EP 19 // Effing Magic! An Interview with Luisa Morrone, Founder of My Way of Eating.

She never gave up hope, lost 145 lbs and reversed Type 2 Diabetes. 

Luisa Morrone, Founder of My Way of Eating, is a firecracker!  Her story is inspiring and her energy is infectious.  She lost 145 lbs, reversed Type 2 Diabetes, and lives with the energy and joy she always dreamed of.  She is a wealth of knowledge and practical tips to help you make choices that will change your life.  She will have you believing you can do it too… whatever it is!  You can do it!  

Hello beautiful. I am so excited about today's episode because today's guest is an absolute frickin firecracker. And I can't wait to share her wisdom around food but even more importantly than the food around mindset and hope. So listen in I'm so glad you're here today.

Hey beautiful and welcome to Finally Effing Happy, a podcast and community for kick ass can do women who just happened to be living with some kind of chronic illness. My name is Shannon Klenk, happiness coach and self care strategist. And I also happened to be one of those kick ass can do women living with chronic illness. I am a self proclaimed Science of Happiness junkie and certified professional life coach, passionate about helping women be kind to themselves. I believe that happiness is not a feeling that just magically appears out of thin air. And it is not actually about feeling happy all the time. Happiness is a place where all emotions are welcome. And it is a practice that you can cultivate and get really, really good at no matter what's going on around you. In this podcast, I share tons of practical, real life happiness hacks, self care strategies, and bring you some of my most favorite guests to share their wisdom so that you too can ignite and enrich your own happiness. I am absolutely thrilled that you are here for today's episode. So with no further ado, let's dive right in. Before we dive in today's episode from today's sponsor, Korea at your inspired words.com and again, if you haven't gone check her website out you need to. She has these beautiful affirmation cards. She's the founder of my story.

-  4:28 
Eight years ago, I somehow ended up weighing 350 pounds. I don't know how I did that. And I ended up with arthritis in my right hip. Because the weight I carried had shot my hip. I was in excruciating pain. And I walked with a cane I ended up having to walk with a cane which was terribly embarrassing for me. And but I was in so much pain that I couldn't even walk about it. I daily, I could only walk about 200 steps without writhing in pain. So, you know, my doctor kept telling me throughout the years as well, and you know, both my husband and I were heavy carb eaters like just pizza, pasta, rice, bread, peas, corn, carrots, I mean, I don't think I even ate meat. I don't think I was interested in meat or fish, it was full on sugar addiction. And that's how I got to the state of 315 pounds. Now, the warnings weren't coming from my physician, she, you know, she kept saying, I did go in for my yearly checkups. I tried to avoid them. But you know, we've got to take care of our health, right, so ended up going every year, as did my husband, and both of us would give would would get a little bit of help from our doctor, we both have the same doctor, she would say, especially for me, she'd say, Louisa, you are on a, you've got to lose weight, and we need to operate on your hip, but we can't, we can't, because you're too heavy. And your recovery will be terrible if you don't lose some weight. And typically what I've understood, and what I've learned since then is every pound of weight you put carry on your frame is times three of pressure on your joints. So imagine when they operate on someone with a hip issue, and she weighs 315 pounds like me, you're putting about 1000 pounds of pressure on that brand new joint. Right? Right. So I could see where they were going with that. So the aha moment there always says a rock, you hit rock bottom. For me it was when I walked in, and she looked at me and she said, Louisa, last year, I sent you away to lose 20 pounds. You just gained 15 this year, what the heck are you doing? And every year I would walk away saying I'm gonna go on a diet. Yes, make that a point with the dietitian with the nutritionist. I'm going to do everything she tells me to do, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I would do it for a little bit. But I would give up, fail, self sabotage all that stuff. And so that was my aha moment when she said to me, You are now a diabetic. I've warned you. You've been pre buy pre diabetic for a couple of years now. You are going on Metformin. And I had seen what diabetes does, because it is quite rampant in my family. And my husband's, my husband is a fellow type two diabetic just like me, my father and my late father in law and my late father, both had type two diabetes, and it shortened their lives. And with that kind of disease, you start on one type of medication, which typically is Metformin, and there's a couple of others. But you end up graduating and you end up at end of life pretty well taking a cocktail of pills. I've seen this chronic disease. So that's not what I wanted for myself.

-  7:56 
Well, and especially because, and this is me totally reading into your social media, you and your husband, there's just so much love there and you want every minute of that you can squeeze in like you don't want to miss a second of that.

