Beautifully Well Conversations with Nik
Curated conversations for women with National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach Nik Sweeney. Transparency meets community with engaging topics surrounding self-care for busy women.
Beautifully Well Conversations with Nik
Beyond Diets: How Mindfulness Unlocked Donata's Weight Loss Journey
What happens when the scale refuses to budge despite your best efforts? For Donata, breaking through her weight loss plateau came down to one powerful revelation about processed foods that transformed her entire approach to health.
Donata's journey begins with a feeling many women over 45 can relate to—that frustrating sense of stagnation despite trying to manage everything independently. With a prediabetes diagnosis pushing her to seek support, she discovered the Beautifully Well Lifestyle Program and experienced a profound shift in perspective that went far beyond simple weight loss.
The conversation reveals how visual education about processed foods became Donata's turning point. Seeing the progression from whole foods to their highly processed versions created an awareness that sparked meaningful change. Rather than focusing on deprivation, Donetta embraced mindfulness—questioning why she reached for certain foods and how they made her feel. Her practical approach included portion control strategies, finding healthier alternatives to favorite treats, and bringing complete honesty to her food journal.
Most powerfully, Donetta's transformation transcended the physical. "I feel empowered," she shares, "I feel in control, that food is not controlling me, and I feel like I'm getting younger from the inside out." This mental shift from scale-obsession to true wellbeing represents the program's core philosophy—that sustainable health starts with mindset. As Coach Nikki emphasizes, "Your health journey should not feel like a hustle."
For women facing prediabetes or weight management challenges, especially those seeking alternatives to medications or surgery, Donata's story offers hope that with the right support, small sustainable changes can create remarkable results. Her patient approach—preferring slow progress to quick fixes—and her commitment to integrity in her health journey provide a blueprint for lasting transformation.
Ready to discover your own missing piece? The Beautifully Well Lifestyle Program welcomes women nationwide who are seeking community and guidance on their path to better health.
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If you're on a weight loss journey but you notice that the weight loss is not happening, the scale is not moving, you have an idea that it could be something simple with nutrition, but for whatever reason, it's just not clicking, it's not turning the dial. Well, once you decide that support is necessary, you find out that there is this little tweak to what you're doing that literally sets the weight loss in action. What is that small tweak? What was missing alignment in that weight loss journey? Well, I will tell you, beautifuls, for those of you tuning in, it's your girl Coach, nick, and welcome to Beautifully Well Conversations, the podcast where we curate conversations on health for women.
Speaker 1:Today's guest is one of our beautifuls, donetta. Trust me, this will not be the only podcast episode, because Donetta is making moves in a number of ways, but the primary way that we're going to focus on with Donetta today is how is she doing in her own personal health journey at a time where everyone is in tuned with GLP-1s, weight loss medications, weight loss surgeries and, as you know, this is a nonjudgmental space and there isn't anything wrong with taking those routes but with all the hype surrounding those tools in weight loss, we can easily get clouded if you are that woman who's saying, hey, I just want to give the holistic approach a try, I just want to give myself a chance. So, ladies, this podcast episode is for you. Welcome, donetta.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, Nikki, so much I appreciate it and I'm so excited to share.
Speaker 1:And we're happy to have you, Donnetta. Donnetta is one of our beautifuls, but I want to ask you first. You know you are one of our dedicated members in the Beautifully Well Lifestyle Program, but before even becoming a part of the program, tell us why you decided that more support was necessary.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, that is a great question. Support was okay, wasn't necessary, because I felt stagnated. I was trying to be the lone ranger, trying to do everything by myself, thought I knew what I was doing and I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. And so I went to my doctor and I asked about nutrition, and so she said, well, since you do have prediabetes, so she did suggest it. I did some research, couldn't really find anyone that I connected with or my insurance, and then I thought about you and I was like let me reach out to Nikki and thank God that things worked out. This has been one of the best decisions for my health.
Speaker 1:Well, we thank you for sharing that and I'm so glad that, in the midst of your search, that you were able to come across us. What was the biggest well, I won't even say the biggest you know in this health journey, more specifically, pre-diabetes, because you know that's our jam space, right. Right, we are really looking to help women to reduce their risk for type 2. Um, with that diagnosis done at a you, you find the support, you find it within a program. But what was a mic drop for you or what was a turning point in your health journey Processed?
Speaker 2:foods. Oh, my goodness, you know you hear eliminate processed food, but to really see the transition and what it is, you know, like the chicken, and I can't. I'm trying to the picture. I can, but I know it was the, the whole chicken, I think it's the um, the parts, and then it's the chicken nuggets and just the process, just showing what's fresh, what's the next, like the different steps, the process and what is actually a process. Sometimes we don't really think of that, we don't think of what's in between. Sometimes we go from the whole chicken straight to the, you know, the chicken nuggets and so just to see that, you know, including the apple and the apple juice and the apple sauce and it's like that right there, like wow, I didn't realize that, even though I knew stuff that was in the box and certain things like that, but still to actually see that that was a turning point for me.
