SPECIAL NEW YEAR DEAL ENDING SOON FOR SHIFT SELF-STUDY

Rita Black: Sometimes we just need an inspiring story of someone who has made the decision to truly change themselves from the inside out, and then goes for it from a whole new place. A place of self-belief and curiosity and compassion. And we need that to motivate us to do the same. I am so excited to share with you my conversation with Rocio Pena of Melbourne Australia, who talks about her lifelong struggle with weight, including bariatric surgery, and who finally began her weight mastery journey, starting with her mind and has been releasing weight over the past year to the tune of 95 pounds, who is redefining who she is and life that she's creating for herself. And we discuss many things, including how she's figuring out what her ideal weight should be, not from a chart, but from a DEXA scan of her body. Truly fascinating stuff. So please join me in this exciting episode from down under and come on in.

Rita Black: Did you know that our struggle with weight doesn't start with the food on your plate or get fixed in the gym? 80% of our weight struggle is mental. That's right. The key to unlocking long-term weight release and management begins in your mind. Hi there, I'm Rita Black. I'm a clinical hypnotherapist weight loss expert, bestselling author, and the creator of the Shift Weight Mastery Process. And not only have I helped thousands of people over the past 20 years achieve long-term weight mastery. I am also a former weight struggler, carb addict and binge eater. And after two decades of failed diets and fad weight loss programs, I lost 40 pounds with the help of hypnosis. Not only did I release all that weight, I have kept it off for 25 years. Enter the Thin Thinking Podcast where you too will learn how to remove the mental roadblocks that keep you struggling. I'll give you the thin thinking tools, skills, and insights to help you develop the mindset you need, not only to achieve your ideal weight, but to stay there long-term and live your best life.

New Speaker: Hello. Welcome. Welcome. Have a seat. How is your January going? Mine is going pretty good. I laugh because it's been the best of times and the worst of times. My daughter just left to go back to her last term of college, and it feels a little more calm around here. I think those of you whose kids have left home but then come back, understand what I mean? It's amazing to have 'em home. But my goodness, isn't it great when they're gone? I sound like a really bad mother. I'm so good. I really love my kids and I just have so much space in my heart for them and I connect with them.

Rita Black: But gosh, in the first couple of months of being an empty nester, I went from being super sad to wow. I just love the quiet and I just love being able to be with my husband. And we kind of got our own groove going on, so when my kids come back, it's a complete disruption of that, which is fine. It's great, but it's nice to have it back, you know? My daughter is funny. She works so hard. She's, you know, gotten straight A's in college, so proud of her. I think she's gotten straight A's since we were thinking about it and joking about it. I think she had an art course in seventh grade where she got a B and it didn't even count as a B because it was part of like this three class thing. So she's an A student and she's a researcher.

Rita Black: She's like, loves her research. But when she's at home, she's a slob, you know, she leaves her dishes behind. She doesn't really offer a lot of help. And that's on me and my husband too. We, you know, when they're home, we do like to spoil them a bit. But you know, I did point out to her. I was like, Hey, you know leaving your dishes on the counter, come on, you know better. You live by yourself now. You're, you know, you're taking care of your house. You know, you know how to clean up after yourself. And she's like, but Mom, I've been guest. I was like, how quickly they go from, you know, being a part of your household to being a guest. So we turned that belief system of hers around pretty quickly, but still, like I said, calm after the storm.

Rita Black: And I remember when my kids were young, and we'd go and visit my mother-in-Law. And so we'd come in and create a hurricane in her house. And, you know, we knew she'd loved to have us there, but now I understand that wonderful day that we were leaving and how she was like basically pushing us out the door 'cause she couldn't wait to get back to her own calm life. So I kind of chuckle at that. Now I get it. So, yeah, so I appreciate the quiet and the ability to focus now. And there is a lot, a lot going on. For instance, we are starting today. Today, today, the day this episode is dropping our January shift, 30-day Weight Mastery Process, self-study offer that will be running through the 23rd. So when you enroll now in the shift self-study, not only do you get that self-study course for a year, so you can go through it and a couple of times, a number of times, but you also get a free live shift process that are, is led by me.

Rita Black: I do one in the spring and one in the fall. So you can choose one of those. And a super New Year's bonus of the Shift Weight Mastery Express, which is a bundle of our top five hypnosis downloads. That includes hypnosis for the desire to exercise, stress management, drinking less and more. So you can get the link in the show notes, you can explore, you can look at the offer, just click on the link and you can look at all that's included, over $800 worth of bonuses when you enroll before the 23rd.

New Speaker: Okay. Now, like I promised you, I have an interview with Rocio Pena, who has been in my world for over a year. She's been an inspiration for many of the students in my membership. And now I know she's gonna be an inspiration for you. I think there is something amazing about listening to success stories going on in subconscious mind. Our conscious mind listens for sure to what the person is saying, but our subconscious mind imprints who they are and how they're being. So I know you're gonna get so much from Rocio both on a conscious and subconscious level. So let's dive in.

New Speaker: Hello, Rocio. It's so nice to see you. And what time is it there? Because it's afternoon here in Los Angeles. And what time is it there in Melbourne, Australia?

Rocio Pena: Hi, Rita. So for me, it is 10:15 AM the next day. So yes, Friday for me.

Rita Black: I always love that. It's always, it's so fun to speak to somebody in an alternative reality because the sun is shining for you. The sun is shining for me, but you are a day ahead of me. Yeah, you're already in --

Rocio Pena: I'm coming, I'm coming to you from the future, and I can tell you it's the same.

Rita Black: Well, I'm so excited you are here today to share with our audience. I mean, here we are. This is, this is broadcasting in 2024, and it's, you know, you're my first inspirational interview of the new year. So, and I think your story is so inspiring. And I would just say maybe you can just start at the beginning and tell us where you are coming from and 'cause where you have, have gone is so powerful.

Rocio Pena: Yeah, sure. So I've been obese my whole life, so I was a chubby toddler. But really when I was nine years old, I started to put on weight crazy, like crazy. My family, God bless them, they tried to help me in all ways they could. So they tried to get me.

Rita Black: Can I ask you at this point, did your family struggle with weight at all? Or were you alone in the struggle?