-  8:13 
No, we were on our way to an early shortening of life. He he weighed 267 pounds, something like that. And he he so I've lost so since then, we'll talk about what I did to turn my life around. Yep, reverse my type two diabetes, by the way, I am on no medications. And this year, I kind of asked my doctor I said hey, am I still kind of classified as a type two diabetic or what? She said, You know what? No, you've cured yourself. And you know what brings tears to my eyes. She said to me, you have you have taught me and this is a reputable Doctor Who is operating out of our top hospital here in Toronto, Canada, Mount Sinai, a very well known reputable hospital, to hear a physician tell me that I've taught her something Sure. powerful, very, to know. And so with my husband who's got his own story to tell his kidney function was starting to fall, typically diabetic start to lose 1% of their kidney function. Because if you hit 15%, you're going on dialysis for the rest of your life. And I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Right? My husband. He's lost 77 pounds. But more importantly, he was losing 1% a month, not 1% a year. But 1% a month for the diabetics listening. They know what I'm talking about. We turned it around. We regenerated his kidney. It went up by 14 points. Wow. So what's possible is under Standing big, you know, because when we go into our physical like doctors, nurses are not on the medical professionals, it's easier for them to say, here's a pill, take the pill, you can eat whatever you keep going, keep eating what you want, because the pill, the the medicine is just allowing you to eat something for type two diabetics in particular. So allowing you to eat something you're actually allergic to, that's the simplest way I can put it. Right? certain foods really spike our sugars, even in normal people, right? Sure. Someone who doesn't have type two diabetes. And and so it's the medicine is just allowing you to eat something you really, really should not eat. Right? It's just easier. It's easier. Right? Right. So you know, that's my story. I'm proud of my husband, by the way, my husband was forced into the program.

-  10:53 
Because you're probably the one who cooks in your house.

-  10:55 
Yeah, well, you know, my program is called my way of eating, which can be your way of eating. My way of eating. People can actually claim as you know, theirs. They can also say it's my way of eating. Right, right. But with my husband, he watched me the first couple of years. So when I finally had that aha moment, I furiously went home that day crying, saying I did it to myself, I know better. And now I got to take these pills for the rest of my life, because that's what usually made to understand that it's not reversible that you've got to get no, so I went home, and I just started to Google. This is eight years ago. Hmm, how do I reverse? Is it possible to reverse diabetes? Do I have to take this medicine for the rest of my life? What can I do to not be a diabetic? You know, thank God for the internet. Right? Right. And what starts popping up is the correlation between the amount of sugar slash carbs you eat, and how it impacts your blood sugar. Right? It's telling me I got to give up foods I've grown up with these are addicted to these are foods I love. These are foods that soothes me. They're foods that comfort me, so I was like, Hell no, let me take my pill. But the hip pain was getting really bad. I really needed that surgery, and I wasn't and I did follow the dietitians method. But didn't work for me. Didn't work. You know, it was Oh, yes. Don't have two slices of whole wheat bread. Have one and use like margarine. Low fat margarine. Never heard of fat being low fat, but I'll explain that later. Kind of weird. And it's not possible. So that didn't work. And so again, I went back to the Internet, and I thought, let me try it. Let me see if I can do this. Let me see. Because my life is at risk, right? I'm on pills, and I need hip surgery. So the first year I dumped 50 pounds. Wow. But 50 pounds. So we're like,

-  12:59 
just a few of the things you did in that first year. I mean, I'm sure you did a ton of things in that first year.

-  13:06 
Or two or three. Well, what I did was, I started to say to myself, you need this hip surgery, you're in pain. Is that doughnut really worth it? Is it plus that donut is really effing up your blood sugars right? Yeah, I was testing you know when you're a diabetic they give you a little needle thing and you prick your finger you gotta check your blood sugar and you know I was always tired there's always so lethargic I had no energy you know because the carb cycle and most of us know this you know, you eat a delightful meal of pasta with a lovely tomato sauce or maybe some white clam sauce or wine sauce and you have some garlic bread with that delicious I mean the dopa mind that good that's going off in your brain it's like a fourth of July fireworks going on.

-  14:00 
I'm right there, let's party.

-  14:03 
So it's a party. But when you put as a type two diabetic when you prick your finger Sure, it isn't fireworks you're getting

-  14:12 
to see the evidence of right so cause and effect

-  14:16 
if you do and you know and so and even my husband his blood sugar's were just totally out of whack. And that's why his you know, his kidney was just failing. It's such a, such a rapid rate. So, you know, I just started to to change my mindset, you know, it is all about it. What's up in your, you know, in follow up here, by the way for listeners, I'm pointing to

-  14:36 
my head. Yeah, and I because this is such an important point. When we talk about chronic health conditions, and that it is one of these situations were taking care of our physical health, the outward care that we give to our body, whether it's the choices we're making in our food, the water that we're drinking, King whether I'm getting up and getting showered and dressed and feeling like I have clean clothes, like the outward care of our body needs to be matched with the mindset work, I can do one or the other, I mean, you can just do one or the other and not really get the results that you're hoping for. But both need to go hand in hand. And so I love that especially as you're talking about this aha moment and in that first year when you lost that first chunk of weight that mindset was so at the core of that and I think that some of us are so afraid to go to the mindset piece really authentically because yes, that's where fear resides, that's where our self worth resides. That's where our beating ourselves up I did it all myself resides. And we got a real Look at that. And that that's hard. That's scary. That's all of those things. And you know, finally if unhappy, I say happiness is not about Happy birthday happy all the time. It's about all emotions are welcome. And being nearly Yes, look at that stuff in that first year. So brave, so courageous. The pain inspired you to go there, the knowing that this right, so I just share a little bit more about that mindset.

