Let's Start From the Beginning...
It's funny, I never thought I would end up being a nutrition coach...because let's be honest- I'm not the worlds healthiest person. I still love a good donut or a stack of pancakes! I will say though, I've always had a passion for fitness and a love of running. I also love to help others feel better about themselves. Nutrition has always had a special place in my heart and to be able to share that with others has been a blessing.
Funny how when one door closes another one opens...
It really wasn't until I was at my lowest when I stumbled on the FASTer Way to Fat Loss. As an avid runner, I was pushing my body hard... in fact to the point that I was injuring myself from overtraining. If you know a runner, you know that we are very stubborn when it comes to getting our runs or missing workouts. I would feel so guilty and down on myself if I missed a run or a workout. I was too worried about not getting in my cardio and scared of losing my fitness and gaining weight. For three years I was dealing with a lingering foot issue that I never took the time to address. I would try to take a week off of running here and there...but never follow through with a long term break. And it backfired on me.
It was the summer of 2018. I was training for the Jack and Jill marathon in WA and my training was going great. I had four weeks until the race, and in mile 17.5 of an 18 mile run, I felt a sharp pain in my foot. I was done. No more running until the race in the hopes that it would magically heal. A week before the race I got a terrible sinus infection. It was like my body was trying to tell me not to run. But I woke up on race day, felt ok and went for it. Somehow, I still finished in a decent time (not my goal time). But the recovery after that race was brutal. I was done at that point... until... I won a contest with Michelob Ultra to run in the NYC marathon. So of course I couldn't pass it up.
I decided at that point that I just wanted to enjoy the experience and not stress about training for it. I would keep my fitness by biking/swimming and short runs. And surprisingly, it worked out great. NYC was by far my favorite race. I only walked a few times on the course and enjoyed every single minute of it with my Wahoo running buddies by my side.
When I returned home I decided to have a procedure done on my foot that would hopefully stimulate healing. I was sick of sitting on the sidelines due to this lingering injury. I was ready to be healed. After the procedure, I wouldn't be allowed to run for at least 12 weeks. That scared me. I honestly didn't know what I would do for exercise if I couldn't run. It was at that point when I started to feel stressed, unhappy, and out of control. I was trying to figure out how I was going to avoid gaining a bunch of weight while not "running it off". My mindset was pretty negative. But thankfully, I stumbled on the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® and from that point on, the rest is history.
It got my focus on what I couldn't control, to what I could control...my nutrition. I learned so much about my body in a short period of time...not to mention how much my body thanked me by sleeping better, feeling better, losing fat, and gaining energy. I knew after 3 weeks that I couldn't keep the program a secret. I had to share it with others. I had to be a coach.
Since I got my certification, I've had the opportunity to coach hundreds of people. It has become a passion of mine. I love hearing the progress my clients are making on a daily basis and I'm less focused on my progress and more focused on their goals and watching them succeed. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others succeed. For that I am truly grateful to the FASTer Way to Fat Loss®.