Lindsay's Journey:
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Q:  What were your specific goals when you started your nutrition journey?
   
A:  To start fueling my body properly to build lean muscle without adding bulk.  Also, reducing my body fat percentage.

Q:  Have you accomplished these goals?

A:  YES!  I’ve gained lean muscle and reduced my body fat percentage.  I feel much more fulfilled when I eat and adding in the things I used to love a very long time ago, the things that I thought would make me gain weight and it has been amazing!

Q:  What have you learned about food that you didn't know before?

A:  Fat doesn’t make you “fat” when you add it in the right way.  Eating 5 balanced meals a day is the way to go.

Q:  Will you maintain this way of eating when you decide to finish your coaching process?
 
A:  Yes of course, this is truly a lifestyle change.

Q:  How has this way of eating differed from how you ate before?
  
A:  I was living on about 5 different types of foods for about 10 years.  I lived on about 500-600 carbs a day- rice, pasta, ground turkey breast, eggs, english muffins, peas (a lot of peas), lettuce and Cheerios for a treat.

Q:  What was the most difficult part of this change?

A:  It scared me to death to add in red meat (AHH fat!!), peanut butter (which I have always LOVED by the way but stayed FAR FAR away from because of the FAT!  The amount of food Sarah had me eating was extremely scary.  I had to trust in her and trust in the process if I wanted to achieve my goals and it was tough.

Q:  What is your favorite part of eating this way?

A:  Honestly??  The peanut butter!!!  LOL!  I would say adding in red meat as well.   I didn’t realize how much I missed steak and burgers!!!  It’s much more fun to go out to dinner and just grill out with my husband and actually be able eat what he’s eating.

Please include any other comments that you may have.
This is truly a lifestyle change and the only person who can make the change is you.  Sarah can’t eat the food for you but will provide you with the tools and the accountability to make the change.  YOU have to make the right food choices.   YOU have to put in the work to see results and I promise you-you will see results.  In the beginning it was very overwhelming but she helped me through it and as I always do I was WAY over thinking it and making it much more complicated than it had to be.  It’s pretty clear cut and now I will NEVER go back to eating the way I used too.  You still get to enjoy the things that you always have-I know what you’re thinking “I’m not giving up pasta”  “I’m not giving up my glass of wine in the evening (not for me I’d rather eat my carbs ” .  You don’t have to you just have to add it into your meal plan. No matter how much running or yoga I would do which is 7 days a week mind you,  I could never get rid of that stubborn belly bulge that’s just in my genes to have (thanks mom and dad)!  I couldn’t for the life of me get a cute butt (I had a pancake butt!).  The way Sarah has me eating its helping to sculpt my body WITHOUT adding bulky muscle-just lean muscle like I told her I wanted.  She listens to you and your goals.  I like that she didn’t want to fatten me up for a lack of a better word.  I told her that I like my lean body-I didn’t want to bulk up in any way, shape or form, I told her “ I don’t want thighs as big as my dreams”, (love your t shirt Sarah)!  I just didn’t want to look borderline anorexic and unhealthy anymore.  Bottom line for me this has been an incredible journey and I have her to thank for it but I’m the one who puts in the work, the effort every day.  I shouldn’t say “work” because after a while it just becomes “normal” eating.  If you don’t want to change or put in a little effort-save your money this is not for you.  But again it’s not hard.  She helps you achieve your goals as big or as small as they may be.  Don’t think you have to spend 7 days a week working out either.  It’s what YOU want to achieve YOUR goals not mine, not hers.  Everyone’s goals are different and you will achieve results based on those goals.  It’s worth a try you really might surprise yourself!

Rebecca's Journey:

​Q:  What were your specific goals when you started your nutrition journey? 
    
A:  I wanted to lose baby weight and become more fit again.


Q:  Have you accomplished these goals? 
    
​A:  Yes, with guidance I have been able to reach my goals

Q:  What have you learned about food that you didn't know before?

A:  I have learned all about balancing food with-in my meals every day. Carb to protein ratios along with how those foods work for my body. 

Q:  Will you maintain this way of eating when you decide to finish your coaching process?

A:  Absolutely, I love the way I feel now because I changed my eating habits.

Q:  How has this way of eating differed from how you ate before?
A:  I ate a lot of frozen dinners, and snacked during the day only eating one or two meals a day.

Q:  What was the most difficult part of this change? 
    
​A:  Figuring out what to eat every week during meal prep so I don't get bored eating the same thing over and over again. 