-  16:29 
Yes, so you know, what, what, what people have to understand is that we have two sides to our which way our mindset can go, we have the very strong egoic self, which is that the ego is telling us to eat that bagel, eat those six slices of pizza, eat another slice of lasagna, and, and the intuitive the intuitive self, is the one that cares about us that the intuitive self is quieter, though, and it's, I won't say weaker, but it's so gentle and kind to ourselves, that it is not strong enough at times to battle that egoic self. The ego wants instant gratification, it wants dopamine firing off in its it wants, it wants what it wants. And it torpedoes any attempt by the softer, inner intuitive self, to you know, it just torpedoes it and and, you know, many a time, and I know that many people who may be listening and maybe trying and I hate the word diet, but I'll say it, they may have been they're trying diets. So get rid of that word, I'll tell you why. And this is the ego and the intuitive side already being affected by just the word diet. Diet means a temporary solution, because I used to go on diets. And then I would go off a diet, you are already setting yourself up for failure. If you say you're going on a diet, because at some point you're getting off, right? You go on a merry go round, you get off the merry go round, you're not going to go on it forever, right? So let's first of all say that I had to get over that word diet. I do not use it. I do not like it. And when people come to me and say I want to try your diet, I say Oh, then you're well then you're setting yourself up for failure. Because this is not a diet. This is not a diet. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Right? This is my way of eating. That's right, which you know, I'm eating right now, which was your way of eating? It is not. I will not work with people who are coming for a temporary diet. I won't because you are setting yourself up for failure. And I won't be able to help you. Right. Right. So you know I really had to dig deep deep deep deep deep deep and I fell victim Hey, I meet yours in Let me tell you Shannon by phone I fall for my egoic little that that strong voice sometimes when I fall it gets ugly. Yeah, I'm like I'm like an alcoholic or, or a drug addict just guzzling that 40 ounce you down my throat like there's no tomorrow. Right? You know, as a matter of fact, sugar slash carb addiction is as strong as if not stronger than any other addiction on this like sugar and carbs are the most addictive substance on this planet. Right? I'm not joking.

-  19:34 
No. And I think i think that you know, a alcohol is primarily sugar. And I think that for those who are sugar and other addiction, I think one of the most challenging things about food sugar addiction, is that it is something that you have to open up two or three times a day if you're going to eat how See, right? Like, yeah, alcohol or drugs or gambling or right, those can go away and you can live your life just fine without them. Yeah. But you have to eat. And so you have to open this Pandora's box and all of the emotional mindset, you know, minefields that go with it multiple times a day. And so, you know, I, I would always encourage somebody to go with a guide into that minefield when you can, like yourself, or someone who has experience in those minefields. But it is such a challenging addiction, because you do have to face it. You have to open that Pandora's Box multiple times a day.

-  20:52 
Well, by if I may actually add to that so I am I'll tell you what it's like in my house because not everybody eats so look, I have young young, you know, I have teens, I have a teen and a teenage while they're both in their 20s now 20 and 23. I've also got my mum who lives with us. And so I have to be around food that will impact my blood sugar and harming and I am I call myself a recovering alcoholic who is a bartender. serving alcohol. Right now. Can you make a Can you make me those delicious mashed potatoes You always make for me or Mom, can you make me a burger and fries? I am making that food that I could fall prey to.

-  21:36 
That's tremendous. Okay, you

-  21:38 
guys do more? I do s and conquer that most of the time.

-  21:45 
It's been cutting.

-  21:46 
Yeah, you know, it's tough, but I am cooking food. I sit there, I will sit there and watch them eat lasagna, mashed potato. You know, all these foods that have sugar in them

-  21:59 
right? Now, how long did it take you to get to the point where you could make those foods and it's not a mental gymnastics, painful struggle.

-  22:10 
Okay, so I toyed with myself the whole first year I experimented with this way of eating because, you know, I designed a program that you eat till you're full, he as much as you want from my list, I developed a list of foods that will satiate you, you will not feel hunger from these foods, right. And so I designed it in such a way as to use myself as an experiment where it you know, where I just ate and ate and ate too, I was full. Now the natural evolution with this way of eating is that once you remove the, I call them toxic foods. And it's not just for type two diabetics, because this creates, this will have anyone who goes on this program loses weight. It also resolves. it resolves fatty liver, it resolves acid reflux it result there are so many things, once you remove sugar from your life. So many things start to get fixed in our body. So many things.

-  23:14 
And that's one of the reasons why I felt like it was so valuable for you to share on finally F and happy because the food piece isn't just about diabetes. I've had several guests where we've talked a lot about anti inflammation. And yeah, I don't have diabetes, but I know that through my journey, that when I am eating the way that I eat, which includes no sugar, no processed carbs, a lot of water. Yeah. And that my inflammation, and you can track it through my liver numbers and my blood numbers. You know, those of us who have chronic conditions get blood draws on a regular basis. So I know what my liver numbers look like, all the time, pretty much. But you can see a direct correlation between it and so. And things were, you know, I had a little pain here or what that all goes away when I am eating clean when I'm eating the way that is right. And so the last couple of weeks, I took my youngest to school and so for the first time in 27 years, I don't have any kids in my house and I am telling you I have been like a petulant two year old throwing a party. I mean, I ordered an Oreo milkshake. The Oreo, I didn't need shakes before but I was like, I can order. I'm a grown up I can do whatever I want. But man do I pay for it, man do I pay for it now the mindset pieces I beat myself up a lot less. And in some cases, I don't beat myself up at all because it's like, Okay, that was a choice and you get that choice. And now, you know, it was fun, and I enjoyed it and then when it's over, and that's great, just like when you go on vacation or something like that. But this way of your way of eating my way of eating is so much more than just about diabetes. It impacts everything in our lives.