Rocio Pena: I was completely alone in the struggle. Nobody in my family had issues with weight, no. So they tried to help, you know, doing the things that you would think would give results, like getting me to exercise, getting me to eat healthy. Unfortunately, I was in a mindset of just rebelling to everything. I was nine. So I would eat whatever they give me during the day, and then at school I will stuff my face with cake and fried things and, you know, bake cookies, things like that. So my grandma took me to my first diet at nine.

Rita Black: Oh, wow.

Rocio Pena: Yeah. And then I totally and then they, they forced me to wake up at 5:00 AM to go exercise. And I hated it. I really hated it.

Rita Black: So did you exercise by yourself? Were you exercising by yourself or did they go with you or did they just go, go exercise?

Rocio Pena: They would take me a couple of times for a run around the block and then by myself. So of course that didn't, that didn't last much because I was just, I didn't wanna do it. And they gave up soon as well after that. Yeah. So I went on this diet, right. Nine years old. It was terrible because they wanted me to do something. I did it while they were watching. And then at school I was doing, you know, all the opposite. I will take money from them and buy things outside the house. So I keep gaining weight. By the time that I went to uni that I was 16 years old, I was already 80 kilos, and that is around 175 pounds. So I was really heavy 16 years old. I was super, super heavy already.

Rita Black: How tall are you Rocio? Just so people have a perspective.

Rocio Pena: I'm a very short frame. I'm only five foot one.

Rita Black: Okay. yeah. And you thank you for translating into pounds for us.

Rocio Pena: Yeah.

Rita Black: I love it. I love it. You're so great. Okay. So, so here you are at uni, you, how did you feel like going into uni at that place? Like, how was, what was your inner life like growing up before uni? Was it, you know, I know you were rebelling, so was it more focused on rebellion or were you trying ever to manage your weight? Like were you trying to, you didn't care? Like, how did you feel about your weight?

Rocio Pena: So it was difficult growing up because I realized I couldn't do the same things that everyone else my age was doing. So I wouldn't participate on sports or exercise even at school. PE classes were like, I was always, you know, trying to get out of them. So it was difficult, but I didn't accept it. I didn't accept that I had a weight issue because all my thing was rebelling against my family. But by the time that I went to uni, I really saw, yeah, there is a problem here, there is a problem here because I'm not able to find clothes in a store or things like that. So that's when I started kind of managing my way. But it wasn't until almost the end of the uni period when I went to leave alone after graduation, then I started with my actual, you know, weight management process by myself away from a family. So that they couldn't see that I was actually accepting that I had an issue.

Rita Black: Interesting. Well, I think there, you know, you could totally hear the shift in you at that point in your life from external forces to internal, like, I wanna do this for me.

Rocio Pena: Yeah. Yeah. That's true. And then I went, I went through a myriad of things. So I did, well, I did the balance diet, right? Like trying to eat healthy. There were a couple of institutions that had that kind of diets. And I was always successful. That's the weird thing. I was super successful because I am kind of an, A type of student. A plus. So I would follow exactly what they said. I would do everything as they said, I would starve myself to death, only to, you know, have that validation that I was doing okay. That I was a good person because I was, you know, -

New Speaker: Yeah.

Rocio Pena: So I did things like homeopathy, so, you know, herbs and plant related things, injections, tons of them, tons of them herbs, and who knows what else was on those injections. I did the fat diet a couple of times, you know, that what you eat a lot of fat and low carb and

Rita Black: Oh, right. Yeah. Like keto, the ketogenic diet.

Rocio Pena: But I think it was an extreme version of keto. I remember calling it fat diet because you would eat fry things for breakfast, but very low carbs. I did also you know, mass massage, massages, injections, all of that kind of thing. But, and I was successful, as I said before, like, I was able to lose 20, 30 pounds easily. Couple of months, three months, four months. And then I couldn't keep going. That, that was my whole issue. I was always yo-yoing because I couldn't, I couldn't get the weight down. I was good at starving until one point, and then I will go back and start eating carbs. For instance, if I haven't had carbs in four months, as soon as I started eating carbs again, my weight would go up.

Rita Black: Right.

Rocio Pena: So when I reached 250 pounds, 250 pounds, that's 113 kilos. I had a surgery, I had a bariatric surgery.

Rita Black: Okay. And how old were you at this point?

Rocio Pena: So this was, I was around 27, 28 years old. That was 2008 that I had this one. So I didn't qualify for the full bypass. So they suggested to have something that they call the adjustable lap band. And this is a really interesting one because it's not as invasive as the bypass. And what they do is they place ,imagine that you have like a lifesaver or a ring, and they put that on the top part of the, of the stomach. And there is like a small tube connected to it. And then there is a port that is palpable to the abdomen. They will inject something and then it will grow. And then the food will slowly come to the main part of the stomach. So what that meant for me was that I will get full with very small amount of food really quickly and it worked as every other diet had in the past. It worked. I released 100 pounds with that, with that thing.

Rocio Pena: And but then by, I think it was like one and a half years that I released all that way, it was good. It was like I was feeling good, but it wasn't, I was miserable because I will frequently throw out after eating. And then there was a point where I was throwing out even liquids. Like, I couldn't have a shake. I couldn't have even a coffee because I would throw it out. So they -

Rita Black: Is that typical with a gastric band?

Rocio Pena: I think, I think it is. Unfortunately. I think it is, the procedure that is recommended right now, that is the, the sleeve wasn't available at the time. And I think they have moved from doing this lap band to doing sleeve because it has less issues like this.

New Speaker: I understand.

Rocio Pena: So I kind of had like two stomachs. I had one stomach before that ring, and then my main stomach. And at one point they had to, like deflate the whole band, because I wasn't tolerating anything. So they deflated it, and then I maintained my weight for around two years.

New Speaker: Wow. Okay.

Rocio Pena: That, that's what happened with the surgery. But I certainly went up. So, so from those 100 pounds, I think I went up like 20, and then I stay there for like two years or something.

Rita Black: Okay.

Rocio Pena: So yeah, another successful attempt, only that I moved to Australia by that time. And then I got really sick, Rita. I developed an infection in my body. I had lumps around the band and around the port. The doctors didn't know what was happening with me. I was, I was a newie in Australia. So I came to Australia in Feb 2014. And this happened in July the same year. So I went to the hospital. They didn't know what was happening with me, but we knew it was related to the band. Super unwell. They operated on me. I spent two weeks in the hospital, and I really thought that was it. Like, I'm gonna die here. I'm gonna die. They said, this is it. Because they didn't figure it out. They, it was all a blurry, it was super blurry. They didn't know. I didn't know. I was super unwell. And what they, the conclusion was, let's remove the whole thing.

