I suspect that my journey with food and weight, like for many of you, began many years ago. My sincere hope is that you might see yourself somewhere in this story and can find some glimmer of hope that having a normal relationship with food and being at peace with your body is possible.
This article tackles my personal weight loss journey and how I became successful in healing my relationship with food and body. I also shared how I am helping other women like me find peace with food and their body and live their full life now… unconditionally.
Here’s what you’ll learn from this blog post:
The beginning of my weight loss journey
The big shift in my weight loss journey
How old were you when you started your weight loss journey?
The first of the crucial defining moment for me was my first diet. I still remember the day my mother took me to Weight Watchers when I was 12. I still remember the “older women” shaking her finger at me telling me that I should chew gum when I feel hungry instead of eating.
That day, I began a 25-year dieting career. An ongoing journey of yo-yo dieting.
I was raised in a loving middle-class home with two very normal parents and a brother who wanted nothing but the best for me. In their heart, the best meant a “normal” body that would not be noticed and fit the society standards. For that, back in 1987 = Weight Watchers and weight loss.
The first diet at 12 didn’t “work” but the second one at 15 did. I lost 40 lbs… and with that came the compliment and praise “you look so pretty,” “wow, you lost so much weight, how did you do it?,” “You’re so strong I admire you.”….. For the first time, I felt worthy. I felt beautiful.
At 16, I had learned that to be acceptable, to be beautiful, a woman needed to be thin.
I managed my weight by calorie counting, eating low fat and going to the gym until my late 20’s when I had my first serious heartbreak. I went to food to feel better. As a result, I gained weight.

Breaking the glass ceiling
I gained a lot of weight, and at one point, I decided it was enough. I went back on a big diet. It was harder than the last time. I had to go to the gym 6 days a week. Eat very little food. I isolate myself to not have to be tempted by “bad food” and to not break my routine.
As I lost the weight, my career took off. I didn’t have food anymore to deal with the discomfort of my emotions, so I jumped head first into work. That kept my mind busy. I broke “the glass ceiling” and at 36 years running a $900 million business. To society standards, I had made it.
Inside, I was a solid mess… a few months after having reached the pinnacle of my career, I collapsed on stage speaking to my employees. My body couldn’t take it anymore. I was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with anxiety, panic attack syndrome, depression, and high cholesterol & blood pressure.
The big shift in my weight loss journey
That day when I left the doctor’s office looking at my long list of prescription medications, I made a choice. I chose me. I chose to stop worrying about what others thought I should do, look or be. And I committed myself to me. To do what was best for ME.
That’s when everything changed. Over the next 3 years, I spent an enormous amount of time and money to heal myself. I read every book on the psychology of eating, nutrition, and holistic health I could find, and spent countless hours researching medical journals, health blogs, and making myself a human guinea pig. Moreover, I quit my career and went back to school, graduating valedictorian with a degree in holistic nutrition.
I became obsessed with finding the answer.
I thought to myself, if I could understand WHY I ate, then maybe I could find and treat the root cause, and hopefully, my story would inspire others to do the same.

That’s how I created Conquer & Thrive, a feminist approach to food & body; a program where smart, resilient women go to unlearn diet culture. Relearn to eat normally, respect for your body and confident mindset.
I have had many setbacks before I found something that worked for me. But I never forgot how great it was to finally feel normal, eat normally and be at peace with my body.
After much perseverance, time, and trial and error, I can finally say that I was successful in healing my relationship to food and body.
Through our programs, I share my rationale for the need to Go Beyond The Food based on what finally worked for me, with the hope that it perhaps will also work for you.
Your roadmap to diet-free living
I created a free audio guide for you to know exactly what to do when you stop dieting, emotional eating, binge eating and body image issues. So you’ll be on your way to freedom!
How old were you when you started your weight loss journey?
The first diet at 12 didn’t “work” but the second one at 15 did. I lost 40 lbs… and with that came the compliment and praise “you look so pretty,” “wow, you lost so much weight, how did you do it?,” “You’re so strong I admire you.”….. For the first time, I felt worthy. I felt beautiful.
The big shift in my weight loss journey
That day when I left the doctor’s office looking at my long list of prescription medications, I made a choice. I chose me. I chose to stop worrying about what others thought I should do, look or be. I committed myself to me. To do what was best for ME. That’s when everything changed.
How I help women find peace with food and their body
I created Conquer and Thrive, a feminist approach to food & body; a program where smart, resilient women go to unlearn diet culture. Relearn to eat normally, respect for your body and confident mindset.
That you just stopped dieting yesterday or years ago, Conquer and Thrive is for you