-  25:28 
Listen, I have current clients who within months, you know, one of them have had to have a serious operation, acid reflux, she would have had to have a valve put in and replaced every 10 years. Within two months of joining the my way of eating program, she went in to see her doctor and her doctor said, You know what, we don't need the surgery anymore. Keep doing what you're doing. I have another client who within a couple of months, I was told by her doctor, I'm taking you off a couple of pills. It's great. And my own story. My own story is within the first six months of pricking my finger and changing what I how I age, the inflammation came down. And you know, Shannon, I used to wear very thick bracelets and I never wore skirts because the inflammation was so evident throughout my body. I didn't have risks, I did not have a feminine form to me. My middle was the biggest part of me. So the middle jetted out way beyond my hips and chest area. And I've lost Okay, I've lost 14 inches off my waist. I have lost and the ankles actually began to shape into a feminine form. I had cankles my wrists The reason I covered it up with all these huge thick bangles is because I had no risks it was you know that even a bracelet one of those ones you have to clip on would dig into the inflaming in the bloating, right. So, you know, I mean, it was just I experimented with myself, I experimented with how many carbs I could tolerate. I continue to lose weight. I'm like a scientist. Now. I have lived and breathed this for eight years, every minute every second of my day when I'm not at my day job I have spent researching reading the side of my bed has six a pile of books and I always have about five or six books on the go at the same time.

-  27:25 
I'm into design to happiness and you're into the science. Hi Kids these numbers down and I'm like you I'm just Yes, I love it. No five or six books go in

-  27:34 
at once. Doesn't it make you so unhappy? It does.

-  27:37 
It makes me so effing happy. I just I do and I've fought so hard for it. You fought hard for it too, and we deserve to enjoy every good minute of it. Okay, so I want to ask you, what do you say to the person who says but I love lasagna. I it is our traditional Christmas family meal. I'm not going to not have lasagna for our traditional Christmas family meal. Or they say I love bread. I love bread. I gotta have bread. What What do you say?

-  28:08 
Here's what I say. And you're talking to somebody who grew up Italian Canadian. You know, there's a picture of me, one of the worst pictures I've ever found. And it's after I have indulged, it's Christmas dinner. I've had three pieces of lasagna. I'm in a carb coma. Yeah, I'm past. I think my daughter took that picture of me. But I am apps My head's forward I'm slumped over in a in a couch on a couch like one of those armchairs and I Ay, ay. and you can see the bloating, the disease, I see it in that picture. You know, and of course on top of the three slices of lasagna, and just to sort of just didactic just steer a little bit the direction a different way. I remember my mother in law saying another piece of lasagna, that's your third one. And you're having a cannoli tune now. Oh, you just have two rice balls and some potatoes roasted with the lamb. Right? Just so some

-  29:07 
people would do over beer or glass of wine, right? Like, yeah,

-  29:13 
yeah. So here's what I would say to someone. I too grew up with those foods. And those are the foods that got me into the situation that I was eight years ago, where I was feeling defeated. I was depressed. I was feeling like nothing I tried was going to work. I felt like defeated. It felt even few tile to attempt to address the issue. I was overwhelmed. I didn't know what to do. And what I would say is what is your health worth to you? What is your health worth to you in order to change your life and to bring magic into your life to trans Form yourself. To know that there's hope for you whatever ailment because it's not just type two diabetics that come to me. You know, there are people who have other severe fatty liver, etc. And that can be resolved within a couple of months, by the way, but I tell them, what is it worth for that one instance of gratification that you eat that piece of lasagna and you probably want another another piece because that's what I was like. And you know, I fall prey, you know, I come. You know, just recently, about a month ago, I went out with girlfriends for drinks and like nibbles. Right? And I did go, I know I've done great. And then I got home, and there was a box of Ortega tick, they had ordered in pizza, there were there were four slices leftover. I wasn't too happy with my family that day, okay. So I said, I put my hand on my heart, and I have some techniques that I use and teach others. And I put my hand over my heart, and I just said, just take 30 seconds, you know, right, take 30 seconds and just say, you know, I don't need that piece of pizza, I don't need it. I walked away, right, by under the pretense of getting a glass of water. So I did that three times, I circled that box of pizza with the fourth slices that were left over the fourth time.

