Once I got into the workforce, I really struggled to maintain a work/life balance. I was staying up past midnight writing lesson plans each night and spending my weekends grading. I could not find time to go grocery shopping let alone cook a nourishing meal. My lack of time for social interaction outside of work led to stress and a downward spiral in my mental and physical health. So many people hear of and fear “The Freshman 15” but in my experience and those of most of my friends, making health a priority once entering the workforce is the real challenge. 

Eventually, I found a support network and I began to re-prioritize the things that made me, me! I began teaching fitness classes at local studios and decided to pursue dual Masters degrees in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Exercise Science. While those topics were obviously of interest to me and would help benefit my career, I was also hoping to learn all of the hidden secrets of proper eating and exercise to become the healthiest version of myself with my newfound knowledge. That happened for a while but fast forward to my first pregnancy in 2017 I found myself anxious, lost, and confused about what I should or should not be eating and how I should or should not be exercising. I could not believe that I, someone who seemingly had all the answers on paper, could not figure out what to do in terms of diet and exercise. 

When my daughter was born, I was once again faced with the struggle of maintaining a work/life balance but now my life was a whole lot busier and more stressful. Since graduating college I have come to learn that life, as beautiful as it can be, can also be really hard and isolating. It is not what many of us thought it would be when we were little kids hoping to grow up. Ideally, kids are surrounded with support — at school, during extracurriculars, from friends, and at home. But who is there to help support the twenty-something living in a new city and just entering the workforce? Or the thirty-something who is figuring out their new family structure? Or the forty-something dealing with the stress of finances and career changes? Or the fifty-something going through menopause, mid-life crises and with their eyes on retirement? There are so many daily hurdles, stressors, and battles in life, and no one can succeed on this journey if they are alone.

I became a health coach for the same reason I decided to become a teacher: to help my clients live a healthy lifestyle, and find a love of movement. As a health coach, I am here to educate, listen, cheer you on, and help you find a plan and method that works for you because we’re all more likely to find success when we have a support team. I am so grateful to be a part of the Sugar Snap Shift team and I cannot wait to help you achieve your goals and more!