Like many women, I used to really struggle with body image.  I grew up an athlete, playing tennis and volleyball throughout my childhood.  But even though I was physically very active and fit, I never felt that I was "skinny" enough.  I have journal entries from as young as age 10 questioning my size, displaying thoughts of disordered eating, and praying I would magically lose weight.

Fast forward to my college years at Duke, surrounded by beautiful, intelligent women who displayed similar and even more extreme patterns of disordered eating.  It was easy to compare myself to others and feel inadequate. 

The next major change to my body came with motherhood.  After 3 pregnancies and 2 babies (one tragic miscarriage in between), my body is uniquely mine.  After my older son Jack was born, I cried profusely looking at myself in the mirror.  Everything felt wrong.  Through breastfeeding and relatively healthy eating, I shed the baby weight fairly quickly, but things were different.  I had so many negative thoughts about myself and it took a lot of self care and self love to accept my new form.  

During my pregnancy with Parker, it looked like I might have placenta previa, so I had to really scale back my workouts early.  I didn't have it in the end, so I was able to be a little more active, but by then my pregnancy was late enough that I couldn't add much more back in besides walking and light weights.

After Parker, the weight stuck around longer.  I again struggled with thoughts of why I couldn't get back to my "pre-baby" body.  I had to really examine my thoughts and feelings, accept them, and then work to change them.  I had to change my entire mindset around food, its purpose, and emotional food triggers.  I changed my workout routine, drastically changing the way I approached cardio and weight lifting.

Then, in 2020, after 12 years in the energy industry, living the corporate grind, and not actually being as healthy as I thought I was, I decided to make a change.  I was BURNT OUT and I didn't feel passionate about my career.

 I knew I wanted to help people live healthier, more fulfilling lives, but I wasn't sure where to start.  I decided I'd start with my love of fitness.  I quickly got a personal trainer certification through NASM and started teaching online group fitness classes, which I love and still teach today.  I also got deeper into a yoga practice, discovering the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. 

But I knew there was still more for me to do.  I found this really amazing field called Functional Medicine.  The idea behind Functional Medicine is to treat the body as interconnected systems, rather than separate ones, and to identify and treat the cause of illness, instead of just the symptoms.  I loved this principal so much that I signed up for the Functional Medicine Health Coaching Academy and am now a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. 

A health coach acts as an ally and helps clients implement lifestyle changes in areas such as nutrition, healthy movement, sleep and relaxation, stress management, and healthy relationships.  What resonated the most for me was how important mental and emotional health are for our physical health.

I've seen so many women burnt out by pouring everything they have into their families, their careers, their houses, their pets, etc. that they do not take care of themselves.  But the reality is if their health suffers, they can no longer be that solid rock for everyone else.

So I am here to help women fill their own cups with healthy habits so they can pour their love, energy, talents, and strengths back into others.