How did you get to be a self-love and weight-loss mentor?

I think the best way to answer this is to share with you my story, if that’s ok. (Don’t you just LOVE stories?)

In 2008, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. I was at a point in my life where I was giving and giving of myself to everyone, every cause, every organization, and I wasn’t taking any time for myself. I volunteered over 300 hours of community service a year in high school, worked a part-time job, got straight As, and was hyper-involved in the community, my church, and at my school. (I know, right?)

I tried so hard to maintain this appearance of being “perfect” –just like people are in the movies. I had it in my head that I had to be “perfect” or people would stop liking me. People would stop inviting me to be involved in things. That made me really self-conscious. I would pick my body apart. I would grab a hold of my thigh, the same one I’d had my whole life that didn’t look any different than it did before, but now I’d see FAT. I’d see a part of me that wasn’t “perfect,” a part of me that needed to change.

Thus began the cycle downward. My heart rate slowed practically to the point of needing a machine to make it beat for me. The real kicker, however, was when I switched gears, starting bingeing and compulsively eating, and started to purposely hurt myself. I actually hated myself so much that I thought I deserved to be in pain. I hated my life and couldn’t find one good, solid thing about the world.

That’s when I found holistic health and an alternative way of healing. Traditional therapies weren’t working. Hospitalization didn’t work. But natural healing did. By taking a look at my thoughts and making the conscious effort to change them, things started to improve. My weight started to stabilize. My energetic personality returned. I enjoyed the activities that I was doing and the pleasure of being alive.

I started my education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a health coach and the magnetic energy of the school just took my healing process and accelerated it. I was learning, growing, and healing myself at an incredible rate. Within a year, I practically qualified as “normal.” Now, I’ve found so many things to love about myself, the world around me, and my life, that they completely drown out all the little things that my ego still wants to pick apart.

Breakthrough to BodyLove was founded for women like you. Women who want to not only feel great about themselves, but also transform their bodies to reflect all the hard work they’ve done on the inside. My own experience has given me the knowledge, compassion, and dedication to guide you along in this process, which has led to me this amazing career as a self-love and weight-loss mentor.  

How are you different from other weight loss or health coaches?

Even though we'll touch upon nutrition and other "health coach-y" kinds of things in our work together, you have me as your expert on self-love and weight loss. I only work with women and their relationship with food. In other words, I don't work with guys or weight gain- that's not my experience. I also don't work with a variety of health concerns. Instead, I refer these people to other coaches who specialize in those matters. What that means for you is that I am going to give you my full focus on what's going to work for you and your body instead of trying to shove you into a one-size-fits-all approach. That would be kind of like putting a square peg in a round hole, now wouldn't it? Because of this focus, what you get with me is straight-forward, honest, comprehensive expertise on how to love your body and lose the weight. I've become an expert at this through personal experience with fluctuating weight and an eating disorder, which is how I know you'll get great results. I'll hold your hand along the way and lighten things up with my sense of humor and my love and compassion for each and every client.

What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?

The BodyLove workshops and programs were created for people who are committed to making a change in the way they view themselves in order to achieve their ideal body shape and weight. They were created for you to establish a lifestyle for yourself that allows you to flourish in your personal life and in your weight-loss endeavors. This all happens within a couple of months (sometimes even weeks!)

Being a fun-loving, yet highly-driven person myself, I'm known to work best with other motivated women who roll with the punches, are ready to get going and take action, and want to know exactly what steps to take to lose the weight for good (finally!).

You can think of what you'll do with me as an action-oriented learning adventure (everyone loves a little adventure, right?). You will be expected to make a commitment to yourself and to consistently take action. I take a no-excuses approach, meaning we'll work to get you to your goal no-holds-barred, and I will provide you with full support while you are achieving the exhilirating goal of loving your body and losing the weight.

What exactly is the BodyLove System and what does it include?

Loving your body to lose weight begins with understanding what you already love about yourself, what you're struggling with that's holding you back, and what will get you the most results.

1. Love & accept yourself

We figure out what you love about yourself and what you're doing now so that we can incorporate more chances to experience those things in your daily life. We then work on ways to change the way you view yourself so that you can start waking up each day with confidence.

2. Spend more time on YOU

We will find out what activities you treasure and incorporate these into your lifestyle so that they occcur more frequently. We will also look at where you may be over-committing yourself or taking on obligations that you don't truly love to do and you'll learn how to comfortably say "no" to these things. This way, we can "find time" for you to do the things you're  truly passionate about doing.

