Done with Dieting Episode #133: Investing in Her Future: Christine’s Story

 You know, I was thinking about like how I’ve lost weight and how I feel now. Originally, my goal was to be down to like one 40, and I have no idea if I’m ever going to get there, but I am very confident that I am just going to never go back up. Like I’ve hit that point where I’m just like this is how I am now.

You are listening to the done with dieting podcast. The podcast for women who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms and want to feel better – like they did before their body started changing.

I am your host, Elizabeth Sherman, Master Certified health, and life coach for women in menopause and peri menopause. I’ve helped thousands of women manage their symptoms, get off the diet roller coaster, and change their relationship with food, exercise, and stop fighting with their bodies. And I do it through a feminist lens – which means exploring how we are socialized as young women has a huge impact on our current relationship with food & exercise, our bodies, health, and ourselves.

What’s different about this podcast is that we’re exploring your health from all sides, not just food and exercise. We also address the mindset shifts that will make you happier and lead to better health.

My goal in this podcast is to illustrate that the reason diets don’t work long term is because your health doesn’t exist in a silo. Your health and your weight are a symptom of the OTHER parts of your life and how you show up. I want to help you to feel good and live the life you desire from a 360 degree approach: body, mind, and soul.

Welcome. Let’s get started.

Hey everyone, welcome to episode number 133 of the Done With Dieting podcast. I am so glad you are here, and I am especially excited because I have a special guest for you today.

Are you ready for an incredibly inspiring and powerful story that is sure to lift you up and motivate you to make some incredible changes in your own life?

Yes! Today, I am absolutely thrilled to introduce you to my amazing guest and client, Christine. Christine is a woman who has faced numerous challenges in her life, including juggling a new baby, a new home, the pandemic, and her mother’s cancer diagnosis. But let me tell you, her journey of transformation and growth is one that will truly resonate with you, and I cannot wait for you to hear her story.

In this episode, Christine and I dive deep into her journey of focusing on her health and financial goals, as well as the importance of building a strong and supportive community. We discussed the root of her emotional eating and how she found healthier coping mechanisms for dealing with stress in her personal and professional life.

We also chat about the power of letting go of others’ expectations, building a consistent exercise routine for success, and becoming a better role model for her kids. Now, I have to tell you, Christine’s husband played a huge role in supporting her throughout this process. And her story is a beautiful reminder that change is possible when we have a strong support system.

So, are you ready to be inspired, uplifted, and learn some new powerful lessons from Christine? I know, I am. So, let’s dive in and discover how you too can make lasting changes and find the support you need in your own life. This is an episode you do not want to miss. So, let’s get started.

Elizabeth: All right everyone, welcome Christine to our episode. Christine, thank you for being here. I am so excited to have this conversation with you and have you share everything that you’ve gone through in our entire lives together.

Christine: Ooh, thanks for having me.

Elizabeth: I guess my first question for you is do you know why I wanted you to come onto the podcast?

Christine: Hmm. I think a little bit, yes. I know we’ve worked together for several years now, over two and a half, I think. And so, we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, and I don’t know I’m excited to see where the convo goes.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And so, I think that you lend a really interesting perspective because one, you’ve worked with me one-on-one, and you also are part of the Feel Good Sisterhood. But the other thing that I think is really interesting about you and I don’t want to call you a unicorn, because there are lots of people out there who are already thinking about this.

You’re just doing it at a little bit younger of age where you’re starting to think about retirement. You’re starting to think about financial freedom. You’re starting to think about how your health fits into that. And you’re also aware of all of the societal expectations that go on in a woman’s life in midlife.

So, we’re going to explore all of that. But let’s start with, can you remember back to where you were when we started coaching together?

Christine: Yes. So, it was approximately two and a half years ago. and I had a new baby, my second baby. And my husband and I had just purchased a home, and this was I think right after Covid had started.

