Mandy Smith
Belief is the beginning of every success!
Hello, my name is Mandy. I have been athlete most of my life, with a background in law enforcement and the military. However, after leaving the military and taking a desk job, my health began to decline and I packed on the pounds! I found myself trapped in bad food habits and compounding health issues, ultimately culminating in severe endometriosis and cancer.
After finally realizing I was loosing the Mandy I once knew, I decided I was NOT ok with it! And I started on a journey to figure out how to get me back! The vibrant, youthful, happier, healthier, me! But I refused to "diet". That never made sense to me. How could we be healthy and fit as a younger person, eating anything we want but at the magical age of 30, the pounds just magically pack on? Yes we age... but why do some stay fit and agile and others decline? I began to hunt for a better way. A more natural way.
Along my journey I tried many things like counting calories, intermitent fasting, removing excess sugar, fat burn pills, weight training, protein shakes...Anything I could think of doing I tried. I even added lots of cardio. Most of what I tried worked at least somewhat, I'd lose 10 - 15 lbs. But it never really stuck. And worst of all, as time drudged on, I started to wonder if I would ever get it right. I felt defeated... But I just couldn't shake the feeling this was not the way my life was intended to be. I knew in my soul there was a better way... Not just a fad diet or excessive workout routine. I just knew there had to be a key that I was missing that would make this journey so much easier.
It was then I decided, maybe I needed a BIG goal to get on the right track. Maybe, I just wasn't sticking to my plans religiously enough. Maybe if I had a big goal, then I would work hard enough and be successful. So I decided to jump into training for a bodybuilding competition. I'd never done it before but have always been around and loved the sport of bodybuilding. Choosing bodybuilding as my big goal set me on a path I never could have imagined. Definitely not a path that I thought I'd be on. As I trained with my coach, I began to learn the key I had been missing all those years of searching... Holistic eating! Nutrition from whole foods, using macros, and learning to never feel restricted, because I don't have to give up my favorite things. I just had to learn to view food differently. And give myself grace as I learned a new lifestyle of eating!
Just choosing more holistic versions of the foods I already ate, I started dropping pounds fast!!! That was well before I stepped foot back into the gym! And before I was impressed by the pounds... I noticed how I felt. My mood, my gut health, my overall habits were just healthier, and I was gradually becoming less stressed and happier!!!
I am still training for my first competition. And there will always be more to learn about our miraculous bodies! But as I continue forward on the path of holistic nutrition and Maro nutrients... I am enjoying sharing the massive knowledge I've already gained. Helping others learn that there is a better way! A way to feel healthy and whole again. No guilt. No shame. No anxiety. Just the best you!!! A healthier, happier, you!
I look forward to helping you on your journey. In the meantime...
Be Well!
Mandy