It's Not You,
It's Your Hormones

I have seen major change in my period symptoms (or lack there of!). Normally I experience migraines, bloating, aches, and crazy hot flashes. After being on the hormone balance nutrition plan for two months I stopped experiencing any PMS symptoms. This is the most regular my cycle has ever been, and I lost 11.4lbs in 2 months!

I think that you guys are doing an amazing job with everything! I haven’t felt this much like myself in 8 months and now, I am starting to. Probably because I am eating what I need. Thank you! This entire journey used to frustrate me so much. But I finally feel like I have some control, I am able to practice patience with myself through this process and recognize my body is healing. Re-teaching myself to grant myself grace through this journey is not something that comes naturally. But knowing that I am doing everything I can, to nourish and heal my body. It is freeing. So thank you! Thank you for caring. Thank you for helping us to realize we aren't “crazy” for the symptoms we feel and are always told they are normal or that we are fine. Finding my strength, voice and myself again is in large part because of you. I am excited to see what the next weeks/months will look like!

I have been working with Tasha (and Curtis) for the last two months. I initially started this program as a way to reset, but more importantly understand the importance of food as fuel. Talking to Tasha prior to interacting with the program I was a bit nervous that I would have to jump into eating a surplus amount of calories, or be completely restricted and that is the complete opposite of what happened. My initial mal plan, grocery list, and lifts were very do-able. Most of the things we foods and exercises I already consumed, but she guided me on when to eat, how much to eat, and also the reality that food is not this intimidation thing…it’s fuel. Going into my third month with them I am quite emotional. For the first time in years I don’t feel like I have to go run a mile after eating a girl scout cookie. I am hungry throughout the day and have increased my caloric intake from a little over 1000 to 1800 calories, and I am seeing results. I have more energy, I don’t even feel my periods when they are coming on, and I finally feel like I am capable of living a balanced lifestyle. It’s super cliché to say that this program is changing my life, but honestly the education, empowerment and growth I feel is life changing.

Meeting and working with Tasha has had such a positive impact on my life. Over the past few months she has helped me learn so much about how to work with my body’s natural monthly phases to feel like my best self! I’ve learned how to nourish myself and have a more healthy relationship with food. I’ve learned when I need to rest and how to balance my physical activity. I have more clarity and energy due to nutrition that doesn’t throw off my hormones or cause flare ups of inflammation. I feel good about myself! I’m grateful for her positive energy and support she brings as well, it’s contagious.

This program was exactly what I needed because it taught me how to live a healthy life in both areas of nutrition and fitness. It’s so much better than a fad diet or having a personal trainer to work with at the gym, because this program is sustainable, affordable, and allows you to learn and carry it all out on your own as a lifestyle change. I’ve never seen these kinds of results that I have with using this program. I’ve never felt more healthy and I can thank this program for that. Giving my body what it needs based on my hormonal cycle was something I had no clue about until this program. I have loved being able to provide what my body needs, when it needs it, in a way that is programmed personally for me. 10/10 recommend!

An evening where I cleaned up in the kitchen and it didn’t feel like such a chore. I was even able to do some more tasks throughout the house without feeling like all I could handle was sitting on the couch and zoning out. Such simple tasks, but ones that often were difficult for me to accomplish over the last few years. I had zero energy when I would come home from work in the past, and then I would get angry when everything was a mess all the time, because living in that chaos made my anxiety awful. These moments have given me such hope that the “me” I remember and want so badly to be again, is coming back.

After all the traveling and realizing how resilient my body is. I actually feel so resilient when it came to how great I was to bounce right back into work and that my body actually didn’t look “fat” or bloated from all the “cheat” meals. I feel truly alive and free and now understand that I can enjoy food and that my body isn’t against me, it’s working for me when I’m fueling it properly a majority of the time and now I’m no longer extremely hard on myself especially when I travel or go out to eat with my friends

I don’t think I’ve had one big “aha!” moment. It’s been a collection of little realizations that are slowly teaching me to trust. Trust my body, trust the process, and trust that more effort isn’t always the answer. I’m working out consistently and confidently, lifting heavier, noticing less neck pain and muscle tightness, and even seeing my love handles shrink! I’m learning how stress, underfueling, and even my own thought patterns may have been working against me. And with each realization, I’m beginning to believe that I don’t have to fight so hard to see change. But I think one of the biggest moments came one morning sitting on my porch, enjoying the sunshine and quiet. It’s something I envisioned doing when we bought our home, but somehow never actually did. I’ve spent the better part of a decade in survival mode, constantly doing, planning, worrying, or thinking about what needed to happen next. I’m learning to trust that I can slow down and still move forward.

