Testimonials for Laurie

“Who knew eating two jr bacon cheeseburgers and 5 chicken nuggets wasn’t a great meal choice. OK….everyone but my son. Tyler is a 15 year old multi-sport athlete who started training with Coach Joe a few months ago. It quickly became apparent that the nutrition he was getting away with for soccer, wrestling and track wasn’t going to cut it for triathlon training. It was time to call in a professional and Laurie was the perfect choice. He needed to change his daily diet to handle his training load. On top of that we had no idea what would be an appropriate nutrition and hydration strategy for race day.

Prior to our appointment, Laurie had him keep a 3 day food log of everything he ate and drank (that was quite eye opening). When we met she had broken the food log down in to protein, carbs, fats, fiber, sugar, vitamins, minerals, etc. It was really cool to see how much of each of these he was taking in compared to the recommended daily amount. He was perfect on carbs and protein, a little high on sodium and fat and a little low on potassium. Overall, his diet wasn’t near as “bad” as I was afraid of (whew). However, that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for improvement. After reviewing the information with him, she had him look at the nutrition facts from his two fast food meals and figure out what would be better choices to cut back on fat and sodium. He doesn’t look at fast food quite the same way now that he read those nutrition labels!

Laurie then tackled our second challenge – nutrition strategy for race days. She talked with him about how the body uses it’s fuel and why timing is so important for both the physical and mental aspects of training and racing. Once you understand why it’s important, it seems so much easier to make the appropriate changes. She walked him through a typical nutrition and hydration plan leading up to a big race then turned it back over to him. She gave him a race date and he had to walk her through the timing and food choices that he would make. This was a perfect way for him to really absorb the information. It’s one thing to tell him, but Laurie took it a step further to help him figure it out and provide guidance.

Since our meeting with Laurie, Ty has done a great job following her advice. He went from a kid who ate what he wanted and when (luckily he did eat pretty healthy to start with) to an athlete with a plan. The way she worked with him was absolutely PERFECT!! She taught and coached him through the process. He didn’t just hear the information – he learned how to apply it (and so did I). Thank you, Laurie!!!” Sherri H.

“I have worked with Laurie as a coach and guide for healthful living for several years. She is a good listener and so is aware of the needs and wants of a 67 year old woman, even though this is not her primary focus. She makes cogent and viable suggestions, and I feel comfortable and secure that she has the education and training to give medically sound advice.

We have worked in three main areas. The first is nutrition coaching where she helps with correct food choices and also with correct nutritional supplement and vitamin choices. Two potential medical problems are osteopenia and hypertension. Laurie has helped me learn to choose foods and supplements to maintain bone density. She also works with me on educating myself about watching the salt and fat content of foods. Now I read the labels and prepare most food from scratch.

Nutrition coaching leads into the second area which is weight control. This has centered on controlling sugar intake and portion control. I am an ice cream addict trying to reform. I enjoy cooking and baking and Laurie helps with recipe suggestions and keeps me on track by checking my written record of what I eat.

The third area she recommends and insists upon is regular exercise. So I go to the gym, participate in some group classes, and do some weights and cardio at lest three or four times a week. We live near a park that offers a two mile circuit that I try to do at least four times a week.

I appreciate Laurie for her positive attitude that age and beginning condition do not preclude learning and living a healthier, happier, and hopefully longer life. If I have a question, she knows where to find the answer. She is a role model with her own eating and exercise program and the consistency that she maintains shows me that it can be done.” Ellen S.

“When I first met Laurie, I was stuck in a vicious cycle of temporary weight loss followed by not-so-temporary weight gains. I had thought that as long as I was working out regularly, I could eat whatever I wanted. And yet, the only way I could seem to lose weight was to starve myself. This didn’t keep the weight off long term, and had the extra side effect of robbing me of the energy I needed to have quality workouts. Laurie has taught me a great deal about eating the right kinds of foods, at the right times, to manage my weight while maintaining my energy level. With her help, I have reduced my body fat, increased my strength, and made it through many a long training session without bonking. Thanks, Laurie!” Drew R.