Speaker 1:And I always say something as simple as the self-awareness right, because a lot of times you know we're eating, because it's important that we eat, but then when the support comes along to help you just analyze a little deeper into the pattern of eating, like the current lifestyle, you hit something on a head too. Earlier you mentioned just feeling stagnant in a process and seeing the need to get, you know that, additional support. So the program I will say we meet once a week, so we know all the work falls on you, right, you can come to class, get all pumped up, motivated, learn a few things Sounds like the processed foods really took, took things to a whole nother level. So then, what were some of the things that you?
Speaker 2:you did literally once you recognize that wait a minute, I'm, I'm consuming these processed foods a little bit more often than I thought that is what the other thing that is something you said being mindful, also intentional, about things Like, if I do eat something sweet, why did I eat that? What can I do to replace that? And there's nothing wrong every now and then if you do eat something sweet, but maybe instead of having 10 cookies, this time you only had two. So just being mindful as far as cutting back and cutting down and asking yourself I want something sweet, so instead of me eating those cookies I used to eat all the time, I now like apples. So it's just like it's so intentional and mindful as far as what I eat and why I eat.
Speaker 2:And also the journal, which I love journal anyway, I love that I don't hold back and so I don't. You know, I'm not going to put this down. If I ate a cookie or two, then I put that down, but I know why I did. Or if somehow I had a busy day when I missed lunch and I might have had a few fries, but I ate a few fries because I didn't want to feel sick and then, you know well, later on it made things even worse. So I understand why I do what I do now.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, you just took me full circle in this. So for the listeners, my goodness, you just took me full circle in this. So for the listeners, I'm going to share so much in that last comment that I want to dissect it because we could miss this point One. We just talked about the processed foods and just recognize and wait a minute there are, there are layers to the food that we're eating. So when you keep hearing us say processed, we know that most foods that we eat are processed to a certain degree.
Speaker 1:In our class we talked about how you just evaluate how much of the foods you're eating are more processed, which is the furthest away from its natural state. And when you do the math on that, make the math make sense. If the percentage of your food is more processed, you're eating out more than you're eating in your kitchen. Or you notice that there are more packaged foods that you're consuming than fresh cooked meals, like the chicken breast straight from the pack versus, like you said, the chicken nuggets or the breaded chicken. But how powerful that can be through self-awareness when you go wait a minute, 70% of my foods are on the higher processed range, right? But then, donetta, you mentioned the mindset right and how you were able to just begin to build some traction around the why Was it the oatmeal raisin cookies? Or was it chocolate chip? Because you know I love chocolate chip cookies, but I think was it oatmeal raisin.
Speaker 2:Well, I do like that, but I tried to. And the other thing I want to say when I do eat something sweet, I look at the sugar content. So I was like, well, let me eat these graham crackers, that's not as high in sugar as something else.
Speaker 1:You went full circle awareness the. You know the cookie analogy, though. I love it because there's this idea, in a weight loss journey especially, that we have to begin to deprive ourselves so that we have to diet. But it becomes deeper than that. Like, like you mentioned the idea with the snacks, like, why am I craving these cookies at this certain time and why? Why am I? Why do I have to have 10 versus two? Right, just just as just you know what is happening in my head and in my world. That's taking me to the sugar.
Speaker 1:And then you hit the nutrition content. Right, I don't have to completely eliminate these cookies, but I can one recognize what are my triggers to this, so that I can begin to build even more intention around why I'm making these choices. But then, second, I'm also increasing my awareness from a nutritional perspective with the label reading. Nutritional perspective with the label reading Like what am I ingesting? Let's talk a little bit about how you begin to feel. What were some of the physical changes done that? Or maybe even some of the maybe mental, maybe even emotional changes that you started to feel once you noticed that you had began to limit those processed foods and begin to even manage some of the snacks that you like.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, the first word that come to mind. I feel so empowered, I feel controlled, that I'm in control, that food is not controlling me, and the thing about it is I feel like I'm getting younger from the inside out. And you know, at times we always want to look at the weight, the weight, the weight. But the thing about it is more to it than that. It starts in the mind. It starts with discipline. So you just can't just eliminate food or not eat things and expect the weight to drop off, because our bodies change. So it's being healthy, you know mentally. And then you know, and on, what I love is the mindfulness, that's weight coming off right there. So it's not always the physical weight, it's the mental weight. So that's where I'm at, because sometimes you can get depressed or get frustrated if you don't see the physical weight, but just, it's a lifestyle change and it's taken years to come on as far as the weight. You can't expect. In a couple of weeks it just drop off.