It gave me a direction and motivation to truly do the work required to show up for myself in a way I haven't been able to before. I know that this isn't a specific moment, but almost immediately, I knew this program was working when I was able to look through the lens of this program's structure and see a bright pathway forward, even though I wasn't there yet, and likely wouldn't be for a bit. It allowed me to see a vision for myself that gave me such clarity and confidence; I couldn't help but be excited to see where the program could take me day by day. I've truly never been a part of a program that I've felt safe enough to be vulnerable, and supported enough to empower myself to grow into the best version of myself! Thank you!

About 4 months in, I started my period and it literally surprised me. I typically had migraines, bloating, cramps acne. Slowly those symptoms stopped showing up and about month 4 I didnt have any of those symptoms and had a painless start to my period it was amazing.

I’ve struggled the past 3-5 years with many symptoms but primarily with depletion - exhaustion, dizzyness, and weakness. Like on the verge of blackouts and legs that felt like lead. If it was hot outside the symptoms were always worse. 2 or 3 weeks into the first month my husband and I were clearing land to make a pad for a garage, and it was a hot day. I’m not sure what I expected really - I didn’t walk out there with a negative attitude or expectations (for fear of being disappointed, again), I was just neutral. We started working, hard work, each on the end of a chainsaw - him cutting the trees down and me limbing and bucking. We worked together after to haul away the branches and firewood. I was waiting for the dizzyness, but it never came, and I felt stronger than what my new normal had become. I also had stamina, we were out there for about 6 hours that day and I was perfectly fine! I made sure to drink a lot of water, electrolytes and have a substantial lunch. I can’t even explain the amount of relief I experienced that day realizing that FINALLY something was working. I knew in that moment that I could finally stop all the research, and experiments on myself and spending a fortune on supplements and such and that If I felt that much better after only a couple weeks then this program was a slam dunk. Relief, joy and security is what I felt.

I’ll be honest, metabolic rehab has been hard. Learning to eat breakfast and eat more volume was challenging. But when I really noticed something was changing was a month in and I realized I wasn’t midnight snacking …. But I didn’t realize it was a problem until I stopped doing it. Fueling my body correctly during the day has allowed better sleep, less awakenings during the night, and stable energy throughout the day.

It didn’t take long to notice something was different with this program. Within the first couple weeks my hunger hormones seemed under control for the first time in a very long time. I spent 2.5 years with my previous coach who had me eating 1,400 calories a day, lifting weights 5 days a week and cardio 6 days a week. I would get dizzy during/after my workout and thought it was just from being so out of shape. My cravings were out of control, not realizing at the time my body was screaming for proper nutrition. Within just a couple of short weeks, while reverse dieting to increase my calories to maintenance, my cravings stopped. I wasn’t even getting hungry in between meals. I went from thinking my body was broken from years of not treating it right, to understanding, with the help of my coach, that I was undernourished and once I started feeding my body the nutrients it craved, it responded. The response was quick and then other things started happening. More energy. Better workouts. Increased flexibility. Improved sleep. Mental clarity. Inflammation down. Anxiety decreased. PMS/PMDD symptoms gone! Lighter and pain free periods. These are all things I’ve learned to deal with over the years, mainly focusing on weight loss and not even thinking about how all the other things I was feeling could also improve with the right knowledge. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could feel this good, especially in my 40s. And I’m just getting started!

The moment I realized this was working was when I didn’t give up. I think I’ve given up on too many programs when I didn’t see the results I wanted to as soon as I wanted to see them. This program is different because my coach checks in on me frequently which helps me not give up. I have had many challenges from illness to dental surgeries in my first two months of the program but have not given up because I know it is going to work for me too! I feel calm knowing that even though I haven’t seen all of the results yet, I know I’m in the right place and we will figure it out together. I also knew this was working when I figured out that perfection isn’t possible and there is wiggle room (even just 10 g of macros up or down) and you can still see results and win!

