Ilana Muhlstein: So Much More Than The Before & After

As many of us have health and fitness on our minds as we start 2022, I thought it would be the perfect time to invite Ilana Muhlstein back to the show. Ilana M.S., R.D.N. is a highly qualified weight loss expert, acclaimed public speaker and best selling author. In this episode, Ilana and I talk about her incredible weight loss journey and how that led her to helping others, as well as a  variety of tips and advice for you to adopt in the new year!

[02:39] VIRAL RESULTS

Ilana shares about a viral social media situation that means a lot to her. A beachbody coach, Natasha Pehrson is crushing it on social media by sharing her journey with the 2B Mindset before and after results. This really speaks to Ilana’s mission of breaking diet fads and seeing the joy in the process of getting healthy. It’s so much more than the before and after, it’s also about the story behind it. Recently, Ilana decided to take some family photos after the arrival of her third child. She was overly ambitious in her vision of taking photos on the beach. It really made her think about the blessings and opportunities that being healthy allows in our lives. 

[09:50] THE 2B MINDSET

I ask Ilana about the background behind the 2B Mindset. As a child, she was obese and one of the heaviest kids in the school. She talks about being shipped to weight-loss camp in the summer without any say in the matter. Repeatedly, she would lose 30 pounds at camp and gain it all back when she went back to school. This was her first experience with quick-fix dieting at a very young age. Her family did not practice healthy habits and she was told that healthy food doesn’t taste good. From there, she began her journey, working with a nutritionist and figuring out what worked for her. She incorporated the principles she had learned and she played around with what worked for her to lose weight, and keep the weight off. People started to ask her how she had done it, and she decided that she wanted to have credibility on the subject to speak on it. The attention she was receiving kept her accountable. She decided to become a registered dietitian. 

[19:40] PEOPLE LOVE TO TALK ABOUT DIETS

As people lose weight, a lot of times people feel uncomfortable about the unwanted attention and questions they will receive. Ilana talks about a client she works with and how the comments her family would make were more unnerving than the weight-loss and associated decisions themselves. She shares her advice for handling these kinds of compliments and questions, and ways to steer the conversation another way. It’s all about doing what makes you feel best and putting your mental health first. People often place judgement on others based on their expectations for their eating habits. We both share our experiences with meeting Darin Olien, the creator of Shakeology, and how while everyone often assumed he would be judgemental about nutrition decisions. He is really just focused on making the best choices that work for him. 

[29:03] FAST FORWARD

After Ilana had attended school and received her degrees, she was hired right away by UCLA. She started by counseling people with injuries. She began leading a 12 week weight loss program, and kept improving her results with different groups. She was refining what worked and what resonated with people. After 10 different semesters, it kept getting better and better, so she decided to scale it. This is how she got involved with Beachbody and created the 2B Mindset. 

[34:49] INSTA-POOP TO INSTA-CASH

Ilana has always been obsessed with social media. She recalls her early days of joining Facebook and Instagram. From using Instagram, she was able to gain her first clients. Managing her own social media is truly a joy. Ilana talks about her passion for helping kids and teenagers and how that translated to her being drawn to TikTok. She loves the imperfection that Instagram Reels and TikTok allow because it is more spontaneous and less planned. 

[41:44] THE NO ALCOHOL MOVEMENT

As a sorority girl, Ilana drank a lot of alcohol in college, but she found ways to drink and still lose weight. One of her clients is going through the same experience. She has been working with her and compiling tips for how to attend these kinds of events sober, with weight loss in mind. Ilana shares her advice for when to incorporate alcohol and when to avoid it. After the pandemic, Ilana attended many weddings and social events while pregnant. She shares her experience with being sober in these situations and how though it’s uncomfortable at first, it passes quickly. There are a lot of benefits once you get past that initial point. I talk about how we often make it more difficult than it actually needs to be. It’s so easy!

[47:35] LIFE WITH THREE AND THE 2B PREGNANT PROGRAM

As both of us are moms, we talk about the jump of two kids to three. Ilana talks about developing the 2B Mindset and how her second pregnancy was intertwined within that timeline. This sparked her idea for a pregnancy program with Beachbody. When her third pregnancy came, she decided to do it. There is so much value in this program for women within a variety of ages and Ilana is so excited to be able to help women in this way. She talks about how there is a lack of information around pregnancy and how this program is so effective in educating and providing results. 

[58:20] THE FRESH ENERGY OF 2022

2022 can be whatever we want it to be if we go into it with the right mindset! I ask Ilana about the best approach for January. She believes that people can find their best motivation when they are at rock bottom. The holidays are a very gluttonous time period where our nutrition and routines may be off. There is power in that because you have been indulging, you may feel motivated to make big changes. Unfortunately sugar is addicting, and there may be withdrawals happening as you adjust your diet. We talk about the toxic media cycles and how that can make it difficult to make long-term healthy changes within our culture. We conclude by agreeing that there’s never a right time, there’s only a right now. 

As you listen, please tag me on Instagram and let me know what pieces you are tucking into your own toolbox that help you elevate to your best self. I love hearing from you!

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