ANDREA,
IN A NUTSHELL
A registered dietitian, flexible diet expert, strength training coach, CEO of Nutrition Chopped, passionate about helping women achieve sustainable weight loss
A wife, a mother of three energetic boys, and proud owner of an Australian labradoodle named Tahoe
From North Idaho and currently lives in a suburb of Chicago
My Story
In my 20s and early 30s I was able to manage my weight easily, but after having three kids in five years at age 37, I struggled. I was overweight, physically weak and generally feeling terrible.
In January of 2018, I was at my highest non-pregnancy weight. I had to do something. I made a plan to workout and dial in my nutrition. For the next year, I consistently did hot yoga along with the BBG app, and I ate better. After one year, I made some progress, but my metabolism wasn’t responding like it used to. I couldn’t lose the last 15 pounds and was still physically weak. Despite my best efforts of doing what used to work, I failed.
One day, my husband suggested I try a strength training class. This class consisted of a barbell, kettlebells, free weights and a pull up bar. In the past, I was active, but now I was deconditioned. I could not imagine doing what they did in the class. I was not able to do a push up, and the idea of a pull up was out of the question. Most of the lifts with the barbell were new to me. Needless to say, I was intimidated, but I signed up. I showed up regularly. I paid attention to the trainers. I started to eat more protein. I researched how to build muscle and how to boost metabolism. I studied weight loss and a flexible approach to eating. And slowly, but surely, I built strength, kick started my metabolism, and melted body fat. People noticed. I started to walk taller and was more outgoing. I fit into my jeans again. I had energy to play with my kids and strength to carry them. After a year and a half of regularly lifting weights, I felt better! Even better than my old self, both inside and out!
Getting stronger and improving your body composition makes you look better. It makes your clothes fit better. It gives you more flexibility with eating. But the benefits of getting stronger and improving your appearance are the icing on the cake.
The best part of transforming your body composition is your energy, confidence and strength, both physically and mentally, skyrocket. Your quality of life improves. Aging is less of a challenge. Your aches and pains fade. Your attitude improves. You become more brave, focused and patient. You become a better version of yourself.
My Beliefs
It’s normal to feel intimidated before starting something new like strength training, but I believe that anyone can do it with support!
Your metabolism is not broken and the reason you are struggling to lose weight is not because you’re getting old!
Muscle mass is the driver of your resting & active metabolism, and low muscle mass is the main cause of a slow metabolism & midlife weight gain.
Weight loss, or more specifically fat loss, is NOT impossible for you, but you have been unsuccessful in the past because you have been doing the wrong things!
You can manage your weight with ease if you know how to eat and exercise to work with your body and metabolism.
Anyone can build strength, if you learn to eat and exercise to build muscle, and you do it consistently.
We should challenge what getting older means. Do not accept that getting older means that you become overweight, immobile, or weak. But it will happen if you don’t eat and exercise to build muscle.
As we age, staying strong is critical to health, happiness, and vitality.
You are never too old to start weightlifting and eating better.
The world needs you as your best self!
