Q: How long have you been doing what you do and how did you get to be a Fitness, Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach?
A: To answer this question, I have to admit some vulnerable stuff. At 47 years old, I look and feel better than ever. But it wasn't't always this way. My struggle with weight and my body image started early, my freshman year in high school.
I have been where you are.
In my 47 years, I have lived many different diet and exercise programs and I can assure you it has not been a linear process. I have been fat/overweight. I have been through stages of extreme dieting and extreme exercising. I have suffered from disordered eating and starved myself down to 95 pounds. I know what it’s like to not want to look in the mirror. I know how it feels to hate being naked. I know how it feels to be so unhappy with your body that you hide it under layers of baggy clothes. I have been where you are. I was constantly researching the latest diet and exercise strategies (and fads) searching desperately for that magic pill. Every time I heard about a new diet I had to try it. You name it I’ve done it. I was frustrated that no matter how hard I tried I was never able to achieve lasting results.
Growing up I was always active. Years before I knew anything about calories or macros, my main goal was just to have fun. However, in my teenage years, I began to shift my focus to my appearance. It was then that I began to use diet and exercise to control my shape, size, and weight rather than for health and enjoyment. I made my diet and exercise reflections of who I was as a person. When I was not what I would consider perfect I deemed myself a failure. My self-worth was based on my appearance. I compared myself to everyone around me, and I never quite measured up. At least not in my mind (huge self-limiting belief).
I was constantly researching the latest diet and exercise strategies and fads searching desperately for that magic pill. Every time I heard about a new diet, I had to try it. You name it I have done it. I was frustrated that no matter how hard I tried I was never able to achieve lasting results. After every failure (which was often) I always defaulted to the same behavior. And instead of figuring out why I had failed (or rather, what behaviors had failed me), I would move on to the next extreme diet/exercise strategy hoping this time things would be different.
As a teenager, I was sexually and emotionally abused by my first boyfriend. The abuse damaged me in fundamental ways that served as a catalyst to my becoming addicted. I was obsessed with what other people thought of me, who I was friends with, and what I looked like. I never felt like I fit in. I told myself I wasn’t good enough, smart enough, or pretty enough (another self-limiting belief), and this affected every area of my life. The truth is, I had no idea who I was so I would portray myself as whoever I thought you wanted me to be. For most of my life, this was my story and it colored every aspect of my life.
Each of us has a story – an internal narrative about our life. We use this story as a way to see the world and explain it to ourselves. The story I got locked into involved fear, shame, guilt, self-loathing, victimization, blame, and anger. The more I would retell this story to myself, and the more I saw the world through the filter of my story, the more stuck I became. For many years I was locked into some form of addiction and repetitive, dangerous patterns of behavior.
I spent the next several years on a roller coaster ride of starvation diets, binge eating/drinking, diet pills, over-exercising, self-destructive, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and lots of therapy. My workout routine was sporadic at best and consisted of mostly cardio. I had no interest in being strong or even healthy for that matter. All that mattered to me was being skinny. It was a nightmare that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. You couldn’t pay me any amount of money to go back to that period in my life.
By the grace of God, I was introduced to weight training by a friend at around the age of 20 and immediately fell in love with it! I spent my life at the gym. I did forty-five minutes to an hour (or more) of cardio every day and then your traditional body-builder type split routine: chest, shoulders and triceps on day one, back and biceps on day two, legs on day three, one day off and repeat. I read everything I could get my hands on about health, fitness and nutrition.
Then it dawned on me—Why not get certified? So I did….and that’s where my journey in the fitness and nutrition industry began, with a basic personal training certification and a position as a trainer at a New York Sports Clubs (NYSC).... KEEP READING...
27 years later, I have helped thousands of women (and men) create an entirely new relationship with exercise, food, and their bodies.
Q: What kinds of clients do you work with?
A: With multiple certifications and over 25 years of experience in the health and fitness industry in a variety of outlets, she can relate to and assist a wide variety of individuals seeking self-improvement through exercise, fitness, and nutrition. Tracey has dedicated her career and her life to improving people’s lives by giving them the tools to live a more health- and fitness-focused lifestyle. She achieves this through
progressive, systematic, results-driven training methods
the application of strategic, individualized, goal-focused nutrition
the utilization of strategies and methods scientifically proven to help people uncover their own self-limiting beliefs that could be holding them back from achieving their true potential in all areas of life.
Q: How are you different from other Fitness, Nutrition & Lifestyle Coaches?
A: The basis of most coaching models is to
Identify a client’s wants and obstacles.
Then identify ways to remove those obstacles.
This is a good start, but it has critical missing elements. What happens at this point is that this creates a temporary breakthrough, which feels good in the moment for the client because they seem to have this grand aha, but before long the old patterns will start rushing back.
Most coaches give you a checklist of "what to eat and what not to eat". For women who struggle with disordered eating, if this approach worked, it would have worked already.
But "Eat this, not that" doesn't work because disordered eating (and/or emotional eating, binge eating, food addiction, etc.) is not about food, it's about our inability to cope with the stresses of day-to-day life.
So, first and foremost, my coaching is about transforming beliefs and mindsets so that my clients can be present with themselves and their lives in a whole new way. I follow that work with step-by-step guidelines around healthy ways to approach eating, exercise, and lifestyle.
Q: What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
A: My Total Body Transformation programs were created for women (and men) who are absolutely ready and fully committed to having a new relationship to food and body, to ending late night binges and panic about clothes not fitting, and compulsively going to the gym to try to manage their weight.
These programs were created for you to put systems around food and body in place in 30, 60, and 90 days, which will eventually lead you to having an experience of peace and even JOY in your body and with food.