I don’t think there was one certain moment but almost every day I realize something about myself that has changed since beginning this journey. Sometimes it’s bigger things like realizing I didn’t crash at the end of a long day or being able to lift heavier and other times, it’s small things like change of mindset or just simply knowing what to reach for when I’m hungry and in a hurry. It definitely feels much more secure and helps me be more confident in my daily life.

It hit me just the other day that this program is working. Yes in the beginning I lost some inflammation and weight and I am getting stronger, which is amazing! But the most amazing part is how I can juggle all my responsibilities throughout the day without crashing, without the “I don’t want to do this feeling” and at the end of the day still show up for my kids. I am more of the mom they deserve and am becoming the fun mom and the mom I’m proud to be.

For me, the moment came when I compared my progress photos. The scale wasn't showing the results I wanted, and honestly, that was frustrating. But when I looked at those pictures side by side, I could actually see changes in my waist, stomach, and muscle definition. I'm 56, postmenopausal, and I've been working out for over 35 years. I know what it means to put in the work, but I've also learned that what worked for my body years ago doesn't necessarily work today. I've stayed committed, even while traveling, making sure I completed my workouts and followed through with my nutrition. Seeing those changes reminded me that my hard work wasn't for nothing. I'm not where I want to be yet, but that moment gave me encouragement and something I hadn't felt in a while: hope that I can get my body responding again.

Beginning of month two is when I realized it for two big reasons: 1. I am not dragging myself out of bed anymore and actually ready to go when my feet hit the floor. 2. I hated breakfast my whole life but now I am hungry in the mornings.

For years I starved myself, 1400 calories a day. Thinking, this will help me get my dream body. Calories in calories out. Cardio cardio cardio (beach body 7 days a week). I was exhausted, frustrated, not losing any weight, thinking what else can I do/try to get this to work. Social media makes bodies look ideal but I’m doing all the things (pills/drinks/ cleanses/programs) and why isn’t mine! I started to have fertility issues and thankfully found HHH because something needed to change. My body was fighting me in ways I didn’t understand. I realized 2 things: something isn’t right and everyone is doing it wrong. I realized this when I was able to eat 2100+ calories and not gain a pound. Joining HHH allowed me to understand carbs. Carbs are good, feed workouts, give energy production in the gym and daily life! I’m able to lift heavier than ever in my life! I was starving myself for over a decade only to realize more food is the answer, which is counterintuitive. I think it’s the reason a lot of people find themselves how I was- stuck for so long in the phase of starvation that will give me results. WRONG! Food will give me results. Food will give me energy, help me sleep, keep my body working for me and not against me. Foods are not the enemy and help with women’s hormones. I needed to realize what I was doing for so long was causing majors stressors. I realized that more is not always better when it comes to workouts. Listening to your body is better than adding more stress to it. I was always go, go, go/ more, more, more workouts. Burn more calories my body was desperately trying to hold onto. Getting to the gym and food prepping to me was the easy part. I over did it for so long. The hard part for me was slowing down and eating more. Once I realized and tried that, my body inflammation went down. Less brain fog, less bloating, my hair stopped falling out! Sitting at maintenance calories being the exact same weight I started HHH with is incredible. I realized the scale doesn’t dictate my progress. My willingness everyday to do something to better myself does. Follow the protocol, lift heavy weights, eat all the whole foods, when your body is telling you I need rest- take it. And don’t give up. There are days I don’t feel like it but nothing changes, if nothing changes. So I find the motivation deep down to get my workout in and I always feel so much better once it’s done! It’s not a chore anymore it’s a lifestyle. I’m not where I want to be, but it took me a decade to get to the realization of what works, it’s going to take more than a month to get to my goal! It’s a work in progress but now I understand the foundation of what actually works for my body instead of against it and it feels incredible.

The moment I realized this program was working was within the first few weeks. I was actually able to get out of bed without feeling exhausted. After working my 10-hour shift, I was able to go workout, do tasks around the house, and be more present with my dog!