Rita Black: Right.

Rocio Pena: And they did it.

Rita Black: And how did you feel about that? Like, knowing that, like, so your safety blanket was being taken away, I guess your, it was like, do this or die, right? Like you didn't know.

Rocio Pena: Yeah. Kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. It took me a while to really accept that I had to do that. But at the end, you know, it was, it was, yeah, do this or you are gonna die. So I had to do it. They removed the band. And it took me a while to recover from that surgery as well. I was having like, [inaudible] issues after the surgery. It took me roughly one year to completely heal the wounds. All because of the band. I developed a really bad bacterial or something.

Rita Black: Okay. Yeah.

Rocio Pena: It, it was awful. And I blamed myself because I did this to myself. In my mind, I, I didn't have enough willpower, so I had to have the surgery. And now I almost died because I did that.

Rita Black: Yeah. I think a lot of people have that, like, with the bariatric surgery and even the sleeve, like mad at themselves, regret even if they don't have that infection or have to have it removed, there's some sort of, when you were, when it, in those two years that you were keeping your weight off. So you had the band that entire time. So you were living with the band, you were doing those things, but then it got to this bad point, and then you had it removed and you were, and then you started beating yourself up about it.

Rocio Pena: So when I, when they inflated it, but I still had the band, I couldn't go overboard with my food still. So that's why I was keeping the weight because the band was there. So, yes. At some point I was still getting some benefits from it. When they remove it, then it was free again. So, you know, and also something that I want to mention is that they operated, they operated my stomach, but not my mind. So I went to see a psychologist, and I went to see a nutritionist, but it was all like checking a box. Only I never really believed in the process, and I really, I, I never believed that I had to change my way of eating and my lifestyle. So all I wanted was the quick solution. Just keep this, you know, weight off so that I can go back and eat whatever I want. So I would eat, you know, I would have ice cream every single day because that was possible to go through the band. I, instead of having proper food, you know, so my mind, my mindset was terrible. Was, was really, really not in a good place.

Rita Black: Mm. Yeah. Yeah. I think that happens for a lot of people. So when you when you were healed, when, once you were finally healed, what happened next for you?

Rocio Pena: Yeah, so my, my weight started to, you know, increase quickly, very quickly. Like I would, I would weigh six, eight pounds more from one week to the next week, to the next week, to the next week. I was already here, so I was already, you know working as well. So I decided, okay, I'm gonna try something again. So I did two more things before I found Rita. So the next, yeah. The next thing that I did was I went through have you heard about the SCG diet?

Rita Black: SCG? Was that the hormones?

Rocio Pena: Yes.

New Speaker: Yes. Yes, yes. Yes.

Rocio Pena: That the one that the placenta generates when when pregnancy, yes. So they injected me that hormone. And the idea was that I was able to stay in a 500 calorie diet. Only 500 calories per day. But with this hormone, I wasn't hungry, and I really wasn't, I wasn't hungry. But it wasn't maintainable in the time, because only 500 calories is not, is not a lot. So you see the pattern, right? I was always restricting, restricting, restricting, starving, starving. That was my pattern. Always. Yeah. Yeah. I released some weight with that hormone diet but I couldn't take it anymore. And it was super expensive as well. So I left that one, and then I went to see an endocrinologist because I thought, oh, maybe my hormones are out of whack, so this endocrinologist is gonna, you know, this is the person that is gonna fix me. So I went there and they put me on a shakes diet.

Rita Black: Oh. But you can always, always count on doctors.

Rocio Pena: It's unbelievable. Like, I really, I really looked for help many times, but I didn't get the right help. I, I wasn't looking in a good place. So I had these two shakes. So two meal replacements with shakes. I was in this optislimb shake.

Rita Black: Okay.

Rocio Pena: And I had only one meal per day, also restricted calories. So again, I released like 20 pounds. But then I couldn't keep, I couldn't keep going. I was miserable, miserable. I was depressed because I wasn't eating, I wasn't enjoying life. Right.

Rita Black: Yeah.

Rocio Pena: So then I was doing, I was in the middle of that when Covid came, and they called me to tell me that they will continue the process online. And I saw this as an opportunity to get out of it. And I told them, no, I don't want it. And then I'm gonna tell you this, and I'm not super, I'm super ashamed of this, but this was my mindset at the moment. I thought we were all going to die with Covid.

Rita Black: Yes. Yes.

Rocio Pena: So, if I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die eating what I want. And what I like. And I went on this super wild period where I eat well, I ate whatever I want during Covid, whatever I wanted. Cake, chocolate, hamburger, everything. You know, we had really heavy restrictions here in, in Melbourne, and we were allowed to go only once per week to the, to the supermarket.

Rita Black: Oh, wow.

Rocio Pena: It wasn't really forced, but it was suggested that only -

Rita Black: I remember that Australia we, we had an Australian friend who got stuck in Australia. He went home and he ended up staying there a really long time. 'cause I think they shut everything down the borders. Everything. Everything. Everything. Yeah. Yeah.

Rocio Pena: Yeah. Yeah.

Rita Black: We, we forget how quickly, and, and you are not alone. I'm sure a lot of our listeners share in your story with eating whatever, because we all, we didn't know. We didn't know if we were gonna live or die. Exactly. so why not? And and I remember going to the grocery store and the, there was no flour or sugar on the shelves because everybody was baking.

Rocio Pena: Yeah.

Rita Black: You know what I mean? Everybody was comfort baking and I mean, it was wild. It was wild. So I totally, I totally vibe with your I mean, even though you're being super vulnerable, and I appreciate it I think everybody's nodding their heads and saying, yep, I did that, you know, like a lot of people did.

Rocio Pena: You know with my husband. So he, he, he can, he can release a little bit of weight, but he doesn't have a weight issue. So what we, what we did, he would go once a week to the supermarket to buy the normal food. And then I would go another day to buy all the gack that I could. All the gack. And we, and, and we were like, yeah, we were really reckless. I, I packed in 50 pounds

Rita Black: During the pandemic.

