Meet Rachel
EATING AND WELLNESS COACH. RESEARCHER. CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER. SISTER IN THIS JOURNEY.
I have spent nearly 20 years learning how to make peace in my relationship with food and working on building health habits that push me toward wholeness.
In my day job, I develop new treatments to help people stop binge eating and improve their ability to manage their weight. My research has been funded by:
But, before this, I was a social worker, and I worked with clients to help them improve their relationship with food.
Rachel’s story
I didn’t always feel good about my body.
I first struggled with my weight in high school. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and gained 70 pounds in one year. That led me down a path of dieting. I would lose weight, only to gain it right back.
After I graduated college, I began to ask God to help me with my weight. I learned about appetite awareness, and the importance of listening to your signals of hunger and fullness. I was able to put all I had learned into practice, and by God’s help, I lost 70 pounds.
Pregnancy and a resurgence of my PCOS caused me to regain all the weigh I had lost, plus a little more. I was at my heaviest.
This time, though, I knew what to do. I got help for my PCOS and began my process toward building my health behaviors.
Accountability, my faith in God, and taking this journey step-by-step helped me lose another 50 pounds.
This time things were different though. I didn’t lose all the weight I gained previously., but I
began to truly feel free. This led me to an important lesson: I
can’t always control my weight, but I can own my habits. Yes, I am practicing every day at
building a life of health.
If we were to ask Rachel about herself, what would she say?
I love pizza.
I love supporting my friends.
I love spending time near the beach and sitting by the water.
I love music. Currently, Elevation Worship, 70s, 80s, and 90s R&B soul are my favorites.
I just bought my first bike as an adult, and I’m loving it!