-  31:19 
Oh my gosh, I hope you are enjoying this conversation as much as I am, we're gonna take a really quick break. And I'm going to share some of the happenings over a finally effin happy. And the first thing is, if you want to hang out some more, come join my free and private Facebook group. It's titled you guessed it finally, effing happy. And f ing is spelled e FF II n g. So go into Facebook, go to groups and search finally F and happy and there I will be. But if Facebook isn't your thing, and I know for a lot of people, it's not, I'm doing my email list. So you can stay current on upcoming workshops free events. And what I have planned for after the first of the year, which I'd been working so hard on, and I'm super excited about, but can't tell you too much about it yet. Third, I also want to let you know that I currently have two openings in my 30 or 90 day coaching program. It is really important to me as a happiness coach a life coach for kick ass women who live with chronic illness, to walk my talk. And so in managing my own bandwidth and energy, I take a very limited number of one to one clients. So we've been you have been feeling like your chronic condition keeps you from living your biggest life and maybe you've even given up on your dreams. Let's chat about it. Let's chat about how the accountability, the action, the encouragement of individual one on one coaching can transform that knowledge of what you know you need to do to feel good, but just can't find that time, motivation, focus whatever it is to turn that knowledge into action. Go to my website, finally, f unhappy.com. up in the top right hand corner, click book a call. And we can schedule 30 minutes to just chat about it and see if it's a good fit for you. And last but not least, I want to let you know when I'm so excited about this. Have you ever heard about Emotional Freedom Technique? or tapping? I can hear some of you now like Yeah, yeah, I know all about it. Well, here's the deal about tapping I came across tapping 20 years ago before the internet before it was sort of mainstreamed and there were apps and things you could listen to on insight timer or the tapping solution. And tapping along with the befriend your inner critic self empathy work that I teach are the two very tangible techniques that have literally allowed me to transform my inner dialogue from one being my biggest critic to being my biggest cheerleader, from one of constantly judging my emotions to empowering my soul. And the great news about EFT becoming more mainstream is that I'm in the process of becoming a certified EFT practitioner, which means I need to give away 50 free hours of EFT coaching free one on one coaching sessions that will include tapping or the emotional freedom techniques. So if you're interested, again go to my website, go to coaching and courses and underneath that click EFT and there'll be a big ol button to says get my free hour of EFT. Okay, I've talked long enough. Let's get back to the firecracker. The Wisdom Moroni.

-  34:51 
I said I just went su

-  34:56 
right as he right into the pizza right in

-  34:59 
there and I was Like, I was like, insane, like, it was like insanity, that you know how quickly those things went down my throat. I don't. And here's the terrible thing. And this is where the addiction part comes in. I didn't even enjoy the sensation, right? I couldn't, you know, I was in such a rush to reward myself what I thought was a reward. And there's, we live in an abundant world, there's an abundance of food around us. Why do people hoard money? Why do people hoard things? The fear of missing out the fear of not having it again? Do you know that I didn't even enjoy those four slices? I ate them so fast. I just wanted them. Like, my ego was like, eat them all. So I would say to that person, what is what was it worth? For me or you if you were in that same situation?

-  35:55 
And I think the like you said, you have these techniques that you share with people, you put your hands on your heart, you share some breaths, but that piece of that so important around? Yeah, what am I What am I? What am I hoping to get out of these four slices of pizza? Like, what? What am I hoping to get? And I know for me, in those moments, when I'm making choices around foods consistently, it's one thing when it's a one off, and I really keep it in that time and space, and then I can move on. But when I go a couple of days with making bad food choices, which inevitably lands me in a migraine headache,

-  36:35 
oh, and you know it Don't you know, you know what, the consequences are absolutely.

-  36:40 
Still not enough to motivate me to stop usually in the moment. But when I go through this process of what, what is it that I'm hoping to get out of this? I'm usually hoping to get some fun, some comfort, a little bit of the devilish, like, getting away with something. Right? And so if I stop, and you know, I have this self empathy process that I walk women through, if I stop, and I go, is this really going to give me that? invariably, it actually isn't giving me the things that I want it to give me. And when I can pause long enough, and that's the challenge to your point. 30 seconds. Pause long enough. Yeah, connect to this isn't going to meet that need. Yeah. What's another way that I can genuinely meet that need? Yeah, and then go do that. It is always more rewarding, always more fulfilling and 99% of the time healthier as well, because that's what does really meet and fill that need. Yeah. So okay, here's my next question. My next question is, you talked about that hopelessness. Yeah. And it is such a, you know, I think hopelessness and isolation, that feeling like my case is different. Nothing is ever going to work for me. Right? How do you support women around that feeling of hopelessness,

-  38:21 
right. So, you know, I just finished actually a seven day free retreat, you know, last week and I and I got some new clients from that. You know, what I always ask, I always send out a survey post retreat. And I always ask for feedback. And it made me cry, because some of the well, one woman in particular commented and said, You've given me hope. You've put you've put meaning, again, for me in the word hope. I'm very grateful. I'm very frank and honest of my experience, where I tell them that I fall I will I went on last night, I have an accountability session with my current clients. We we meet, by the way the program offers. We have three touch points in my program. We meet for an hour midweek. Well, yesterday, Tuesday, we meet for an hour. But here's the thing. The weekends are the toughest because we have routine Monday to Friday, right? So what I, I was I started out just doing that one hour of accountability. But now what I've changed my program is you always have to tweak and pivot. I have a 15 minutes touch point at for 15 minutes on Friday, going into the weekend. So we can strategize. And I give hope to them that they can get through that weekend,

-  39:40 
right? Just one weekend.

-  39:43 
We take it one weekend at a time. Listen, people will come and say I need to lose 100 pounds. Well, it didn't take you one day to put it on. It ain't gonna take one day to take it off. That we're gonna have to effing really, really understand that this is going to be a steady and slow lifestyle change, right? And again, if people want quick fixes, then go join another program,

-  40:08 
right? Same if you want a quick fix, I'm not your girl now.

-  40:11 
So you know, we have a touch point on Fridays going into the weekend. And then we have a quick one on Monday when we come out. And then Tuesday is the one hour session. So the three times

-  40:24 
the one those are all live and in person. Yes. Well, their zoom, zoom. Yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously. Yeah. That's awesome. That's great. That is such a huge amount of support.

