I'm Deb, the sober warrior.
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I am 49. I always worked until my last baby and then I became a stay at home mom.
For over 20 years I was a runner. I trained for and competed events from 5-50kms. In the last 5 years of running, I switched from road running to trail running, training and competing in many trail events and the last few years, just doing it for the fun of it. I battled with addictions for most of my life. I would quit and then think I could start again with moderation, it never worked. If it wasn’t alcohol I was numbing with, it was food, marijuana, shopping, anything that would take me away from my head. Alcohol was my favorite escape and the one I used the most. I tried so hard and so many different ways but nothing every stuck for long and I would quickly find myself not only right back where I left off but I would be drinking even more. I escalated from drinking with dinner to starting early in the day and ending by “falling asleep” (passing out) on the sofa in the evening. I went from a few glasses of wine to a few bottles with a few shots in between to get the buzz faster. I know what it feels like to wake up with the guilt of piecing your night together. The guilt of facing your loved ones wondering what you said or did the night before. But the worst was looking at myself in the mirror, feeling like the biggest failure. Being so disappointed and angry with myself that I could let this have so much control of my life. I was carrying around extra weight, I was unhealthy, having heart palpitations, my digestive system was a mess, I was bloated most of the time. I had no self esteem, no confidence, I couldn’t take a compliment and I found it hard to walk with my head up or make eye contact with anyone. I avoided social situations and really isolated myself. Until early 2018. I woke up with my last hangover. Something shifted and I realized that the pain and suffering I was feeling and the fear of my future if I didn’t make a change, was worse then the pain, fear and discomfort I would feel from making a change. I stopped drinking and turned my focus to fitness and nutrition. It felt like my body immediately responded to this change. Like it had been waiting all its life for me to honor, love and respect it. I treated it horribly all those years yet it still loved me and was there for me. It rewarded me by accepting these changes I was making and blooming and glowing. In my late 40s I became the healthiest I have ever been in my life. I think from the moment I first increased the weight I was lifting, I was hooked. Lifting weights and building strength on my outside helped me to heal and build strength inside. I became fascinated with nutrition and learning to fuel my body properly. I learned how to curb my sugar cravings when I was early in recovery looking for that fix. I lost 20 lbs of body fat and turned it to lean muscle. I went from crashing on the sofa in the early evening to having endless energy and a zest for life. |
At 47 years old, I competed in a bikini body building competition and placed in 2 categories! I did this all alone in my make shift basement gym with a few dumbbells. I am here to tell you, you are never too old, too busy, too big, too small… You are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. I am proof of that.
For years I spent my days existing and numbing out. Sobriety forces you to level up and now I spend my days living and being present. I became a completely different version of myself. It is like I found a superpower within myself and now I want to help you find yours. I have been that woman in recovery feeling alone, that no one understands, that woman in her 40’s feeling she’s too old for change, that no one understands, that woman who is too busy to take care of herself, that no one understands, that woman who was too overwhelmed with everything she had to change to make any changes, that no one understands. If you are any one of these women, I am here to tell you…. I understand.
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CREDENTIALS
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Health and Wellness Coach – Fit Chicks Academy
Professional Certified Life Coach – International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches First Aid Stretch and Mobility |
Nutrition/training and menstruation
Body positive and disordered eating Pre & Post natal Sports Nutrition |
" I started with Deb about 7 months ago. My doctor had just informed me, she wanted to increase my blood pressure medication. I said, “no, I will come off them instead” I knew this was possible through exercise and nutrition but I wasn’t sure where to start, so I started with Deb. With some small, painless changes in my diet and regular strength workouts with Deb, my medication was soon cut in half.
In addition to lowering my blood pressure, working with Deb has many other benefits; I have dropped over 15 lbs and many inches in our short time together. I love the lean muscle that has taken the place of the body fat. I also love putting on clothes and sizes that I couldn’t fit into before. I am stronger, have more energy and stamina.
I love her approach of educating me how to do this. I am not dependent on her to give me my food plan or premade meals for the rest of my life. She has educated me on how to track what I eat and what to eat. I have learned so much about exercising and fueling my body properly and have never felt deprived.
Workouts are so much fun, they have become one the highlights of my week.
Deb pushes me to levels I doubted I could do and I love seeing the results from that.
I am 55 years old and this is the healthiest I have ever been in my life."
