In this powerful episode, Kelly talks with fitness professional, author, and coach Yvette Salva about her raw, unfiltered journey through anorexia, bulimia, alcohol, cocaine, and ultimately 23 years of sobriety. Yvette shares how moving from Spain to the U.S. as a teen left her feeling like she never fit in, and how that pain turned into restriction, over‑exercise, and a long battle with food and body image she hid even as a successful fitness pro. Drawing from her book Booze, Blow, and Pancakes, she explains why pancakes became the symbol of her bulimia, how addiction quietly escalated from weekend drinking to blackouts and cocaine, and the terrifying reality of losing everything and living out of her car before choosing recovery.

Yvette and Kelly break down the four stages of change and spend time on the hardest part: being willing to stay uncomfortable long enough to truly transform. Yvette talks about why nine rehabs didn’t stick, what finally made her willing to change, and why no one can save someone who isn’t ready. She shares the simple but powerful “plan, accountability, and routine” framework she still uses today, and the story behind the phrase “Make SHIFT Happen” and how a keyboard became the metaphor for taking radical responsibility. This conversation is for anyone who has struggled with food, alcohol, perfectionism, or people‑pleasing—or loves someone battling addiction and wants to understand what real change looks like from the inside.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Booze, Blow, and Pancakes by Yvette Salva

• Being Seen by Jennifer Gauntlett

• Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

• Rachel Hollis’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rachel-hollis-podcast/id1245763628?i=1000755504222

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