-  40:36 
Well, and so the hope what I give people is endless. And I'm very frank, I confess to them yesterday, I said, I fell, I fell. I fell on Sat. It's that darn kitchen counter where everybody leaves the stuff that I don't think is good for me. Right? Right. So we all confess, you know, and it's funny, but one of my clients, you know, we're Facebook friends. And her she was taken out for a special occasion. And there she was making, I think it was some sort of pasta dish and making cannoli. And, and I was like, hey, it looks like you're having fun. I was playing with her. Because in the accountability, I said, you have a little heart attack there. Do you think I was the car police? Right, right. And, and she said, No, because I give I also give my clients freedom of judgment. Sure. I'm right there with them, if enough time to write. And I lead with gentleness and kindness.

-  41:35 
And ultimately, what we need to be giving to ourselves to is that gentleness and kindness.

-  41:40 
When when someone stumbles, it's like, Don't beat yourself up. Don't beat yourself up. So hey, right, because you're tomorrow's another day. Right? Right.

-  41:51 
It is just the thing don't give up just keep going. Just keep trying and even if you get halfway into your day, I had this recently again, as I'm sort of recalibrating my routines for the first time having no children in the house for 27 years. And I had just, I had had zero water I had made horrible morning routine choices. And it was about midday and I was like okay, well we're just gonna restart the day right now. That's it though I had a bad morning I don't have to have a bad day. So let's have a good afternoon and then maybe a really shitty evening but let's just have a good afternoon like I broke it down into four hour chunks and just giving yourself that permission to not give up and restart whenever you need to is so powerful

-  42:39 
you know what and that's why it's like oh, I want to start on the first of the month well what will start tomorrow? Because it's the procrastination there's all kinds of emotions tied into this right? By had even a penny for every night by the way. I think every night of my entire life. I would lay me down on my pillow and say tomorrow okay, I've I've packed my my bread my healthy breakfast I've packed my healthy lunch my snack, I'm gonna diet out Monday I'm starting I'm all ready to go by 10 o'clock I was already I had over the next day already torpedoed everything. I'd already eaten my breakfast snack and lunch by 10 o'clock.

-  43:18 
I love your use of the word torpedo. It's my fave it's so true and it's exactly what it feels like.

-  43:28 
Yeah, and then you know the problem is I did not have at that time the ability to reset myself right there at 10 o'clock, right? You know what I would say to myself Well, I screwed up my day. I screwed up my week I screwed up my month I screwed up my year

-  43:41 
I screwed up my wife so here we go.

-  43:44 
So then I would run downstairs and I would say to my co worker who I was embarrassed to let her know that you know I was gonna go eat again after she saw me with down breakfast, lunch and everything. And I took out go run an errand and then I drive myself to a Burger King or McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken or, and I would just wolf down burger after burger. fries milkshake, killing myself basically committing some sort of swell suicide. suicide.

-  44:09 
Yeah, yeah.

-  44:11 
Yeah. You know, and the embarrassing part was that I was hungry again, but a couple hours later, right? Right. So it was a vicious cycle. And so that's why I bring compassion, I bring gentleness, because what they get with me is kind of someone who's walked in their shoes, sure know, what goes on in your head, that big struggle between the ego and that softer, intuitive self. And bringing up that intuitive self and giving it power. And giving it like

-  44:44 
a voice, giving it a stage so that it can be heard giving it the microphone so it can be heard. And, you know, I think one of the things that I love about your work as well is that it's not just about what I can't have mean you don't like our good friend Namah says, you know she doesn't suffer to eat healthy, she makes incredibly tasty food, you make incredibly tasty food I have DMD you for many of your recipes. And so, you know, go follow Louisa on Instagram and Facebook wherever she is because they're, I don't suffer to eat healthy, I eat delicious, just as delicious as that lasagna just as delicious as that loaf of bread, if not rubbish though, eating things that are nourishing, nurturing, and healthy.

-  45:44 
Well, and just to go back to when you asked me about because I didn't fully answer, and it segues nicely into what you said. But you would ask me, What do I tell someone who likes lasagna? Well, I've got an alternative and and I always have options, right? Oh, I love mashed potatoes, no problem, I've got the I've got an alternative. That's way lower carb, way lower one medium potato and we make we make mashed potatoes with way more than one potato. One medium potato has 33 grams of sugar. So I will give you the alternative to make mashed potatoes that will reduce that down to like two carbs per serving. That's awesome, right? So I offer recipes I offer support. I my meal plan. I'm sorry, my way of eating and the entire program is based on let's get you off the addictions you have. Let's you always live with them, though. Sure, like addiction, I'm not going to solve you, you're never going to not have that addiction. But you're going to learn how to mitigate. When you when you fall under the spell of that addiction. You're going to learn to love yourself more and to want a better lifestyle than to fall prey for that quick and instant gratifying bite of whatever it is that's going to hurt you or inflame you or you or whatnot. Right, right? I mean for example, right now, I'm having my bulletproof coffee, which as a gift to your listeners, I will forward to you and you can share it with them. But Bulletproof Coffee is it contains healthy fats in it so it's a coffee that I blend in a blender with turmeric, black pepper, you can add collagen if you don't like turmeric, but I put a hefty amount of good fat which is butter, heavy cream, coconut oil, coconut cream, because what I've learnt to and what most of the folks in my program learn is that fat, good fat, you know there's this misconception too because I, I basically follow a keto low carb lifestyle. But I also help others whatever lifestyle they want to follow, I help them with a focus always on reducing those effing carbs, right. It's a lowering of the amount of carbs we eat. Right? And so I will give that as a gift to your listeners the bulletproof coffee, but what people learn is that fat satiate and keeps us fuller longer. Fat keeps us focused longer for it keeps us full longer. Whereas carbs, they artificially make us feel full because you know that bloating feeling of all after you've eaten a big bowl of pasta to bagels or whatnot. Right? But that goes away pretty quickly, right? Because the body burns through that sugar. It's a Yeah, it's having a party inside. Whoo. But then what remember that you know, everybody deals with that's the spike and then the boom, yep, you drop. Right? Your bodies consume that sugar. And the extra By the way, gets packed on his fat. Eating fat eating good fat and that misconception with with certain lifestyles is that Oh, you're eating too much fat. Oh my god. No, you're eating good fat, right? You're eating coconut cream and coconut oil and olive oil and butter. And it's almost like going back to a natural way of eating. We typically just eat one ingredient foods. You know why we're having the bloating and a lot of these chronic diseases. It's that process stuff that right? our lifestyle easier, isn't it easier to just pop a bagel into the toaster? Isn't it easier to both to just pour a bowl of milk into some cereal than to a piece of chicken with a nice