Rocio Pena: Yeah.

New Speaker: Wow. Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, I think the average weight gain was 30 to 40 pounds during the pandemic. So 50. That's pretty much in the range. So, yeah. Wow.

Rocio Pena: Yeah, I would eat all day long. I would, I would bake, I would fry everything. Like who, who cares? Like, right. And I wasn't going to the, to the, to the office, because that was what kept me before, from keep going up in my weight. That I have to wear clothes to go to the, to the, to the office. Yeah. And because I had a really big body, I couldn't find clothes. So that, that was actually what kept me not keeping my weight up. But now, during Covid, I was at home using yoga pants. So I, you know, I, I didn't have that restriction and nobody was seeing me. Yeah. So, yeah. Who, who, who, who cares. Then I think one year and a half into Covid I realized, ah, we are not gonna die now probably I have to do something.

Rocio Pena: I have to do something with my life. And that's when I found you. But at the same time, so I was kind of, you know, studying a couple of options. One was, I was starting to think of treating food as an addiction. So I was looking at Overeaters anonymous which I, I didn't know it, it, that such thing existed by the time, but I found it on internet. I mean, you know, double A meetings and things like that. But I didn't know there was an actually a organization. And also I found something called BLE that is a similar program, treating, treating food as an addiction. So that was one. And the second one is my general practitioner. My GP suggested Ozempic.

Rocio Pena: So I was, I was, you know, debating between those two. And then one day I was scrolling through internet, I think it was Instagram, and I saw your ad, and that's when I decided, I knew, in my mind, I knew I had to do something different. I knew that the restrictive diet wasn't working, because that was, that's what I did all my life. And those three examples, right. The shakes, the HCG, and the band, those three diets were just restricting, restricting starving. And I knew I had to do something different. So either ozempic or the addiction, they, they were restricting me. Again, they would restrict a lot. And I didn't want to do that. So I, I bought your, your program and I, I prayed that it would work this time for me. Yeah. That, that's what, that's what I did.

Rita Black: Well, what did you think? I'm, I'm well, thank you for finding the program. I, and I, I understand too, like when you are stuck in that struggle, and I mean, how human to just wanna get out of it as quickly as possible. I mean, as you know, Rocio, we talk about this a lot in the shift. Like that, the pain of the struggle, we become very vulnerable to wanting to get out of it as quickly as possible. But, so what made you, so when you heard about hypnosis, were you, like, what's this hypnosis stuff? Or had you heard, you know, like what was your exposure to hypnosis at this point? So, as an alternative

Rocio Pena: I was familiar with meditation because in the nineties I was familiar with Jose Silva mind control method because my grandma used to take me with her to those meetings.

Rita Black: I just found out about him, and I ordered his book. Like, I wanna learn more about it, because he seems like a very interesting character. I mean, like,

Rocio Pena: He was a really, I met him in person. So I think Mine Valley now has the rights of the method.

Rita Black: Yes. Yes. I think they offer a course.

Rocio Pena: They offer a course. Yes. So I was familiar. And is I, I don't think it's exactly the same as your hypnosis

Rita Black: No, no, no. I don't think so either.

Rocio Pena: But it was like mind, you know, like, like using your mind for your purposes and really controlling your mind.

Rita Black: Yes.

Rocio Pena: So, because I was familiar with that, your hypnosis method. It, it wasn't something we are, for me, as for many other people, like, oh, this, yeah. You know, sounds weird. No. For me, it was totally natural. And I actually believe on it so much. I really know that the subconscious runs the show most of the time.

Rita Black: For sure. So, so you enrolled in the program and how, I mean, so as you know, we're, and you know, we're not here to talk about the program, we're here to talk about your journey. But how did that begin to change things for you as far as in your internal journey?

Rocio Pena: Well, Rita so for the listeners we have this prep period, this preparation period that we have to do before the, the 30 day process, right?

Rita Black: Yes.

Rocio Pena: I had to go through it three times. Rita It took me a month to commit to actually doing what you were asking me to do. Right. 'cause even though, even though I had struggled with weight my whole life, I had never counted calories. I have never exercised. I have never treat this as a lifestyle. I always wanted the quick solution. Right. And let me go back to eating as I want. That, that was always my thing. And that was, that was the wrong approach. So when you ask, you know, all the things that, that, that, you know, overall what you, we are gonna do and what we are asking for. I was, oh, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I, if I'm willing to do this.

Rita Black: I think that too, just so that somebody's listening and they've never been exposed to the program. And, and we aren't asking like calorie counting like a diet. It's, we are looking at it from a complete, we were using our minds like a scientist. So we're which actually getting clear on certain data for being able to predict your own weight release is a very empowering for people. So but I think what Rocio's talking about, and many people find in that prep is like, oh, no, this is something that is gonna be restrictive or deprivational. And Well, you, I'm, I don't wanna put words in your mouth. I mean, please. How did you find that then, as you went through the process using that? Like, what, well, I'm curious, what made you kind of come to peace with that? Like what, you know, when you on that third time through.

Rocio Pena: Well -

Rita Black: I love that.

Rocio Pena: It was some of the same, because in my mind, I knew I had to do something different.

Rita Black: Yeah.

Rocio Pena: And I knew balance was the key here. So I couldn't keep going on restricting and then going crazy because my thing was, I never had breakfast, for instance, you know, like my whole adult life, I never had breakfast, and I would eat a really crappy lunch. And then at night when I was completely, you know, running on films is when I would eat a whole pizza.

Rita Black: Yeah.

Rocio Pena: That doesn't make sense at all. So I knew in my mind that there has to be something different. I had to do something different. And what you were asking me to do make sense, but, and, and it was totally clear what I wanted to do, what I had to do, but I didn't know if I was able to, and I didn't wanna fail and keep failing.

Rita Black: Yes.

Rocio Pena: So that was that battle in my mind.

Rita Black: I understand

Rocio Pena: How can I do this? But what really at the end, what I, I say, well, I have done so many things, let's give this a go. Let's see what happens. And I started, I started, you know, how you ask us not to start a Monday. Preferably another day, because we don't wanna, like, okay.

Rita Black: Right. Yeah. Like to be like every other diet. Right.

Rocio Pena: I couldn't find another day. I always had an excuse for Tuesday, for Wednesday, for every other day. So I started a Monday, and that was the best decision I I've made so far. Yes.

