I want to tell you about the crazy ride that took me from an insecure chronic dieter to a fitness professional and health coach.

But first, I want to thank you for being here.

My fitness story begins with the first time I gained thirty pounds. 

That’s right. I, too, struggled with my weight and my relationship with health and fitness.

In fact, I’d bet that many speed bumps, barriers, or difficulties you encounter when trying to lose weight or get in shape…I’ve been there.

Overweight? Been there.

Underweight and miserable because of unhealthy exercise habits? Been there.

Hiding from family and friends because “I just don’t want people to see me like this”? Been there.

All-or-nothing mindset? Been there.

Slipping into disordered eating territory? Been there.

It’s crazy because until I approached thirty (I thought I was getting old!), I never had to think about food, let alone “stick to a diet.”

I committed all the usual sins: daily fast food, frequent alcohol, and zero exercise without apparent consequence (ahh, youth). Being in shape (or at least looking it) was easy, or so I thought.

Then, my life changed a bit. I went from working a retail job that kept me on my feet for up to ten hours a day (climbing store ladders in 4-inch heels (again, youth!) to working an office job where I spent nearly the same number of hours sitting on my butt. 

My already non-existent activity level tanked. I thought my metabolism was slowing down because I was getting older (I was young! I was thirty), but the truth is that the inactivity and poor diet finally caught up with me!

Before I knew it, I was thirty pounds (or more; I stopped weighing) overweight and dealing with this new reality. Is this who I am now? My pants didn’t fit. I felt terrible about myself. I avoided friends because I was embarrassed.

I was legitimately insecure and looking for the secret formula to lose weight fast.

So, I did what I thought I should…I started running too much and eating too little.

I am not knocking running. I am a runner. Running was my introduction to the fitness world. I genuinely love to run, the runner's high, the community, the racing, the fun, not to mention the health and mental benefits. But running is not the holy grail for long-term weight loss that the fitness industry would have you believe. I learned this lesson the hardest way possible.

I went extreme, tracking every calorie and counting twelve almonds for a snack while running thirty or forty miles a week.

I would drop weight on the scale and feel like I had accomplished something. Meanwhile, my metabolism, muscle mass, and gut health were tanking.

I lived like that for years, yo-yo-ing more times than I care to recount. Lose the weight. Go off the diet, scale back the running, start drinking, and gain it all back, plus more. Or I’d get sick, injured, or burned out. Over and over and over again. 

It was frustrating. I was confused and embarrassed. And scared this was my new reality.

Then I started strength training, not because I believed it would help me with my weight loss goals, but because I heard it would help me improve my running performance and reduce injuries. (Of course, it didn’t occur to me that injuries were caused by under-fueling and over-exercising.)

The results of strength training were amazing. I was building muscle, getting stronger, and improving my body composition...and my weight was stabilizing. I didn’t gain a pound (or five) every time I had a “cheat meal.” (a term I now despise). I had more flexibility in my diet and felt better than ever—and my running performance did improve. And I’ve kept the weight off for ten years.

I felt like I discovered the secret I had been searching for. 

I wanted to help others get strong, improve their mindset, and change unhealthy relationships with food and exercise. 

I spent the next several years studying, earning endless certifications, to discover one simple fact…

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ system, no one secret way to help everyone eat right, get healthy, and stay fit.

Why? Because no two people are the same.

We all respond differently to the food we eat and the training we do, even if we’re doing the same things.

Of course, there are universal truths (resistance training, aiming for minimally processed foods, getting some damn sleep), but we are individuals. We must factor in our lifestyles, what we enjoy, our cultures, our preferences, and our willingness to make changes.

No macro percentage or calorie allotment system will work the same for everyone or guarantee some version of success. You can't use math to solve a people problem.

Once I realized this, everything changed. I got focused on my mindset and what my body was telling me. 

I began to consider how to share my newfound knowledge with others who had been unwitting victims of the diet and fitness industry like I had.

Other people had spent years feeling like failures, blaming themselves for being weak or lacking willpower. I wanted to help all the other chronic dieters suffering from their poor relationship with nutrition and fitness.

I made real changes, not just with my body but with my mind. After going up and down in weight for nearly ten years, I kept it off for ten years. It seemed so simple, but there were lessons I had to learn, lessons I wanted to teach others.

