would be mylife, and so that was the first
moment I actually stepped into agym.
I decided that day to sign up atthe local gym, even though I
was a chemistry nerd at the timeI was actually doing my
(06:20):
master's degree in chemistry Iwas like, okay, I'm just going
to sign up.
And so I just started copyingpeople around me and I just
started imitating the exercisesI saw, and I consistently did
that for a few months until Irealized that I was able to
actually come off of painmedication.
My pain was gone and I now feltso strong and so stable and this
(06:42):
is someone, by the way, who,like their whole life revolved
around pain.
I mean, during that time,before I actually got into the
gym, the amount of time I wouldsit in a chair, what type of
chair it was, what type of car Iwould sit in.
If I would go to someone'shouse, I'd always have to ask if
there was a place for me to liedown, because I can sit for
more than an hour.
And so I went from that tosuddenly gaining a lot of
confidence in my body, and thenthat led to really buying a
(07:05):
treadmill, working up to an hourof running and then eventually
being able to do that outside,and then dropping out of my
master's degree in chemistry topursue this new career, because
it hit me Like if I could dothis and if I'm able to overcome
my injury and my struggle withback pain, I want to help others
do the same thing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yeah, because I'm sure you realize that there are
probably so many other peopleout there who are scared out of
going to a gym or, oh, you havethis injury.
You need to take it easy, youneed to rest and for some reason
, that is the case in somecircumstances, but for a lot of
times, what we know is thatstrengthening your body, getting
into the gym responsibly, canactually really benefit the pain
(07:47):
that you're undergoing, thischronic pain that you're
suffering from and it soundslike that was your testimony.
You're like OK, chemistry, seeyou later.
I'm going to go help otherpeople achieve what I achieved,
which is possible.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Right, yeah, and I love that you say that, because
the body is so resilient and we.
It's interesting because and Isay this with utmost respect
because thanks to doctors andallopathic medicine, I am where
I am today and both my parentswere doctors and my brothers are
doctors, and so I say thisabsolutely respectfully but we
(08:18):
have our own inner doctor andand it's hard to really connect
with that part of us becauseit's scary, because as soon as
we hear the diagnosis, we thinkit's, we think it's so scary and
and there is no way to overcomethat, especially when we've
heard about the odds or thedoctor said we can do such and
such, and so if we are gettingto that place where we're
listening to our body,respecting our body and lovingly
(08:39):
honoring our body, we'll beable to pick up the cues.
And so I didn't walk into thegym actually deadlifting a bus,
like there was no way.
Right, I was, I was verycautious, I was very mindful, I
was, I was doing a little bit ata time.
And you know, throughout thelast 25 years since that moment
I walked into the gym, I'veinjured myself many times.
I've had another back surgery.
(09:00):
That was in 2012, where I wasmillimeters away from paralysis,
opening up my first crossfitgym and I've had two babies.
And so, after every singleinjury and every time your body
has to go through these massive,massive forms of trauma because
that's what it is and thesestressful events, you have to
reconnect and you slow down andyou listen to the cues, because
(09:20):
I never saw the advantage ofinjuring myself or pushing
myself to the point where Iwould almost break Right.
And so if we're able to reallyconnect with our body and just
just be patient, that's the mostimportant thing that I find
most of us are actually missingthese days is just the patience
to allow the body to adapt andthen remember also to speak to
the body so lovingly, because weactually many of us too when we
(09:43):
start at our health and fitnessjourney, essentially and
especially, we're alreadywalking into so much self
loathing.
Right, I have to work outbecause I can't stand my body.
I have to stop eating thisbecause I need to lose weight,
because look at me, right, thatis so abusive actually that's
very abusive talk and so thatdoesn't actually dry peeling
that that triggers the nervoussystem to feel like we're being
(10:05):
attacked, and then, when we'rein that place, then of course,
there's going to be absolutelyno healing.
And then, for sure, we're notgoing to fall in love with the
process, fall in love withfitness and stay committed and
consistent towards our goals.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, yeah, I could not agree more, and I want to
just reiterate what you saidabout that inner wisdom, that we
have that inner doctor.
