It Has To Be Me Episode

Take Charge Of Your Health

Kim Brantley, Susan Ryan, Liz Donnelly

Episode #71: September 11th, 2025

THE GOLD

“Food was my enemy. I was a disordered eater, had serious addictions, and couldn’t get control over food. I weighed 200 pounds, was pre-diabetic, and the acid reflux would put me in bed for days. I did the program for a full year, and lost 65 pounds. I got my life and health and confidence back. I started dating again and put on a bathing suit for the first time in two decades. I feel valued, attractive, and desirable again.”

Kim Brantley

Member of the Skinny60® Community

“I got a swift kick from my doctor to make changes. So, I did the 60-Day Reset, and my cholesterol dropped 20 points, my A1C went from 7 to 5.2, and I lost 12 pounds. My skin was clear, sleep was better, my energy levels were up. I just felt so much better. The surprising thing was how easy it was.”

Susan Ryan

Member of the Skinny60® Community

“I was morbidly obese, and needed to lose weight. During the 60-Day Reset, I released 30 pounds, my BMI went down 5 points, and my A1C and blood pressure went into normal ranges. And, I did it by eating delicious food. It was like a miracle.”

Liz Donnelly

Member of the Skinny60® Community

“Several family members died from diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. I joined the 60-Day Reset because I wanted to change my health story and break the cycle of premature death. I now have a clean, healthy, strong body and know how to eat. What a reward.”

Kim Brantley

Member of the Skinny60® Community

“I have an enormous sweet tooth so I didn’t think I could give up sugar. After 30 days on the program, I didn't have that hankering for a plate of cookies. I was actually drawn to making the meals because they were just so doggone good. Sunday was my prep day. I got everything ready for the week, and it was so easy.”

Susan Ryan

Member of the Skinny60® Community

“I was an emotional eater and was addicted to sugar and processed foods. I wasn’t much of a cook. But, I wanted to lose weight and feel better. So I got in the kitchen. At first I had to keep looking things up, but then it got easier, and the food was so delicious. I was like “I made this!” 

Liz Donnelly

Member of the Skinny60® Community


“I was 5’3, well over 200 pounds, and would come into the room like a hermit because I was ashamed and embarrassed. But, in the Skinny60® community, other people shared so candidly about their disordered eating and health challenges that the trust grew, and it helped me step over a threshold and stop holding back. I gained a new addiction—feeling healthy and nourished. I have a real sense of empowerment with food that I’ve had before.”

Kim Brantley

Member of the Skinny60® Community

“I've been in other food groups and it's mostly someone lecturing to you. But, in the SK60® community, there is such a relaxed candor and level of sensitivity between the members. It felt like these people were my friends and neighbors. Those conversations kept me going. I didn't feel like I was an outlier because other people were sharing similar experiences, and there’s something in there for everyone.”

Susan Ryan

Member of the Skinny60® Community

  “I didn't want to live the way I was living. I was uncomfortable and tired all the time. I couldn't do all the things I wanted to do with family and friends. Skinny60® opened a portal to the rest of my life. I'm now full of joy and vitality, and can do so much more.”

Liz Donnelly

Member of the Skinny60® Community

in THIS EPISODE

  • Do sugar cravings and food addictions rule your life? Liz, Susan, and Kim share how the 60-Day Reset was the key to breaking cycles of emotional eating and achieving their greatest health.

  • Susan’s sweet tooth caught up with her and, after “a swift kick” from her doctor, she leaned into her love of cooking, and started eating food that tasted so delicious, the hankering for cookies and ice cream disappeared. The immediate positive changes she saw in her body made staying on the path easy.

  • Unlike Susan, Liz wasn’t much of a cook. Years of binging on processed foods to cope with her daughter’s murder left Liz obese and unable to participate in family events the way she wanted. Learning to prepare healthy meals gave Liz a sense of pride—she could finally enjoy good food that was also good for her! In her 70s, she feels better than ever. 

  • For Kim, food was the enemy, and with crippling addiction, she couldn’t gain control. At 200 pounds and with serious medical issues, she was living like a hermit, and hadn’t dated in 20 years. She leveraged the nutrition coaching and peer support to lose 65 pounds, and claim the quality of life she wanted.

  • These ladies lay it all out there: the guilt of eating in secret, the shame spiral of failed diets, the loneliness and limitations of hiding—and the freedom and empowerment they achieved when they chose change and made it happen.

  • Community support, and the candor and sensitivity of people sharing similar struggles, helped Liz, Susan, and Kim stay on track with better choices. The draw of the vitality they felt was stronger than their previous addictions to food. This seismic shift launched a tsunami of positive changes in their lives.

  • The extraordinary things that happened when these ladies decided “It has to be me” will blow your mind.

TESS'S TAKEAWAYS

  • Being vulnerable and having honest conversations is the path to finding solutions.

  • Feeling healthy and vibrant has a ripple effect, opening more opportunities and choices.

  • The food and health stories of family members do not have to be yours.

  • The key to overcoming food addictions is delicious healthy recipes and community support.

  • Food isn’t the enemy. It’s a gateway to awareness, empowerment, joy, vitality.

  • Empowerment with food comes in knowing what to eat, enjoying it, and feeling good about it.

  • Restriction and deprivation are not sustainable. Self-care and fun in balance yield results.

  • Strategic eating enables you to lose weight eating more food, not less.

ABOUT KIM

After working as a court reporter for three decades, Kim became a life coach, and is enjoying her new career as a screenwriter thanks to restoring her health with the 60-Day Reset. Tipping the scales at 200 pounds on a 5' 3" frame, Kim lost 65 pounds, reversed her pre-diabetes diagnosis, and cleared the chronic bronchitis, acid reflux, inflammation, and carpal tunnel syndrome that had plagued her for years. She is thrilled to be feeling healthy and vibrant, and living an active joyful life as she turns 60.

ABOUT SUSAN

After a career in healthcare administration, Susan is enjoying an active retirement visiting local museums, celebrating the performing arts, traveling, and exploring boutique wineries. Following a remodel of her house, she is reincarnating her edible landscape to manageable container gardening. A food enthusiast, she enjoys sharing healthy meals with family and friends. After completing the 60-Day Reset five years ago, Susan aims to emulate the longevity of her mother, who won $10 at bingo the week she passed at 101.

ABOUT LIZ

A retired healthcare professional and mother of seven, “Grammie” to twelve, and “GG” to ten (and two more on the way), Liz finds the greatest joy in being with her family. Being a member of the Skinny60® beta group and participating in two subsequent cycles of the program gave Liz the knowledge, tools, and confidence to embrace a healthy lifestyle and maintain it. She looks forward to more years of strength and vitality, and making memories with her loved ones.