Author Archives: shelley

Are You Filling the Void with Junk Food?

15 May
by shelley, posted in Belly Breakthroughs   |  No Comments

I teach women how to live a Well Fed life.

Being well fed in your life means more than eating from the various food groups designated by the FDA.

It means feeding all of your “selves” nutrition. Your mental, your spiritual, your emotional, your physical and your relational must all be fed rich, abundant sources of nutrition and love.

But what happens when you’re in the void and all you crave or can access are junk foods?

Then what?

I had a deep personal experience in the past three weeks, and I had the very same struggle + solution.

It’s been three weeks, since I’ve officially made New York my home. For those of you that have been following me for a while, you know that I have been frequenting this city for the past ten years. And after going back and forth between Atlanta and New York, I recently decided to call New York home.

Yet the transition was not as easy as I thought it would be. I was feeling a huge void and I could not get myself to be in it and feed it what it needed to be well.

Last Fall, I made a decision to break up with my then boyfriend. Finally accepting and embracing what I knew to be my truth:

~ there was a HIM that I knew to be my ONE and I strongly desired that connection that I felt deep in my soul. Whenever I looked at my then boyfriend, I knew that he wasn’t him. It saddened me because he was such a nice, loving and generous guy.  I thought that maybe I was tripping or in a place where I couldn’t receive love.  I was also dealing with the then impending death of my father and really facing the challenge of how I handle masculine energy and male relationships in my life.

Yet, the one thing I KNEW was that,  relationships are like puzzle pieces. You meet someone and even though you may like them, they simply don’t fit. It’s not a fault of yours or theirs, it’s simply a Universal design that we all must surrender to at some point.

“When you create relationships that fit in your life, then you also create opportunities to be Well Fed and nourished constantly.”

The break up was last Fall so why did I feel a second dose of it this Spring?

The very energy of the Spring season is about giving birth to something new. In my case, I was birthing a new me. An available for love me. A freer me. An “I’m ready for HIM” me.  Yet when you give birth, some of the older parts of you are afraid to die. Not knowing that they’re not really dying, they’re simply transitioning into a more Well Fed life.  Because my ex boyfriend lives in NY, the old me was questioning whether or not I made the right decision. Even though I had never questioned it since I broke up with him last Fall. The new me was in a huge void, much like a baby about to be born.

The void was empty yet filled with a range of emotion that I did not know how to embrace nor access.

So I substituted it with emotional and physical junk food.

The emotional junk food looked like me entertaining possibilities of getting back with my ex even though I knew that I really didn’t want that.  But that type of junk food is one of my defaults when I’m having a hard time being in the void.  The physical junk food looked like me indulging on what this city has to offer. Restaurants! Dinners with friends! Random cool food vendors! All of them serving as distractions from me being in the void.

Even though I didn’t engage the most Well Fed practices in the past 3 weeks, I did access the Well Fed practice of inquiry and it saved me!

Ask, Feel, Allow, Process.

I constantly asked myself:

“Why was I trying to create something that I really didn’t want?”

“What would I sacrifice in my future, if I denied myself the experience of the void and went back to what I knew?”

“Why am I afraid to truly allow myself exactly what I’ve asked for (i.e. HIM)?”

“Is this fear real or is there another feeling / freedom that I can choose in this moment?”

“What ‘food’ do I need to be Well Fed in this moment (yoga, friends, juice, walk in park, intimacy, journaling, etc.) ?”

“It’s easy to choose life’s junk food when you don’t believe in the value of what you truly desire.”

It’s worth it to be Well Fed, especially when you’re in the void, because you make room for the more in your life.

Being a Well Fed woman is a conscious choice. Through the void, valleys and great vibes in our lives, we can always choose to feed ourselves what we truly need.

 How do you consciously choose to be Well Fed in your life, even when all you want is ‘junk food’ ?  Share in the comments below!

The #1 Factor Thats Keeping You From Sticking to Your Healthy Diet

02 May
by shelley, posted in Belly Breakthroughs   |  No Comments

Have you ever tried to change a really bad habit and failed miserably?

Whether it’s putting out your cigarette once and for all, reducing your twinkie intake, sticking to a new yoga practice or being more mindful as you enjoy lunch

Habits require you to do one thing and it’s not what you think it is!

Most people go about breaking their habits cold turkey or by introducing a brand new practice to replace it.

The challenge with this model is that it does not allow for mistakes. The minute you mess up you feel like an automatic failure and after you suffer the verbal assault and internal beating you give yourself, you simply end up quitting.

In today’s video, I answer the question, how can I stick to my better eating habits. 

My answer has nothing to do with eating more carrot sticks and green smoothies.

It has a lot to do with exercising a new muscle. Learn the secret to sticking to your guns once and for all and surpassing that point of being “stuck”.

In the comments below share your secret to sticking to your healthy eating habits.

