Wellness Abundance Coaching

I’m here to share my story with you to give you hope that you can find the empowerment within yourself to create healthy sustainable lifestyle habits that fit beautifully into your busy life.

I’ve struggled my entire life with anxiety and depression.  It didn’t help that my skin was prone to acne beginning in middle school and I experienced intense menstrual cycles.  I thought the acne, anxiety, and intense periods came along with the natural aging process going from pre-teen into teen years. I thought that when I became an adult that my skin would magically improve and my anxiety and depression would fade away. Turns out this is not necessarily true.  My anxiety, depression, and acne followed me into my adult life.

When I was in my mid 20’s I gained weight as the result of eating and drinking too much. The fast food I ate in high school at lunch also began to catch up with me. As my body slowly got bigger, my clothes felt like they are getting smaller with each passing day.  I was borderline overweight and I had never experienced anything like that before.  I had always been physically fit and lean.  I knew if I continued traveling down this path I would end up somewhere that was only going to lead me to a long list of health issues.

I did what so many other women do and went on a diet.  I started counting calories and cutting back on my portion sizes with food and alcohol.  This was helpful in the beginning because I learned I actually was over-consuming too many calories for my body type and activity level.  Some of the weight slowly started melting away, however, I realized what I was doing wasn’t sustainable for me.  Counting calories was not fun for me. In fact, it was a huge inconvenience in my life.

It’s important to mention that I was running and strength training throughout the years I slowly packed on the pounds.  And I knew I wasn’t building muscle because I wasn’t lifting enough weight in the gym to build that much muscle.  It slowly became clear to me burning more calories through exercise than I was consuming wasn’t the way to lose weight in spite of what I was taught.

Fast forward to 2012 when I met my husband, Scot.  I was training for my first half marathon. I was running daily, carb loading before runs, and drinking sugar filled electrolyte drinks after my runs.

When were on our first date having drinks, Scot told me he was living a paleo lifestyle. I had no idea what that meant. He went on to tell me he had bacon and eggs for dinner. I thought, “Okay, I have breakfast for dinner sometimes.” Then he told me he cooked the eggs in the bacon grease and poured the bacon grease over the eggs. My first thought was “That sounds disgusting! This guy is weird!”

He then explained to me his lifestyle was built around how our ancestors lived.  It consisted of moving his body frequently, eating mostly whole foods, and getting adequate sleep.  Even though I thought his bacon grease covered eggs was a little weird, I was intrigued (not just by the lifestyle, but by him too) and he roped me into a second date.

He gave me a book to read to learn more about the lifestyle while he went on vacation. After reading Mark Sisson’s book, 21 Day Total Body Transformation, everything started to make sense to me. My high carb eating style I had been taught was healthy was increasing my body fat, making my skin breakout, and causing me to feel anxious and depressed.

I slowly started to implement these new lifestyle habits along with others one step at a time by personalizing them to fit my busy life.  I began to notice an improvement in my mood. My anxiety levels were lowered and my depression kicked in less often.  My skin began to clear up and I actually felt confident going out in public without any makeup on.  My sugar cravings appeared less frequently and my monthly cycle was more manageable.

I was amazed at how making small simple lifestyle changes could make such a significant difference in taking control of my anxiety and depression.  As a bonus, I lost the weight I gained in my 20’s and had more energy.

Now, in my 40’s, I feel more energetic and confident in my own skin.  I have a better understanding of which foods and workouts help me thrive. I’m embracing the natural aging process and working with it rather than against it.  I make adjustments to my eating style, workouts, and sleep throughout the month to make sure I’m supporting my body’s needs.

I have clarity with my health and fitness goals, I feel empowered to go after and achieve them, and I’ve created flexibility with my healthy lifestyle habits as I continue to thrive in my 40’s.

Fun Facts About Me

• I love dark chocolate

• My favorite place outdoors is the beach soaking up the sea breeze

• I enjoy a freshly brewed cup of pour over coffee in the morning

• One of my favorite ways to relax is to watch a movie

• My favorite sitcom of all time is Friends

• I’m a Star Wars and Marvel movie geek