If you would just lose some weight…

I remember it so clearly. I played tennis in high school. And, with that, comes short skirts. Uggg. I was slightly overweight, but very athletic and very good at tennis. (Varsity tennis from my sophomore year on. *little brag*)

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Those short skirts didn’t hide much. And, kids are mean. Someone (yes, I remember exactly who) said to me, “You know, if you would just lose some weight, you’d really be unstoppable.”

Even as I say that right now, I can feel the tears in my eyes! Still…so many decades later!!

That wasn’t the only weight comment I got in high school either. There were many.

Two other comments I remember as if it were yesterday.,,

One kid said I was a whale. And, he made sure everyone heard his comment. (And, good grief, I wasn’t THAT overweight. I certainly didn’t look like a whale.) And, another kid said my thighs were huge. Those comments made me absolutely HATE having to wear those short skirts. Talk about being self conscious. Geez.

With each stinging comment, I pulled back and tried to become unnoticeable. I NEVER wanted to draw attention to myself for fear of yet another backhanded remark.

Middle school and high school is where the tension began with my body, and where I would eat lunch in hiding, basically, so people wouldn’t see me eat. Really! I didn’t want anyone to think I was overeating or adding weight to my already “huge” thighs or soft tummy.

I sunk back. Praying to not be seen. Never speaking up, never stepping forward.

That desire to not be seen followed me into adulthood, as did a few issues with food. I was part of the whole no-fat diet craze and indulged in Snackwell’s cookies, bagels, pretzels, and Dr. Pepper (not much fat in those things, ya know). “If you don’t eat fat, you won’t get fat.” (at least, that’s what the “experts” said.) I was severely lacking nutrition for fear of putting a pound on my body.

I can still, in present day, feel myself wanting to sink into the background (after all those years of conditioning, so long ago) INSTEAD of stepping powerfully into the purpose and plan God has for my life.

But, after doing lots of soul searching, praying, internal and external effort, and learning about the incredible amazingness of the Miracle Machine (my body!) that God gave me, I feel like I’m walking in step with Him, in health, in life, and in purpose.

So, if you are in the midst of toxic diet culture, negative self image, shame, guilt, or a negative relationship with food, I understand! Completely. And, it would be my absolute honor to walk alongside you as you find peace with food and body. In fact, I made this for you:

FAMILY

My husband, Ryan, and I have been married for 27 years. We met at Texas A&M University on a Spring Break mission trip to a children’s home. He sewed a wrap skirt for me for my birthday and the rest is history. 🙂 We have two daughters, Colby Elizabeth and Brooklyn Bailey. Colby just got married to her high school sweetheart, Coltin, and they are building a life together in Dallas. Brooklyn is a very mature 9th grader and is ready to take on the world…she just needs a driver’s license first. We live in College Station, Texas, where my husband works in law enforcement. For fun, we love to go to the theater, walk our dogs, take day trips, and explore Texas. I also love reading, listening to podcasts, and being inspired by apologetics. Our Family Bible Time is one of my very favorite parts of the day.

ACCIDENTAL HEALTH COACH

In 2011, I got Shingles on my forehead. It looked ridiculous. I literally looked like I had been hit by a baseball. It was a giant, swollen knot. It then traveled into my eye and my eye was swollen shut. I was not yet 40 years old and here I was with SHINGLES! What the heck. The first question my doctor asked me was what was I stressed out about. That was the first time I understood how stress affects physical health. I had never thought about it before. But now my eyes were wide open. I was also in the thick middle of consuming non-food food (processed, packaged, fake food that was “no fat”) and I knew it wasn’t doing anything beneficial for my health. I was severely lacking nutrition and energy. And, now that I had children, I wanted to be the healthiest version of myself so I could be present and active with them for decades to come.

It was time to learn all I could about health and wellness. I took a weekend class on kidney health which opened my eyes to how incredible the body is and ever since that class, I’ve called the human body a Miracle Machine…because it is!! I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. And, my brother taught me how to make green smoothies. Why had I never, in my whole life, had a green smoothie?! They were so delicious…and I had to tell everyone about them! Thus started my health coaching adventure! And, it has been such a fun adventure. I’ve led thousands of people through my 10-Day Eat Clean Challenges, coached hundreds through group coaching programs and private sessions, written a book, been on the radio, and taught at the Christian Health Coach Academy. And, God just keeps bringing amazing people into my life through this business. I’m so grateful!

In coaching hundreds of women over the years, I realized how big a part the mind plays in overall health and happiness. Truly, if the mind and body aren’t working together, lasting transformation will not be possible. My degree from Texas A&M University is in psychology, but I wanted to learn more about psychology as it relates to eating, body image, and overall health. So, I enrolled in the Institute for the Psychology of Eating and graduated with a certification in Mind/Body Nutrition and Dynamic Eating Psychology. This is a huge part of my coaching process with clients. I even had one client tell me that the mind transformation that I helped her with in 6 weeks was more than she had gotten in years of therapy. Hallelujah!

There’s a crazy huge statistic out there regarding how many women have food and body image challenges. Over 90%! The truth is that probably every woman walking the planet has, at some point in her life, fought with food or looked in the mirror and wished things were different. I have! Thank God that He delivered me from it many years ago. But, I empathize and understand, and now it is such a privilege to help women find freedom from diet culture and the dreaded comparison trap!

Don’t forget to grab the “First Steps to Peace with Food and Body…and Scripture Cards” RIGHT HERE and if you’d like to chat with me, schedule a complimentary Discovery Session HERE.

ACCIDENTAL PATRIOT

I have always loved my country, but honestly, I took it for granted. I voted every 4 years, never voted in the local, two-year elections, and really didn’t participate in any civics-related activities. But then 2020 happened. I knew at the very start of the shut down that things were not right. (I knew because my mom had been telling me for years that something like this was going to happen, but I just couldn’t believe it.) Yet, here we were. Plandemic in full swing. Everything closing down, scare tactics everywhere, and I was being censored every time I tried to share a natural solution to build the immune system. It was absolutely unreal. I couldn’t NOT step up, pray up, and speak up. Since 2020, I have been teaching Patriot Academy’s Biblical Citizenship course and Bob Hilliard’s Constitution Boot Camp. I have been to the Capitol several times to stand against forced vaccinations. I have also been involved in local school board elections. Because of all who have fought and died for our country, and because I have children whom I love very much, this Accidental Patriot will continue to stand, pray, and speak.

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TELL ME ABOUT YOU!

Now, it’s your turn! Email me at [email protected] and tell me your story! I would love to hear it. Tell me about your family, career, hobbies, and health. I’m all ears! I will respond AND I’ll send a little goodie your way! It’s a win-win!