And so, things had just gotten very complicated. They felt very complicated and very stressful with everything going on. Having young children, being cooped up in the house, trying to navigate health. And what felt like a crisis situation with family members who all had different perspectives on things, and nothing felt normal.

I knew that at some point I would be out of that phase, but I really needed help figuring out how to survive until I made it out of it.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And thinking about it right now, I’m not sure how much you want to go into this, but I know that one thing that we share is that our mothers were diagnosed with cancer.

Now, your mom is still alive and actually doing really well. When did her diagnosis happen and how close to that was it that you were starting to investigate coaching?

Christine: Sure. So, Covid hit in March of 2020. My husband and I had this dream of spending the winter in Texas, and it had not gone as planned. And of course, this had all unfolded at the tail end of that trip. So, we had gotten home, we were home for just a few weeks, everything shut down. And then, one week after that, my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer and they were unable to determine where it had stemmed from, but they thought it was pancreatic. And of course, that just sent us into spiral mode.

So, that would’ve been, I guess, three years ago. And so, of course, with her health being compromised, we were unable to be with her. We couldn’t go with her to any hospital appointments. We couldn’t even hug her. She was cooped up in the house.

It was incredibly, just very scary, and sad. And I think that’s when we already had this complicated situation and I really started to let go of myself. Which at the time, I thought drinking and eating more and trying to numb some of those feelings would help make it through that period of life when really it made it much worse.

And so, I started feeling very bad mentally, and then physically things got worse as well. And I would say approximately six months after that into that situation, I felt I needed to make a change because it had grown so uncomfortable on all fronts.

Elizabeth: Got it. Got it. Yeah. Can you look back at that version of yourself? In that six months when Covid was just starting, and your mom had this diagnosis. And you had just come off of the expectation that you were going to be traveling in an RV, right?

Christine: Right.

Elizabeth: Like on this adventure and this is all you knew, right? To drink, and eat, and numb.

Christine: It was all numbing out. Everything was upside down and it felt like it was the only thing that I had control over and could do just to feel somewhat normal.

Elizabeth: Yeah. Okay. So, let’s shift gears then a little bit. I know that when we started working together, you were already making changes in the financial part of your life. Yeah?

Christine: Yes. So, my husband in 2018 had found the “Choose FI” podcast, and he was commuting daily about an hour and a half every day. And so, was going through podcasts like crazy and had found that one. And so, got really excited and really wanted to attack kind of our financial situation and potentially retire early.

And I just felt I wasn’t at a point in life where I was ready for that. I was super pregnant. I had a toddler; she was almost too running around as I was super pregnant. And I just purchased a house, and it just didn’t feel like good timing for me.

So, I was interested in it, but it just wasn’t hitting at the moment.

Elizabeth: Interesting. Okay.

Christine: And so, it was always in our back pocket that maybe we wanted to think about that. But of course, when you’re younger you feel like you have all this time, and so much time to plan and so right now isn’t the moment for it.

Elizabeth: Did he start like implementing some of the fire stands for Financial Independence Retire early, right?

Christine: Yes, yes.

Elizabeth: It’s an acronym.

Christine: Yes. He did start some of those things early. So, he really went down the rabbit hole of what are all these ways we can maximize, our tax situation, how can we save money, where can we cut costs. All these different things, he really spent a lot of time researching and learning about it.

And so, I would say we did to a certain degree, maybe start some of those things, adjusted our tax withholdings and I think we started Dave Ramsey. We had some debt at that time, and so we at least started to cut back, and he was like a budgeting app just to reign in our spending a little bit. Nothing drastic just minor stuff though.

Elizabeth: And so, were you on board with that or because it sounds like you kind of weren’t. Like you were a little resistant of him starting that.

Christine: You know, I just wasn’t as excited about it as he was. So, he’s thinking, oh, I want to retire and I’m thinking I’m about to have a baby like I’m not ready for this at all. I am creating a child, and I’m thinking about breastfeeding, and I’m thinking about setting up a nursery. And I’m thinking about childcare and maternity leave and things of that nature.