Q:  What is your favorite part of eating this way?     

A:  My energy level has gone up, and I'm more motivated to do my daily activities.

Q:  Has yoga helped influence your eating habits?  If so, how?
    
A:  Yes, yoga helps me wake up and get moving every morning, and in order to want to do yoga my eating habits need to be healthy otherwise I don't have that energy I need for the day.

Q:  How has this way of eating changed your energy, if at all?

A:  My energy levels have gone way up with this way of eating. I really enjoy having energy all day and being able to do more during the day with my son. 

Q:  What has this way of eating done for your self esteem?
     
A:  My self esteem has gone up, I feel better about the way I look because I am losing weight. 

Please include any other comments that you may have:
    
A:  I don't get to see Sarah very often because I live up in Cleveland area, my mother in law first introduced this way of eating to me and convinced me to talk to Sarah to try to set something up for myself. I am so glad that I took a chance working with her, I have learned so much from her since I got on this plan about a year ago. I have a three year old son, which makes it difficult to be able to do yoga or workout in a gym I do everything at home and Sarah has helped me to incorporate new workouts that work for me and my situation. I have lost twenty-two pounds on this plan and am still working on my final goal and thanks to Sarah I know I can get there. She is an incredible person to work with, I never feel self-conscious around her and am able to ask her questions without feeling like I should already know the answer. I highly recommend working with Sarah! ​

Vikki's Journey:

​Q:  What were your specific goals when you started your nutrition journey? 
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• Initially, it was simply to have sufficient energy to do yoga.  When I first started doing yoga, I would peter out pretty quickly.  My blood sugar level would drop and I’d start to tremble and shake and ultimately I’d feel terrible for the balance of the day.  This was not acceptable!
• As I progressed, my goals shifted to include body composition changes (it suddenly seemed possible to lose the belly fat that I’ve carried most of my life).

Q:  Have you accomplished these goals? 
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• Yes, I have accomplished my goals.   However, I suspect that the goals may shift as I continue to progress.  For instance, if I have more energy, I can do a more physically challenging yoga session which, in turn, will require more energy and a constant focus on my nutritional needs.
• My belly fat has deflated quite a bit, which is really quite exciting, but I would like to lose a bit more before I considered the goal “met”.

Q:  What have you learned about food that you didn't know before?
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• What I have learned about food is that as a vegetarian, I was grossly underestimating the amount of protein I needed to maintain not only my physical stamina but my mental acuity. 

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Q:  Will you maintain this way of eating when you decide to finish your coaching process?

• I will never look at food the same way.  Because of the coaching, I’ve incorporated meal prepping which allows me to have nutritionally balanced meals readily available.  This is my new “comfort food”.  Above that, I am making better choices when I go out to eat with family and friends.  Finally, I no longer have cravings!  I feel sated and am no longer tempted to eat high carb/high fat foods as I once did.

Q:  How has this way of eating differed from how you ate before?

• Previously, I would eat four, five, or six meals a day; however, these meals were not nutritionally balanced.  For instance, I was consuming only about one third the amount of protein needed to be physically active.  Additionally, my carb intake was outrageous which caused significant swings in my energy level.

Q:  What was the most difficult part of this change? 
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• The most challenging part of this change was the requirement to eat more food!  It sounds crazy but I found it extremely taxing to eat five to six balanced meals every day.  It took a couple of months before I was able to look at a meal and not feel absolute dread. 

Q:  What is your favorite part of eating this way?     
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• My favorite part of my new-found nutritional knowledge is that I have increased physical stamina and a mental brightness that has long been missing in my life.  I didn’t realize the slow decent my body and mind had taken over years of improper eating. 

Q:  Has yoga helped influence your eating habits?  If so, how?
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• Yoga was THE reason for the changes to my eating habits and why I sought out professional help!   See the answers to questions 1, 2, and 7 as to how yoga influenced my eating habits.

Q:  How has this way of eating changed your energy, if at all?
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• My energy level has vastly improved.  Not only can I do yoga for longer periods, I am able to more fully engage my muscles when doing the asanas. 
• Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the mental fugue that was caused by improper nutrition and was once a constant in my life is gone!

Please include any other comments that you may have:

• The nutrition coaching has been an absolute God-send for me.  I once thought my poor stamina and mental haze was part of the “aging process”.  Truth be told, I was simply starving myself!  I am forever in debt to my Nutritional Coach.

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