Consider what you'll do with me to be a transformational experience where y ou're consistently taking action. No more worrying that you'll never find something that works for you; you'll open up to a very different way of thinking and full support while you achieve this incredibly exciting goal: ending the war with food and body so you can experience a Total Body Transformation.
Q: Who does this program NOT work for?
A: I only have openings for 2 new clients per month in my schedule , so please know I'm very selective about who I work with, choosing to (gently) turn away people who aren't suited for my program and won't get the results they would have invested in. It wouldn't be fair to them.
The Total Body Transformation System is NOT for those who aren't ready to commit (financially or otherwise) to their transformation, and it is NOT for those who just want a list of "eat this, not that" (because, as I've said, if that worked for my type of client, it would have worked already).
Another kind of person I won't work with (without exception) is the whiner or the chronic skeptic, as well as individuals who consistently don't show up to sessions or make excuses in order to keep putting themselves and their health last on the list of priorities.
If you are one of these people, I gently and respectfully ask that you not schedule an initial conversation with me and I hope you understand why. We'll probably just not work well together and I wouldn't want you to waste your time or money.
Q: What exactly is your system and what does it include?
A: The Total Body Transformation System is a holistic journey that involves mind, body, and spirit healing.
We're going to cover all things food and body using the "6W Questions" - remember those from 5th grade?
The 6W Questions are:
What
When
How
Where
Why
Who
The 6W Questions constitute a simple formula for getting the complete story on any subject.
When I'm working with you as my client, we are definitely looking for the COMPLETE story around food and body.
That's why, with the Total Body Transformation, I'll walk you step-by-step through...
What to eat
When to eat
How to eat
Where to eat
And most importantly...
Why you eat
Who you are being when you eat
Chances are good that other "diets" haven't worked in the past because they didn't have the steps that addressed every part of you - mind, body, and spirit.
Total Body Transformation solves that problem.
In addition to those steps, you will learn tons of tips, tricks, and strategies to manage your health and your life more easily and to make your health and your life work for YOU (instead of the other way around).
Q: Does this truly work?
A: Yes! The result of our work is an approach to food and body that has you feeling peaceful, powerful, and on purpose, maybe for the first time in your life.
Q: What results can I expect?
A: You can expect to:
Create a vision for what your Total Body Transformation looks like
Anchor into your Big Why (this is the real reason why making this change matters!)
Clear clutter (emotional and physical) from your life so you can make space for the new you.
Get specifics on how to approach food by:
Discovering a template for what to eat at each meal
Upgrading the quality of food you eat
Incorporating hydration (the right way)
Phasing in foods that give you energy
Phasing out foods that take energy away
Learning how often to eat each day
Discovering who and when to use fasting
Uncovering your secret weapon around food, which is HOW you are eating
Optimize your lifestyle by:
Discovering all the nutrients that don't go on your plate, but feed your body and your soul, like:
Sleep and Movement
Love and Sex
Fun and Play
Being honest about what's working and what's not working in your career, relationships, family life, spiritual connection and more (where you say "yes" when you really mean "no")
Learning how to receive help and supp port (you're always giving, but who's giving back to you?)
Put yourself and your health first (this is YOUR time - no more putting yourself last on the priority list)
Q: How quickly can I expect results?
A: Your transformation begins the second you say "YES" and continues every day through tout your 90-day experience and beyond.
Q: How can I guarantee myself that I will get results?
A: If you've tried things and failed in the past, chances are good that you didn't have the right support, the right system, or the Right accountability.
In Total Body Transformation, you'll get all of these.
Part of the reason for the significant investment in this experience is to ensure that you show up for yourself like never before.
Q: Will I recover the investment I put into this coaching program?
A: If you add up everything you've spent over the years on diets and exercise an all the ways you've tried to lose weight, how much would that be?
If things don't change, how much would you spend in the coming years searching for a solution?
For most of my clients, the answer to both questions is A LOT.
I want you to stop reading for just one moment to ask yourself, "What is a new relationship to food and my body worth to me?"
The information and skills you learn - and the personal transformation you make - with the Total Body Transformation will be with you forever, transforming your health and your life in so many ways.
Q: Tracey, based on everything I've read and heard about you, I know you're the one I want to learn from. How do I get started?
A: Congratulations on making a decision for a totally new experience of food and your body! I would be honored and excited to be your guide on this journey! Email me!
Here's how to get started:
During our initial conversation, you can officially enroll in the Total Body Transformation
I'll walk you through how to make the investment (I accept all major credit cards so processing the investment will be easy)
We'll choose a recurring day of the week and time for your sessions
These sessions should be considered a sacred time - they are first priority because YOU are first priority
Sessions will occur once per week for 90 days
I'll send you a "Welcome Email" that includes a Coaching Program Agreement (You'll sign this agreement before our first session)
Tackling all the above is a lot on your own and often overwhelming to the point that it is easier to stay where we are. Coaching is a process that is facilitated in a specific way so you can be different, without having to think about being different. The first step is raising awareness about what we really desire for ourselves and our lives.
Q: Do people every renew and continue working with you?
A: Yes. About 1/3 of my clients will continue the work. They love the on-going support and stretch, if that's something you'd like, I'll share how you can do that as we get closer to the completion of your first TBT experience.
Q: Ok I'm ready to do this for myself, but I have a couple additional questions. Can we address them in our Breakthrough Session?
A: Absolutely. We'll be sure to cover all of your question, plus the Breakthrough Session will give you a firsthand experience of what it would feel to have a powerful coach and mentor in your corner.