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Sally’s Hotline is shaking things up! We're excited to offer you the opportunity to hear wisdom directly from the Unstoppable guests themselves. Today, host Sally Hed Dahlquist welcomes back Sian Comerford, a woman whose life has been transformed through resilience, grit, and relentless commitment.

After losing 265 pounds over five years, Sian is now an unstoppable weightlifter, trainer-in-training, and source of motivation.

Now known as “Fit Mom” instead of “Big Mom,” Sian shares the simple, powerful habits that helped her keep going through, surgery and bedrest, setbacks, and doubt.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why Sian says motivation starts with remembering your “why”
• The power of progress photos and tracking your journey
• Why weight loss (and healing) happens one step at a time
• How she stays committed
• What it means to become your own inspiration

Sian’s core message

You don’t need perfection to change your life.

Every step matters. Every day matters. And if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you will move forward... even when it feels slow.

Listen to Sian’s full story

Want to hear more of Sian’s incredible journey?
🎧 Listen to Episode 28 of Unstoppable Stories That Move for her full interview.

Support the mission

This podcast exists to do more than inspire, it exists to save lives.

Sally’s nonprofit is raising $1 million for medical research, funding the labs that are developing tomorrow’s cures for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. With government research funding being cut, private support matters more than ever.

Donate now:
UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

It’s winter in Minnesota, prime resolution season, and today’s guest is a living reminder that transformation isn’t just a New Year’s idea…it’s a life-saving decision.

Sally sits down with Sian Comerford, a 41-year-old mom of five from Indiana, small business owner (she bakes gourmet, deep-dish cookies!), and an absolutely unstoppable human who has lost over 200 pounds over five years. After grief, depression, and years of using food for comfort following her husband’s sudden death, Sian hit a turning point that forced her to reclaim her health.

In this conversation, Sian shares what actually worked:

• Gastric sleeve surgery as a tool (not a magic fix)
• Building a medical and personal support team
• Learning how to navigate food addiction and mindset
• Finding a family at the gym
• And training hard enough that climbing the equivalent of the world’s tallest building became…a casual Sunday challenge.

This episode is packed with hope, honesty, and practical reminders that you don’t have to start strong, you just have to start.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Sian’s incredible transformation: from 400 to 167 pounds
• The difference between gastric sleeve vs. gastric bypass
• Why support matters: weight loss doctor, nutritionist, and therapy
• Food addiction and the mental side of bariatric surgery: “negotiating between your brain and your belly”
• How a near-tragic moment with her daughter became a wake-up call
• Why she lives by: “One foot in front of the other”
• Her fitness routine: early mornings, structured programming, metabolic finishers, and serious cardio
• Stair Master goals that got wild: climbing the Burj Khalifa... and then some
• Why she believes: “Eat the cookie” (and how restriction backfires)
• How lifting changed her identity: not “skinny,” but strong
• “Gym bros” aren’t scary
• Why she’s getting certified through NASM to become a personal trainer
• The mindset shift from “new me” to “I love me, how do I level up?”

Listener Takeaways

If you’re trying to make a change this year, here are your reminders from Sian’s story:

• Start smaller than you think you “should.” Consistency beats intensity.
• Tools help, but mindset is the real long game.
• Get support: medical, nutritional, emotional, and community support all count.
• Don’t wait to feel confident confidence comes after you start showing up.
• Your “why” gets stronger when it’s bigger than you.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Gastric sleeve surgery (and what it actually does)
• Fairlife protein shakes, collagen peptides
• Ninja Creami (protein ice cream hack!)
• NASM personal training certification

Support the Mission

If this episode encouraged you, inspired you, or helped you believe change is possible, please share it with a friend and consider supporting the bigger mission.

We’re raising $1 million for medical research, and every single dollar raised by listeners like you truly makes a difference.

Learn more + donate at UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

Welcome to the final episode of Season One of Unstoppable: Stories That Move.

In this reflective season-ending Little Tip, host Sally Hed Dahlquist looks back on a year of courage, growth, and risk and invites you to do the same. What did you do in 2025 that scared you? What did you try anyway? And how do you carry that momentum forward into 2026?

Sally shares the three pillars that turn a vision into a living mission: clarity, consistency, and commitment.

In this episode, Sally reflects on:

• Why finishing Season One is something to celebrate no matter how imperfect the journey has felt
• How big dreams begin without a roadmap (and sometimes happy hours), but with a willingness to take the first step
• The power of clarity: defining what you really want beneath the goal
• How consistency creates momentum
• Why long-term commitment is fueled by meaning, not perfection
• Lessons learned from launching a podcast and founding a medical research charity
• The quiet courage of showing up before you feel ready
• Choosing kindness over self-criticism when doubt creeps in
• Why personal growth often happens off-camera and out of public view

Your Reflection for the New Year

As you step into 2026, ask yourself:

• What dream or vision matters most to you right now?
• What small step can you take today to move it forward?
• How can you stay consistent, even when progress feels slow?
• What commitment are you willing to make to yourself this year?

Growth doesn’t require perfection. It requires movement.

Supporting the Mission

If any of the episodes shared this season have encouraged you, inspired you, or helped you move forward, please consider supporting the mission behind it.

Donate to support medical research at UnstoppableStoriesThatMove.com

With funding cuts affecting vital research, your contribution, no matter the size, helps save lives and fuel future breakthroughs.

Thank you for being part of Season One.
Thank you for listening, sharing, donating, and believing.

There are more stories ahead.
More miles to run.
More courage to practice.

Keep your dreams alive. Keep moving forward.