Vrrmm, vrmm, the aggressive purr of the Porsche engine made Julia smile. She held the steering wheel firmly, relaxed, yet ready to go as soon as the light turned green. It was still chilly at the world-famous racetrack, but the sun in the fresh morning sky was steadily rising. It made Julia even more eager for the race to begin; its warmth washed over her boosting her confidence. The light changed, she planted her foot on the gas and took off!   The first turn came in seconds, she was a bit wide on it, but quickly corrected and shot down the lane to the next curve. On the second turn she was right behind Mark her biggest competition. She settled in to stay on his tail until she was ready to make her move.

“This race is going to be epic!” Julia thought, “Last year at this time I thought I would never race again.”

The pandemic of the past year had derailed many of her plans, especially racing. Like most, Julia grew increasingly worried about the deadly virus. Each day was more horrible news. After several bleak months, she decided to hire a health coach. What a relief, the first meeting helped her uncover the challenges she was experiencing. The next one covered creating a vision for her desired outcome then her coach designed a three-pronged program:

The Right System – first steps in the right order.

The Right Support – help and encouragement when she felt stuck.

Accountability – the appropriate kick in the pants when necessary.

It worked, following the 90-day program Julia was back to her pre-pandemic weight, had a healthy relationship with food, and learned guilt-free methods for putting herself first.

The Porsche was putting its heart in the race. Julia could feel it responding beautifully. On the next straight away she saw trouble in the rearview mirror and got ready to battle.  Sandy was new to the racing circuit and had been trying to prove she belonged there. Like most amateurs she made newbie mistakes, but with each she was learning and quickly becoming competitive.

“I learned too Sandy, so not today girlfriend, not today.” Julia clutched the wheel, took a cleansing breath to deepen concentration and stay in the moment.  She saw the opportunity to overtake Mark, and quickly executed. “Okay, now I’ll shake Sandy, and be on my way to winning.”

Moments later she was taking a sweet victory lap.  Annie and LJ were in the stands cheering. She waved and motioned to meet her in the staging area.

A masked Annie ran to her, “Julia that was thrilling!

LJ added, “watching you make the moves on those drivers that put you ahead of one and outmaneuver the other was so cool.  We can’t wait to see you race again.”

Julia’s husband, Roberto kissed her, “That’s my lady, she’s a beast behind the wheel. They call her the queen of the racetrack for good reason.”

Julia laughed, “thank you all for the compliments. Honestly, there is no way I could have done any of this if I had not hired a health coach.  This past year of lockdown and isolation made it easier to overeat, and not exercise. The daily news was creating a sense of hopelessness. I got into a funk and could not pull myself out.  I found a certified coach and she helped me understand doctors are great for diagnosing and treating symptoms, but what I really needed was someone who would help me recognize where I was emotionally and set up the conditions for success. Next, we reviewed all my nutrition habits, and I learned the right foods with the highest nutritional value. My coach taught me eating was about so much more than diet. We both recognized I was using food to mask anxiety about finances, the pandemic, and job security. She then created a unique encouraging and transforming program for me. I am also grateful because she taught me to read only evidence-based, and fact-checked information, and to ignore all the misinformation on the internet. I learned to trust I can make healthy decisions and follow through on them, because she was there to hold me accountable when I strayed. By doing so I developed healthy habits for the optimal life I want to live, and I feel great. My new habits are permanent behaviors and part of my life now. I am grateful I put in the effort. It was money well-spent and got me to a place of well-being.”

Annie and LJ, said in unison, “We need her contact information.”

Annie and LJ are a fictional couple. Their storyline promotes healthy eating and earth-friendly practices.