And so, we were just on two different pages which I think is understandable, right? Like, he’s never carried a kid, he doesn’t been pregnant, like he doesn’t know. So, yeah, we were just in two very different places at that point.

Elizabeth: Okay. Interesting. Going back to when we started coaching together. What was your main goal?

Christine: My main goal was to lose weight after having a baby. I think in a certain sense, I wanted some help like trying to figure out how to take care of myself with all these crazy things going on, on the outside. So, definitely lose that baby weight, and then maybe figure out a little bit better way to take care of myself and create a routine.

Elizabeth: Okay. And what happened?

Christine: When I first started working with you? Whoa.

Elizabeth: Yeah. So, maybe we should start with what’s the coaching process like? What was the coaching process like for you?

Christine: I had found you through a website that my employer had recommended. And I don’t know why you were just this beacon of light out of several coaches. I don’t know. There was just something about you that stood out. And I knew it was going to be hard to focus on myself with such young children, and you made me feel like it was still doable.

We didn’t have to do this perfectly. You were looking to help people at a later stage in life rather than twenties and we’re trying to have the perfect bikini body and get out on a beach or whatever. I don’t know, it really struck a chord with me. So, I set up just a consultation, a one-on-one consultation. Your energy made me feel like this was possible. Like I could find my way.

Elizabeth: I remember you were really concerned that I wouldn’t work with you because of your age.

Christine: Yes. Yeah. So, I feel like maybe I’m on the younger side of your clients and the clients that you work with. And so, I wasn’t entirely sure if you would be accepting of that, but I was super appreciative that you were because it’s great we’re starting to see people focus more on women in their fifties and later in life. And we have a younger crowd that has really hard coaches, like with perfect eating and workouts and stuff.

And I really feel like I’m in this middle stage of I’m not super you know, middle age and I’m not super young. I’m just younger and have a family. And so, I didn’t feel there was much that catered to me, I was so, so happy and thankful.

Elizabeth: And so, talk about the coaching process. Like what happened? Because initially, we worked together one-on-one.

Christine: Right. So, I had tried like macros, counting macros and one or two other coaching programs before having worked with you. And it just felt impossible to be counting calories, and logging food, and doing all these things. And that was something that felt like you might work out well for me because we didn’t have to do those things super strictly.

Now, I expected that there was probably going to still be some element of that. But I learned pretty early on that we weren’t going to do that. And it was such a relief and I feel like I made some pretty great progress right out the gate because it was a different and a unique situation working with you.

I’m trying to think back like I also learned pretty early on too. We really dug into some of the eating habits that I had and using that as numbing. I don’t think I ever really fully understood what numbing out meant with food.

So, we hear about emotional eating and stuff, but I don’t think I ever really understood how it applied to my life until we started digging deep doing thought models and figuring out really those thoughts and feelings that were causing me to do that.

And then, we were able to start working on that root cause immediately. So, instead of counting calories and logging food and all these other things. We pretty immediately, I feel like got to the root of what was going on emotionally and mentally that was leading me down that path.

Elizabeth: Cool.

Christine: Yeah.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And so, like some of the things that we talked about that really weren’t food related, were like family issues and work stress and things like that. Right?

Christine: Absolutely. It was coping with different personalities. And I remember one of the very first things we talked about was everyone has their own set of experiences that creates their own model.

I may be sharing an experience with somebody, but they have their own experiences that lead to their thought model. And I have my own that lead to my own thought model, and they’re not necessarily the same probably really aren’t the same at all, in fact.

And so, it was a freedom, I think. I would say a freedom from other people. I don’t know, it was wild. It was very liberating.

Elizabeth: Yeah. Well, and it’s funny because I think that something that we still coach on today is needing people to behave a certain way in order for us to be happy.

Christine: Yeah. The expectations, right? Like, I have expectations and people need to meet them or else I’m annoyed. And I still do it. Obviously, it’s an ongoing, lifelong process but while that it was a really pivotal moment for me.