Now, I collaborate with my clients. It's not a dictatorship, with me barking orders and clients obediently following. My clients lead the way because they are the experts in their lives and bodies. Most have been living in their bodies for four decades or more! I don’t claim to have all the answers—How could I when my clients are the experts in their bodies and experiences? We work together, and I help guide and provide education and information as needed to progress.

We figure out what strategies make sense in their lifestyles. A busy wife and mom with a corporate job probably isn’t following a meal plan (as if her kids wouldn’t rebel against chicken and broccoli five nights a week). A student with a big family culture isn't packing Tupperware meals for grandma's dinner nights.  An office worker who hasn't seen the inside of a gym in twenty years isn't doing burpees in a boot camp competition against twenty-year-olds. That kind of advice doesn't make sense, given their lifestyle, experiences, and preferences.

That critical information, lifestyle, experience, and preferences allow us to understand the best training, nutrition, mindset, and lifestyle practices we can employ to maximize results.

My coaching business was designed to achieve one goal…

To help my clients finally look, feel, and perform their best

All while sustaining nutritional and physical health for the rest of their lives! No more up-and-down yo-yo-ing (so they don’t have to make all the mistakes that I did).

And that’s exactly what I do.

So many of us blow through diets and fitness regimens without building confidence in ourselves because what we’re told to do goes completely against who we are as people.

It’s not that you’re not disciplined enough:

It’s that these diets are a one-size-fits-all bucket of lies designed to keep you losing and gaining weight, so you have to keep coming back to them to get your fix!

It’s like an addiction, but you’re convinced you’re doing all the right things.

You’ve been taught:

👎 To constantly count and calculate macros for the rest of your life

👎 That your life has to revolve around your diet

👎 That you can’t go out to eat or enjoy the holidays 

👎 That if you want to lose more fat, then do more cardio, eat less food

👎That high-intensity group exercise or boot camp five days a week is the answer to fat loss

👎That 1500 calories a day is the magic number for weight loss

👎That a lower number on the scale is always a good result

It's no wonder so many of us fail when this is what mainstream fitness is teaching us!

But the good news is that I can teach you what I've learned on my journey.

And it doesn't have to be restrictive—it’s better if it isn’t. Flexibility is what keeps us consistent.

Your nutritional habits should work with your preferences and your life, not despite them.

Self-care is not a fad or something you do until you hit your goal weight… It’s a life-long lifestyle.

Because you’re working with your innate nature, your results are much easier to obtain and sustain.

And the benefits don’t only show up in the mirror …

You’ll also...

👍 Have more energy

👍 Manage stress better

👍 Sleep better

👍 Have more confidence

👍 Age better

👍 Perform better

👍 Progress optimally and maximize your results 

I hope you take inspiration from my personal story. I would never change anything about my fitness and nutrition journey. 

Looking back, I saw that gaining those thirty pounds at thirty years old was the best thing that could have happened to me. Without the catalyst of weight gain, I would have gone on to be skinny and unhealthy for the rest of my life, becoming more frail as I age. Today, at nearly fifty years old, I am in the best shape of my life.

My journey taught me that: 

✔ Strength training is a game changer (especially for women over 30).

✔ Running is fantastic for physical and mental health but not optimal as a long-term fat-loss strategy.

✔ Food quality is just as important as food quantity

✔ Eating enough is just as important as not eating too much

✔  True nutrition is individualized and should fit into each person’s life

✔  Real fitness starts internally, and the external stuff will take care of itself

✔  You can love yourself and still want to improve. You can't shame yourself into healthy behaviors. Mindset is everything. 

If you’re still reading, I want to thank you!

This is a personal story for me to tell, but it’s also a really important one for you to know because it’s also about you.

Enough about me. Tell me about your journey, goals, dreams, and favorite song on your workout playlist (and I’ll tell you mine)!

Are you Interested in working with me to improve your fitness and nutrition? Often, going on a diet or going to the gym isn’t the answer. You may need to close the loop on lifestyle behaviors to maximize your results. I can help you with fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle factors to help you reach your personal goals. If you want support and guidance and to feel like you have someone in your corner, fill out a coaching application, and I'll get in touch. Then, we can chat about whether we would be a good fit. 

Lea

Did you like this post? Do you know someone who might benefit? It helps me when you share with your friends and followers.

Questions? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

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