Rita Black: Well, you're the rebel Rocio. I love it. Well, and, and, and so you started and was it, I think the thing is we are under so much pressure. And, you know, when you think about failure, because you mentioned you didn't wanna fail. And I think so many people, that is something that might keep them from doing something. And we think of failure as this external thing. But I mean, it really is like, we are afraid that we're gonna beat ourselves up if we don't, you know, if we don't do what we want. But we've been doing that anyway for so long. You know, it's, it's, it's very insane. Did you use, 'cause in the prep we have like a prepare for success hypnosis. Did you use that to help you also get ready?

Rocio Pena: I did. Yes. Yes. Yes. As I said before, like, I am a kind of A plus student, so, once I commit to do something, I follow, I, yeah. I followed everything that you, that you requested.

Rita Black: Yeah. Wow. So as you went through, what changes did you see in your mindset? Like, what was, what were the changes that were, you know, that you can remember that as you went through that helped you you know, get on this journey that you've been on of transformation?

Rocio Pena: Yeah. So I, when I finally committed to doing it there were two key things that I had always, you know, front and center. One was that notion that we are in a beginner's journey. We are learners. So I was seeing everything with fresh eyes and taking in everything. And because I had never tracked, I have never counted calories. I didn't have that baggage with me. And I'm big in planning. I love planning. So for me, that was like a project that I was embarking on. So planning and, and doing everything. Learning new things. That, that was one thing that I had, you know in front. And the second thing was perfectionism, as you just mentioned. Because in the past, what treat me up every time was be perfectionist, and I'm recovering from it. So because, oh, I did something that wasn't unplanned, then I blew everything, as you always say.

Rocio Pena: And then I will start again, you know, next week. I didn't allow me to do that this time under your suggestion. And I think that was the game changer for me. So if I went off plan, I would go back in the next meal possible as soon as possible. And that was, you know, kept me going, not only during the first 30 days, but during the 13 months that I've been in my journey. Those two things, not, not being perfectionist, like at, at the beginning actually, I thought while I have to, you know, be careful. So I was trying to do one thing at a time. So I focus on food during the first 30 days I didn't exercise at all.

Rita Black: Okay.

Rocio Pena: Good. And then the second thing in January was, okay, I'm gonna start exercising. And then I, like, by April, I, I worked on improving the quality of my food because I was eating still a little bit, you know, off in some places. And yeah, like every month I have something new that I'm working on perfecting. That, that was the strategy. And, and it worked really, really well. And of course, listening to the meditation and the hypnosis every single day.

Rita Black: Wow. So what I'm hearing, and you know, just for our listeners to kind of glean from your wisdom, and, and I do think that this is so true, is that you, you, you kept it simple and you kept on going. So you just said, okay, I'm not gonna worry about exercise right now. I'm just gonna focus. And you really did take it, because I do think that the long-term journey is about learning. So you were like, I can't even, and I've, I had many, many other people, similar Rocio, which is like, I, I, you don't have to exercise, especially if you have a significant amount of weight release in order to release weight. And when you know how to release weight, specifically as we teach you, and you just got your food in, and, and we don't say, here, eat this, eat that. That's up to you. But that you just started focusing on like, you taking ownership of your food journey, like working that out for you, which is so great for people because then, then they're the, they're in the driver's seat of their weight loss. And

Rocio Pena: That was huge for me. Rita, you, you don't know how much that was the, you know, the change that I, that I had, because in the past, I always wanted, you know, give me, give me give me, give me, give me, and I'll follow, I'll follow to the T, but give me, give me, what do I have to do this time? When you said, well, you have to figure it out for yourself. I can give you some guidelines, but it's your journey. That's when I finally took ownership that empowered me to take control of my life for the first time in 40 plus years about food. And not only food. I think this is not only a food, a weight journey. As many, many have said in the, in the podcast before, this is not just a weight journey. This is a life changer journey.

Rita Black: Yeah. I love that. Now, what are you doing since you eased into exercise on this journey? Maybe the listeners are a little curious. Like what did you decide to focus on as far as your exercise of choice? Or are you doing a bunch of different types of exercise?

Rocio Pena: Yeah, so when I started exercising, I went just to the treadmill three times a week. That was my, my initial thing. One hour. Right. So I be, I, I live in a, like an apartment complex. So we have a gym here in the building. I would go down to the, to the gym. I would do one hour slowly walk. Like I started the journey at 268.5 pounds.

Rita Black: Okay.

Rocio Pena: So that was, that was huge. Right. I had difficulty even walking. So I started three times a week, one hour, you know, slowly I sweat a lot and, you know all good. Then by, I think I did that for a couple of months, and then I started feeling better and I wanted to start walking, like walking in the real, you know, under the sun in the real streets. So I reorganized my work schedule so that I could go for a walk after lunch every single day.

Rita Black: Wow. That's so cool.

Rocio Pena: And I'm still, I'm still doing it. And I found these virtual challenges on internet where you you win medals for kilometers or, or miles walked. So I bought a bunch of them, and that kept me motivated to keep doing it. Then I was combining the two of them, so walking every single day, plus treadmill three times a week. And then it was two times a week. And now, more recently, just last month, I started doing some strength training as well in the gym. And I love it now. Like, I really need my daily walk after lunch. Like, that's part of who I am now, because I have changed completely my identity. So that's something that I have to do every single day after not wanted to do it at the beginning. Now is something that I do no matter what. Even if it is raining, if it is raining, I will go to the gym because, you know, it's here in the building. So I can do it if, you know, I manage, I, I find a way. And I think that that's also part of the, of the mindset change the mindset of how can I, how can I make this work? How can I exercise every day? How can I get my protein every single day? And find solutions around the question. Yeah.

Rita Black: Wow. So how has your husband been supporting you? 'cause I know, like you've been, how long have you guys been married for?

Rocio Pena: Oh, it's been 18 years already.

Rita Black: Oh, wow. Did he, so he moved to Australia with you from Venezuela.

Rocio Pena: Yeah.

New Speaker: Okay. Yeah. So he's been with you a long time. What does he think of your journey and has he been supportive of it? Because I think a lot of people are challenged with spouses who might not be supportive.