Speaker 1:And stay off too. Yeah, right, it's that that right there. If, in this conversation, no one walked away with understanding processed foods, taking some time for self-awareness, I want them to focus on the fact that in your weight loss journey, you made it no longer become the weight. What's happening with the scale? We know the scale is simply a tool, but how do we feel when we're making these changes and we're taking these extra additives, ultra processed things, extra sugar that can hike up, spike the blood sugar? How do we feel once we begin to allow our bodies to be nourished and I love the word nourished? Oh, my goodness, I do. That would be the theme to what you just mentioned. Oh, my goodness, I do. That would be the theme to what you just mentioned.
Speaker 1:Now, but we had a couple of words. You know, in a program we name our week. The journey for that week has a name, and you just done that. I had the ability to tie your words into action. Can you recall some of your words for the week? Of course I have some. I'll even say just how. Would you even select or prepare your words for the week? Like, I mean, you had balance. I remember balance being one of the my words come from different spaces.
Speaker 2:That sometimes I actually I don't want to say dream about it, but the night before is actually heavy on my heart and say this is what I need to say. Sometimes I don't know until the last minute, so it's whatever I'm feeling at that moment, or even maybe a couple of days before, and so it's like what have I experienced or what can I give back that can not just apply to me, but someone else too. Like now, what come to mind is integrity honest with yourself. Is integrity honest with yourself? You know if you're journaling and you're sneaking or you're not putting everything down, that's not going to harm the coach and it appears you're doing a great job. And just be honest, because once you put it out there, then you can see what you can improve upon.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And you put a spin on integrity in this moment. Right, how often do we associate integrity with the health journey? You know, this is my health journey. But when you think about it, this is another extension of love for ourselves. And this is not egotism, it's not ego tripping at all. It is truly coming into a space where the love for your desire to be who you are, the healthiest version of yourself. And how do you get there? Like you said, if I'm not honest, if I don't, you know Java does an amazing job with the journals and she will send sometimes anywhere from a sentence to a paragraph. I've seen it, but you know um.
Speaker 1:So if your journey is going to be nonjudgmental so you can be 100% clear the program you align yourself with has to be nonjudgmental as well. It has to create that space where you feel like there is room for you to share, room for you to breathe, room to learn beyond the basic nutrition. So I would say, if you, maybe this is something you can think about and we can just tie this into a deeper conversation that ties back to it's not just about weight loss, you know, in the this thing about a healthy lifestyle, and I speak specifically to women 45 and older, because our needs change, our desires change. To women 45 and older because our needs change, our desires change. We can go into a program that's going to help us with nutrition that could even empower us to feel motivated to move more.
Speaker 1:But what you said in your comments, donnetta, really speaks to the life that we hope we breathe in a Beat it Fully Well program, and that is that we are creating a space for long-term nourishment and longevity, that the space that we're creating is bigger than let's try this meal plan out for 30 days and see how it goes that this really becomes the mindset shift. Could you speak a little bit more to that Like or maybe even share just some of the things, almost like a before and after I used to do this, but now I'm doing this or maybe even just being able to summarize some of this new mindfulness, this new intentional chapter in Donnetta's healthy lifestyle?
Speaker 2:Yes, well, thank you for asking that question. So I know I wanted to say first is, I love the idea of okay, well, most of the times you're told not what to eat and then you're stuck with well, what do I eat? And of course you go back to what you used to eat. So for me it has been okay. Just say, for example, that there has been one point in time Like, just say, the first thing that comes to mind is a sub which I haven't had in a long time. Just say the first thing that comes to mind is a sub which I haven't had in a long time. So, instead of eating a sub with all that bread, there have been times where I went to a place and say could I have a sub without the bread?
Speaker 2:What, what? How do you fix that? I don't want the bread, just put it in a container and I eat it like that. Or instead of having I say cookies a lot because I used to be a cookie monster, and so, instead of having those 10 cookies, I have portion control. I might only eat four, I might only eat two, depends on the size. I might not eat it every day, and so I put them like a little small with sandwich bags. So I put everything in portion control and eat it that way, as opposed to here's the whole pack of cookies and you just sit there and just eat them. So it's like the mindset okay, that's all I'm going to have. Is that Then I look for alternative, healthy choices, like I just found out this Greek yogurt ice cream.
Speaker 2:Greek yogurt ice cream it's called, I think, a Yasso Y-A-S-S-O, yes, and so I just discovered that I mean I've never been an ice cream person because it has pork in it, because you know it don't directly say the word pork, but monadiglyceride has pork, is pork and so, and so it's just like practically all the ice creams have it and it's like I don't that, I want that, and so I found that in and I was like, oh, I feel a lot better now because Lisa's a healthy alternative. It's not the regular ice cream with all the you know additives in it. I can't even pronounce, can't even spell it, and so that's how my journey have been. What I used to eat, what can I replace that's healthier? And that'll be an ongoing process, even with bread. I used to eat the honey wheat bread that they have. Now I eat Dave's bread to have like fiber and is so much healthier. So I'm constantly improving and replacing foods.