The Well-Fed Woman Wellness Roundup

25 Apr
by shelley, posted in Belly Breakthroughs, Uncategorized   |  No Comments

A woman can’t be well-fed if she doesn’t have great nutritional ingredients.  Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s comes to mind when we think of accessing nutrition, yet there are other ways to nourish ourselves outside of physical food.

I make it my business to support other women and apply their resources in my life.  We are so rich and filled with experience, stories, tips, best practices and yumminess that I’d be remiss if I didn’t provide you with the right ingredients as you shop around for your ingredients to your delicious well fed life.

Our mental, spiritual and emotional nourishment are just as important.  And guess what? I happen to know some ladies and can put an official stamp of excellence on their work.

You are one lucky woman because this month’s delicious team of experts add great nutritional value to what you experience at EatRelateLove.

In no particular order (because they’re all important) I give you this month’s roundup.

Oh yes! And there is a surprise at the end so stay tuned *squeal* for a sneak preview of my upcoming virtual weight loss program!  Even if you don’t have physical pounds to lose, I know there’s some emotional and spiritual weight that can get lost and this program will do just that!

Simplify Detox – Clean, Clear + Cleanse Your Body

  • Not only is Takeyah Young of Core Connection Lifestyle a vibrant example of what green and clean eating does to a body + personality but she totally gets that a great food relationship isn’t about deprivation but rather, inclusion. In this F*ree 5-day e-course you will learn the ins + outs of detoxification plus tips to jump start your weight management. Get yours F*ree here!

Savor Soiree

  • Whoop! Whoop! This May, Emotional Eating Expert meets Body Confidence Coach in this month long virtual soiree that you won’t want to miss. Savoring life is key to waking up digging the skin you’re in. You guides Kate Stefans and Alison Leipzig are two ladies who are helping change the discourse we have around food, shame, guilt and our bodies. I love what they’re doing on the planet and their amazing F*ree offer is just what your life ordered. Trust me, get in on the calls here!

8 Week Weight Loss Success

  • Awaken your body to an incredible amount of untapped energy and drop the extra weight. With a message like that, how can you NOT pay attention! Summer is approaching and that dress is calling your name. When you wear it, you want to feel the confidence that it demands. Imagine strutting down the street, commanding the attention from everyone! Nichole Kellerman, creator of this program does that daily. I love her spirit and her ability to hone in to women’s desires around their body and weight loss needs. Because she gives her all, she can only enroll 10 women starting April 30th.  Go here and get ready to enjoy your body for the rest of your life now!

Radiant Health Intensive

  • My friend and colleague Kellie Adkins knows the frustration that busy mothers and entrepreneurs feel! That’s why she makes it her business to keep us well-fed with yoga and delicious food on our choice of a 7-day, 14-day or 21-day program. No diets, no fads, no rules, no restrictions…..just pure INTUITION! I love this program and I’ve done it for 7 days and feel at home in my body, even on the days when stress threatens to knock down my door.  Let Kellie help you intuit your body to its best. Get it Now!

Drumroll please!

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The BFF Formula™ Body Food Freedom

  • Ladies you asked for a program where you didn’t have to choose between your body and your business. We lead busy lives and know one wants to neglect anything.  That’s why I co-created a virtual program with Marla Golde of YourFullPlate.com that asks you one question?

If you were your body’s best friend, how would you treat her? how would you feed her? how would she look?

This Question changes everything.

And we’re going to help you lose weight in all of the areas of your life that are keeping you from your best body and best self. Finally, numbers that work!

*This is an unofficial announcement and sneak preview. Get a sneak peak here!

 

3 Words That Are Preventing You From Having The Body You Love

18 Apr
by shelley, posted in Belly Breakthroughs   |  1 Comments

Great news! Besides the fact that this week’s video is yummy, I’m moving to NY! After spending years going back and forth I’m finally making it home. If you’re in the area be sure to tweet me for lunch or dinner :) And stay tuned for live EatRelateLove events from the Big Apple.

Now onto these 3 words: short but not always so simple

Have you ever struggled to stick to your weight loss, healthy eating habits or any goal for that matter? It can be a beast when it seems like your efforts are always sabotaged the minute you think you start to breakthrough.

The good news is that you’re not weak nor are you incapable of achieving success. It’s simply a matter of tuning into these 3 words that I highlight in this week’s video.

In the comments below, please share your best practices for dealing with your Inner Heffa.

How to Use Food + Art as a Weight Loss Motivator

10 Apr
by shelley, posted in Belly Breakthroughs   |  No Comments

This week’s Q+A sang near and dear to my heart. We’ve all been there.

Putting all of our efforts (so we think) into a new project or goal only to feel like we’re not getting anywhere.  This week’s reader feels that way about her weight loss goals.  Somehow, despite all of her efforts to diet and lose weight, the scale keeps telling her it’s not working.

Ugggh! Don’t you hate that feeling?!?!

Not to worry. Staying motivated is not as big as a challenge when you discover the quantum science that I break down in this video and use Food *gasp* and Art to help. Click play to learn the wellness tools that helped me on my weight loss journey and can help you on yours and enjoy a special treat from Dave Chappelle!