Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Collier.
I moved to Dallas on a whim hoping to start a new life, but my depression and my twisted relationship to food and myself followed me. I was going to all these harmful extremes like complete restriction, liquid diets, buying unmarked diet pills from strangers, purging whatever I ate, yet I was still overweight and unhappy and I didn’t understand why nothing I did was working. I was so desperate to love myself for the first time in my life and I thought seeing a smaller body in the mirror was the answer and I was willing to do anything to accomplish that.
Unfortunately, my story of extreme yo-yo dieting, slaving away in the gym and hating myself for how I looked is an experience that most women know all too well. Over 90% of women today have disordered eating habits or are unhappy with their bodies. But, this is a life women don’t even realize they aren’t alone in and have the power to change.
I eventually hit rock bottom and with nothing left to lose I started to learn about the one thing I hadn’t tried…flexible dieting, and lifting weights. I fell passionately in love with a fitness and nutrition routine that was fueled by eating food instead of starvation, that allowed me to enjoy all the “bad” foods I had been taught to avoid, that was focused on building strength from the inside out, and that created a deeply fulfilling whole lifestyle. When my habits and behaviors began to reflect my new found happiness, my body began to change naturally. I realized I had finally found that love for myself I wanted so badly and it all started with eating more food!
I grew up never knowing that we could actually create the body and life we’ve always dreamed of by simply eating NOT restricting food, fueling our bodies properly, lifting weights, and building a strength within us we never had. We aren’t taught these things in school, and they aren’t talked about around the dinner table at home. So if I never knew this how many other women were out there as clueless as I was?
As a society we have been duped into believe our happiness will come from endlessly chasing skinny. That we are forever meant to eat less, workout more and take up less space. So in 2013, I became certified in Fitness Nutrition because I envisioned myself giving this freedom that I had found to others who felt as desperate as I had. Since then, I have become certified as a hormone specialist, mindset specialist, and functional fitness coach.
I have always known it was my duty to educate and lead this movement. To create the change in the world I wanted to see. I was meant to go through the pain I experienced all those years so that I can now be the support to other women that I never had, and to COACH others into an amazing life they are truly obsessed with every single day.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My journey has certainly not been a “smooth road” to get to where I am today. But, that is life! Life comes with ups and downs and going through every single one of the peaks and valleys is what makes us who we are.
Typically, while going through life we don’t understand the reasons for the cards we are dealt with. The disruptions, the difficulties, and the pain. But today, I can look back on all of it and thank God for my life. I see how he has truly blessed me with the assignment I was given. I went through every single thing in my life for a reason, and he was setting me up to be here now serving women who are going through everything that I have already struggled with. Because of my experiences, I now have the ability to help others through their journey and be the role model for them that I never had.
I am the best coach I can be because I know what they are going through, the pain they are feeling, and how lost and hopeless they feel right now. I was in those trenches for years, and I have come through it, a better person with lessons and knowledge I will benefit from for the rest of my life.
Whether you are starting out as a new entrepreneur trying to find your purpose in life, or are in the beginning stages of your own health and fitness journey, know that every single one of us has a story that we can use for good. Our “hero’s journey”. Everything we go through in life has a purpose and a lesson that is meant for us exactly when we need it, and even though we might not see it now, it will eventually be revealed to us at the right time.
Please tell us about Kelly Collier Nutrition – what should we know?
I am a personal online nutrition coach. I work with clients all over the world who want to learn the power nutrition has to radically change their lives for the better, how their individual bodies work day to day, what their needs are nutritionally and how to meet those needs by making small and easy lifestyle changes gradually over time. My goal is to show my clients how they can heal their bodies AND minds with food, build their bodies to look the way they’ve always dreamed, and uncover the most confident empowered version of themselves that they can possibly imagine! Our food and nutrition is truly the gateway to a life we love.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
The very first book I read that was the catalyst to my self-development and massive growth was “You are a badass” but Jen Sincero. This book changed my life in a big way and opened the door for me to radically change the person that I was. It was an easy and fun read, and really brought self-development down to my level and lowered the barrier of entry to my dream life.
My favorite podcast has to be “Earn Your Happy” by Lori Harder. Whether I am feeling stuck in life, uninspired, lonely, or sad this podcast does it all for me when I need it to. I feel like I am hanging out with my best friends, it puts a smile on my face, and I always feel like I hear exactly what I am supposed to hear exactly when I need it the most.
Growth is a form of self-care for me. We are all power outlets, constantly giving to everyone in our lives. Children, friends, family, customers, even strangers. But if we don’t pay our bill, that power gets shut down fast! We have to be able to take care of ourselves, in order to be in a place to give to others. The times in my life that I get the most unhappy and de-energized, are the times that I have become stagnant and feel disconnected from myself. Learning and growing is a way for me to feel on fire with purpose again like I am going somewhere and making a difference. For me, if I am not constantly growing, how can I be leading anyone anywhere of value?
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.kellycolliernutrition.com/application
- Phone: 5129258429
- Email: kelly.collier.nutrition@gmail.com
- Instagram: willsquatforpizza
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willsquatforpizza/
Image Credit:
Zahira Kemp Photography
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