Hypnosis for Permanent Weight Loss

Uncertainty can make us feel like we need to regain control sometimes through food, dieting, tracking, or trying to "get back on track." In this episode of Hypnosis for Permanent Weight Loss, Leslie M. Thornton shares a vulnerable update about navigating a major season of uncertainty in her own life and what she is learning from being in the "in-between."
Leslie explores how life transitions, relationship challenges, financial changes, career uncertainty, and other circumstances can affect our relationship with food and weight. Rather than treating overeating as the root problem, she encourages listeners to look beneath the eating behavior and identify what may actually be creating the emotional discomfort.
She also discusses self-trust, surrendering the need to have all the answers, and allowing clarity to emerge instead of forcing decisions. Drawing from her own experience and the work she does with clients through hypnosis, NLP, and the HEAL method, Leslie explains why learning to sit with uncertainty can create greater happiness, freedom, inner peace, and a healthier relationship with food.
Highlighted Quote
"Eating is a false sense of control."
Key Topics & Timestamps
0:02 – 0:52 — Breaking the cycle of food and weight obsession and learning to create freedom and inner peace.
0:55 – 2:53 — Leslie shares a vulnerable personal update and explains how uncertainty is showing up in her life.
2:53 – 3:31 — Why uncertain periods can lead to bingeing, inconsistency, weight gain, and frustration and why eating may only be a symptom of a deeper issue.
3:35 – 5:21 — Stop waiting for the "right time" to prioritize yourself and break free from the start-over-Monday cycle.
5:25 – 7:42 — Identifying uncertainty beneath food and weight struggles, including career, relationships, finances, and major life changes.
7:42 – 9:01 — Leslie reflects on being goal-oriented, her achiever personality, and being pushed to ask deeper questions about what she truly wants.
9:01 – 10:45 — Lessons from Zero Limits about reaching "zero," creating from inspiration rather than the past, and learning to live in the question.
10:45 – 11:55 — How healing her relationship with food has allowed Leslie to navigate uncertainty without using food as a coping mechanism.
11:55 – 12:42 — Why we try to control our eating when life feels out of control and how food can create only a temporary sense of control.
12:42 – 13:21 — The importance of seeking support during transitions instead of trying to navigate everything alone.
13:28 – 14:17 — Learning a new way of processing uncertainty, making decisions, and developing deeper self-trust.
14:17 – 15:09 — Embracing the "in-between" and allowing uncertainty to create deeper alignment with your authentic self.
15:09 – 16:03 — Why getting support can help you move through difficult seasons without relying on numbing behaviors or shame.
16:10 – 17:09 — Food noise isn't a discipline problem: Leslie explains the subconscious and nervous-system patterns behind it and introduces her free hypnosis masterclass.
Connect With Leslie Thornton:

Book A Clarity Call
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!

