The Situation

The age of 12 is when my weight struggle began. Between incessant bullying, comments from family members, and ultimately attending my first weight loss meeting at 13, I quickly became pretty self-conscious of my body and my weight.

Through the years I would yo-yo diet, lose 40-pounds and then gain it all back. I hit a point where I was burnt out from dieting, yet really wanted my weight and body to change. I was frustrated because with everything else in life, when I put my mind to something I could make it happen. But, why wasn’t that happening with my weight?

The Shift

My doctor encouraged me to take a medicine to stop overeating. Looking back, I now know it was not the healthiest option, but it did kick-start my weight loss journey by helping me lose 30 pounds*. At the age of 25, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and could either go on medicine for the rest of my life or change my diet. I chose the latter option and lost another 15 pounds*.

In 2006, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, had my thyroid removed and lost my grandmother all within the first 5 months of the year. Needless to say, it was a stressful time in my life and afterwards I found myself a few pounds heavier again. But I decided I wasn’t going back to where I started. So, in January 2007, my friend encouraged me to sign up for a leading weight loss program. Originally, I was skeptical, but I went in ready for a lifestyle change instead of another diet.

The Rollercoaster

To my surprise, I quickly lost 10 pounds and was so close to my goal weight.* Suddenly I was energized! I never thought it would be possible to get into a single digit jean size, but I was wrong! I hit my goal weight in 2008 after losing about 60-pounds and have kept it off since.*

Even though I was maintaining my weight, I continuously found myself eating healthy for a while, followed by eating whatever I wanted for a week or two. I would gain a couple pounds and then I’d work to lose them again. It turned into a vicious cycle where I felt I was constantly consumed by thoughts around food and needing to control my weight.

I could never figure out why I would eat when I wasn’t hungry, or why I couldn’t stop after one bowl of ice cream. One bowl would turn into two, followed by some chips and then a cookie. I would mindlessly graze - moving from one food to the next and would tell myself I would get back on track again tomorrow.

I would get frustrated with my inability to stay focused and in control. Somehow, I would pull it together and get back on track. I thought this was the way things were supposed to be. If I put in more effort, I would continue to get results. I was STUCK in a cycle I couldn’t break.

The Breakthrough

After going through my weight loss journey, I knew I wanted to help others on theirs, so I went back to school to become a certified health coach. At this time, I had more information than ever, yet I was still caught in the gain/loss cycle and felt stuck. I was confused because I figured learning more would help motivate me to be more consistent and finally get me to stop sabotaging my efforts. It wasn’t until I started working with my own health coach that I had my breakthrough.

I learned there was nothing wrong with my self-discipline! I realized food is so much more for many of us than a way to nourish our bodies. There is a lot of meaning, safety, and protection behind the foods we love and eat. As soon as I started realizing my eating was a symptom when I was feeling misunderstood, or at risk of being misunderstood, things really shifted! The day I craved carrots as I walked by dozens of donuts, I knew something had changed! I didn’t need to resist the donuts, deprive myself of them, or white knuckle my way through. I literally didn’t want one!

After this process, I was more convinced than ever that health coaching was my mission. I knew that I had to help others who were stuck on the same rollercoaster and self-sabotaging cycle that I was in for so many years. In 2014, I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and became a Certified Holistic Health Coach, and in 2019 I got certified as a facilitator of the research-based Truce with Food process. Since then, I have worked with hundreds of clients just like you.

I want to help YOU break the cycle and experience freedom from food. But, it’s important to understand this process is NOT A QUICK FIX and there is no magic shortcut. To truly transform your relationship with food, we will need to go deep through self-examination and rely on honest conversations. Are you ready?