My Story and Qualifications

Diet Weight Loss Fitness Expert

I am a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer.
My focus is on corrective exercise, exercise for weight loss, and reaching your
goals in a timely and safe fashion without you feeling like you're killing yourself. I fix people and I love doing it!

But before I found my passion and purpose...

In November 2001, I weighed 291 Ibs. and wore size 26 clothes. I had been very
overweight for about 8 years. I went to the doctor the day before Thanksgiving and
was shocked at what I weighed. I weighed 276 when I delivered my youngest child
2 years earlier and now I weighed 15 Ibs. more!

The day after Thanksgiving 2001, I decided it was time to do something about my weight. It's not that I was inactive but I wasn't active enough and I ate way, way, way too much on top of that. I did not want to join a gym mostly because I had three young children at home and I didn't want to have to cart them around nor did I want to pay for child care while I was working out. I had an elliptical machine at home so I started doing that 20 minutes every other day. I started watching what I ate a little more but I wasn't dieting.

After 6 weeks, I decided to try Tae Bo. I hated it at first but after three or four times started liking it. I would do 30 minutes on my elliptical machine one day and 30 minutes of Tae Bo the next day. I was working out 30 minutes 6 days a week and feeling great. By the middle of January 2002 I had already lost 18 Ibs. So I started watching my diet even more, eating more vegetables and fruit and less sugar, bread, pasta, rice and junk food, and smaller
portions.



In March I started running with a group of ladies from church. I would wake up at 5:45 a.m. three days a week and run/walk 3 miles. I continued to do Tae Bo on the alternate days. The first week or two it was all I could do to walk that far and starting to jog was something I had to work at. (I swore at one point when I was younger that I would never run again because I had run about 10,000 miles while playing basketball as a kid.) But I realized I enjoyed running and decided I would run a 5K race because I needed a goal to help me keep running. I did
my first 5K race in July and to date I have run a lot of 5K and 10K races and 6 half marathons.

In April, I started to see ads for a Curves gym opening up in Redmond and I was excited to try it out. I had previously belonged to a gym that had a circuit training room and I absolutely love circuit training as a workout. I wanted to see how the Curves circuit worked. At that point I had already lost about 50 lbs. in 5 months and I was thrilled.

I went down on the second day of the grand opening and noticed there was a "Help Wanted" sign on the door. I applied for the job and was hired the very next day. I worked three evenings a week and Saturdays. I loved it and found out that I had fallen into the perfect job for me. After trying the Curves diet plan I lost 5 Ibs. in the first week and never looked back. I was never hungry and I was losing about 2 1/2 Ibs. a week. I had tons of energy and felt fabulous.

While working out at Curves I noticed that my body became firm and toned in almost no time. I was working out at Curves 3X a week and running 3 miles, 3X a week. I was losing an average of 12 lbs., 10 inches and 2.5 % body fat per month. In just 5 months I had lost 70 more lbs.

I lost 120 Ibs., 48+ inches, and 12% body fat in 10 1/2 months and I've managed to maintain my weight loss for 5 years. I'm a real woman with a real body and a real life. I worked hard consistently and didn't let anything stop me from reaching the goal I set for myself. I still workout 5 to 6 days week most weeks and I still watch my diet. I have three kids and a busy life outside of my personal training and managing a women's gym.


In September 2002 I was offered the job of managing the Curves in the Houghton neighborhood of Kirkland, WA. We opened in January 2003 and I managed that location for three years. In those three years I had the privilege of helping many, many women work toward and reach (and at times surpass!) their fitness and weight loss goals. I have met so many people I never would have known if it had not been for Curves. During the time I managed that location it was the largest Curves franchise in the state of Washington.

I decided to leave my position at the Houghton Curves in February 2006 to pursue other opportunities but I stayed on to teach the diet class. After leaving Curves, I worked with the owner of a private gym in Bothell to help increase membership and make the business profitable. I also worked as a Personal Trainer at Gold's Gym and in-home personal training.

Last October I was asked to manage the Curves in Woodinville and I'm glad I made the
decision to return to Curves. I really believe in what Curves offers women, the Curves philosophy, the Curves workout, diet and nutritional products. I still do in-home personal training as well.

I love to support, educate, and motivate people and help you have fun doing it! I want to encourage you to figure out what it is you really want to accomplish and why and "Just Do It"! If you have fitness and weight loss goals you would like my help with, please let me know. I have the knowledge and experience to help you reach those goals.

I'm happy to give you tips, pointers, and advice. Your success is my joy!

Keep sweating and remember to smile!