For the first time in 6 years, I’m reprioritizing myself again- no excuses. It’s been so easy for me to get lost in motherhood and the day-to-day busyness that comes along with it, especially as a stay-at-home mom to two little kids. My kids’ happiness, health and overall well-being has been my main focus, that I completely neglected my own. Thanks to this program, some of my most impactful changes have been mentally. I am finally beginning to understand (at 38 years old!!) how my body works and how every symptom I was experiencing was a major cry for help. I have felt less than in so many areas of my life over the years because I was misunderstanding signs from my own body. I wasn’t really depressed, anti-social or a lazy mother. I was depleted. Learning about my hormones and phases of my cycle have been like finding the missing pieces to my puzzle. It’s helping me normalize slowing down during certain periods of the month and really tending to myself during these times too. It’s helping me realize it’s not healthy or sustainable to try to keep up with the instagram moms who seemingly never run out of energy and are doing all the perfect things with their children. It’s helping me realize it’s actually normal to not want to socialize sometimes. I’m letting go of these expectations of who I thought I should be like as a woman and a mother. I have finally given myself permission to believe in my body’s intuition again and not let anyone else make me feel less than or guilty (even unknowingly) because of how I’m feeling inside my body. I am now down about 4.6 lbs since starting. As someone who is only 5’2”, that drop in weight makes a huge difference in how I feel in my body. I am: eating more than I ever have, pushing myself out of my comfort zone with my workouts, fitting better into my clothes and having to buy new stuff, more energized and calm with my kids, less reactive to stressful times and more confident to say yes to playdates with other moms and their kids. I am solving YEARS of issues thanks to this program. I was so scared to join and try another thing that would still leave me feeling stuck and unwell. But, it's working and I can't even begin to accurately describe the feeling of joy and hope I finally feel.

When I think about who I was before Happy Hormone Health, it’s hard to even recognize that person. I came in, just desperate to feel like I wasn’t a stranger in my body anymore. I was told that what the new symptoms I was experiencing were normal for this stage in life, and that this was my new normal. I didn’t want to accept that. So I began to try as many fixes as I possibly could, because I knew there had to be a way to feel like the healthiest version of me again, especially at 46 years old. I tried everything from supplements I saw on Instagram, to vitamins to different stretches and exercises I saw on social media. Nothing worked. In fact, it seemed to make things worse. The day I saw Tasha on Instagram, something in my head felt like this could be what I was looking for. I connected with the message, and the “why” & the “how” that is the foundation of Happy Hormone Health. I knew that synthetic hormones were not how I wanted to go about working on myself because I really don’t believe that one size fits all. Being able to evaluate me as a person, not as a number, was most important to me. My one on one with Tasha helped me to see that this is exactly what I wanted. The only thing I felt that was holding me back was the financial commitment I would have to make. My husband had been laid off and had been working so hard for over a year to provide for the family. I was working the hardest I’ve ever worked, fitting in 40 hour work weeks, alongside still being a wife and mom to help support the family, to help keep us afloat. I didn’t realize the way I was functioning had put my body into fight or flight mode. My nervous system was shot, my hormones were struggling to try to support my body. I spoke with my husband and we made the decision, knowing that choosing to repair my health and damage to it from prolonged stress would be the best thing for me. We were able to get on a payment plan and I began the journey with Happy Hormone Health and my amazing coach, Kim. I had no idea the growth I would experience from this accountability. Being in the program has helped me in so much more than the worry of not fitting in my pants. I began the program worried about the weight gain and extra bloat. What I have learned during my time in the program is that it is so much more than this. There is a community of women that HHH has built, I am not alone in this journey! This program (and the group and private coaching calls) has taught me stress management, how to work out and eat with my cycles. I have begun to see changes in my mindset and in my body. I am so encouraged to see myself getting stronger both in the gym and in the way I think about how I am living my life and the choices I am making to ensure that I do not fall back into those habits that caused constant chronic stress.

The last couple of years as a foster/adoptive mom has involved a lot of crushing and my body has kept the score with 25+ pounds of inflammation/disfunction. At the end of month 5, I looked at my pictures and saw a woman who felt “safe” again. The foundation we built in the first couple of months was telling my body “it’s okay, you’re safe now”. I saw it with the loss of inflammation and gaining muscle…like I was finally unburying myself from it all. I had a moment where I knew I could honor where she had been and what she walked through, but she didn’t have to literally/physically carry it on her body anymore. In many ways I saw and felt freedom. I’m not broken, just sifting through what needs to heal to find my way on the other side of this valley.