We are all born with that and Ijust I could not agree more
that it's so important to, justas best as you can, slow down
and practice listening, becausethe more you practice listening,
the more you're going to buildthat relationship with yourself
that you had in the beginningwhen you were born, right.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yeah, so good.
And just to distinguish thedifference between listening to
my body and listening to my mind, right, because the mind is the
ego, right, like that's the egopart of us.
That's actually being verydisrespectful to what we're
currently experiencing, and sothe question always comes up is
okay?
So how do I know the differencebetween my body and my mind,
(10:56):
right?
So I want to have some Oreocookies, and is it?
Maybe it's my body that wantsit?
That could be true.
Your body could want some Oreocookies, but your body never
wanted you to eat the entire rowor half the box of Oreos and
then feel sick afterwards, right?
And so that's what the bodydoesn't want.
If we really get to the placewhere we're intuitively moving,
intuitively eating and reallyintuitively even choosing our
(11:18):
diet and I want to say that ourdiet is not just what we're
putting or consuming through ourmouth, it's who we're hanging
out with, it is theconversations we're listening to
, it's the media that we'rewatching, it's the information
that we're hearing so if wedecide that we get to choose
what we allow to become our diet, we can start to actually super
fine tune with those messagesand anytime that we're thinking
(11:42):
oh, I did.
I had such a tough week, Ideserve a pizza Right.
Or I had such a tough week Ideserve to eat all these things.
Or I deserve to drink.
I deserve All these harmfulthings, let's say things that
don't serve us because we usethem in excess.
That is not the body speaking,that's the mind speaking, and
you can get to that place whereyou're able to tune in, to
(12:04):
determine who's speaking to yousimply by stopping that negative
self talk and really bringingin more love and respect and
patience.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
That's a really good point, actually, and how do you
recommend because I know thatyou work with people who are
kind of in this place right nowhow do you recommend someone
start kind of stopping thatnegative self talk, Because that
can be a hard cycle to get outof.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Right, yeah, it is.
And you know, I like to bringin the analogy of, let's say,
your grass, your lawn Do youhave a lawn?
Do you take care of your grass?
Yes, I don't take care of mygrass.
Okay, I'm gonna go on and say Idon't take care of my grass,
but there was this one summer,okay, when I used to take care
of my grass.
Actually, this was like maybeseven, eight years ago.
(12:47):
There was this one summer I sawall the weeds on my grass and
I'm like all right, I'm going togo pick them all.
And we had, like, this littlepicker.
So I'm like, oh, my God, tookme a good two hours to pull out
every single dandelion from mylawn.
But guess what happened when Icame back the next day?
There were more there, right?
So it's like I did all thatwork and then I come back the
next day and there are moreweeds in my lawn.
(13:10):
And so you cannot remove thenegative thoughts.
By removing the negativethoughts.
The only way that you canactually do it is by putting in
more grass seed.
So that's what I've learned is,if you really want to take out
all the weeds in your lawn, youadd more grass seeds, and so the
only way as well to reallyreposition the mind to more
positive thoughts and morefavorable and self-serving
(13:31):
thoughts is, instead of tryingto block or resist the negative
thoughts, we start to implantpositive ones, right.
And so we start to maybeincorporate a morning routine
where we are speakingbeautifully to ourselves.
And one of the most powerfulexercises I like to share is the
mirror exercise, where we standin front of the mirror naked
(13:52):
and we just scan the body andjust appreciate every teeny,
tiny square inch of our body andhave gratitude.
Something as simple as beinggrateful for the eyes that can
see, being grateful for my mouththat can speak right now, right
, being able to swallow is agift.
So all of these things, becauseI know people who've had throat
(14:13):
cancer who weren't able toswallow, and that's something so
small, right, and we onlynotice these things once they're
gone, and so can we get intothat practice of being grateful
and having gratitude for ourbody.
So as I go for a run, I thankmyself, I thank my body and I
remind myself I get to do this,I don't have to do this, right?
