Shanna Hutcheson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Shanna, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Right now I’m working on transitioning my 2-year-old son – who is medically complex, disabled and fully G-tube dependent – to home blended feeds. Even though I am a dietitian by background, for some reason, the thought of blending his food has felt really daunting to me in the past, but it’s been a goal of mine for a long time. We’ve had a ton of ups and downs throughout his life with his health, and his feeds haven’t always been at the top of the priority list compared to other issues we were facing at the time. However, recently I have finally had the capacity to give it a try AND I’ve been able to notice some benefits fairly quickly, which has motivated me to continue this journey. I’m really proud of myself for finally pushing toward this goal to improve his health and quality of life and better support our whole family, as we ALL feel happier when he feels better.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! My name is Shanna Hutcheson, although some know me as Wellness For The Win. : ) I started my blog & Instagram back in May 2015 — right after graduating from Kansas State University and while I was studying for my Registered Dietitian exam. It started as a creative outlet and a place to share healthy recipes & wellness tips, and over time, it has evolved into so much more. I never imagined that my platform would turn into a “business” or significant source of income for my family, or that I would have the ability to create such a large and incredibly supportive community. While I do try to share a lot of content to help my followers, they have actually helped ME throughout so many different seasons of my life.
Some people have been with me since the beginning and have watched me get engaged, get married, buy a house, build 2 houses, get a puppy, lose a dog, have a miscarriage, have 2 babies, walk through a NICU journey & become a full-time caregiver to my youngest son with dsabilities and complex medical needs, and more. My followers have walked alongside and provided solidarity, support, advice & love throughout the years and I’m grateful to have them AND have the opportunity to collaborate with brands I love and believe in as I continue to share on social media.
While I am still a dietitian, my content doesn’t solely focus on nutrition in this season of life. Rather, I love to share practical ways that busy moms (and caregivers) can realistically care for themselves on a daily basis — whether that’s with healthy eating, moving their bodies, managing stress & mental health, etc. I hope to be a breath of fresh air on social media, which can feel very negative and overwhelming these days, especially in the wellness space. I hope to help women realize they don’t have to be perfect with their habits in order to improve their overall wellbeing or self-confidence, even in motherhood.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That skinny = healthy. I started being aware of my body & food intake probably in middle school, and definitely in high school as a cheerleader and someone who was “on stage” a lot. I’ve always been petite, but I felt the need to control my intake and keep my body small, and developed some pretty disordered habits throughout high school and into college.
After college, actually after I became a dietitian, I stumbled upon the concept of “intuitive eating” and it was kind of a lightbulb moment for me. At the time, I was finally ready to receive that information. I was ready for someone to give me permission to stop counting calories and constantly micromanaging my food intake.
I was ready for someone to tell me that it was possible to continue to be healthy & in a body that felt good, without tracking every bite of food I ate. I struggled with what a lot of people do these days — in large part due to social media — “orthorexia” or I was basically obsessed with eating healthy, or sometimes I restricted which led to binging later, and just generally having a really unhealthy relationship with food and my body.
It took several years to get to this place, but I am so happy to say that I am SO much kinder to my body now — not only in the way I think / speak about myself, but in the way I care for myself, too.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Probably being a perfectionist. Sometimes I’m so obsessed with getting something perfect, that I just simply never start. The need to do something perfectly can feel paralyzing and it’s obviously impossible to meet, with most things.
As I’ve gotten older, and become a mom of 2, especially with a child with complex medical needs, I’ve really had to embrace IMperfection and let go of those crazy ideals. Which has actually been really freeing and necessary.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
10000% yes. Who you see on social media is exactly who I am in real life. I’ve always found it so refreshing when I meet someone I’ve followed for years and they are exactly the same when I actually meet them. I hope people feel that way about me! I really try to be real, raw and authentic with what I share and I have found it so healing to just be vulnerable and fully myself online. I think it would be exhausting to pretend to be anyone but me.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
What it’s like to have a child with disabilities, and what it’s like to constantly grieve the life you thought you would have.
I think we all have a *general* picture in our mind of how our life will go. When I was pregnant with my second, I thought I knew what life would look like with 2 kids, especially two boys.
I pictured chaos, lots of wrestling, lots of sports and active family vacations.
I did not expect to have to quit my job and become a full-time caregiver, and so many other things about my son’s unexpected diagnoses. I understand what it’s like to give up on your own dreams to care for your special needs child.
I understand what it’s like for your life to completely flip upside down overnight, and to have to totally change your idea of what life would look like in the future. I understand that my husband and I will never be empty nesters. That we will never be able to hire just any babysitter to care for our children — that we will always need qualified nurses & caregivers to watch after Levi in order for us to get away, whether it’s for a date night, or a weekend away.
I also deeply understand that it IS possible to find joy, even in the hardest of circumstances. Sometimes you just have to search a little harder to find it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wellnessforthewin.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/wellnessforthewin
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/wellnessforthewin
Image Credits
@melaniesoltzphoto- Melanie Soltz