Elizabeth: Well, and the opposite side of that, the counterpoint is allowing people to have opinions about you and have those opinions be wrong.

Christine: That was another main one. Oh, we could go on and on about all the things.

Yeah. It was allowing myself to feel okay with people being wrong about me. Huge, huge change in my mentality. That’s really, I think what got me through a lot of the family stuff for sure.

Elizabeth: Yeah. One of the other things that I think we worked with you on was building up routines. Yeah?

Christine: Yes. I’ve always been resistant to routines. I always wanted this young, exciting life, living in the city. Let’s travel here and go to dinner there in time with my girlfriends and all the things. And so, that’s probably why I was somewhat resistant to the financial stuff that my husband had mentioned and was interested in pursuing.

But also, I was resistant to doing that. I think I realized with my kids that they needed that. Even though, I didn’t want them to have that, and I didn’t want it to do that myself. You know, I wanted like every meal needed to be exciting and we needed to have the best food all the time, and do the best things, and I wanted the most expensive wines, and all these things.

And I realized like how much easier life got once I figured out how to balance having those nicer things that I wanted, but still creating and establishing those routines that made expectations easier for everyone. And habits.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And so, let’s talk a little bit about how coaching has affected your kids and your relationship. Let’s start with your kids. Because your kids have been part of a lot of our conversations.

Christine: Yeah. I mean, generally speaking, I am a very different person. And what I mean by that is I’m still myself, but I am a much, much better version, much happier version of who I was before. And so, it’s just been really fun, I think, to see that.

It’s been really fun to look back and see how far I’ve come. I think with the kids, they have a more present mom who wants to model really great behaviors. And so, I figured like the better that I do for myself, trying to be the best version of me who I want to be and setting goals for myself and whatnot, the better mom I am for them.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And so, what are some of the things that you have taught them? Because I think that coaching has a ripple effect. And so, what is that effect on your kids other than just you being more present and like how have you taken the work that we’ve done together and used it with your kids?

Christine: Sure. So, one thing that’s really exciting, let me give you an example. For Mother’s Day this year, my husband and kids bought me a skateboard.

Elizabeth: Really?

Christine: So, it’s not every day you see a woman in her forties on a skateboard down the street. Right?

Elizabeth: How did I not know this? Wait a minute.

Christine: I don’t know. I don’t know. So, it started with roller skating. My kids were interested, and I wanted to protect them. Like, oh, I want them to, you know, they were invited to this roller skating party and Everly was five. And I thought she’s way too young. Like why did they invite her to this? This is crazy.

But I knew she’d want to go, and I wanted her to be prepared. And my husband and I had talked about like, I want her to go, and I want her to do it and try it out. If it was me, would I go and do it and try it out? Or would I say, no, am I the mom on the sidelines? It’s always wanting my kids to go try new things, but I won’t do it. And why won’t I do it?

And so, I started seeing how I was kind of modeling that for them. So, anyways, back to this, so I made the conscious decision that I wanted to find new hobbies, new ways to move my body and show them what it’s like to try out things. I can be nervous about it; I can be scared. I don’t have to love it, but let’s just try it.

And so, one of my kids who’s overly cautious, we call it courageous, brave, and strong now. So, anytime we’re nervous and have anxiety about things, we kind of buddy up and say, okay, we’re going to be courageous, brave, and strong, and off we go. So, we’ve been out on the skateboard the past few nights and it’s been really fun.

Elizabeth: Oh my gosh, that’s incredible. I love that story. Thank you for sharing that.

Christine: Yeah.

Elizabeth: Yeah, and you know, it’s so interesting because I recently recorded a podcast called being the “Best Supporting Actress of Your Life.” and it’s about so many women and how we do hold ourselves back, right? We’re like, oh, I don’t want to look like a fool, or I don’t want to be bad at that, or I need to be perfect. And so, yeah, we model that for our kids.

