I wasn’t always as passionate about health and fitness as I am now. Sure, I’ve always gone through the motions—I remember countless hours spent on the elliptical machine during high school and college. At the time, I didn’t realize it, but those efforts were better than nothing. My time at the University of Maryland Rec Center probably helped me avoid the dreaded Freshman 15.
However, it wasn’t until just before Adam and I got married that I learned to work smarter, not harder. Over the past 18 years, I’ve continued to push forward, and in recent years, my "why" has become even clearer. I want to share a few very personal stories with you.
Living with Ulcerative Colitis
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at age 9. It was a challenging journey, and only about eight years ago did someone suggest that changing my diet could make a difference. It was life-changing. After 25+ years of migraines, cutting out gluten has eliminated them entirely. Today, I feel better, have clearer skin, more energy, and am stronger than I’ve ever been in my adult life.
Learning from the Past
Growing up in the 80s, I watched my mom always on a diet. It wasn’t until I was in middle school that she started walking on the treadmill every morning, and that was a regular part of her life all the way up until the end. Being raised with diet culture staples like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, combined with my nutritional knowledge from Precision Nutrition Levels 1 and 2, and my own results, I knew I wanted to pass a different message to my kids: "anything in moderation." Zoe has never heard me complain about my body or weight. We don’t even own a scale—it's not worth it.
Strong for the Long Haul
My most recent "why" is taking care of myself to live as long as possible and feel strong as I age. I remember when Ryan was 4.5 years old, he dislocated his elbow, and I had to take him to the orthopedist. Seeing older people struggling to move made me think, "I don’t ever want to be like that."
These experiences underscore that waiting until you’re sick to start healing or until you’re hurt to get stronger might be too late. Studies show that long-term chronic diseases like heart disease develop slowly over time. I want to see my children get married, meet my grandchildren, and perhaps even their children! The steps I’m taking today are paving the way for a healthier future.
Now, you know this. You know what to do, you know how to do it, but maybe translating those things into action is overwhelming because you do not know where to start. That is what I do. As a nutrition coach, I listen to you, your story, your life and figure out how to create some imperfect consistency and start to realize the life you want and the body that comes along with it!
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