Tonight  I was listening to an interview with Sheila Kelley, an actress, author, filmmaker and dancer. Tricia Greaves with Heal Your Hunger was interviewing Sheila as part of a teleseries on Weight Loss From the Inside Out.

You may have seen Sheila pole dancing on Oprah or read her book, The S Factor: Strip Workouts for Every Woman. If not, then you’re missing out on something very special.

It isn’t often that women get to hear another woman speak so passionately and frankly about the beautiful nature of women and how it is often hidden in an effort to fit into a man’s world.

“Validate and celebrate” she says of the female body. Sheila spoke eloquently about making peace with your sexuality and embracing everything about being a woman.

Sexuality and food are very closely linked in women. Excess weight is commonly traced back to early sexual experiences and the shame that is frequently imposed on young girls by their well-meaning mothers.

The world of today’s women, especially those dealing with food addictions and emotional eating challenges, is much different from that of our mothers who gave us strict orders about the opposite sex without any explanation.

Self-judgment and shame can consume a young woman when innocence is punished with threats and confusion. Many turn to food for protection without ever knowing what they are trying to protect themselves from.

Shame is a powerful emotion and when embedded early on in the female psyche, keeps a woman from being all she can be.

Once that shame is released and the female form is “validated and celebrated” in its own right, a woman can handle being a woman without those extra pounds. No diet necessary.

If you’re in the L.A. area on November 21st, Ms. Kelley will be part of a Weight Loss from the Inside Out event in Santa Monica, presented by Heal You Hunger.

Visit www.healyourhunger.com for more details on the event and to register, and check out The Original Pole Dance Workout on Sheila’s website at www.sfactor.com.