Rocio Pena: Totally. Totally. I am so, so lucky, Rita. I have, you know, every, every person might say this, but I have the best husband. He's been super supportive with my journey. Oh, even, even when I had the surgery, he didn't want me to do it, but he accepted it at the end. But with this time in particular he's super supportive. He only ask, okay, what are we doing today? You know. What are we eating this week? He, you know, he goes with me to the gym sometimes if he, if he has the time, he, he will do it. Oh, good. He finds recipes for me, low carb and he, and he ask, can we eat? Can we eat, I don't know, can we eat something that, that he wants to eat? And then I, you know, I, he's super supportive. So I sometimes cook different things for him because he, he can, he can eat those things I can't. Right. So if something that is not super triggering for me, I would, I would cook it for him, and he just, yeah. He eats whatever I do. So -

Rita Black: I love it. So you've been on this journey, you've released 90 pounds?

Rocio Pena: 95 now.

Rita Black: 95. Amazing. Okay. I'm, oh, that's great. So what for you, like, if you had to go through the phases, so I guess, I think for our listeners, what I'm curious in, because that's a 13th month journey that you've been on so far, and I want people to understand, I, I talk about all the time that I think in the normal diet industry structure, as you have, you know, so eloquently kind of walked us through, is that we end up focusing on something, losing a bunch of weight, stopping, going back, losing weight, going back, losing weight. But that, that long-term weight management, it, it's a journey. And it, and it actually occurs in phases. Meaning like, you kind of go through your initial, you know, first part of your journey where you're figuring things out, you're figuring out your food, and then it, and, and then, you know, maybe you go through and you have a plateau, and you have, and this is all an ongoing relationship with yourself. But if you had a breakdown like phases, your 13 month phases, what would you say, or you were, that have been this, the phases so far of this journey of 95 pounds?

Rocio Pena: Yeah. So Rita, I, I would say that I'm still in the honeymoon phase, and I'm super proud of saying that because I have kept it fresh. Always looking for the next thing in, you know, how, how can I, as I said before, how can I, if myself engaged my quality, how can I keep doing exercise without it being a pain? How can I keep myself, myself motivated? So I think I'm still in the honeymoon phase, of course. I've, I've gone through a couple of periods, like I was not exercising, then I started to exercise as a chore, and then I started liking it, and then I loved it, you know? With food has been similar as well. You know, at the beginning I was like I don't know. You know, I, I didn't want to give up certain foods, and then slowly, slowly I transitioned to a healthier versions of the same food.

Rocio Pena: So it's all been a discovery. 13 months seems like a long time, but it's not, it's not based off just quickly. And from months to months working on something new all the time has kept me motivated, excited. I have had some plateaus, but not really, like, not really. I, I was just like, stay in the same way range, you know for couple of days. Like I, I haven't really had long plateaus. Well that, but also Rita, I've done things in parallel as well. So, you know, working on exercising and food is one thing as well. But I had to work on other things as well. So, for instance I had a long battle with constipation. And that's huge in a weight management. So

Rita Black: Was that just during this time, or you've had that before?

Rocio Pena: No, no. Long, long life. Like in my whole life I've have this complication..

Rita Black: Well, tell us, tell us about this, because I think some of our listeners might have had similar things. 'cause I've heard that before too.

Rocio Pena: Yeah. I think that was aggravated with the surgery, to be honest. Surgery did a lot of terrible things for me because I wasn't eating enough. Right. So, you know, the body was restricted, was constipated. I wasn't drinking enough water. Never, never. I, I, I wasn't consuming healthy oils, you know, things like that. So I went and found a naturopath you know, to work with that specifically. And she put me on some supplements. I'm still with her. She's a super great doctor. You know, eating the right things for once either water, like enough water intake, and then evaluating. So she changes the meditation, the, the medication when, when, you know, when it's required. And improving that in my journey has been huge as well, with the weight, with the weight release.

Rita Black: Right. That's amazing. It is really great to find a, a good doctor that you can rely upon and who maybe is working outside the western, you know? In that area. Yeah.

Rocio Pena: 'Cause I, I went to doctors so many times for constipation. I went to hundreds of, no, not hundreds, sorry, I'm exaggerating. But I, I went to a few of them. A lot of them, none of them, you know, they would give me like fiber supplements and things like that, but they never stayed with me for the, for the long ride. Yeah. So they never saw my progress. They, they didn't care. So this, this naturopath has been amazing. The other thing was managing stress, right? Because all of this journey, eating correctly and planning and doing stuff is awesome when life goes well. But when, you know, guy life gets lifey, then I would resort to food as, as a comfort, right? Like emotional eating and night eating and things like that. So I had to do a really hard work with managing stress. The way I did it is with EFT. So tappin.

Rita Black: Yes. Excellent.

Rocio Pena: I, I've been tapping for 10 months every single day of my life, No, may, maybe weekends I'm a little bit lax. But most, most of the week I am, I'm tapping always on some issue present or past, because we have to heal the past as well to be able to keep going forward. So I tap every single day. I meditate every single day. So I have like a morning routine and I do a couple of things. I sometime I alternate between, you know, journaling and meditating. It depend on how much time I have available. So, yeah, I, I have had to learn to, you know, nurture myself in other ways apart from food. So looking things that make me happy, joyful, finding, you know, things that keeps me motivated. Managing my stress levels, managing my body, like physiologically speaking. Yeah. And, and planning, planning, planning, planning. So every weekend I'm planning what I'm gonna do next week and keeping it fresh and motivating.

Rita Black: Wow. Fantastic. Well, I think a lot of what you're saying is that you are, you know, loving yourself down the skill as we talk about, but that you are really engaging in this like a student and learner and enjoying what I hear is just like, this wonderful journey you are on with yourself so that you're keeping it fresh. And, and I think, you know, for me, 'cause I've been keeping that my 40 pound loss off for 28 years, I resonate a lot with what you say, because in order to do that for me, I've had to keep looking at other things like, oh, how can I make it if to keep the food interesting, you know, like different tech cooking techniques and thinking about things. And, and I know if you're out there thinking, oh my God, I've gotta work so hard at all this, it's not about working hard. It's about just get staying curious and staying open to different ideas so that you don't get stuck in that rutt. And, and that's when that old fat thinking starts to creep back. But, you know, now I'm interested in things like longevity and yeah. So I'm curious about that. And it, and it, and it ties in with my long-term maintenance journey. So it, and exercise, I love what you're saying is like, keeping it interesting, changing it up or adding to it, for sure.

