In a world where weight loss has become synonymous with restrictive diets and grueling exercise regimens, the true essence of eating and making conscious food choices is forgotten. People mistakenly believe that shedding pounds is solely achieved through extreme measures, while overlooking the fundamental importance of making conscious food choices.
Shirley Billigmeier is an expert in this arena, helping people feel more in control of when they start and stop eating. Being the Owner, Author, and Consultant of Innergetics, she firmly believes that the key to lasting wellbeing lies in the choices we make about the food we consume. It goes beyond mere calorie counting or deprivation.
Through Innergetics, Shirley equips individuals with the tools to establish personal boundaries while honoring their freedom of choice. By leveraging the innate wisdom of hunger and taste, she helps her clients relearn the forgotten joy of eating and movement. With an unwavering focus on conscious awareness, her approach encourages individuals to take back control over their eating patterns and establish a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
In an interview with Insights Care, Shirley talks about her unique methodology and how she enables individuals to break free from the restrictive mindset and embrace a more holistic approach to well-being.
Following are the excerpts from the interview:
Brief us about yourself and shed some light on your journey so far. What inspires you to serve the healthcare industry?
After obtaining my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota, I began teaching Physical Education and Health in 1971. As I worked with students, I noticed that a great deal of energy was spent worrying about their weight and what they should or shouldn’t eat. Eating was meant to give us energy. It was never meant to drain us. This realization became my life’s mission to address and resolve these issues. After teaching for 6 years, I began to do my own research and discovered that hunger was seldom mentioned. And yet I knew instinctively that was the answer.
Think of infants. They know when they are hungry, and when they are no longer hungry. Infants possess over 10,000 taste buds which allow them to discern what foods are suitable for their consumption. And since we were all infants at one time, we all possess these innate eating boundaries. However, this natural process has become unnecessarily complicated due to our tendency to ignore our internal eating boundaries and allowed others to tell us what to eat and what not to eat.
Through my research, I developed a multitude of tools to guide clients to resurface their original boundaries. I consolidated my research and training methodologies into my book, Inner Eating with the foreword written by Dr. Michael Jensen of the Mayo Clinic in 1991. Because of my expertise, I was asked to be a speaker at the National Convention of Compulsive Eating in 1995, which confirmed to me the widespread need for this information. This realization prompted me to launch Innergetics.
Can you describe the services that your company offers? What role do you play in ensuring that these services are aligned with the vision and objectives of the company?
I offer one-on-one consultations. In addition, I have launched an online course with personal coaching which includes over 60 personal videos, handouts and checkpoints to ensure the clients understand the tools to guide them to a permanent solution for all eating and weight issues.
At present, I have four certified Innergetics coaches from around the world. They are Jan Niemand from South Africa, Sue Lester from Australia, Stella Litton from the UK and Jessie Rose from the UK. They have all gone through the process and removed all their storage (my term for fat). In addition, these coaches have completed two case studies to teach the process. I not only want them to live the process, but I also need to know that they can teach the process. I also offer corporations the opportunity to run my process for their wellness programs. In addition, I am available to speak to various groups to describe a sampling of my process.
Please highlight your roles and responsibilities at the company.
I meet with my coaches six times a year, as a group, to share experiences. In addition, they can work with me on a one-on-one basis if they have questions. My coaches know I expect them to always contact me if they have any questions. They need to be recertified by me every year to ensure they are following and understanding the process.
What endeavors are you currently pursuing to improve the organization’s measures for success?
For the first time, I have hired a marketing team to help spread the word. In addition, I am available to speak, either in person or on Zoom. I have developed a detailed 2-year course for those who have completed the process and have the desire to become certified coaches.
What are some of the challenges you face when conducting projects and how do you turn them into opportunities for growth?
My intent was only to do one-on-one coaching since I do this work intuitively. However, in the last few years, I knew this process was important for the masses. So I needed to have certified coaches to help me. That was the challenge. I was fortunate to find clients who were extremely intuitive and understood the depth of the process. And they wanted to coach. That’s when I knew I needed to develop a detailed program to certify coaches.
Share with us some of the strategies that have helped you in your position as a leader. How do you keep up with specific responsibilities at the company?
I am always working one-on-one with individual clients so I never lose touch with the individual needs of the client. In addition, I am always in contact with my coaches to ensure they are moving forward with their coaching.
What advice would you like to give to budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts who desire to venture into the sector?
Entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves and believe that what they are bringing to the world will make it a better place. With the development of their skills, they will also need persistence, patience and acceptance of the ups and downs in order to move forward with their passion. That is just the first step! The challenge then is to market it to the world to fill that need.
How do you envision scaling your services and operations in 2024 and beyond?
I have created an online course to allow group sessions so more people can have access to the process. In addition, I aim to scale my services, by continuously discovering clients who would like to become coaches and have the desire to put in the work that is needed to become one.
For more information, please contact Shirley at shirley@innergetics.com or www.innergetics.com.
