Dear Renee,

I want to thank you for your courage in returning to IOWL.  I have been listening to your podcast since October and with the tools you have given me, I have made enormous progress in my weight and depression struggle, which has since become a weight and depression loss (Ha!) journey.  Even though I feel I can achieve my goals with the podcasts I have, I know you still have a lot to teach and I am an eager student.  Yesterday I set my intention to let go of the “I shoulds” or “I have to’s” that created a list a mile long.  I further set my intention to enjoy the present and appreciate what I can accomplish, rather than focus on what didn’t get done.  I took my dog for a walk and re-listened to the episode on changing limiting beliefs.  It could not have been more relevant to my intention.  I realized that these shoulds and have to’s were the albatross around my neck creating inner conflict.  Nothing says inner conflict like “I’ve go to do ______” because inherent in that statement is the notion that I really don’t want to do it!  Well I’ve decided that whenever an “I should” or “I have to” enters my mind, I will either replace it with an “I want to” or at the very least “I am willing to” and if I can’t then I need to renew my spirit before revisiting the things that need attention. 

Like you, I am an admirer of Oprah.  I particularly like Peter Walsh’s segments on getting organized.  Between your podcast and Peter’s segments, yesterday I realized a strong parallel between my own inner conflict and the challenge to keep up with other aspects of my home and work life.  Peter suggests that clutter robs you of motivation and enjoyment in your home which should be a sanctuary.  He couldn’t be more right.  Much of my inner conflict used to rise from the struggle to lose weight, but I feel now that struggle is an easy weight loss journey and I look forward to extending that feeling to the care of my environment.  Just as I can’t expect to eat healthfully and exercise one day a week and see results, neither can I do housework one day a week and ignore my home’s well being the other 6 days.  I recently advised someone on the Yahoo group that real change in one’s body and health is the sum of small efforts, and I plan to approach the care of my house and work environment in that same way.  My environment and my body are both expressions of my state of mind.  I used to see a messy kitchen full of dirty dishes right after I cleaned it as further evidence that I cannot keep up with my housekeeping.  I now see it as evidence of fresh meals made at home and enjoyed as a family, not as a personal failure.  

Renee you have truly brought ease and joy to my weight loss journey, but that’s secondary to the fullness I now have in the rest of my life.  I could not convey in one email how grateful I am to you, so I intend to spread my joy to all those I encounter as an expression of my gratitude.  

Best wishes!

Jenn

I am glad to say that I am in a good place and have been “binge free” for sometime now.  I still really can’t say exactly how it happened, but there was a “shift” in my thinking which led to major changes in my behavior.
 

I am not sure if we really got into my obsession with frozen yogurt in any of our conversations, but for the past 25+ years I have been OBSESSED with eating frozen yogurt.  I have been eating at least one a week and always get a fairly large size.  I know every yogurt store in So. Cal and always plan my Saturday nights out around being close to one of my favorite “fro yo” stores.  After eating a medium or large yogurt I would get gassy, bloated and constipated the next morning.  I was never really able to stand back and pass on a yogurt to not have to experience all the side effects.  Like anyone addicted to anything I only cared about eating a yogurt with no regard for the pains I felt afterward.

About 3 months or so ago I decided to eliminate most dairy from my diet and see how I felt.  Although the thought of not having my frozen yogurt was daunting, however I decided to give it a go.  Lo and behold I felt so much better….less gas, bloat and overall I felt so much better.   I am very aware of what I put in my mouth and always felt like dairy was a problem for me.  I was aware of  all the chemicals that are put into the yogurt (but didn’t seem to care.)  I am happy to tell you that I have not had a yogurt in months and ready for the best part……I am NOT struggling with any type of regret, sadness or deprivation.  I cannot tell you how amazing this is for me.  I drive by yogurt stores without even the slightest second thought.  If someone would have told me that I would not have eaten a frozen yogurt in months and not cared, I would have never believed them.  As I said in the beginning there was a shift that occured in my thinking.

I am grateful for my time with you and the changes I have made.  The changes are not about diet, deprivation or willpower.  What has happened is completely different.  I do have my “moments” and give into a craving, but have made dramatic improvements from 6 months ago.  I am amazed over what has happened.  Quite simply, Thank you.