This is a privilege.
(14:34):
Someone else in a wheelchairwould give anything to be able
to do this.
This is a privilege, right, andso we start to just incorporate
more positive thoughts,positive affirmations, and
slowly weed out the negativeones.
Oh, I like that.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I like that.
I think that's such greatadvice and a good place to start
for someone who might bestruggling with that right now,
who just feels like they're inthat cycle of negativity and
can't quite get out and I'mproud out those negative
thoughts with some positive ones.
So start playing those grassseeds Right.
Well, sherry, I also know thatyou're not a big fan of those,
the fad diets.
You're a fan of having andcultivating a helpful
relationship with food.
(15:07):
So I'm curious, with it sort ofbeing still the beginning of
the year, what is your opinionon why diets, fad diets
specifically fail or don't last,or why they're just
unsustainable?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So much to unpack around that.
And I think the first questionis we have to ask ourselves
about sustainability, right?
So when we take on certaindiets and it's exactly what you
said actually they're superextreme and they're fad, and you
know there's probably a lot ofbuzz around that.
But the question we oftentimesdon't ask ourselves is okay, so
(15:39):
if I start this, can I continuethis?
Right, if I take carbs out ofmy diet to release X number of
pounds, can I still continue tolive this way?
So that's the first thing isreally just asking ourselves can
I keep this Up Because dietculture has set our brains to
think that this is a temporarything?
Right, there is an end date tothis.
There's an expiration date, andI only have to push so hard and
(16:02):
I have to suffer through thesenext few weeks, because then I'm
going to get the results thatwe want, and so we've already
had it set up in our mind thatwe're going to stop working the
moment that we achieve our goal,which is like what we do every
year when we submit our taxes.
Right, I get my stuff ready forthe accountant.
It's like a couple of weeks oflike ah, but then I submit it
and then I forget about it untilthe next year, right, and so
(16:25):
that's the way the brain works.
We want to know when this ends,and once it ends, I don't need
to do it anymore, especially ifthere was a lot of pain involved
.
And the pain that comes withdieting is the hunger, it's the
restriction, it's the feelinglike you're missing out.
You don't get to hang out withyour friends and have all these
foods, and maybe there's afamily event and you don't get
to have it.
And so there's this constantdrive towards an outcome.
(16:45):
So diets are so outcome focused, and they also say to us that
life is on the other side ofthat outcome.
So when I release 30 pounds,then I'll be happy.
When I have my six pack, thenI'll be fit.
Or when I get the guy, then mylife will be amazing, right.
So when we set up goals in ourmind like that, what we actually
(17:05):
say is that we're going todelay our happiness to this one
moment in the future, distantfuture.
I don't know when it's going tocome and, by the way, I
actually have no control over it.
So there's a lot of stress andanxiety that already comes with
just setting up our mind in thatway.
And then the other thing, too,is just the confusion around
diets.
If anyone has gotten into dietsor has experienced several
(17:27):
diets, you'll notice thatthere's a lot of contradictory
information, which is all backedby science, by the way, which
what makes it even more curiousand more confusing.
So when we're on the keto diet,there's a lot of evidence that
high fat is good and that carbsare not good for us.
But then when we're on a vegandiet, then that's another
(17:47):
conversation.
And then when we're on a paleodiet, then that's another
conversation.
And so when we choose to eat acertain way, if we decide to
become vegan, as an example, ifthe focus is about losing weight
, then again the idea set up sothat I can achieve this outcome.
But when the focus is aroundhealth and the focus is around
how I feel, and the focus isaround how I'm sleeping, and
(18:08):
maybe my skin's cleared up andmaybe all these other conditions
have resolved themselves, andperhaps even my impact on the
environment is something thatI'm so proud of, and so all of
these reasons become sustainable.
This makes the processsustainable.
And so the thing is again withdiets is, anytime we restrict
ourselves because we're lookingfor this future outcome that we
(18:31):
cannot control.
It starts to build this massivereward system in our minds and
it starts then to get us toengage in unwanted eating
behavior.