I was so busy the last couple of years with big work projects and in school for my masters. I remember the initial call with Amber and the realization that I kept thinking now is not the right time. I felt like focusing on myself needed to wait until I was less busy. My first moment was realizing that time was going to continue to pass no matter what, so stop waiting and making excuses. While the scale hasn't moved, I have had moments that show this is working. It just took time for my body to feel safe after years of stressful havoc. Even if the scale doesnt show, I feel leaner and stronger in my body. Credit to the work out programming and transition away from constant HIIT style workouts. A notable moment was when I realized I no longer needed an energy drink mid day- I now have energy!

Honestly, it within the first two weeks, I spoke to Mary about my history and my nutrition background. A lot of my choices with food and lifestyle were based off fear. So scared to have something with gluten, so scared of dairy or alcohol, anything that could be a trigger or that was going to make me “worse”. Talking to Mary about limits and thresholds and how things aren’t so black or white. Even with all I know about nutrition I noticed it wasn’t about lack of knowledge but a fear that had been imbedded in me around food for many years. I started paying attention to how I felt with each food without attaching so much emotional to it. This was so liberating for me and now I just truly enjoy food and don’t label it good or bad or healthy. There is a place for everything. This was the biggest shift for me and speaking openly with Mary about it has lifted a big weight off my shoulders.

I’ve been on multiple vacations and trips since starting, and just had crazy busy life things going on for a few months now. There’s been a million opportunities for me to give up or stay in a “I’ll start over Monday” mindset. But even though I have yet to see the outward physical changes I’m hoping for, I’ve remained consistent and just keep plugging along. That’s huge for me. I’ve walked and worked out on vacation and in the busy season, even if it’s not as much as it “should be”, and just gotten right back into everything when back home. I’m building healthy habits with movement and nutrition that are easier and easier to come back to, even after a weekend or week “off”. It feels amazing to know I can remain consistent and not give up even when life throws all the curve balls over and over again!

I'm five months into this program, and I just have to share because the changes I'm experiencing are so much bigger than I ever expected. Over the past five months, my coach and I have worked on consistency, fueling my body properly, showing up for my workouts, and addressing some vitamin deficiencies. We've slowly worked my macros up to a full maintenance level, meaning I'm eating MORE, fueling my body, and still seeing incredible progress. But this past month, I experienced two wins that really made me stop and realize just how much things are changing. First, I got my period without even realizing it was coming. That might not sound like a big deal to everyone, but for me, it was HUGE. Normally, the weeks leading up to my period are filled with irritability, mood changes, and just feeling completely off. Before starting this program, I was even experiencing what I called the "estrogen flu." This month? None of it. My period just showed up, and I couldn't believe how good I had felt leading up to it. Second, my ENERGY. I'm a mom of three, in graduate school, and constantly juggling a million things. For so long, I felt like being tired was just part of this season of life. I was used to dragging through the day and pushing through because that's just what moms do, right? But one day this month, I actually caught myself thinking, "Wow, I don't feel like I'm dragging anymore." And it wasn't just one good day. I had consistent, sustainable energy throughout the month. I wasn't just surviving my days anymore. I actually felt GOOD. These might seem like small things, but to me, they're everything. I started this journey thinking about fitness and nutrition, but I'm realizing how much more there is to feeling healthy. I'm eating enough, getting stronger, feeling more balanced, and finally experiencing what it feels like to have energy for the life I'm living. Five months in, and I'm realizing that this isn't about eating less, pushing harder, or chasing a number on the scale. It's about learning how to take care of my body in a way that's actually sustainable.

A moment I realized “this is working” is when I started recognizing how excited and how energized I was about finding my new purpose and new plan for feeling better. When I would wake up excited to open the App, excited to see what my meals & workouts were for the day, and excited to tell my closest people about this new journey I’m on. For the very first time ever, I felt like someone listened, that someone understood my why, and made me feel capable and ready to not only get stronger and healthy - but to also conquer whatever dreams and goals I had. For the past 21 years, I’ve been a wife & momma that never took care of myself nor found a passion/dream outside of taking care of others (which I love by the way). From the moment I joined HHH, I realized I finally made a decision for myself and chased a dream that I wanted. 🎉 That I made a financial decision without feeling guilty and found a group of women that were on the same journey and would help me feel better, get stronger, and build my body the way it should be!! That moment made me realize that THIS is my dream I’m chasing. It feels SO SO good!!