Wow. Mm-hmm.

Christine: Yeah. And another example too is just you’ve seen my transformation. I was the mom who didn’t want to put a bathing suit on, who didn’t want to get in the pool with the kids, or I had to wear a t-shirt over. Because I was really self-conscious about what I looked in a bathing suit. And we had a recent vacation and I’m to the point now I’ve decided I can’t let that hold me back anymore. Like I need to be in there. And it’s not even just for them, it’s for me too, right?

Like I have spent my entire life 40, whatever years worried about how I look in a bathing suit. And so, I’ve missed time in the pool, and I’ve missed time in the ocean, and I’ve missed the warm weather and the sand, and all those things because of cellulite whatever it is. And so, I’m excited for them to see, and I’m excited for myself to be able to enjoy all these things and not have to worry about that.

Elizabeth: Yeah. Oh, so good. Now, let’s talk about your husband, your partner. Apparently, you say that he loves it when you coach with me.

Christine: Oh, oh yeah. Oh yeah. It’s probably like the best thing that’s ever happened to him too.

Elizabeth: Why?

Christine: I think I’ve really figured out my anxiety. Which is interesting because I’ve been on medication and have talked to people before in the past and gone the therapy route and it never really worked for me, not that there’s anything wrong with it or whatnot. But I feel like working with you has really taught me, like I can feel my anxiety bubble up now and say, okay, there it is, friend. Here you are, you’re coming out to play and we’re just going to roll with this.

I know how to run a model now. Be it my anxiety, or be it sadness, or frustration, or anger, whatever the situation is. I can run through a model now and figure out who I want to be in a situation. And I was not able to do that in the past. That was never something I could do. It’s possible for me now.

Elizabeth: Explain the model because I don’t really use that term a lot on the podcast.

Christine: Oh, okay. Oh gosh, I’m going to probably get it wrong.

Elizabeth: Well, no. So, it’s a tool that we use within coaching.

Christine: Yes.

Elizabeth: And what it does is it allows us to have awareness around our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions. Yeah.

Christine: Right. So, anytime something happens, good or bad, generally if it’s something more challenging, I can objectively lay out what my circumstances. And then, from there I can determine what my thoughts are around it, what my feelings are around it. Either how I want to act or how I’ve acted in the past. And then, what I think my result will be based on that action I took.

Elizabeth: Yeah.

Christine: And so, it really allows me to remove the drama from the situation and think about it more logically and approach it in a way that best serves me. And I don’t know that I answered your question, so tying it back to my husband, I think he sees someone who is a lot more self-aware because I’m able to look at this. I may not be able to control my immediate thought and reaction to something in the moment like that feeling I immediately get.

But I can choose how I want to be and a lot of times, it makes me a lot happier and well-rounded which makes things like him a lot happier both for me, and it makes our home life much easier too.

Elizabeth: Yeah. Well, and I think that one thing that’s a huge testament to him and you and your relationship is through the feminist coaching that I’ve received, that I’m certified in. And I’ve been bringing that into our sessions, and you’ve been sharing that with him and he’s now being able to see how women are socialized so much differently than men are.

Like he’s able to see the experience that we have as women, his daughters, and you. And also like that experience that you shared of your mom when you were walking the Camino and she was still concerned about her weight.

Christine: Yes. Oh, it’s been very eye-opening for him. I’m fortunate to have a really strong relationship with my husband. And as a wonderful person, it’s been really interesting for him, like things that have always been normal to him as a man, as a white man. He’s now seeing firsthand like things that he didn’t understand women face, right?

So, maybe he’s heard things before or whatnot, but seeing it firsthand has really changed. Speaking to what you mentioned about my mom. So last summer, my mom, as we mentioned earlier has been battling stage four cancer, doing great right now. But one of her wishes, lifetime wishes, bucket list wishes was to hike the El Camino.