So it's very common that webinge eat after a diet, or even
some diets actually suggest orencourage you to binge eat on
your cheat day.
That's your cheat day.
You can have whatever you want.
So we've already conditionedourselves to feel like we're
(18:53):
either on or off.
We're either on the wagon oroff the wagon.
We're either being really goodor really bad.
We're either eating really goodfood or really bad food.
And all of this now starts toplay with our psyche because
we're now adding self-worth,no-transcript and self-value to
what we eat, how we look, whatour weight is, and then, of
(19:13):
course, that starts again toplay with emotions.
So I'll feel really happy andlife is really good.
And if I got on the scale and Idropped a couple pounds, my
world is amazing.
But then, when I get on thescale and it went up a couple
pounds, now I'm really upset andI'm frustrated.
I'm having the worst day everand that's just gonna drive me
to more unserving eatingbehaviors.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, wow, I just think that's really helpful,
helpful information, and I knowright now, especially with it
being still in the beginning ofthe year, that there are a lot
of people who are maybe kind ofin this place where is what I'm
doing sustainable?
Is this something that I can dothe rest of my life?
And so I think, kind of usingthese outcomes that you're
talking about, these sustainablegoals that you have, whether
(19:57):
it's health-related,sleep-related, maybe
workout-related that's so muchmore sustainable than maybe just
a number on a scale or a pantssize or something like that.
Do you think, sherry, it'spossible to sort of like rewire
your brain around food or toreally take those steps towards
healing your relationship withfood?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Absolutely, absolutely, and it is the
greatest gift that you will giveyourself if you right now feel
that food, the thought of food,what to eat, what not to eat,
and your self-worth, a lot ofthe shame, frustration, doubt,
disappointment and self-of Ifyou are consumed in that space
the majority of your day.
It is so freeing because themoment that you can relax around
(20:37):
food and you're notoverthinking food, you'll have
one cook and you'll walk away.
Or you'll have a slice of pizzaand it's done and you don't
think about it, right, insteadof oh my God, I had a slice of
pizza.
I can't believe I ate carbs.
Oh, my goodness, I'm out ofketosis right now, and then, now
that starts to become well,since I'm already here, I may as
well just have six more slicesof pizza, because then the next
day I'm going to be clean again.
(20:58):
And so, yes, absolutely,actually, it does create that
level of anxiety, and what Iactually would like to offer
anybody who's looking atcreating sustainability and
transformation is maybe toreframe, like you're saying, our
goals.
So, instead of them beingoutcome focused, we actually
maybe create system focusedgoals.
(21:20):
So, as an example, if let's say, our goal this year is to
release 30 pounds and, by theway, that's still okay.
And I want to say that beinganti-diet, being an intuitive
eater and helping women overcomeunwanted eating behavior does
not contradict with movingtowards health, right, it's just
that if I'm going to start toaddress my health habits, my
nutrition habits and my fitnesshabits and I have an unwanted
(21:41):
eating behavior, binge eating,emotional eating, stress eating,
nighttime snacking, any ofthese things that's actually
driven by the nervous system,let's address that first,
because once you address thatfirst and now, you start to make
positive changes around what issustainable for you when it
comes to nutrition or fitness.
That is so much easier tocommit to, and so that would be
the first step.
(22:01):
But let's say our goal is I wantto release 30 pounds.
Instead of saying I want torelease 30 pounds, which is an
outcome focused goal, let'sinstead reframe that and say
what would happen who do I haveto become to be the person who's
30 pounds lighter?
So what kind of person is that?
Who do I have to be to be thatperson?
(22:22):
Because now I could start toactually reverse, engineer some
habits that I can start toincorporate into my schedule.
And if I don't know what thatcould look like?
So if I'm like, ok, I want tobe the person who is 30 pounds
lighter, I don't want to justlose weight.
And, by the way, you're goingto hear me always say release
weight instead of lose weight,because when I lose my keys, I
want to find them, but when Irelease something, it is gone
(22:42):
and done right.
