Many of us find ourselves trapped in an exhausting cycle of losing weight only to gain it back, struggling with diets and exercise routines that feel unsustainable. Despite billions of dollars spent annually on weight-loss products, the success rate remains dismally low, with most people eventually falling off track. What’s often overlooked is the underlying emotional struggle—stress, exhaustion, and self-judgment—that drives these patterns in the first place.

This relentless focus on food and weight can lead to feelings of failure and frustration as people battle the same habits, again and again, only to end up back where they started. Traditional methods like restrictive diets and intense exercise can feel like punishment, adding more stress and shame to the process. Without addressing the emotional roots of these patterns, every setback becomes another reason to give up, reinforcing the belief that lasting change isn’t possible.

But what if there were a different approach—one that addresses the emotional triggers behind the cycle? By learning to identify and shift emotional responses, individuals can transform how they relate to food and body image. Hypnosis, combined with emotional mastery techniques, offers a path to break free from self-judgment and achieve sustainable, healthy habits rooted in self-acceptance and empowerment.

"We're wasting billions of dollars. $74 billion in the US every single year goes to weight loss, supplements, products, systems, and the statistic is 95% of us will fall off track. I was part of that statistics. And so there's just the opportunity to change the complete mindset about the whole thing and say, how can I love myself through this process the most? What would feel like the most self-loving and caring action I could take that will bring me to a space of true health?" - Leslie M. Thornton

What you will learn from this episode:

01:18 - Adopting a holistic, sustainable approach to self-care and health

2:39 - How emotional responses often drive the cycle of weight gain and loss and that mastering emotional regulation can help regain control over habits and avoid fluctuations in weight

06:55 - Sharing insights from her coaching, describing how emotional responses drive people toward eating habits that undermine their goals

12:34 - Explaining how self-judgment and negative thoughts, like feeling "lazy" or "not good enough," often trigger overeating or falling off track

15:53 - The need to release the pressure of perfection, view every health decision as a valuable learning experience, and approach their wellness journey with self-forgiveness and openness to the next chapter

20:20 - The importance of addressing the emotional roots of eating habits and encouraging a shift from restrictive diets to self-compassionate approach

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!

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!