-  49:33 
title and I know that for me that the convenience piece is really I've been able to identify for me convenience is the number one stumbling block for me. And so I have built in strategies that don't address like near you go foods or right that really just address the convenience piece because mindset is so important and self worth is so important, but actually need to spend less time feeling worthy and more time just building in less convenient structures so that it is available at my fingertips it is actually in the cupboard. I do have things sort of slightly prepped for this or that, so that I can make those choices quickly. And I really think that that is the great news about so many opportunities and options that are out there today is that we have learned to mainstream some of those conveniences around healthier foods.

-  50:35 
Well, and the thing is to that I make it very I make something difficult, easier. Yeah. Right. I mean, I have clients who don't cook for themselves, right. And yet, they are meeting with success, because I customized the meal plans, I get to know the person who's joining my program. So with me, you're not getting a clinician in a white lab coat who has seen one after another, you know, you're getting someone who will customize your new lifestyle, help you over the hiccups. And really take into consideration how you live, if you don't cook, no problem, I'm going to give you the strategies to continue to be able to eat the foods that that are going to help you get to where you want to go. And I'll tell you right now, Shannon, most days because I still struggle with my addiction to you know, food. Most days, what I can tell at offer your listeners is freedom. Freedom,

-  51:34 
well and I was just gonna ask you sort of one final question before asking you where everyone can find you, which is, you know, this community because it is you you know what it's like to live with a chronic condition and say, I am not going to let this define my life, it will forever be part of my story. And I've come to deep acceptance about that, but I am not going to let it define my life because I want to live my life. And what would that if you could share one thing with her? What would you share and I you know that peace around freedom is so powerful, so powerful.

-  52:16 
You know, I'll tell you this, I remember when I had to use a cane, and I was terribly embarrassed to let people see me using a cane. And I'm a hockey mom. So you know, taking my son to hockey, uh, to arenas to drop them off and then go inside, have a coffee chat with other parents. So when I became very broken and very heavy, and my, you know, God bless my husband, but he would sit in the car, and he would say, Okay, I know you don't want to walk in with a cane. So give me your arm, we'll walk in together, I'm going to start crying. Because he would say to me, just give me a little signal, like touch your ear lobe if you have to go to the bathroom, right? And I'll bring you there. And I just want people to know that I felt very hopeless at that time. I couldn't get the surgery I needed because I was effing of my own. I had to make a lifestyle change. And I couldn't get that weight off. I was actually as I told you earlier, I would go into the doctor's office and I'd gained you know, 1520 pounds that year. So I was broken. I, I didn't want people to see me using a cane, my husband would have to escort me to the bathroom. And I know that there's people that feel as defeated and III felt as ashamed as I felt at that point. And I want to inspire them with my story. I want them to understand that I pinched myself up and I'll pick you up and I'll hug you and I'll effing make sure that you are going to meet with success if you join my way of eating because I've walked it I have walked it. I walk alongside all of my clients all of the people that have gone through the program because I was there right and I

-  54:04 
yeah, regardless of what you are battling and what you're fighting both Louisa and I are here as evidence that there is hope we promise there is hope it takes work yes there is hope to finally F and be happy there really is and to finally F and be free and still live with whatever it is that you live with. We're right there's we're both straight shooters here. We're not going to pretend like it doesn't exist. We live deeply in reality, but that there is hope there is always hope. The hope

