I was always interested in nutrition & started studying in 1983 but my dream was put on hold due to financial issues. I took a ‘safe’ job with the Australian Government. 26 years later my first turning point occurred when I left that job after the sudden death of my husband.
It was 2006 before I rekindled my dream & began part time study. After my husband died I took time off to grieve but in 2013, at the age of 56, I graduated with a Degree in Nutritional Medicine & started a business, but it didn’t take off. Over the years I had gained weight & although I had lost 20 kgs since my husband passed, I still hated my body. In my head I didn’t look like a nutritionist so I restricted marketing. No wonder clients weren’t flocking to me – I was a big secret!
My second turning point came in 2014 when I read the Slow Down Diet. I then completed the Institute for the Psychology of Eating Certification Course. After graduating I was full of enthusiasm & rebranded my business but although I had changed my attitude to nutrition my body image issues persisted. I had completed the body image module & swiftly put it away, knowing that I could never help clients with this when I hated my own body. Instead I worked with clients on self-love, self-care & stress management but I avoided body image like the plague. In reality I still didn’t think I looked the part.
Turning Point 3 – in 2016 I discovered the Body Image Movement (BIM) & was so inspired that I read everything related to body image that I could find, including the body image module I’d rejected earlier. I became a Global Ambassdor for BIM & saw the documentary “Embrace”. It changed my life & I knew it could do the same for others. Turia Pitt (from the film) provided my body image turning point. Turia looks in the mirror & loves what she sees despite disfiguring burns. I thought “How dare I not love my body with it’s few wobbly, fat bits, when Turia loves herself despite her scars”. The film also taught me that what I have to say is far more important than what my body looks like. My studies have taught me a lot but my life experience has taught me much more. I have so much to share that could help women move forward in their lives. I stopped thinking “Who am I to think I can help others” & started thinking “Who am I to deprive others of that opportunity”.
2017 Highlights:
• Hosted a screening of Embrace for 140 ladies.
• Worked with several body image clients
• Shared my experience at the IPE conference in Colorado
• Spoke at a conference in Banff, Canada
• Hosted live workshops & online courses.
Body shame is no longer a part of my life. If moments of self-doubt arise I remember all I’ve achieved or watch Embrace for renewed inspiration.
Did the real you get lost while you were putting others first?
That’s how I felt when I was widowed in 2010. At 53 I began a journey of self-discovery & formal study – a Nutritional Medicine degree & the IPE Mind Body Nutrition Coach Certification. This experience allows me to help women rediscover themselves when they feel lost after a traumatic event.
In 2016 I found the Body Image Movement & was so inspired, I became a Global Ambassador. The “Embrace” documentary prompted me to realise it was time to stop shaming my body. What I have to share with others is far more important than what I look like. Working with Body Image includes Self Care, Stress Management & Eating Concerns. Through coaching, workshops, and retreats, I help women Embrace Who They Are & Who They Can Become.
Please don’t wait for a major trauma to change your life – You can find yourself right now!