 Sincerely,

Melissa

One listener shares her “lifestyle change” struggles and how Inside Out Weight Loss is helping her to conquer them:

Dear Renee,

I can’t quite believe how long it took me to find your podcast! If I had this at the beginning of my lifestyle change (refuse to call it a diet–ever! The word DIE in it is a bit off-putting haha), my journey would have been rich instead of a struggle.  I’m not saying it’s been an up-hill battle but neither has it been effortless.  At times, it was actually easy but I had a nagging feeling I was missing something.  I’ve successfully lost 56 pounds on my plan and I’m so proud.  But recently, I’ve had episodes where I ‘cheated’ by overeating.  I was so good for over 6 months (through HOLIDAYS) and suddenly I had THREE episodes where I stumbled. IT was the usual cycle of self-criticism, guilt, guilt, guilt, and even more guilt.  I tend to have the mentality where everything has to be perfect or it’s an utter failure.  But that’s where you come in! I’ve listened to the Prologue and the first 13 episodes and I’ve come up with some startling realizations.  It wasn’t easy but I felt such a release when I finally got it.  I’m not saying I understand fully but the fact that I’m evolving is such a great experience.  In fact, I just wrote a little about it in my weight loss support blog, I thought I’d share it with you:

”
Good Gosh! Holy Macro!

Don’t mind the title, I’ve been revamping my ‘foul’ language per my mom’s request.  I have a impressionable 7-year old sister and I sure don’t want her to learn anything from me that isn’t appropriate lol!Anyhoo, I’ve had a few rough patches in the last few weeks, with the cheating and stuff but I’ve learned not to beat myself up about it.  It’s been such a learning experience and I realized that these episodes had a really deep meaning behind it.  I guess you could say I had an Epiphany.  It was quite painful but now I’m working through it.  I can’t believe how much I’ve repressed and it manifested in my overeating/binging.  It also showed up in dozens of little ways.  I couldn’t have gotten to these realizations without the help of a little gem of a podcast! Every time I listen, I feel re energized and I can feel my thought process change.  I even started keeping a journal and I write in it every night and every time I listen to each episode.  It’s no ordinary podcast where it tells/lectures you on how to diet but how to make lasting changes within yourself in order to maintain a lifelong weight loss.  I definitely recommend it to everyone who is struggling.  I take time every morning and night just for myself–and listen to an episode or two.  I write down my thoughts and answer her questions and came up with some startling realizations.  I could go on and on and just rave about it but I want to share this with all of you.  Here is the link:  Inside Out Weight Loss
It’s totally free and I think we all should utilize everything within our grasp.  This journey is NOT an easy one but we could make it effortless by gradually changing our thought process and how our body works.  If you do start listening, make sure to start from the Prologue and do it in order! I’m only at episode 13 and I believe there is 60+ episodes.

Anyways, back to my title.  I’ve actually had a horrendous dream last night.  It was one of those Cheating Dreams! In my dream, I was faced with three different cakes (all chocolate) and instead of picking ONE, I took half of all 3 and gobbled it down.  I actually woke up thinking that I had cheated and I felt so devastated, I was near tears.  This morning I’m actually exploring the meaning behind this dream and what my subconscious is telling me.  I’m not going all Buddah on you but this is my process of trying to cleanse myself of self-doubt, self-criticism, and self-sabotage.  And accept all 3 as part of me and the process of this lifestyle change.  I can’t even believe I’m actually doing this because although, I considered myself open-minded, I never really did anything to expand my in-depth self-awareness.  I knew my faults, in fact I was UBER aware of them.  But I realize that’s just another part of me self-criticizing.  It’s almost a relief to come to this realization.

Well, the intent of this post is to share what I’ve stumbled upon and bring more people to this wonderful podcast.  It truly is a helpful tool.  And to also purge myself of my horrendous dream and explore it.  Renee (host of Inside Out Weight Loss) always asks us to set an intent for every episode and I thought that was such a fantastic idea.  I’m up to Episode 13 and mine hasn’t change.  It’s “To live my life free of Yo-Yo dieting.  To BE and THINK like a Naturally Slender person. To make LASTING lifestyle changes that will create happiness within me.”

Thanks for reading!
Take Care and Stay OP!
Irrish ”

I just want to say, that with each podcast episode YOU ARE changing the world by helping US create peace and balance within us.  Keep up the great work, Renee!

-Irrish

I am happy to say that I have just recorded episodes 63 and 64. 

Episode 63 is a special episode - a kind of audio diary about the recent experiences that caused me to take this break in recording. I felt I had to acknowledge what has happened and share some of my early lessons and some of the gifts that I have already received from this very difficult time in my life.

Episode 64 is the next in the series on “Easy Exercise Motivation”.

 I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back!

PS If you are wondering why I am somewhat obscure in referring to what caused me to take this break, its because I signed a contract that prevents me from making any public comments.