In an image-driven world, many people feel trapped in cycles of emotional eating, self-criticism, and self-sabotaging habits. Habits like nail biting or overeating become part of an identity that reinforces shame and fear of failure. The more we cling to these labels, the more isolated and restricted we feel, unable to move forward.

As each slip-up adds to the narrative of "I'm broken," it’s easy to stay stuck in cycles of negative self-judgment. This mindset brings anxiety, harsh self-criticism, and often a sense of hopelessness. Even efforts toward change can feel like a never-ending battle against an enemy within, creating a life ruled by restriction rather than freedom.

What if these struggles were actually guiding us to a path of growth? Leslie encourages that these habits can serve as signals to explore and address underlying beliefs and emotions. By shifting to a mindset of curiosity and self-compassion, we can transform these challenges into allies for personal freedom, fulfillment, and lasting change.

"It's about getting healthier and better every day. It's not about just the end goal of being perfect." - Leslie Thornton

What you will learn from this episode:

01:05 - Tackling the cycle of emotional eating and self-sabotage around food, body, and weight

08:40 - Expanding on the impact of labeling oneself with identities tied to perceived problems or addictions, such as food addiction or nail biting, and how this attachment reinforces the behavior

14:18 - Emphasizing the importance of adopting an empowering, growth-oriented mindset when addressing issues around food, body, and weight, as opposed to a mindset rooted in self-labeling and control

20:37 - Encouraging each one to make a conscious choice between control and growth in their approach to food, body, and self-identity

21:57 - Explaining a self-reflective approach to addressing habits, particularly with clients working through behaviors like nail biting or emotional eating

26:41 - Reframing behaviors not as problems to eradicate but as gentle nudges inviting one to explore underlying emotions, beliefs, and needs

Valuable Resources:

• Free Monthly Hypnosis for Weight Loss Session

• Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food

Connect With Leslie Thornton:

• Book A Clarity Call
• Free 2 Hour Masterclass—How I Lost Weight Permanently and Stopped Stress Eating without Dieting or Strenuous Exercise
• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Email: Leslie@hpwl.co

If you enjoy the podcast, Would you please consider leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes in under 60 seconds? It brightens our day and helps us bring you incredible guests for top-notch content. Plus, I cherish reading every review! Click here to make a difference!

Have you ever wondered why no matter how many diets you try, the results never seem to last? You might lose weight or feel more in control for a while, but the stress and temptation eventually creep back, pulling you into the same old cycles of yo-yo dieting, frustration, and self-blame. Many find themselves trapped in an endless loop of trying to improve their weight only to be met with the same disappointments.

It’s no wonder these cycles feel impossible to break. After all, most diet plans and weight loss programs focus solely on what you should or shouldn’t eat, leaving out the most crucial factor: your emotional and mental relationship with food, body, and self. Without addressing these underlying issues, diets become temporary solutions, only masking the deeper emotional triggers and ingrained beliefs about food and self-worth that keep you stuck. Every time you try to rely on sheer willpower or ignore your own body’s signals, you may only feel more disconnected, unfulfilled, and out of control.

There’s a better way to deal with this struggle—one that goes beyond the diet industry’s focus on deprivation and restriction. Leslie’s HEAL method is a holistic approach that aims to empower you to break free from this cycle once and for all. By guiding you to master your emotional responses, align your actions with what truly feels good, and build a sustainable, self-compassionate relationship with food and yourself, HEAL offers not just temporary relief but a path to lasting freedom from food and weight issues.

"In my experience with working with clients, this is what happens. Once you learn how to say yes to yourself and learn how to listen to these actual truths within you, because no other diet plan is going to know who you are. Only you could know what feels right and doesn't feel right for you. And women specifically do better when they feel better." - Leslie Thornton

What you will learn from this episode:

01:10 - Brief overview of the HEAL method

02:10 - Hypnosis as the foundational element of the HEAL method

06:03 - Illustrating through a client example how unresolved emotions, self-criticism, and bottling up feelings often lead to emotional eating or overeating

11:21 - Delving into the "Emotional Mastery" stage of the HEAL method which is considered as the most transformative part

20:49 - Discussing the "Aligned, Authentic Action" phase of the HEAL method emphasizing the importance of tuning into one's current needs, lifestyle, and self-care preferences

28:16 - Explaining "Learning Lasting Self-Care," and encouraging to build a sustainable, self-compassionate mindset and authentic health practices

Valuable Resources:

• Free Monthly Hypnosis for Weight Loss Session

• Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food

Connect With Leslie Thornton:

• Book A Clarity Call
• Free 2 Hour Masterclass—How I Lost Weight Permanently and Stopped Stress Eating without Dieting or Strenuous Exercise
• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Email: Leslie@hpwl.co

If you enjoy the podcast, Would you please consider leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes in under 60 seconds? It brightens our day and helps us bring you incredible guests for top-notch content. Plus, I cherish reading every review! Click here to make a difference!

Are you a busy mom struggling to find balance between parenting, work, and self-care? Do you feel overwhelmed, constantly putting everyone else’s needs before your own, only to feel exhausted and emotionally drained? It’s a familiar challenge for so many mothers, juggling the roles of caring for one's personal, family life, and career.

