Why I do what I do…

My Story

Through my own experience with health challenges, I feel that I can truly relate to people who want to lose weight and keep it off. I believe this has made me a better dietitian.

In 2003, I was pregnant with my first son, Robby. At 25 weeks gestation, I went into pre-term labor (reason unknown) while stationed at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. I had an emergency C-section and Rob was born at 1 pound 15 ounces. He spent three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at an area hospital in Colorado Springs. In 2003, only 10% of babies born this early survive. He did survive and thrive and is now 18 years old, is a weight-lifting vegan, and will be starting college next fall pursuing a degree in Environmental Science.

In 2004, I got pregnant with my second son, Josh. Because I was so high risk, I was followed by four specialists, had approximately 30 ultrasounds, and had to inject myself twice a day with a blood thinner with one shot a week administered by my boss (a nurse) to help keep me pregnant. Because pre-term babies have a better chance of survival when born as big as possible, I ate a lot during my pregnancy to gain more weight for this reason. I remember gaining 10 pounds in one week alone! By 38 weeks gestation, I had gained 85 pounds! To make things more challenging, I was not able to exercise while I was pregnant, had a second C-section, and had an Air Force Physical Fitness test scheduled for three months after I delivered at an altitude of over 7,000 feet. Josh was born at 8 pounds, 11 ounces, and I had a lot of weight to lose if I wanted to stay in the Air Force. As a result, I closely controlled everything I ate by measuring and weighing foods and beverages for seven months. I was able to pass my physical fitness test and lose all of the weight and more!

Fast forward to present day, I have maintained a healthy weight and now am even down to my high school weight! At age 47, I feel stronger and healthier than I ever have, and want to share all I have learned with others. My hope is that everyone can achieve great results to ultimately improve their quality of life through a good, sustainable, healthy diet. It’s a game changer!

In 2020, inspired by my son, Robby, I transitioned into a predominantly plant-based diet. All of my life, my cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol have been high. This frightens to me since I have a strong family history of heart disease. I had my blood drawn prior to starting the predominantly plant-based diet and then had it drawn again about a year after being on this way of eating. The results were astounding. My cholesterol and LDL are now normal. Not only that, I lost 15 pounds and literally can move better (and run faster) than I could in my 20’s. It took this personal experience for me, even as a dietitian for 26 years, to truly see what a profound role nutrition plays in health and wellness.

Now, I want to do all I can to help others achieve the same results.
After all, if I can do it, anyone can!