And so, we did a very abbreviated version. But here we are, she’s stage four cancer. She’s walking seven miles a day on crazy terrain and across mountains and all these things. And she was worried about her appearance and he was just floored that anyone would even think of that. Let alone say it out loud, let alone not have a picture taken of them. Doing this incredible thing during this accomplishment because of how they looked. Because it had never dawned on him. Like he would never worry about that.

He’s never heard anyone talk about that to that degree. And he was so proud of her and loved being there with her and celebrating and seeing it. And then, it was just very, and even for me, for both of us, it was very eye opening, just how deeply rooted that is.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And like something that I talk about a lot is if you don’t wanna get to the end of your life and still hating your body, right? We need to start working on that now.

Christine: Yeah. At some point, it needs to be a conscious decision that you want to do it. But I look at it, you know why I love working with you so much is I’m speaking with you regularly. You’re a person like, I want to be like you. I love the things that you add to my life that you bring to my life. And so, I love working with you because it keeps it top of mind for me, just how important it is for me to achieve that.

Like I don’t want to die missing out on all these opportunities because I was so worried about how I look in a bathing suit. And you have just helped me through that and that’s never going to end. You’re with me for life.

Elizabeth: Well, of course, I am. But no thanks. So, one of the things that you know happens in women in midlife, and we’ve talked about this before is everything that’s changing and I think that this is something that I really wanted to touch on today which is as women go through menopause perimenopause, we’re starting to see those changes in friendships.

We’re starting to see those changes in our bodies. And we’re starting to see your kids aren’t at the point where you’re starting to see empty nest, nesting. But you are seeing the sandwich generation type of situation where your parents are starting to rely more on you and you’re starting to see that they are not going to be with you forever.

And then, your interest in retirement and what life looks like and how your health can support that moving forward. So, I want to shift the conversation a little bit too I guess, your future and what you’re looking for in your future.

Christine: I feel really blessed, as you mentioned earlier, start thinking about and working with you at a younger age on these things. Because the more time I have to focus on it, whether it’s finances in the power of compounding or eliminating things from my life, like foods and drinks and things from my life that may affect my health in 20 years, whatever it may be.

I feel really fortunate that we’re starting to work on these things at this age. That I’m able to model for my kids how to do this from a younger age so they know that they can start it at any point in life.

Elizabeth: Yeah, I think that that’s actually helpful because you said compounding and you were thinking about it in terms of finances. But I mean, it’s for health also, right? And not to say that you’re ever going to be too old to start working on your health, but the earlier you do start adopting some of these habits, the more they’re going to thank you in the future. Right? They’re going to pay payoff.

Christine: Absolutely. They don’t even have to be huge habits that were changing. When I think about just the eight basic habits, always having that foundation. I don’t need to live to be a hundred if I feel terrible when I’m 95 or something like that. I don’t expect to be doing gymnastics at 95. But between now and then, there’s so much I wanna accomplish and my best chance of getting to all that stuff is by taking care of myself now. So, I have more time to do those things that are important to me.

I was just thinking, like when I look at my mom’s health, so she first had breast cancer when she was 56, which is really not that far off from me. And now, she’s in the stage four cancer. And I think about what can I do to help myself hopefully, not have to face those things may happen and I won’t have control over that. But what can I do now to live the healthiest I possibly can?

Because she didn’t just wake up one day and then there was cancer. I’m sure there were very a lot of environmental things leading up to that.

Elizabeth: Yeah. I mean, that’s part of my story also that I didn’t wake up until after my mom passed away and I started Googling like, how do I not get breast cancer? And found out that your risk factors have everything to do with your lifestyle. There are certainly things that will contribute to cancer that we don’t have control over. However, try to do as much as we can that we do have control over.

And I think that you probably had the same kind of wakeup call that I did, which is being able to connect the dots between where I am today. Seeing your mom and being like, okay, well, I don’t want that. And if I keep doing what I’m doing now, I am going to get that. So, how do I not get that?