Speaker 1:And in that short period of time it is like just amazing. Thank you for sharing that. It's enlightening the changes that you made. They're long-term.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And it did not take long to come to those conclusions. It's just, it lends itself to the effort that you put into it. And for women over 45, women over 50, I'll just say you know people, period. Sometimes we have to just be willing to evaluate and recognize that we don't have to go hard. Your health journey should not feel like a hustle, and the most important part of the journey is what we do mentally first, how we take it on, and you are an excellent example of what makes that work when you are empowered.
Speaker 1:Because you're an exerciser, donetta. Right, you are an exerciser, donetta, right, you are an exerciser, yes, and I know how much you thrive in the exercise space, and a lot of us. You know there are one or two parts of the journey that works well, right, either. Oh, I can exercise all day long. And we go yes, that's great, exercise is powerful, but I can't seem to get the food right. And we go yes, that's great, Exercise is powerful, but I can't seem to get the food right. And vice versa, Right, I'm a little bit good with the food thing, but it's hard to get moving. And so now you have matched the odds and you've come to a really nice place with a nice steady progression and, most importantly, you feel amazing. Have you seen the scale move or adjust a bit since you've been in a program? Okay, yes, I have.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's been slow, but I'd rather be slow than fast. And you know, like I said, it's a lifestyle change. So I always say I don't like the word diet because when you take off tea, then me die. Yes, word diet, because when you take off tea, then me die. So you know, it's like this is my life, this I'm constantly improving, making better choices, and it's about getting healthy from the inside out.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Love it and you're feeling amazing.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Feeling great when you wake up. You know how many of us can say when we get up that we are ready to take on the day. That starts with mental, and then that mental shows up in other spaces, which is how we are caring for our body and deeply nourishing it. It so, donnetta, you are truly a prize and an example for all of the beautifuls in your journey. Thank you, yeah, I mean this, this progressive state that you're in um, being okay with the progress, living the progress, actually going back to be able to recount the goals that you've set, and you're watching yourself. Naturally, these new habits are now naturally a part of Donnetta's journey. So, donnetta, I want to close this out with. If you were talking to a woman and she said hey, yeah, I'm just trying to figure things out, you know, my recent lab work showed elevated blood sugar. They said I'm pre-diabetic, I have pre-diabetes. What would you tell her? What would you encourage her to do?
Speaker 2:I would encourage her not to ignore that. That's a warning sign and to take the first step join your program and I'm saying specifically yours and start taking action, because if you just wait and just ignore it, or I'm going to eat what I want to eat, that you know it might not be able to become reversible and that you don't want to, you know, be insulin dependent or you know and other things start getting out of hand. So take it seriously and start taking action. We all have the power, we all have a will. We just have to tap into it and just do it. And the great thing about it we have support. I love it when I put down my food and then the response I get back and some of the things that she say. It's like oh okay, well, I can start to eat that, so you are not alone, so you definitely can do it.
Speaker 1:Wonderfully said. Wonderfully said and we appreciate your honesty, your time in this. As I mentioned before, it's just so great to have you in class because you are empowering all of us, and that's the beauty of community when we're all aiming for the same goal and that amongst us, we all have something to share. So, donetta, I want to continue success with we're working together actively. Keep showing up for you, keep doing what you're doing, love that you're. The scale is moving in a progressive way, but, most importantly, what's moving more is this new, empowered, fresh mindset.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And that is what creates the health journey and sustain it.
Speaker 1:So, as usual, beautiful, we thank you for choosing us and allowing us to ride along with you on the Beautifully Well journey and, for those of you listening who have tuned in, I hope you go back and you listen to Donetta's journey on repeat, because it will remind you that one stop focusing on that scale.
Speaker 1:Okay, open up that fridge, open up those kitchen cabinets, allow yourself to explore in that produce aisle, allow yourself to take some time to get to know you, become one with you and evaluate honestly where you are in terms of your relationship with your food. And then, like Donetta, who reached a stagnant place, a stall, and decided that support is real, that reached out. Remember, the Beautifully Well Lifestyle Program is a national program. If you're looking for that support and you want the guidance that you need in the community filled with women like Donetta who are on a mission Girlfriend, we are here for you. So continue in this journey, make the day awesome. And, donetta, again we send you a big beautifully well hug from the tribe and we'll see you all on the next episode of Beautifully Well Conversations with your girl Coach Nick.