Questions people ask before we start
Are you a doctor?
No. I’m a Functional Nutrition Counselor with a certificate in Functional Nutrition Counseling, a Master’s in Education, and over twenty years of training experience. I don’t diagnose, treat, or cure disease, and I don’t replace your physician. I work alongside your medical care on the daily inputs — nutrition, movement, recovery, habits — that drive how you feel.
How is this different from every other program I’ve tried?
Most programs hand you someone else’s plan and hope your body cooperates. We start with what your body is actually doing — your history, your symptoms, your labs, your life — and build from there. And because I came to this work through teaching, you learn the reasoning behind every change. That’s what makes results outlast the program.
What does the discovery call involve?
Thirty minutes, free, no obligation. You tell me what’s going on and what you’ve tried. I tell you what I think is driving it and whether I’m the right person to help. If I’m not, I’ll say so.
Do I need lab work?
Not to get started. If you already have recent bloodwork, bring it — a lab review is one of the fastest ways to see patterns. I don’t order labs; I help you understand the ones you have and identify what’s worth raising with your physician.
How long until I feel different?
You get out what you put in. When clients follow the plan, most start feeling a difference within the first week and start noticing real changes within two weeks.
But everyone is different, and it really comes down to the work and effort you put in. I can give you the plan. You do the work.
I’m in perimenopause and doing everything right. Why isn’t it working?
Because the rules changed and the advice didn’t. During perimenopause, shifting hormones make muscle harder to keep, disrupt sleep, and change how your body handles food. Eating less and doing more cardio, the plan most women are handed, can make all of that worse.
What usually helps feels backwards at first: enough protein, strength training, protecting your sleep, and a plan built around how your body is responding now, not how it responded ten years ago. I explain more in what actually changes in perimenopause, or bring your questions to a free 30-minute call.
What if I have a medical condition or take medication?
Tell me on the discovery call. I work with plenty of people who are under a physician’s care, and I’ll always ask you to keep your prescribing provider in the loop. Some situations belong with your doctor rather than with me, and I’ll tell you when that’s the case.
Who do you work with?
Men and women from their late twenties into their sixties. Some want to get fit for the first time, some want to get strong again after kids, and some want to protect their health as they get older. For men, it’s often the belly that won’t budge despite regular workouts, which usually comes down to alcohol, late-night eating, stress and sleep. I also love coaching couples and family members together. Everyone I coach one-on-one is 18 or older, and younger family members join through a family plan with a parent.
Do you work in person, or only online?
Both. Most coaching happens by phone or video, so where you live isn’t a barrier. If you’re in the Phoenix area — including Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Glendale, Peoria, Tempe, Mesa and Chandler — we can also meet in person.
What does it cost?
Coaching starts at $200 a month, with a three-month minimum. Where you land depends entirely on what you need — a single lab review and ongoing weekly coaching are very different things — so we settle the exact figure on your discovery call, once I know what I’d actually be recommending.
That call is free and carries no obligation. You’ll come away knowing exactly what I’d suggest and what it costs, and you can take as long as you like to think about it.
Can my partner and I coach together? What does that cost?
Yes, and it’s one of my favorite ways to work. Each of you gets your own plan and check-ins, and coaching for a couple is $350 a month for both of you, with the same three-month minimum. You can add your kids for $50 a month per child, and any children after the second join free. Each child gets workouts built for their age and a nutrition plan, including adjusting meals for picky eaters, so the whole house is working from the same plan.
Why coaching instead of a personal trainer or a diet plan subscription?
A trainer covers your workouts. A diet subscription covers your meals. Neither one covers your sleep, your stress, your habits or the mindset that keeps it all going, and when you stop paying, the plan stops working. Coaching with me covers all of it in one plan at one monthly price, and I teach you how and why it works, so the habits stay with you for life.
Why is there a three-month minimum?
Because anything shorter isn’t worth your money. Week one is me learning how you actually eat, sleep and live. Week two is your first set of goals. Every week after that we track, look at what your body did, and adjust. If you stop at week five, you’ve done all of the groundwork and seen none of the payoff — and I’d rather not take payment for that.
Three months is the shortest run where you can honestly judge whether this works for you.
What if it’s not a fit?
Then I’ll tell you on the call and point you toward what I think would actually help. I’d rather send you to the right place than take you on for the wrong reason.
Still have a question?
Ask it on a free discovery call, or send it through the contact page.