My periods are regular for the first time in over ten years. That alone has changed my life.

There have been so many small moments where I’ve felt and thought that this program is working, and it all centers on how my mindset has changed so much. The physical aspect was my main motivating factor to starting the program again, but seeing my attitude and mindset shift almost immediately put so much into perspective. My first big aha moment was when I had a wacky cycle into month three of the program. What would have derailed me mentally beforehand, I looked at as a learning opportunity. Instead of, “look at how broken my body is, it can’t do anything right anymore,” it changed into, “hmm something is off, I wonder what could have caused this shift in my hormones.” Then, the next few months led to the biggest amount of muscle growth I’ve ever had, and I started to not be so afraid of mirrors which was huge! I had such great momentum going into my sixth month and I was so excited to see how I could keep everything moving in a positive direction once work got going again. Unfortunately, this was when my life took a complete detour. Losing my dad stopped me in my tracks, and honestly still does some days almost 8 weeks later. This, however, was truly the moment where I realized what I had built with this program and with Heidi. Grief really puts your body into shock and simultaneously into fight, flight, or freeze mode. If I was not in the middle of working on myself I know for a fact that this event would have broken me. I would have stayed in a frozen state unsure of how to move through it or out of this feeling. I would have binged on food, I would have neglected movement, and I would have fallen into such a deep well of sadness that would have felt impossible to navigate. And while I do of course feel a deep grief over this loss, I’ve found myself reaching for the tools Heidi has worked on with me instead of the self-sabotaging behaviors of my past. I yearn for movement as a release for all of my unsettled energy, I know for a fact I feel better when I give my body nutrients it needs (not just empty calories), and I have tools to use that help me put my feelings into words so that they don’t stay festering inside of me. I’ve learned that I don’t have to do anything on my own, and that I was never designed to do everything on my own. This is the moment I look back on now as a ,”wow look how far you’ve come” moment because I finally felt like I understood myself and my needs. It was when I proved to myself I do know what I want and need, I do know how to care for myself, and I do know that I am fully capable of doing whatever that is. And while these past few months have not gone as smoothly as before, I can still see that I am making progress. I’ve released myself of the all or nothing mindset and have truly put into practice the adage, something is better than nothing. Literally would not be anywhere near the person I am right now if it wasn’t for this program and this community and I am eternally grateful!

When I got real with myself and involved my coach more with what was going on. I'm a very independent person that I don't really talk to anybody of what of goes on within health. So having someone like Cass, Amber, and Tasha that care about my health and want to see me succeed. Also that the food is not the enemy. I have been eating closer to my calorie intake, and I have found that I have lost 3 lbs since I first started the program I am proud of myself, but to me, it's more than just that than losing the weight so far. It's the mindset and me knowing that I am doing this for my future self and that in itself is the reason why I invested in this program.

In month two of the program, I started to notice real muscle definition and strength. Where I would be fatigued before after carrying groceries, or feel a crash post-workouts, now I have more energy and daily tasks that involve lifting, pushing, or moving have become easier. I've notice my triceps, biceps, and thighs all have more definition. The progress photos have also been incredibly helpful in seeing these changes. A huge win for me that really solidified "this is working" was meeting up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. They immediately noticed that I lost weight, my skin was glowing, and my arms looked more defined. It was fun to hear someone else notice the changes too after all the hard work I've been putting into the program. It was an additional motivator to keep going.

My first month I noticed the changes - less bloating, less cravings, more mindful eating, less puffiness in my face and neck, and even 5 pounds lost and jeans fitting better!

I’ve increased my activity but my HRV and sleep have been able to hold up & even improve. Previously, when I tried to work out consistently my recovery would tank so it’s incredible to see my body responding positively to consistent running sessions and strength workouts. I’ve never been able to run distances before and I ran my first 10k (after training for only 2.5 months) and actually felt great after!! Not to mention that my antibodies are now the LOWEST they’ve been in over a year, an over 60% drop! One of my goals with this program was to see if I can get my hashimoto’s into remission and it truly feels like I’m on the right track!