So if that is the goal, andreally the goal is to release
that weight, then what do I haveto do to become the person?
And maybe I'm going to askAshley hey, ashley, what do you
do in the morning?
By the way, when you wake up,like, what's the first thing you
do?
What do you?
What's the first thing you eat?
What time do you eat?
What do you have?
And do you like you walk?
Like what kind of workouts didyou?
What's your last meal?
(23:03):
How do you spend your day?
Right?
And so I can start to learn fromAshley what she does and then
start to write these things downand then ask myself, one at a
time Well, well, she lovesrunning, not so much for me.
Let me try walking, I likewalking, right.
And then I can.
I can schedule that in, and sowhen we learn from others, we
are able to model them, and whatthat allows us to do is, very
(23:26):
comfortably, take on one habitand try it out.
I'm going to say the word try itout, because that's key.
I always like to say be curiousabout the habit and don't just
put it in like it is final,right.
So I'm never going to eat carbsagain, or I'm never going to
have sugar again, ever, ever,ever.
That that's a very bigstatement, right?
But if we ask ourselves whatwould happen if I stopped sugar
for 28 days refined sugar, letme see.
(23:47):
Because if the feedback in mybody intuitively is like oh my
God, thank you, I'm less swollen, I'm sleeping great, I'm
digesting great, I'm poopinggreat, all these great things
are happening, maybe I have abetter reason to release sugar
from my diet for the most partthan just because I want to lose
weight.
Right, that's not sustainableenough, that's not attaching
enough.
And so we would start to add inone habit at a time, and as
(24:11):
soon as you feel like you'vemastered a habit, let's say, you
started a daily walking ritual,done it for an hour.
Okay, that feels good.
All right, cool.
Now let's add something else.
All right, let's add morecolors into all of my meals.
My meals are a little bit beigeright now.
Let me add more color.
That's it.
I'm going to add more color.
I'm going to work on that.
So now I'm walking and now I'madding more color to my meal.
Cool, okay.
What's next?
Well, ashley told me that shewakes up in the morning and she
(24:34):
drinks a liter of water.
Okay, let's try that.
Okay, I'm going to.
She's not, I believe that.
Right.
And so, as you continue tolayer these habits, you're
noticing now you're being,you're becoming the person.
It's not about what you'redoing, it's now who you're being
and who you're becoming.
And now that becomessustainable and, more
importantly, enjoyable, becauseif you enjoy it, it'll always be
(24:56):
sustainable.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
So you're almost like envisioning this future self
and like kind of creating thesehabits and helping you get there
, in a way, and takinginspiration from other people,
which I think is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it, and that's sort of a
process I do is I help peoplecreate that avatar and, if
you're listening, this issomething that you could do on
your own.
Don't get so overwhelmedcomparing yourself with someone
else who's doing it, because weall start someplace.
And then you hear my storytoday, for example, but if you
go on my website, you're goingto see a person who's in shape
(25:30):
and works out, but you don'tknow that that person's had two
back surgeries and you don'tknow that person's gone through
so many years of struggle.
And so don't be fooled by theafter photo Someone who you find
successful.
Just know that they failed 99times to succeed that one time
and that's what you're seeing.
You never saw the 99 times thatthey failed.
I failed so many times and Istill continue to, because
(25:51):
that's how I learn and grow andI embrace that as just part of
the journey, and so don't giveup.
Just put one habit at a time.
If it doesn't resonate with you, if it's challenging for you,
maybe leave it to the side.
And always start with thingsthat you know you can master
right away.
Right, and then add on the nextchallenging one and just see
how you feel and you'll getthere.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah, absolutely.
There's a quote out there thatI can't remember who said it,
about don't compare yourbeginning to someone else's
middle, because it is soimportant, and we see these
people who can be reallyinspirational, but my goodness,
they had to start somewhere too,right?
So I think that's always agreat reminder.
Yeah, sherry, what kind ofclients do you work with?
If someone's interested inworking with you locally or out
of the country, which I imagineis okay what kind of people
(26:32):
typically work with you?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So I mainly work with women and they're busy
professionals, they're busy momsand they're really looking to
release unwanted eating behavior.
