The Summary

Hi All! I’m Alyson, I am 26 yo, just finished my MBA, and started a health & fitness coaching company called Your Nourished Life, LLC (check out the ‘Health Coaching’ tab for more info).

I earned my MBA from Arizona State University in the Spring 2010, and am currently studying at  the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (through their distance learning program) to become a certified Health & Wellness Counselor. I received my BA in Public Health from Berkeley in 2006, then spent 2 years coordinating women’s health research projects at Johns Hopkins University.

In the spring of 2009 I committed myself to what had previously only been a wishful-thinking goal, to complete one of my “bucket-list” items and compete in a fitness competition. I started training in April and competed in two competitions in November 2009 (check out the ‘Fitness’ tab). In the process of training and competing my perspective on health & wellness changed. The experience taught me so much about myself, helped me to become stronger both physical & psychologically, and allowed me to meet some of the most amazing & inspiring people (both in person and through the blogosphere). Throughout the process my relationship with food evolved into a very positive one while I’ve also developed a love of cooking. I am passionate about researching and learning as much as I can about fitness, nutrition and the optimal connection between the two.

I’ve always been the type to follow my heart, even if it doesn’t always make sense to everyone else. I’ve made it my goal to create a career out of what I love. Life’s too short to put off your dreams. I am so fortunate to have found something I’m truly passionate about, and that’s spreading my love of nutrition, fitness and health to all that will listen, and helping others find health & happiness.

I would love to hear from you! Email me at nourishedfitness@gmail.com with any thoughts, questions, etc!

The Extended Version

I grew up in the beautiful city of Seattle where I did gymnastics for 12 years. Although I was recruited to do it in college, I ended up retiring (nice word for quit) not long after I got to UC Berkeley. I always had an interest in nutrition, so I started out at Cal as a Nutritional Sciences major, but the heavy emphasis on the hard science (yuck, o-chem!) wasn’t for me, so I switched to Public Health. It ended up being the perfect thing for me. After graduating I moved to Baltimore for a job coordinating women’s health research studies at Johns Hopkins. While there, I met the most amazing women who were able to successfully & happily balance their careers, families and health. It was truly inspirational. But working with them made me realize that although women’s reproductive health policy is a very important issue to me, it wasn’t necessarily my passion. So I decided to do a bit of a career-180, and set off for Arizona where I am not studying to receive my MBA specializing in Sports Business and Marketing.

Since middle school I have always had a topsy-turvy relationship with food. After I quit gymnastics I basically didn’t nothing athletic all through college. Not long after moving to Baltimore I started becoming more and more uncomfortable with my increasing weight (pushing 140 was too much for my 5’4″ self). So I joined a gym a couple blocks from my house, and that’s kind of where my healthy living story begins. I started doing cardio, lifting weights and became completely addicted to kickboxing. I slowly lost weight until I was down to where I’m comfortable at around 125, and even debated training for a fitness competition. Sadly though, I spiked back up to 135 during my oh-so-stressed first year of grad school. Around this time I started struggling with food issues again, was not a very happy person and generally just feeling lost. That’s when I decided enough was enough. I went to my first fitness competition and signed up with a trainer who specializes in training bodybuilders and fitness & figure competitors the next day. That was April 2009 and my first competition was in November.

Since then I have worked towards finding my balance between competitive fitness, life fitness and nutrition.

To me, health isn’t about working out everyday and only eating 5 different foods, it’s about staying active, pursuing passions, eating to nourish your body, mind & soul and enjoying it all with friends & family.

Interviews

Talking Fitness, Exercise & Life Goals with Vee from Vee Chats!

Breaking Through Barriers Interview with Women’s Ab’s Workout

Guest Post on Unmasked: Fitness, More than Physical

Evolving Wellness in Action