3. Communicate your needs

Women often know what they want but are afraid to ask (or have been taught not to ask) or take action on their desires. Together, we'll discover and write out what you really want in your life, relationships, and health, so that we can find a way of communicating these needs and desires in a way that's natural for you.

4. Improve the quality of your relationships

We'll examine your current relationships to see if there are any "weak links." Then we'll work together to come up with ways to strengthen those relationships to restore them to their full potential as a positive source of support for you.

5. Develop a spiritual practice

Don't let this one scare you away! Some people go to church, others pray, and some journal, meditate, or express themselves in their art. Whatever form you choose to connect with is important, as you're establishing a connection with the world around you, the Universe as a whole, and higher consciousness (which you might call "God," "Mother Nature," or another name). We'll work together to find a spiritual practice that works for you, fits into your schedule, and leaves you feeling empowered to learn and grow.

6. Address triggers of emotional eating

In this section, we address what most people think should come first. I'll let you in on a little secret though: once you do the first five steps and have laid the ground work, addressing your triggers is a breeze! At this point, we'll uncover the emotions that lead you to eat foods you don't want to eat or to eat in excess. We will then address these triggers using tools such as affirmations and positive psychology.

7. Understand the importance of food

In this step, we'll cover the physical and emotional significance of food. With this knowledge, you'll be able to form a maintenance plan for yourself that will keep you loving your body and at your ideal weight for a lifetyime!

These are the steps of BodyLove: The Love Your Body Weight Loss System that I've created after years of working on recovering from an eating disorder, low self-esteem, and an absence of self-love.

Does this really work?

YES! The results of our work is a lifestyle that, over time and with your dedication, becomes a natural, effortless, and even joyful way to life life, love yourself, and show off your amazing body.

How quickly can I expect results?

There's no real mathematical equation for how long it will take you to lose the weight and learn to love your body. I'll give you the tools you need to succeed, but the action you take accounts for a lot of the results you'll get. If you commit yourself to doing the work, I can guarantee that you'll get the results you're looking for. Keep in mind that the weight and inner work have been piling up for years, so it won't go away in just a week or a month.

How will we work together and what does the program entail?

We'll work together primarily over the phone. This saves you the travel time and hassle, because all you have to do is pick up the phone and dial. You can also enjoy each session from the comfort of your own home. I offer a variety of programs so that you can choose which one is the best fit for you, no matter where you are in your self-love and weight-loss journey. You can view the programs here.

How long is the program?

Programs run from 6 months to a year. The 6-month minimum is to show your commitment to getting you the results you truly desire and gives you enough time to get there.

If I'm not sure I'm ready to get started, is there a way that I can sample your work at a low cost to see if it's the right solution for me?

Absolutely! In fact, I'd recommend that, even if you know this is for you, you check out my free e-book "Why Diets Don't Work: 7 Keys to Weight-Loss That Don't Involved Food." You can download it by entering your name and email into the box in the upper right-hand corner of this page. It has a lot of great information that will give you a feel of what we'll be working on. You can also subscribe to my weekly e-zine, which features brand new articles on self-love, weight-loss, and healthy mindset. It's a must for anyone looking to change the way they view and treat their body. (Please note that when you sign up for the free e-book, you will automatically be subscribed to the e-zine. Don't worry, you'll love it.) ;] My blog features previous articles from the e-zine and is updated weekly, along with guest posts from Integrative Nutrition. It's a really great place to get a feel for the work I do and glean a lot of knowledge from nutrition pros!

Shannon, based on what I've read here and heard from other people, I know you're the one I want to work with. How do we get started?

Firstly, let me congratulate you on taking the leap towards a better future for yourself! You are one strong woman! How do I know that? Because you're taking the time to invest in YOU. That's the making of one amazingly powerful woman and I'm honored that you've chosen me to guide you through this.

You can check out the programs here to decide which is the best fit for you. Once you've decided, or if you still have questions, you can email me at shannon@breakthroughtobodylove.com and we'll set up a time to talk.

OK, I'm ready to do this for myself, but I have a couple questions. Can I call you?

You can most definitely call me with your questions. Just send an email to shannon@breakthroughtobodylove.com and we'll set up a time to talk. I'll walk you through your options and together we'll find the program that's the best fit for you. Sound good? I can't wait to hear more about you and am honored to guide you!