Christine: Absolutely. I had the chance she can’t go back and reverse a lot of those things. And that’s really at no fault of her when I think about, we’re learning so much more about women’s health at this age now way more than we ever have. She did the best that she could with what she had at that time. And now, I’m blessed to have the time and make those changes when I can. I feel very lucky in that manner. It’s a choice.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And so, one of the things that’s actually pretty cool about you is that not only have we worked together one-on-one, but you were one of the founding members of the Feel Good Sisterhood.

And I don’t know if you actually put this thought into my head or if I had been thinking about it or what. But we have had a discussion where you were like, I want to find a group of like-minded people. But they’re not around me, and I need to find them.

Christine: Yes. I do. I had experienced so much growth in my one-on-one with you, and I think I had then grown into this point where I’m like, okay, I’m feeling good. Like I want to surround myself with people who want to take care of themselves and who are inclusive and the other thing.

And yeah, I don’t know if you already had this in the works and you knew or what? I don’t remember either. But I do remember a little while after that, had told me that you were creating the group. And I was so excited. It was just, oh man, that was so good.

Elizabeth: Well, and so that actually brings up a really good question. So, one thing is that a lot of people fear kind of coaching because there’s that saying that you are the sum of the five people that you spend the most time with. And so, I think that for a lot of people, we want to be healthier. We want to stop overeating, we want to stop eating bad foods, we want to feel better.

But there’s that tug of; “but if I do that, then I’m not gonna have anything in common with these other people.” Because that’s what we do together, that’s how we socialize, that’s how we spend our time. When you do evolve, sometimes people are gonna resist that who are in your life. Did you experience anything like that?

Christine: Absolutely. I have heard much worse stories than what I’ve experienced. And a lot of people I know haven’t experienced that at all either, so it just sort of depends. But I do think it naturally happens to some degree and it’s really a reflection of other people. I think a lot of true colors come out and you figure out who really cares about you and loves you and wants the best for you.

I didn’t really have too much of that. Hopefully, most people have surrounded themselves with people who love them so much and just want what’s best for them and fully support them.

Elizabeth: Yeah. But it brings up the other point of surrounding yourself with people who do foster that growth for you, who do support you, who do also have the skills to help you along.

Christine: Absolutely. Yeah. There are so many upsides to joining a community like this. I think I mentioned earlier, working with you regularly, working with the group regularly, having access to Slack and communications and meetings. Always keeps me on track.

There’s a certain level of accountability and it’s hard to use that word in this context because I don’t ever feel pressure. I don’t feel like, oh, I have to be accountable to the group, so I better do my workout. You know, it’s nothing like that. But y’all keep it front of mind for me. You help me stay laser focused on what I wanna do and sometimes I have to half*ss it. Sorry, I don’t know if I’m supposed to swear.

Sometimes I have to half*ss it, and everyone is there still supporting. When I can’t do it perfectly, it helps me know I haven’t fallen off a wagon. I don’t have to get back on the horse. I don’t need to spiral out of control.

The group is a constant. I’m there and we work together, everybody works together on themselves to just keep moving forward. It’s just like, it’s a safe space. It’s a safe space to go and get the support that you need at any point or any level or whatever it is you need. It’s really actually unique now that we’re sitting here talking about this and I’m realizing just how unique it is.

Elizabeth: Yeah. What would you say to someone who’s like, yeah, I don’t want to do a year. Like, why is it a year?

Christine: I would say we have learned so many things that have not benefited us. They don’t benefit us.

Elizabeth: Not in the group you’re talking about prior to this.

Christine: In life. The way we’re socialized is women and just a society. Men are part of the same society we’re all conditioned to and socialize in a certain way. And so, the first part of the group is just becoming aware of how off those things are and starting to unlearn those habits and things that we believe are facts, but it is just like crazy noise that needs to be unlearned.