They've been dieting for years.
They're feeling so stuck andwhere they're at they feel like
no matter how they try or whatthey commit to.
It's hard to stay consistentwith them.
So, those that are reallystruggling with releasing weight
(26:56):
and working on their health and, more importantly, that feel so
over consumed by the thoughtsof food and confused about food
and a lot of guilt and shamearound food and body, those are
the women that I work with.
Because, again, in my 20, almostfive years of experience, I've
always found it so peculiar how,even when I would work with
(27:17):
certain women and I would givethem a meal plan or I would help
them with their fitness andnutrition because it was a six
week meal plan Same thing thatwe've been talking about after
six weeks, boom, they'd go rightback and to be completely
vulnerable as well myself.
The reason why this conversationis so incredibly important to
me is because, even though fromthe outside you couldn't really
tell that I was actuallystruggling with unwanted eating
(27:40):
behaviors myself, being in thatspace for so long, going from
low calorie to low fat, to keto,to paleo, to primal, to all
these things and vegan, andbecause I'd gone through so many
different transitions aroundnutrition, I also started to get
very confused around food, andthen I would secretly binge,
because there's no way that themind allows us to be that
(28:03):
restrictive.
And so if you're experiencingthat, I would love to support
you, even just through aconversation, to feel, maybe,
that you could start yourjourney in a place where you
feel comfortable with.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Yeah, yeah, thank you for sharing that.
I can't people connect with youif they're curious to connect
with you online?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So they can find me on Instagram.
That's a great place to connect.
It's at Sherry Shaban Fitness,and you could also check out my
podcast.
I have these conversations.
If you've enjoyed thisconversation, it's called Fall
in Love with Fitness, andthere's a YouTube as well
version of it.
So those are all the resourcesthat you can check out for now,
Wonderful.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
We'll include those links in the show notes.
So if you're curious to connectwith Sherry, you can easily do
that just below Sherry.
Is there anything else that wemissed or anything else that you
want to make sure that wetalked about before I close it
down?
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I would love one last comment, and this one is so
important, and I love sharingthis one because I want to say
to you that it is never too lateand that it's always possible.
It is always possible and I seethis every single day.
I see women in their 50s, 60sand 70s getting gorgeous results
, and really, if you desire tomake a change, don't listen to
(29:08):
what other people are saying.
That is going against what youcan actually achieve.
The naysayers will always bethere.
Just acknowledge that, and weare the product of the five
people that we spend the mosttime with, and so the people
that we're spending time withare telling us oh, you can't,
you're too old, you've alreadyhad a bunch of kids, all your
bodies now.
We're always going to believethat as our truth, and so if you
(29:30):
really want to step away fromthat just following the
conversation that we've hadtoday about how important it is
to rewire the brain to those newthoughts, start spending time
with people who are going toinspire you.
Try to find people who you canmodel.
So the people that I follow onInstagram are in their 50s, 60s
and 70s.
There's this amazing womannamed Joan.
She started training in her 70s, and these are the people that
(29:53):
I follow, because that's myfuture.
I want to do what she's doingin my 70s, and so who you spend
time with is also part of yourdiet, and as we talk about
moving towards health and movingtowards really vitality, this
is a part of the diet that wemust also address, and so you
can do everything and anythingthat you possibly can and want
(30:14):
to do.
Just believe and you willbecome.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Lovely.
Well, I think that's theperfect way to end it.
Sherry, thank you so much forcoming on sharing your story and
just sharing your wisdom witheveryone too.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Thank you, Ashley.
I loved it.
You're amazing.
Keep doing what you're doingand sharing this message with
the world.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Yep, right back at you.
Thank you so much for tuning intoday and we'll catch you on
the next episode.
Thank you so much for listeningto the Plant Centered and
Thriving podcast today.
If you found this episodeinspiring, please share it with
a friend or post it on socialmedia and tag me so I can
personally say thank you.
Until next time, keep thriving.
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