I started my fitness journey about five years ago. Since then, I’ve taken joy in learning more about fitness and nutrition. But in the world of Instagram, it’s hard to know who is a trusted source. There’s so many conflicting ideas - carbs are good, cards are bad. Olive oil is best, avocado oil is the best. Intermittent fasting, nope that’s like starving yourself. Eat breakfast, don’t. It’s a confusing time to be learning about health and nutrition.

When my friend Alysia Pope (@purelypope) announced she was offering a free month of health coaching, I jumped at the opportunity. I had no idea what a health coach was and what it entailed but I was excited none the less. The first appointment, Alysia and I sat down and discussed my health goals. Most surprisingly of this experience was how open I was with Alysia. We briefly met in person and chatted on Instagram but other than that we were essentially strangers and yet I was sharing the deepest truths about myself. We outlined my goals and set a time for our next appointment. And she gave me homework.

She provided the wheel of life, in which health broken into 12 slices. You realize that health is not just made up of food and fitness, but encompasses your work, relationships, creativity, etc. It was extremely eye-opening and helped me realize the feelings I have around food and WHY. Our second session was spent going over my results and discussing how imbalances in other areas of life can effect fitness, food and overall health. I then spent the rest of the session essentially playing 20 questions and asking Alysia everything under the sun - what oil is best, when should I eat, should I eat breakfast, etc. I left feeling more energized and in control of my health than I had in a while.

See while I’ve been dedicated to fitness and nutrition for a while, I have never felt in control. I’ve either felt that food was controlling me by having me binge it or eat what I want, or food controls my days based on how many calories I have left or if it’s healthy or not. For the first time in a long time, I felt more secure in my food choices and realized that there is room for both vegetables and cookies.

The third session we went over a few more topics and then had a cooking class! We made a delicious buffalo chicken lettuce wrap, which I’ve eaten nearly once a week since.

While I learned new ways to structure my meals, food swaps and new recipes, Alysia gave me much more than a cook book. She gave me a friendship in which I could speak openly about nutrition. I didn’t have anyone else in my life like that. She gave me the comfort that speaking about food and fitness wasn’t taboo. She gave me confidence in trusting my body and myself when it came to food. And she gave me the sense of control over my health that I’ve so desperately needed.

I look forward to continuing my time with Alysia and learning even more about nutrition and health. There’s so much more to learn!

If you’ve ever considered health coaching, I highly recommend it. You can reach out to Alysia on Instagram (@purelypope), her website www.purelypope.com or at alysia@purelypope.com.