My parents put me in sports at a young age, so fitness has always been a part of me. Playing volleyball for many years, I had teammates that inspired me, and coaches that pushed me. However, after college and moving to NYC in 2011, I became distant from that lifestyle. In high school I had the luxury of eating whatever I wanted without remorse.
This quickly changed as I got older. For starters, I no longer had a coach telling me I had to workout. But more importantly, I no longer had a team to keep me motivated. A few years into living in New York, many nights of drinking whatever I wanted and eating pizza by the slice (shoutout Joe’s pizza!) caught up to me. I had to change, but I was unmotivated to start or maybe I just didn’t know where to start.
I wasn’t ready to commit to a better diet. I was a server at the time and every shift began and ended with family meal. Free food! Jackpot.
I quickly noticed weight gain as you would if you were eating the family meals we ate everyday. It wasn’t a lot of weight, but I’m 5’5” and an extra 5 pounds makes a huge difference. I felt bloated all the time, my energy levels were low (food coma is a thing) and none of my clothes fit right.
I convinced myself that I was going to be a “runner” and that ended as quickly as it began. The only thing that motivated me was running with my friend, Morgan, because the competitive side of me would switch on. Then, one day in 2012, my friend, Jason, took me to my first SoulCycle class. I was shook, but I was hooked.
It was harder than anything I’d ever done. I was out of shape. I couldn’t do any of the dance moves everyone else seemed to be doing with no problem. I was humbled and I loved every second of it. I knew also that I needed to change my eating habits. When playing sports for many years, your performance and recovery are greatly impacted by your nutrition.
It wasn’t until I was hit with one of the hardest things I’ve gone through in my life that I decided I was going to commit to a healthier lifestyle. My father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. It seemed just as quickly as I found out, he passed away. I graduated from St. Mary’s college with a B.S. in Health Science. After college, I struggled with what I wanted to do with my degree. After my dad passed away, I knew I wanted to focus on Nutrition and Dietetics. I wanted to make sure I was doing what I could for my own health.
I still do.
Maybe you can relate.
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