A lot of this doesn’t happen overnight. It’s consistency. And to make this a lifelong habit, this isn’t a quick weight loss. It took us all these years to put this weight on to establish these habits to grow babies whatever it is. It’s taken us so long that why does it have to be overnight that all of a sudden, we lost 10 pounds when it took us three years to put the 10 pounds on or whatever.

It’s just so much more to that. And there’s so many amazing things that come out of it that don’t even have to do with weight loss. Like the weight loss becomes a byproduct. You won’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave the group. I will not be leaving the group probably ever.

Elizabeth: Except for life.

Christine: Yeah. I am. There are just too many amazing things that come out of it. I really sincerely believe that. It’s true.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And we have so many amazing women in there. Like I truly love all of them.

Christine: Do you remember the first original group? I remember we did the introductions. This has happened for every group. And I think this is my third or fourth one, I can’t remember. But I remember very crystal clearly that first one where everybody was going around and doing introductions.

And I started crying because I thought there are all these amazing, accomplished, smart, bright, intelligent, hilarious women who have offered so much to their families and their communities and the world. And here we are all trying to lose weight. Like fuck that.

In that moment, I’m getting goosebumps talking about it. I will never forget looking around at everyone’s faces on that and thinking there’s a problem out there that all these incredible people are sitting here talking about weight.

Elizabeth: Yeah. So good. I have goosebumps too.

Christine: I really do have goosebumps. I really do. I’m like, oh man. And it’s happened. It’s happened in every group every time we go around, and every time someone new comes on, and I’m thinking there’s just another awesome person.

Elizabeth: It’s a total waste of brain power. Imagine the things that we could be doing if we were not concerned about the judgment that we’re going to receive for our bodies, what we’re doing. And so, unraveling some of that nice girl syndrome that we’ve all been fed a bunch of BS and stop people pleasing, stop needing to be perfect, otherwise we’ll get judgment. Yeah.

Christine: There’s so much to unlearn. And it’s been an incredible experience doing it.

Elizabeth: Yeah.

Christine: Yeah.

Elizabeth: Well, cool. Is there anything else that you want to share with people?

Christine: I would love to see everybody who’s listening, come check out the group. I really sincerely mean that. I’ve told you so many times, I wish every woman in life could come do the group because of how life-changing it is and how valuable everyone is, and how much every woman has to offer.

And I don’t want them to be thinking about, you know, let’s think about health. Let’s think about taking care of ourselves and not what we look like and not how much we weigh. And the number doesn’t matter on the scale and all those things. It just, I don’t know. I love it. I hope everyone comes and joins us.

Elizabeth: Awesome. Well, thanks for being here. I appreciate you telling your story and sharing.

Christine: Yeah, thanks for having me. It was fun.

Wow, what an incredible inspiring journey Christine has been on. And I am so grateful that she shared her story with us today. It just goes to show that with determination, the right support, and a willingness to dig deep into the root of our challenges, we can truly transform our lives for the better.

And remember, it’s never too late to start prioritizing your health, your finances, and surrounding yourself with a supportive community that lifts you up. If Christine’s story resonates with you and you’re feeling inspired to make positive changes in your own life, I encourage you to reach out and schedule a consult call with me.

Whether you’re interested in private coaching or joining a group like the Feel Good Sisterhood, I’d love to help you on your journey to better health and overall wellbeing. To schedule your call, head over to elizabethsherman.com/consult and let’s start working together to create lasting changes in your life.

Thank you so much for tuning into this episode. And I hope that Christine’s story has inspired and empowered you to take action in your own life. Remember, you have the power to transform your life and create a future full of health, happiness, and support.

Now, until next time, keep striving for your best self and I will see you on the next episode. Have a great day, everyone. See you next time. Bye-bye.

Hey, if you enjoy listening to this podcast, you have to come check out the Feel Good Sisterhood. It’s my small group coaching program where we take all this material, and we apply it. We figure out what works for us, and we don’t ever look at another diet ever again.

Join me over at elizabethsherman.com/groupcoaching. I’d love to have you join me in the Feel Good Sisterhood. See you there.