Hypnosis for Permanent Weight Loss

In this deeply reflective episode, Leslie sits down with Amy DiGrosa, transpersonal life coach, clinical hypnotherapist, and university professor, to explore menopause as a spiritual initiation, identity shifts in midlife, subconscious healing, and the powerful call of the Camino pilgrimage. This conversation goes far beyond hormones and symptoms. Together, Leslie and Amy unpack how menopause, empty nesting, weight struggles, and emotional overwhelm are often invitations to reconnect with purpose, intuition, and inner truth. They also explore how hypnosis, community, and embodied practices help women heal at the root rather than constantly trying to "fix" themselves. What you will learn from this episode: 00:00 – Why menopause often coincides with weight gain, confusion, and identity shifts 01:30 – Menopause as a spiritual transition, not just a biological one 03:00 – Moving from caregiver identity to asking "What about me?" 04:55 – Why managing symptoms alone is not enough during menopause 06:45 – Asking for help and releasing shame during life transitions 08:15 – Introduction to guest Amy DiGrosa and how she and Leslie met 10:30 – Amy's work as a university professor and leading international programs 11:45 – Walking the Camino and why pilgrimage is transformational 13:10 – Growing up between countries and learning adaptability early in life 15:00 – How constant change builds resilience and flexibility 17:10 – Learning languages, making mistakes, and releasing perfectionism 19:05 – Parallels between language learning and healing relationships with food 21:00 – Why adults struggle more with change than children 22:30 – Adaptability, resilience, and responding instead of reacting 24:10 – Amy's introduction to hypnosis through her own healing journey 26:00 – How subconscious beliefs form in childhood 28:00 – Trauma, belonging, and the body remembering everything 29:45 – Dieting as a mask for deeper emotional wounds 31:10 – Leslie's personal breakthrough: realizing food struggles were emotional, not behavioral 33:15 – Internal self-conflict and how self-criticism fuels food issues 35:00 – Emotional release as the turning point in healing 36:40 – Why conditional self-love keeps women stuck 38:10 – Healing through hypnosis, therapy, and embodied practices 40:00 – Why no single tool works for everyone 41:45 – Following curiosity and inner nudges instead of rigid plans 43:20 – Empty nesting, menopause, and spiritual awakening happening together 45:10 – Identity loss after motherhood and discovering "Who am I now?" 46:55 – Shifting from religious conditioning to spiritual self-connection 48:30 – Asking bigger life questions: purpose, meaning, and contribution 50:10 – Responding to life instead of reacting from old programming 51:50 – Seeing problems as invitations instead of obstacles 53:30 – Why women often carry too much without support 55:10 – Asking for help as strength, not weakness 56:40 – Menopause as a collective, shared experience for women 58:10 – Introduction to the Camino pilgrimage 59:45 – History and spiritual meaning of the Camino de Santiago 1:01:30 – Why people walk the Camino during major life crossroads 1:03:20 – Walking as a form of healing and embodiment 1:05:00 – Community, generosity, and connection on the Camino 1:07:10 – "Buen Camino" as a life philosophy 1:08:45 – Using future desires (like walking the Camino) as motivation for healing 1:10:20 – Invitation to explore a future Camino retreat 1:11:40 – How to connect with Amy and access her free resources 1:13:00 – Final reflections on listening to inner guidance and trusting your path This episode is especially powerful for women in perimenopause, menopause, or major life transitions who feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or stuck in cycles with food, weight, or self-doubt. Valuable Resources: Join my next LIVE masterclass Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food  Connect With Leslie Thornton: Book A Clarity Call Website Facebook LinkedIn Email: [email protected] 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!