If I'm being honest I have had a hard time letting myself believe this is working. The scale and the mirror would tell me it hasn't changed a thing. But thankfully, the scale and mirror are not the most important measures of success in this program OR in my life. In my first three months working with Kim I have felt myself loosen my grip on stringent daily workouts and diets, I've eaten MORE than I have in a long time, my body has responded with returning hunger cues! I've experienced a period without ANY menstral cramps (was that real or was I dreaming?) I have had the worst cramps at every period since I was in middle school up until this last month. I am seeing both my energy and sleep slowly improve with each month. For a long time I've needed a cat nap each day around lunch and I now can push through by doing some light movement like walking or riding my bike when possible. I'm excited that my body is truly making sustainable change from the inside out. I still really want the scale and mirror to reflect this same progress, and I believe it still will.

Since I started coaching again about 3 months ago, every day I find myself so excited about what that day brings. I’ve caught myself dancing around the house and NOT feeling silly or self conscious about my body as I’m doing it. I’m enjoying my workouts and how much stronger I’m getting and not having those aches that would cause me to slow down. My body is healing. It’s not healed yet and I have so much still to learn and grow as it continues, but damn, this is the start of the life I wish I could’ve lived this whole time. But no beating myself up about it either - there’s only forward and that’s my mindset shift. This is how I know it’s all working - not only is my body getting stronger and healing but so is my mind..for the first time in my life, my mind has shifted and truly believes that this is what I deserve. And my body feels that too and is finally feeling safe enough to change..slowly but surely.

I have two specific instances that come to mind when answering this question. One a little more serious than the other, but still proving a point nonetheless! The first would be at my official one month mark and taking my progress photos. I couldn’t believe that the day 1 photo and the completed month 1 photo could make such an impact on how I felt about myself . Seeing the difference in my body alone really hit me and proved that hard work and dedication was paying off. Once the physical aspect of it passed, it made me realize that I had made even bigger strides mentally. Being capable of shifting my mindset was also a part of becoming the best version of myself. One can’t exist without the other when you want to look and feel good about your whole self. I admit, just because I had the Aha moment after month one, it doesn’t mean there won’t be struggles along the way. BUT, having that mental awakening early on, allows me to pick up after a hard week. I’m determined to keep going no matter what comes across the way because I now know the process works. My second “this is working” moment comes into play because my husband is a firefighter and I came across a challenge of “could I get my husband out of a burning house”. We tried it. My kids and husband were laughing and gasping with how impressed they were while I pulled my husband to “safety”! 250lb of dead weight. They said mama you’re strong! And you know what, I agree with them!

When my A1C was in the normal range for the first time in years and I was able to get off of pre-diabetic medication

When I looked in the mirror and recognized the girl looking back at me. Not just because she was starting to “look better” but because she was starting to feel more like “her”. She no longer is waking up in borderline tears from crazy exhaustion. She’s prioritizing her nutrition and building a healthy relationship with food. She is starting to feel a confidence she’s never known because she’s listening to her body instead of fighting it and understanding herself on a whole new level. She’s no longer treating burnout like a badge of honor instead she's honoring what her body needs and that is allowing her to feel reconnected with who she is and wants to be. She’s also becoming a better and more present mom because of it. In summary, I was at a place of not really liking myself, but also thinking “who am I”. I’m a wife, a mom, an employee, etc., but lost my identity at the core. It’s amazing how quickly you come back to your core identity and discover new parts of yourself when you prioritize yourself, and not just with the basic self care stuff but with the internal mental and physical work. It feels motivating, but more importantly I don’t feel like a prisoner to my body - I feel optimistic about it and proud of it. I’m like “what else can we do, let’s go!!!”

I woke up one day and realized I had not said one bad thing about myself. I was honestly confused for a minute because I don’t think I realized how much putting myself down was my identity. I hysterically cried when I realized this was my new norm, I couldn’t believe it at first. I literally started to love myself again. I finally realize that my weight/size has nothing to do with my self worth! I’m still a work in progress but this mindset shift has changed everything.

