I lost 100 lbs using data and bio-feedback, I'm keeping it off using habits and self-compassion, and now I teach these skills to others.

I'm living proof that someone can go from obese, inactive, anxiety-ridden emotional-eater to a meal-prepping, daily-walking powerhouse living at a healthy weight (who still lives with anxiety, and who's finding more and more peace with every year that goes by). This journey has ultimately led me to become a health coach, bringing support to others looking to take this same path. I used to define myself as a foodie, a girl who hates exercise, someone who can "hang with the guys" and finish a whole pizza by herself. That was the face I showed to the world. Inside, I was ignoring anxiety and didn't understand how my eating habits were "benefitting me" by numbing me out to the discomforts that we all experience in life. When I started my journey, I learned into my own body's data, becoming an expert in my body's response to different calorie-levels. I became a whiz at keeping a calorie-journal, weighing my food, and creating recipes that felt filling and delicious. I lost 100 lbs over the course of about 1 year, slowly adding in a daily step-goal over time. While I focused on the data (and my weight-loss success gave me motivation to stick to my calorie-goals), I observed something strange. I was feeling more anger, fear, and worry. It was concerning to me, and I didn't understand why these things were getting worse (when my physical body was getting better). But it wasn't that I was having more emotions. It was just that I actually FELT the emotions now. I no longer had my daily habits of eating a huge fast-food lunch, and I no longer had my nightly habits of eating large amounts of takeout and dessert, so I was no longer using food to numb myself. My journey has been all about continuing the data-minded habits that keep my physical body in a healthy weight range, AND getting curious about my emotions and my anxiety. Finding a new relationship with my feelings has allowed me to have the steadiness required to keep my physical body healthy. My mission is to bring this balanced approach to others who want to make the same journey.