Getting "back on track" with food and weight can feel exhausting especially when you know what to do, but can't seem to stay consistent. The food noise is loud, self-criticism creeps in, and the harder you try, the worse you feel. For many women, this cycle repeats again and again, leaving them frustrated and disconnected from themselves. In this episode, Leslie explains why lasting change doesn't come from forcing yourself back into a plan, but from examining who you are being. She shares how identity, emotional safety, self-relationship, and fear-based patterns silently shape eating behaviors, weight struggles, and self-trust. When you stay stuck in perfectionism, isolation, people-pleasing, or avoidance, getting back on track becomes impossible no matter how much willpower you use. You'll hear Leslie's personal journey through food addiction, bingeing, weight gain, and emotional rock bottom and how she discovered that food was never the real problem. Through emotional work, hypnosis, and identity shifts, she learned that permanent change begins when you stop fighting yourself and start creating an unconditionally supportive relationship with who you are becoming. When that shifts, food, weight, and consistency naturally follow. "Who you are being determines how you eat, how you feel, and whether lasting change is even possible. You don't get back on track by trying harder you get back on track by becoming someone new." – Leslie Thornton What you will learn from this episode: 00:05 – Why asking "Who are you being?" is the key to permanent change 01:11 – How identity directly impacts food noise, weight struggles, and self-trust 02:18 – Reflecting on past success: who you were being when things felt easy 03:44 – Why passion, obsession, and mission often fade and what that means 04:10 – Why desperation and forcing yourself back on track doesn't work 05:45 – How knowing what to do is different from being able to do it 06:48 – Signs that you're being asked to evolve instead of repeating the past 07:27 – Discovering that food addiction and food drama are not permanent 08:35 – Letting go of the belief that you'll always struggle with food 09:51 – A powerful moment that challenged the identity of being "addicted." 10:36 – The painful in-between phase: binging, weight gain, and confusion 11:45 – Why rock-bottom moments often lead to the biggest breakthroughs 13:27 – Uncovering harsh self-talk and how it fuels bingeing and shame 15:46 – Realizing the problem isn't food it's the relationship with yourself 16:44 – How conditional self-love keeps you stuck in perfectionism 17:53 – Why healing emotionally changes food, weight, and relationships 18:30 – How hypnosis supports rebuilding safety and self-trust 19:13 – Taking inventory of how you're being during stressful seasons 20:15 – Fear-based ways of being that block freedom and peace with food 22:14 – Why isolation, people-pleasing, and overthinking don't work 24:59 – Asking better questions to identify what's really keeping you stuck 26:48 – How awareness creates change only when followed by action 28:27 – Doing the opposite of the pattern that keeps you in the ditch 29:59 – Why action is required to meet the universe halfway 31:55 – The importance of being mission-driven, passionate, and supported 34:27 – How life transitions affect food and weight more than willpower 36:15 – Choosing hard conversations over a lifetime of feeling bad 38:18 – Why food and weight are symptoms, not the root problem 40:00 – Expecting success and believing you're meant to feel good 41:02 – Identifying the life area that's asking for your attention 42:55 – Final invitation: pick up your mat and take action todayValuable Resources: Join my next LIVE masterclass Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food  Connect With Leslie Thornton: Book A Clarity Call Website Facebook LinkedIn Email: [email protected] 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!

