In this episode of Untethering Shame, I’m joined by Clarissa Gannon — certified coach, plant-based bodybuilder, and founder of EmpowerHER Wellness — for an honest conversation about shame, strength, and women’s relationships with food, movement, and body size.
Many women are raised to believe that worth and safety come from being smaller — eating less, doing more cardio, and living in cycles of restriction and self-monitoring. When dieting stops working, strength training can feel empowering… and deeply uncomfortable.
Together, we explore why weightlifting and building muscle can feel inaccessible to women, how shame shows up in both diet culture and fitness spaces, and what it means to pursue strength without turning it into another form of self-control.
Inside this episode, we talk about:
How shame shapes body image, food choices, and movement
Why strength training challenges shrinking-based conditioning
The fear of eating more, slowing down, and taking up space
The “slow grind” of building strength without instant validation
Where fitness and bodybuilding culture can recreate disordered patterns
Wanting to feel strong and like how you look — without tying worth to outcomes
This is not a conversation about fixing your body.
It’s about building a relationship with your body rooted in trust, agency, and sustainable strength.
About Clarissa Gannon
Clarissa Gannon is a certified coach, plant-based bodybuilder, and founder of EmpowerHER Wellness, where she helps women in perimenopause and beyond reclaim their health, strength, and confidence — without restrictive dieting or burnout.
Her work blends strength training, hormone support, and plant-based nourishment to support long-term wellbeing and embodied confidence.
🔗 Connect with Clarissa:
Website: https://www.herwellnessonline.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissa_gannon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarissa.gannon
Get Connected.
★ Subscribe to my YouTube channel
★ Sign up for my email list: https://adversityrising.com/email-list
★ Listen to my Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AouludJr7EweOkMIN9s42?si=d8cdfcb925ce4c9c
Take the Next Step.
★ Download the FREE handout, "5 Things Shame Resilient People do Every Day" and start making those daily shifts to break that shame cycle that's keeping you stuck in that negative headspace. www.adversityrising.com/become-shame-resilient
★ Book a free 25-minute discovery call to discuss different program options and find the support best fits your needs. https://calendly.com/adversityrising/discovery-call
★ Are you a people pleaser? Ruminator? Over-extender? Sign up for the next round of Liberated Living and implement the radical 3 practice — Radical Acceptance, Radical Responsibility & Radical Authorship: https://adversityrising.com/liberated-living