Rocio Pena: Totally. Yeah. Yeah. Totally.

Rita Black: So what is your vision for 2024? Like what's your big vision?

Rocio Pena: Yeah, so I am down 95 pounds so far. Right. but I still have weight to release. So my vision is the last time that I wore a dress, I was 11 years old.

Rita Black: Oh.

Rocio Pena: Because I have huge hips that I'm learning to love now. So I so my, my sizes, right? So my, my tops were before when I started the shift were 22, 24. I don't know how that translates to US sizes, but it's

Rita Black: Are they european are the European sizes?

Rocio Pena: European, yeah. Yeah.

Rita Black: European sizes. So European sizes I think are like one or two sizes bigger than US sizes. So like I think like if you were a size six in the United States, you were a size 10 in Europe, like that kind of thing.

Rocio Pena: Oh, I see.

Rita Black: Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Rocio Pena: So I was wearing 22, 24 tops, and then buttons 26. And when, when I could buy clothes, because to be honest, majority of my clothes are custom made because I, I couldn't find anything in any store because I'm short, but really big. So I was so it was very difficult to find clothes. So my vision still is to be able to wear a beautiful dress.

Rita Black: Oh!

Rocio Pena: A princess dress.

Rita Black: I love it.

Rocio Pena: 'Cause The last time I wore a dress, I was 11 years old, and the last time I wore a skirt, I was in high school because it was mandatory. But my goodness, once I left high school, I had never, ever in my life even try a dress or a skirt because it doesn't, it doesn't work. It didn't, it hasn't work for me that way. But my vision is still to be able to, you know, look beautiful in a dress.

Rita Black: I love that you wanna wear a princess dress.

Rocio Pena: I want Yeah.

Rita Black: I love that so much. So that's your vision.

Rocio Pena: The, I went, I went to the, to the department store, and I was able to buy a blouse size 14. So from 22 to 14. Right.

New Speaker: That's fantastic.

Rocio Pena: And it could have been, could have been 12. But because I know the dryer, you know, that's the stuff. So I, I bought it 14, but if I can get a couple of sizes down yeah, that would be, that would be my, my vision for next year. I actually had this DEXA scan because I wanted to know how much fat, real fat and lean muscle I have. So I have an idea. I went yesterday to the DEXA scan actually. So I, now, today I have an idea of, you know, how smaller I can get with, with what I get with, with my, with my composition. And it's not what internet says, it's not 50 kilos or I dunno, 120 pounds. It's not that. It's a lot more than that.

Rita Black: Yeah.

Rocio Pena: So I'm gonna, you know, this December I'm gonna be working on, you know, what is that number that I'm gonna reach for?

Rita Black: I didn't know that you could do that. That's very interesting. Can you explain that for our listeners who might be interested in that? Because I think that's so helpful because so many of us are under the illusion of the, your insurance company tells you like, you're so high, you should weigh X amount. I love how then the DEXA scan actually looks at your muscle and your frame composition.

Rocio Pena: It does, yes. So I didn't know about this either, but just looking on internet, I realized there is this scan, it's like a CT scan or a MRI, it's just, you know full body.

Rita Black: I've had one across my hips for bone, like bone density.

Rocio Pena: Bone is the same one actually, yes, it's the same. It's the same one. But this one I did it the whole body. So you know how we have these crazy ideas in our head? No. Is that my bones are heavy. Right. Like my family has big bones. You know?

Rita Black: Yes.

Rocio Pena: So I wanted to, you know, smash those concepts in my head. Yeah. I actually have only two kilos of bones that's like four pounds.

Rita Black: Oh, interesting.

Rocio Pena: Yeah. Interesting. I have. So the scan gave me a picture a color picture of my skeleton, my, my bones, my fat distribution, although I know more or less what it is, my fat. And then the, the lean, the lean mass in my body.

Rita Black: Oh, interesting.

Rocio Pena: And between between bones and lean mass. I'm already 52 kilos, so I, I could never go down from that because actually you need fat around your muscles.

Rita Black: Yeah. So that 52 kilos is, translate that for us. It's 140 pounds.

Rocio Pena: 52 is a little bit higher. Like 110, maybe.

Rita Black: 110. Okay. And then okay. And then fat around that, right? So your your Yeah. Initial idea of like 120 pounds would be way too small.

Rocio Pena: Yeah, exactly. So the, the formulas that I have found, so it's 115 Rita. Exactly. So 52 kilos is 115 pounds. So I can never go down that because you still need fat around. At least 10 kilos of fat. So I am gonna figure out, because those formulas that I have found on internet, say, say that for my height my age, I should be certain amount. And that's impossible. That's impossible. Right? Unless I lose my lean mass and I don't wanna do that.

Rita Black: Right. Yeah. Which you don't wanna do.

Rocio Pena: Exactly. Yeah. So it was kind of eyeopening. I always want to do one of those.

Rita Black: And do you just go somewhere and tell them? Because I'm sure people are going, what do I do? How do I get a DEXA scan?

Rocio Pena: Yeah, I, I just, I just looked it up on internet DEXA scan and there is a guy here. I, there are many, but there is a company that does it, you need a GP referral for that. But the criteria is super simple, like, are you trying to manage your way. Check! And then you can go and, and have those. But also it gave me like bone density and I have a really nice density, so yeah. It was super good. Yeah.

Rita Black: That's excellent.

Rocio Pena: So with that, with that knowledge now, I feel empowered to go and try to reach a, a valid number or, or not valid, like an achievable number for my weight. Yeah. Because I've been obese my whole life. Like the, the, the smallest I was after the surgery, I was still, I, I still felt really fat.

Rita Black: Right.

Rocio Pena: And big and my hips were huge still. But because my mindset was different as well. So now with my new mindset, with my new knowledge, I'm gonna reach for something that is achievable and that I'm happy living with that I'm not miserable.

Rita Black: Yeah. I love it. And I love, thank you for, you've like enlightened me on the DEXA scan. That is so great because I do think that there are many people who haven't ever been at their ideal weight or what you would consider and just have no idea like, what is that for me? What does that look like? And we're all built so differently, so that's amazing. Thank you for that.