-  54:43 
is there because I couldn't move. I mean, you know when I start my seven day retreats, I play music beforehand, you know, and and some of the all of the songs are very meaningful. So you know, I think day three, I play the rocky the rocky song And then john Elton John's I'm still standing right? Love it I, I give hope to people who have given up. I do have clients, I was actually diagnosed also as obese. Not only was I a type two diabetic, with an arthritic hip that needed surgery, but I was categorized as obese. So I had a lot going on there. Right, right. And I had given up hope on myself, I had given hope. And I didn't see it for myself, I just thought, I'm going to go the way of my father and father in law, I'm going to keep adding pills to my little cocktail here, I'm going to end up on insulin, maybe when I'm, you know, in my, when I get older, I'll end up on dialysis I had given up on myself. I had so I know what it's like to give up on yourself. I know what it's like. And just by my sheer, like, the energy I have now, you know, so just I was just talking to a client who signed on Monday as a result of my retreat. She said, I feel the power from you. Through zoom. She's not even she's in Indonesia somewhere. But she said, I feel it and you're lifting me up. You are lifting me up. You're giving me the inspiration and the motivation to do this. You know, it's just hope. There is. Yes, there is so much hope. People if you're listening to this podcast, there is effing hope. Don't give up on yourself. You're going to have an effing amazing life. Just step forward into your life and make those changes that are just they bring magic. I'm telling salute

-  56:44 
magic, absolute magic. Well, Louisa where Can everybody find you? Where should they follow you? Where should they find you?

-  56:52 
Yes. Okay. Well, first of all, lb So, I'm on Facebook. I have a free group where I interact a couple of times a week it's called my way of eating dot dot dot. Your way of eating that's the Facebook group love it can be found on tik tok, I sort of dip my toe into tik tok a couple of my my videos have gone viral. And that's act m way of eating. Somebody stole the Why?

-  57:24 
I love it and way of eating.

-  57:27 
It's at Amway. And that's the same handle I use on Instagram. Excellent. People can reach out to me of course on Facebook, it's Louisa Liu, I say no Oh, in my name, l you say m o r r o n e, you can reach out friend me, friend me. And for those that want that recipe, I asked that they reach out to me and I will send them directly the copy so that they get it right into their hands. The Bulletproof Coffee is amazing. It gives me brain clarity, all kinds of benefits to drinking it in the morning. The turmeric also helps with bloating and inflammation. And Shannon, we were chatting earlier you said you actually use turmeric. So

-  58:09 
I use tumeric. And I use the bulletproof coffee recipe. I don't use it every day, but I probably make it about once a week. Because my big downfall is not actually sugar. My big downfall is coffee, I would drink I mean, I would drink coffee, that's the only liquid I would drink if given the choice.

-  58:29 
With tea or even just water, you don't need to put the coffee in there, by the way, but try that. Really hope that your your listeners, you know, reach out. And there's many times when people have come to my retreats or watch me for quite some time. And they reach out. And I'll say, Okay, let's meet and then they don't respond tonight. I understand that. I also have compassion for that. Because, you know, times, I called a program that many of these properties or programs and then when they call, I would hang up, I wouldn't even leave a message. And then they would call me back saying oh, you call Are you interested in losing weight? And I would like I get it wasn't me. I don't know. No, was my kid.

-  59:13 
Now it's fine. It is a scary commitment. When you actually do reach out and say I'm, I think maybe I might be willing to get some help. Like that's just enough to stick your big toe in the door and get it started.

-  59:33 
And I'm very gentle because there are people who, you know, got in touch with me early in the year. And then they didn't respond. I said, Sure. Let's jump on a call, let's talk right and they don't respond for months. And I give them the space they need. Right? And then eventually because they've been watching my videos or following me, then something clicks inside. It does, but it has to come from your listeners they need to make that decision. Not make sure I'm here. I'm here. I will always welcome new clients I will always engage with anybody who wants to talk to me. But ultimately the decision lies within you.

-  1:00:14 
Dear listener, true very, very true. Yeah my friend on that note, what a delight to get to spend this hour with you. It is always such a gift and such a treasure. I know we're both holding up heart lines for those of you who are listening, and all of that information will be in the show notes so you can find luisana Easy peasy all of my information is in the show notes so you can find me Easy peasy. But most importantly, don't give up on yourself and know that both Louisa and I are here to help you on your journey to freedom. And finally, Effing Happy.

-  1:00:53 
Oh, am I ever effing happy I dance I sing I I run I you know, I just oh my gosh.

-  1:01:03 
I love it. I absolutely love it. Wow, wow, wow, I just love today's interview. And I am so appreciative from the very bottom of my heart that you were here. As always, I need to remind you that nothing on this podcast said by either myself or any of my guests is meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. And any specific medical advice for your chronic condition should be addressed to and received from your professional medical team. Now with that out of the way, can I ask you a favor? If there was something that you heard on today's episode, maybe a spark of hope for some practical tangible piece of information? Maybe you're gonna dm Louisa for her coffee recipe? Will you do me a favor? Will you please drop a comment and Apple podcast because that's how more women can find Finally Effing Happy and these nuggets of hope and happiness. Or better yet, take a screenshot of this episode, and share it on your favorite social media on Instagram or Facebook and tag me and I'll tag you back. And if you want to hang out some more, come join me in my free and private Facebook group. You can join it at bit.ly/finallyeffinghappygroup. But if Facebook isn't your jam, come join the email list. And you can join that at bit.ly/finallyeffinghappygroupemaillist. All of this information will be in the show notes. And just a reminder about the current happenings over at Finally Effing Happy. I have two spaces available in my individualized one on one coaching programs. I have a 30 day package and 90 day package. And I'm also offering free Emotional Freedom Technique one hour, one on one coaching sessions. You can get all of that information on my website at finallyeffinghappy.com but most importantly, please be well and when all else fails, just remember, be kind to you today. Talk to you soon.