Why does comparison sneak in the moment you scroll, look around, or notice someone else's success? Why does jealousy feel uncomfortable, shameful, or like proof that you're behind? And why does it seem to hit hardest around food, body, confidence, and the life you wish you were living? Most people try to shut the comparison down, telling themselves they should just be more grateful or confident already. But pushing it away only deepens the frustration, because comparison isn't the real problem—it's a signal you don't know how to read yet. Appearances lie, social media edits reality, and without a stable sense of identity, it's easy to believe everyone else has figured it out. That belief quietly keeps you stuck, chasing quick fixes instead of lasting change.In this episode, you'll learn how to stop comparing yourself with others by understanding what jealousy is actually trying to show you. You'll discover how identity—not willpower or shortcuts—is the foundation of permanent freedom with food, body, and self-trust. Through coaching, Hypnosis, and the HEAL Method, you'll see how real transformation comes from rewiring who you believe yourself to be. When your identity shifts, comparison loses its grip—and you begin creating a life by your own design. "The great news is that we can actually learn to build a new identity and live an entirely different life by your design, as the result of you embarking upon coaching and rewiring through Hypnosis." - Leslie Thornton What you will learn from this episode: 02:15 - The importance of identity shifts for achieving permanent weight loss and that there is no quick fixes, just a long game 07:31 - The reality behind appearances [how they're indeed deceiving] 08:54 - Reframing jealousy and comparison as indicators of personal desires and potential for growth 10:15 - Coaching, Hypnosis, and becoming "Sally": Leslie's journey from food addiction to freedom 13:51 - The HEAL Method and the steps required for a complete identity shift 15:22 - Using Taylor Swift as an example of someone who has worked hard on herself to achieve freedom and happiness. 20:30 - The value of investing in coaching and education for personal growth 25:48 - How family upbringing shapes beliefs about food, body, and weight, and the need to question those beliefs 28:22 - How to create a new identity and life by your own design through coaching and Hypnosis and the importance of belief before results, consistent, positive choices and community support in achieving lasting change 32:34 - Freedom around food: Real-life example  35:03 - Taking action toward your goals and setting up for a transformative year Valuable Resources: Join my next LIVE masterclass Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food  Connect With Leslie Thornton: Book A Clarity Call Website Facebook LinkedIn Email: [email protected] 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!  

Food and weight quietly become the place where everything gets blamed—stress, loneliness, exhaustion, and disappointment. During the holidays especially, it can feel like if your body would just change, your life would finally feel lighter. The problem is, weight becomes the focus while happiness slowly disappears. Obsession creates a loop of stress, shame, and control that keeps food noise alive and well. Dieting from anxiety, resentment, or self-judgment only fuels cortisol, making weight loss feel harder the more you try. Even "healthy" habits can mask deep self-criticism, turning wellness into another way to prove you're not enough. Over time, the pursuit of control replaces the real desire—to feel alive, free, and at peace in your own body. This episode is a loving wake-up call to end food noise naturally by shifting the focus from weight to emotional and spiritual well-being. Leslie explains why happiness isn't the reward after weight loss—it's the requirement for it. Through personal stories, client experiences, and universal law perspectives, you'll see how acceptance, unconscious work, and repetition create lasting change. When you stop fighting yourself and start choosing joy, the noise fades, control loosens, and freedom becomes possible. "Weight loss is easy when you're happy. Weight loss is impossible when you're miserable. If you're depressed, if you're anxious, if you're angry, if you're resentful. If you have other stress going on. If you have other things in your life that aren't being handled, stop trying to make that what's going to happen, it doesn't happen from that energy. Got to get yourself happy first." - Leslie Thornton What you will learn from this episode: 01:26 - Emotional reflections on how everything is unconsciously blamed on weight, especially during the holidays 04:30 - Challenging the belief that weight is life's main problem and the impact of weight obsession 08:15 - Sharing personal experiences and client stories and making sense of the real cost of obsession  13:55 - The goal is to feel  alive over control 22:56 - Stress, cortisol, the dieting loop, the shame and motivation myths  32:19 - Happiness and how it relates to weight loss  35:15 - Revealing how health-consciousness can mask underlying shame and self-judgment and the need for deeper questions  39:13 - Sharing of spiritual and universal law perspectives on acceptance, shame, and transformation 43:48 - Describes the fun and fulfillment that come after overcoming food and weight obsession 45:04 - Taking the leap of faith  46:16 - The importance of unconscious work and repetition,  the true cost of obsession 48:38 - Spiritual awakening and the call for change  Valuable Resources: Join my next LIVE masterclass Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food  Connect With Leslie Thornton: Book A Clarity Call Website Facebook LinkedIn Email: [email protected] 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!