What if confidence isn't something you need to feel before you take action, but something you build by doing the thing you're afraid to do? In this episode of Hypnosis for Permanent Weight Loss, Leslie M. Thornton sits down with confidence coach Morgan Barkus to explore how body image, perfectionism, fear of judgment, and all-or-nothing thinking can keep women stuck in patterns that affect their food, body, relationships, and everyday lives.
Morgan shares her personal journey from struggling with body dysmorphia and restrictive eating to discovering that confidence comes from how you see, trust, and carry yourself, not from a number on the scale or a clothing size. They discuss the power of challenging your fears, wearing what makes you feel good now, giving yourself grace, and replacing rigid rules with flexible, empowered choices. Morgan also explains how small actions, positive self-talk, coaching, and new experiences can help rewire the way you think about yourself.
Together, Leslie and Morgan explore what becomes possible when women stop treating food and exercise as a pass-or-fail test. From allowing yourself to eat foods you enjoy without guilt to learning through mistakes and trusting your body's signals, the conversation offers a powerful reminder that freedom comes from self-trust, not more rules. If you've ever felt trapped by perfectionism, worried about what other people think, or believed you have to be "perfect" to make progress, this episode shows you how much more life can open up when you let go.
Highlighted Quote
"Confidence is just like, you've done it, you've failed, you've learned. Now you trust yourself."
Key Topics & Timestamps
00:00 – 02:18 – Introduction to the mental exhaustion of food and weight obsession, and meeting confidence coach Morgan Barkus.
02:18 – 05:59 – Morgan's early experiences with confidence, moving across the country, and learning from her parents to trust her intuition and use her voice.
05:59 – 09:21 – Building confidence through small actions, getting outside your comfort zone, and learning that taking risks isn't as scary as your mind makes it seem.
09:21 – 12:48 – Body insecurity, body dysmorphia, unrealistic beauty standards, and Morgan's transformative experience discovering that confidence isn't determined by body size.
12:48 – 15:05 – How new experiences, travel, and exposure to different people and cultures can challenge limiting beliefs and change the way we see ourselves.
15:06 – 16:54 – Leslie's invitation to stop waiting for the "right time" and get support for breaking free from the start-over-Monday cycle.
16:54 – 20:38 – Letting go of body shame, wearing clothes that fit and feel good now, and giving yourself grace as your body naturally changes.
20:38 – 23:28 – Clearing out "aspiration clothes," finding confidence through what you wear, and learning to do your best without demanding perfection.
23:28 – 26:29 – Moving from black-and-white thinking to empowered choices, focusing on what you can control today, and breaking free from rigid diet mentality.
26:29 – 29:17 – Why 10 minutes of movement is better than doing nothing, overcoming all-or-nothing exercise thinking, and understanding the difference between perfectionism and integrity.
29:17 – 32:15 – Rewriting negative self-talk, using affirmations and journaling, and learning that you get to decide what you say to yourself.
32:15 – 34:53 – The importance of hunger for transformation, accountability, coaching, and knowing when to ask for help instead of trying to do everything alone.
34:53 – 38:07 – Why successful people seek mentors and coaches, and how confidence can grow in different areas of life through support and continued learning.
38:07 – 42:11 – Taking action before you feel ready, using solution-focused thinking, and working backward from the worst-case scenario to overcome fear.
42:11 – 45:15 – Facing your fears instead of avoiding them, normalizing difficult experiences, and discovering what can be learned from even the worst-case scenarios.
45:15 – 48:13 – Building self-trust by allowing yourself to make mistakes, removing food rules, and learning what actually works for your body.
48:13 – 51:30 – Moving beyond "good" and "bad" foods, understanding the difference between "I can't" and "I don't want to," and developing freedom around food.
51:30 – 54:20 – Why every woman's body and needs are different, listening to your body's signals, and finding an approach that feels satisfying and sustainable.
54:20 – 57:05 – The freedom that comes from letting go of food rules, enjoying life without guilt, and being present for meaningful experiences.
57:05 – 58:35 – Morgan's final message on living in full color, where to find her, and Leslie's closing invitation to quiet food noise and create a more peaceful relationship with food.
Connect With Leslie Thornton:

Book A Clarity Call
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!