Meet Krista H., an HPWL graduate, who knows exactly how it feels to be in that space. In today’s podcast, she shares her journey of emotional transformation—learning to validate her own feelings, connect more deeply with her children and spouse, and find peace in the small, everyday moments. Krista proves that even with a busy schedule, moms can reclaim control over their emotional well-being and, in turn, become more present, empowered, and free. Find out how you, too, can make this shift. Discover how Krista did it—and how you can, too!

"Even though the program itself is over, whatever we've completed, we're continuing to extend the things that I've learned into now. It's never going to be the right time. You're never going to have all the money that you wish that you had. And so with what you do have at this moment, I feel like it's worth doing it. Because, then, you can keep reaping the benefits." - Krista H.

What you will learn from this episode:

01:08 - Krista sharing her journey of losing her sense of identity after leaving her career and enduring personal traumas, which led her to seek support through the Hypnosis for Permanent Weight Loss program

04:03 - The turning point where she realized she needed to make a change to improve her well-being for both herself and her family

07:10 - Recognizing the necessity of prioritizing her own well-being despite the difficulty of asking for time for herself and sacrificing family routines

08:51 - What makes the Hypnosis program different from the previous experiences with various forms of therapy

11:41 - How real transformation comes from learning to connect with and feel your emotions, rather than just intellectualizing them

13:05 - The need to truly work through your emotions instead of just trying to "fix" them

16:27 - Describing how releasing deeply held emotions brought Krista a sense of freedom and lightness

20:17 - Number one lesson from the Hypnosis program: Her struggles with food and body image were never truly about the food itself but were driven by deeper emotional issues.

23:58 - What working through her emotions and finding alignment gifted her with

27:46 - How she is more aware of her children's emotions and giving them space and validation even with the challenges of parenting

31:12 - Krista's encouraging words to everyone who is going through the same situation as hers

Valuable Resources:

• Free Monthly Hypnosis for Weight Loss Session

• Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food

Connect With Leslie Thornton:

• Book A Clarity Call
• Free 2 Hour Masterclass—How I Lost Weight Permanently and Stopped Stress Eating without Dieting or Strenuous Exercise
• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Email: Leslie@hpwl.co

If you enjoy the podcast, Would you please consider leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes in under 60 seconds? It brightens our day and helps us bring you incredible guests for top-notch content. Plus, I cherish reading every review! Click here to make a difference!

Do you find yourself constantly thinking about food, body image, and weight, yet never feeling satisfied with the results? Many people struggle with the emotional and mental weight of food issues, and after years of restrictive dieting or exercising, they feel stuck—like their "weight loss software" is outdated and malfunctioning.

The problem isn't just the inability to keep the weight off. It’s the endless mental chatter about what to eat, how to look, and the guilt that comes with every decision. You've spent so much time caring for others—your family, your career—yet when it comes to your own needs, they often fall to the bottom of the list. Meanwhile, your health suffers, stress builds up, and life seems to slip away, one unaddressed issue at a time. How many years will you continue to put off taking care of yourself?

The solution is not another diet or exercise program. It’s about upgrading your mindset, allowing yourself to invest in what truly matters: your health, your happiness, and ultimately, your freedom. When you update your "weight loss software," you learn to trust your instincts, manage your emotions, and let go of the guilt. This transformation doesn’t just change your relationship with food—it changes your life. And the best part? It starts with the decision to prioritize you.

"I wanna invite you to stop judging yourself. Stop making yourself wrong and bad for not staying consistent and for why can't I do this? And what's wrong with me? That is such a disempowering state. It has nothing to do with you. It just has to do with the fact that you don't know what you don't know. You don't know that there's a way to think differently about something. You don't know that there can be joy in stress. You don't know that there can be happiness every single day of your life. But you can't get that unless you take action, unless you do something different." - Leslie Thornton

What you will learn from this episode:

01:03 - Leslie touching on a common struggle of most people with weight management and motivation, particularly the cyclical nature of diets and lifestyle changes

07:19 - Exploring the challenges many face in breaking free from unhealthy cycles related to diet, emotional eating, and self-criticism

15:37 - Reframing challenges as natural consequences of focusing on bigger priorities

21:11 - Insights into the value of investing in high-ticket coaching and the transformative impact it can have on personal and professional growth

23:54 - Sharing a personal and client-focused reflection on the power of investing in coaching and trusting one's intuition in making significant decisions

30:19 - Sharing a personal story about a significant investment she made in a high-ticket coaching program and how it led her to an entirely new network of people

35:30 - Addressing the importance of investing in oneself, particularly when it comes to health and emotional well-being

Valuable Resources:

• Free Monthly Hypnosis for Weight Loss Session

• Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food

Connect With Leslie Thornton:

• Book A Clarity Call
• Free 2 Hour Masterclass—How I Lost Weight Permanently and Stopped Stress Eating without Dieting or Strenuous Exercise
• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Email: Leslie@hpwl.co

If you enjoy the podcast, Would you please consider leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes in under 60 seconds? It brightens our day and helps us bring you incredible guests for top-notch content. Plus, I cherish reading every review! Click here to make a difference!