I realized this program was working, when I was hiking up a moderate incline with my husband last week in the mountains. I have been working through a back injury (long-standing that flared up) with Mary and my chiropractor for the last month which has limited my ability to fully complete physical tasks and workouts at 100%. In the past, when my husband and I would go hiking, my mindset would be very negative towards myself for being injured or if my AI disease was impacting my abilities. In my head, I would be stating phrases like, "This is all my fault. I am weak. I DID this to myself. I wasn't smart enough to take care of myself. I am holding Jeremy back." I would also be incredibly anxious and unable to see the beauty around me on our hike or be present in on our conversation. However, that day as I was taking my time hiking up the incline I felt a sense of freedom and release from the burden of my past mindset from the last 20 years. I was celebrating myself for getting outside and spending time with him. I was saying to myself, "You are doing this, Liz! I am so proud of you! You are gathering data about your back with this hike. This is all apart of your healing journey. The trees smell so good!" I felt fully present, like I was viewing this hike with new eyes, the fall colors were beautiful and I had gratitude in my heart. I felt like I could actually breathe and not feel like I was a problem. I have not felt like this for over 20 years. My husband has never made me feel like a problem and has always encouraged me through my physical limitations, but I know these thoughts stem from an abusive relationship in my past. It's crazy to see past experiences seep into activities we enjoy. I know this beautiful break through is due to the mindset work that Mary and I have been working on as well as through the collective coaching calls. That day, I felt really hopeful in my journey to becoming me again!

Learning and understanding key foods for your cycle. While it’s early in my journey, I can feel my body responding to it. It made me very excited and wanting to share it with my friends. And feel proud that my overall health journey brought me here to learn this now because then I can teach my daughters.

Taking my first set of progress pictures after starting the program while I was on a trip out of the country, and seeing the huge difference in less than 5 weeks. I followed the goals that I was given, did the workouts, and didn’t “overdo” it like I always do. I was in complete shock what a shift my body made and how I felt when the changes happened SO quickly. I found myself feeling so proud of how things were changing immediately and the photos and the feeling felt better than just seeing a number on the scale, and that was so difficult to overcome, for my entire adult life. I also credit this program for how quickly I was able to get pregnant. My period became so predictable and consistent and almost unnoticeable that getting pregnant was not an issue. It felt so remarkable and amazing to feel like I had control over my body. I did gain a little bit of weight and I struggled with that mentally as I always do, but I felt myself accepting the natural changes my body made and accepting that progress isn’t linear. I also let myself enjoy what my body was doing because I still felt good: skin was clear, energy was strong, I prioritized my workouts and nutrition habits, and accepted the lifestyle I had created to enjoy everything around me. It’s not just the this is working now, but the joy of this is going to be an even more incredible journey after baby is here!

Literally my first cycle having less PMS symptoms. I usually have migraines for 3 days leading into my period, debilitating fatigue, back pain and crazy bloating. Still had increased emotions, but only 1 migraine along with minimal back discomfort. And it’s only month 1!! 🤯

Actually, I just noticed this week that I have gone three nights without taking sleeping pills… which I’ve been taking since July!!!! I cannot express the relief of that. It’s been about two weeks of eating more and just eating it feels like lol, but if it makes me sleep?! I’m incredibly grateful already.

There was one week I woke up with energy, excitement for the day and I felt good in my body. I don't remember a time I felt good in my body before. I remember feeling all the external validation during a time when I was undereating and sick. But the internal feeling of loving and feeling good my body is far superior.

Small wins throughout the beginning of my program began to add up to something bigger—a moment when I finally realized, “What I’m doing is working.” From the middle of month three into the beginning of month four, I just kept moving and doing. Moving in every sense of the word. Moving with intention, moving to complete the tasks in front of me, and keeping my mind moving forward without hesitation. Even when I was left to my own devices, I kept moving. Movement is such a huge part of who I am and what I do, down to my core, so this was an especially meaningful breakthrough since prior to coming to HHH my conditions and health had quite literally “stopped me in my tracks” in more than one aspect. My coach, Mary, can vouch for the fact that I didn’t hesitate to share that moment with her when it finally clicked. We celebrated it together, even if only through messages, messages and comments that even Tasha has taken notice of as well. Mary has truly been an irreplaceable part of this journey, and I’m so grateful to have her in my corner.