What happens when the pursuit of perfection becomes a way to escape pain? In this deeply personal conversation, marriage proposal planner and photographer Ash Fox shares her journey through anorexia, bulimia, body image struggles, and the emotional wounds that fueled them. She opens up about growing up in a family where dieting and body shame spanned generations, how the fashion industry reinforced unhealthy beliefs, and the courage it took to begin healing.
Ash explains how recovery wasn't about finding another diet; it was about finding purpose, healthy relationships, and learning to release the need for control. Together, Leslie and Ash explore how boundaries, trauma, self-worth, and emotional regulation are often the hidden drivers behind food and weight struggles, and why lasting freedom comes from addressing the deeper emotional patterns rather than the symptoms.
The episode also highlights the transformative power of self-love, meaningful work, meditation, and supportive relationships. Whether you're battling food obsession, healing from past experiences, or searching for a more peaceful relationship with yourself, this conversation offers hope that true healing is possible.
Highlighted Quote
"What we're really chasing isn't the weight loss it's the dopamine, the feeling of control. Real healing begins when we learn to feel our emotions instead of controlling them."
Key Topics & Timestamps
00:00 – 02:40 – Food addiction, the "high" of weight loss, and why control becomes addictive
02:40 – 05:19 – Introducing guest Ash Fox and her unique career as a marriage proposal planner
05:19 – 10:17 – How Ash accidentally pioneered the proposal planning industry and built a purpose-driven business
10:17 – 12:28 – Memorable proposal stories and why Ash believes in celebrating healthy love
12:28 – 18:36 – Ash's family history with eating disorders and how generational patterns shaped her relationship with food and body image
18:36 – 21:55 – Leslie's invitation to ask anything: healing food addiction, travel, relationships, career, and life transformation (Sponsor/Community Invitation)
21:55 – 24:29 – Modeling pressure, perfectionism, trauma, and the development of bulimia
24:29 – 28:18 – Therapy, supportive relationships, and the first steps toward recovery
28:18 – 31:43 – Triggers, GLP-1 medications, body image, and the healing power of loving relationships
31:43 – 34:01 – Generational trauma, maternal influence, and reframing perfectionism
34:01 – 37:14 – The "high" of restriction, dopamine, control, and understanding eating disorders beyond food
37:14 – 42:57 – Emotional mastery, boundaries, finding purpose, and how meaningful work supports healing
42:57 – 47:13 – COVID, meditation, spirituality, and discovering identity beyond achievement and appearance
47:13 – 50:06 – Self-love, healthy relationships, proposal planning, final reflections, and Leslie's free hypnosis masterclass invitation
Connect With Leslie Thornton:
Book A Clarity Call

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!

What if the behaviors you're trying to change overeating, emotional eating, alcohol, or constant scrolling aren't the real problem, but symptoms of something much deeper? In this heartfelt conversation, Leslie welcomes recovery coach and entrepreneur Danny Sumner to explore how shame, trauma, and unresolved emotions fuel addictive behaviors, and why true healing begins with self-awareness rather than self-judgment.
Danny shares her powerful journey from addiction and alcoholism to nearly 16 years of sobriety, revealing how recovery helped her rediscover herself and ultimately build a life centered around helping others. Together, Leslie and Danny discuss emotional healing, the importance of processing difficult feelings instead of numbing them, and why everyone's recovery journey looks different. Whether your struggle is with food, alcohol, or another coping mechanism, this episode offers hope that freedom is possible.
The conversation also dives into finding purpose after pain, rewriting the stories we tell ourselves, and using our hardest experiences to create meaningful lives and careers. If you've ever felt trapped by shame or wondered whether your past could become your greatest gift, this episode will leave you feeling inspired, empowered, and ready to take the next step toward healing.
"If it's a problem to you, it's a problem to you. Don't compare your addiction to anyone else's healing begins when you're honest with yourself."
Key Topics & Timestamps
2:46 – Meet Danny Sumner and her mission to help others transform pain into purpose
4:15 – Danny shares her personal recovery journey and becoming nearly 16 years sober
6:24 – Leslie reflects on food addiction, sobriety, and discovering her authentic self
8:46 – Entrepreneurship, addiction, and finding fulfillment through serving others
12:25 – Why self-awareness is the foundation of lasting transformation
14:37 – Can painful experiences become our greatest gifts?
17:02 – Leslie's invitation to Ask Me Anything about healing, weight loss, and life transformation
18:18 – Danny explains gratitude, resilience, and finding purpose after trauma
22:04 – How personal loss inspired Danny's commitment to helping others live
23:40 – The connection between food struggles, shame, trauma, and suicidal thoughts
26:22 – Why shame is often the hidden root of addiction and emotional suffering
28:21 – The importance of community, vulnerability, and emotional processing
31:02 – Leslie explains the HEAL Method and emotional mastery
33:39 – Why comparing your addiction to others keeps you stuck
36:24 – Recovery, moderation, and honoring your unique healing journey
41:35 – Danny shares how she helps people turn their stories into service
45:17 – Danny's free workshop and final words of encouragement
46:55 – Leslie shares her free masterclass for overcoming food noise naturally
Connect With Leslie Thornton:

Book A Clarity Call
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!