Rocio Pena: I think the closest, the closer we have is the BMI, but BMI is like, it's not a real measure. It, it doesn't say anything. So,

Rita Black: And I think that it can be inaccurate because you might be very much muscle and very little lean fat and you're still in obese territory because you just made way more. Some people are very, I, because I used to have a scale in my office, I don't anymore. But when people would weigh in, I was always surprised because some people can look heavier 'cause they just, their mass is bigger, but they actually on the scale, weigh a lot less than you would imagine. And then the opposite would be true. Somebody would be very compact and lean, but weigh a lot more than you would think by looking at them. So, you know, you can't go by any of that. And I love how you are such a scientist or CO.

Rocio Pena: I am, I have my, my, I have my coat with me all the time. So well that, that's what I studied. So I studied computer science at uni, so I'm really, you know scientific focused.

Rita Black: I love it. I love it. I I know you're like a real like you said, a self, a self claimed nerd. What, if you had to, what would be the first step that you would recommend anybody who wants to start a journey like yours? Like, you know, like what would just be your advice or inspiration or motivation for that first step forward?

Rocio Pena: Yeah, so I would say for anyone that want to release some weight but especially for people like me when I started that, because I think there is a difference when you have 20 or 40 pounds to release to is different to when you have more than 100 pounds to release because you would get discouraged quickly. if, if, if you co if if your weight stalls or you have, you know, slow process, you would get discouraged. But what I would like to tell them is that there is a way to do it. And it doesn't have to be a drastic way as a surgery or food addiction. It really doesn't have to be, there is another way, a way that would make you happy. And that is gonna be sustainable in the time, during the time because losing the weight is not, is not the end goal.

Rocio Pena: The end goal is maintaining the weight that you have released and that's what we are gonna keep doing for the rest of our lives. So we have, I think we have to look at it differently. It's not the release process. It's how am I going to maintain whatever I manage to release? There is a way to do it where we don't have to restrict so much where you can be happy and you can stay motivated so that you will, you know, keep going until the end. My ultimate goal is to reach a healthy weight that I can maintain for the rest of my life. And it's possible. It's definitely possible.

Rita Black: Yes. I love your attitude and you can hear with what the way Rocio speaks, right dear listeners, that it isn't just about the weight, but it is about her relationship that she's cultivated with herself. And you can tell from somebody who was like, gave up on herself a lot to somebody, you can tell you clearly respect yourself. You clearly are your own leader, like the self-leadership that this has taken this journey. That's what I love to see when people take the ownership and they start leading themselves on their journey, is that it changes you from the inside out. And it's not just the way, although everybody, I know everybody wants to release weight, so I get it, but you know, the leadership that it takes for you to guide yourself and, and that's what I love to see. You know, you've really clearly demonstrated a powerful journey.

Rita Black: That's that thank you. So inspiring. One quick question 'cause I think you are speaking really great truth. When you say there's a difference between releasing 20 to 40 pounds and releasing over a hundred pounds in the beginning for you, did you just focus on little bits? Like did you not look at the whole picture? Like with regards to self-leadership, did you say, let's just focus? 'cause You, I I can tell like you really were like, I'm not even gonna think about the, you know, exercise. I'm just gonna focus on food. And so you weren't thinking about a hundred plus pounds, you were, what were you looking at?

Rocio Pena: Yeah, that, that's a really interesting question, Rita, because if you, at, at the start of the journey, if I had looked at the whole picture, I would feel really dismotivated because, you know, with that release, like the maximum amount release recommendable is two pounds per week. And even though with that it's a little bit, you know in the hard side of things, if I, if I am, if I do the math, it would take, you know, more than one year or something if I had thought about it at the beginning only, oh, it's too much, it's too much, it's too much. So what I did, and I love how this, there is an app that creates milestones for you, but you can do it by yourself as well. Like, let's say the next 10 pounds or the next five pounds. And that's how I've been doing my thing. I'm always just looking at the next order. Right now I'm looking at the 170. That's my, I think it's my 11th milestone that I'm, that I'm gonna reach and I'm only focused on that.

Rocio Pena: After that I will see the next 10 and the next 10 and the next 10. So you, but also, yeah, knowing that is, you know even if it is one size down in my clothes, even if it is one less pain, let's say on my knees, even if it is something, even, even, even the smallest thing would give me, give me, you know, that comfort from one side to the next. Yeah. But you're totally right. We, we can't just look at the at the end goal because it's too much.

Rita Black: Yeah. It would be overwhelming and your mind would just shut down. Yeah. I love how you broke it down into little milestones. That's fantastic. Well, this has been so great. I know you have to get back to work, it's the workday for you. But I wanna thank you so much. This has been in motivating and inspiring and it's, I wanna just say how honored I am to have been a part of your journey and it's, it is just really, I always see you in our membership and you are always contributing but also just watching your growth as a human being, it's just really remarkable. So thank you for being a part of this and thank you for coming on and being generously sharing of yourself today and your journey.

Rocio Pena: Thank you so much. And I wanna to say that I wanna thank you for all that you do for us in the community and in the process. You empowered me to change my life and I will always be super grateful for that.

Rita Black: Oh, well thank you. Thank you. Well, like I said, I'm honored and it's a joy. So thank you so much. And we will look forward to having you back to tell us more about your journey.

Rocio Pena: Absolutely. Thank you Rita.

New Speaker: Maybe in your princess dress. Oh, welcome. We'll have you sitting here in your princess dress. Alright. Thank you Rocio.

Rocio Pena: Thank you.

Rita Black: Wow. Thank you Rocio for sharing on such a deep level your powerful story. And if you are inspired to begin your journey out of the struggle into a more powerful mindset, please check out the link in the show notes and take advantage of our shift 30 day January self-study offer that will be running through the 23rd. And when you enroll now, not only do you get this hypnosis based offer, but this process that you can have for over a year that is self-guided.

Rita Black: So you can start at any time, but you can also participate in this year's spring or fall shift. And also get that bonus program of the five top hypnosis downloads. That includes exercise, stress management, drinking less and more. And grab that link in the show notes. Like I said, it's over $800 worth of bonuses when you enroll before the 23rd. Alright, so now I hope you have an amazing week and remember that the key and probably the only key to unlocking the door of the weight struggle is inside you. So keep listening and find it. Have an amazing week. I will look forward to seeing you very soon.