Hey hey! I’m Paige, a 30-something early bird, avid home gym-goer, and food lover who loves a good kitchen dance party! I’m also a certified personal trainer through NASM and a gut health & intentional eating coach. I also have my Masters in Human Nutrition & Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. I strive to be perfectly imperfect.
I live in Iowa City, Iowa now, but I come from a small town in northwestern PA where an interest in fitness and nutrition were definitely not the norm. I grew up like your usual overachiever — trying (and sticking with) any and every hobby I could find. I danced, sang, read, participated in musicals, show choir, school clubs, had a social life, a boyfriend — all while maintaining my type-A 4.0 GPA. I tackled my first few years at the University of Pittsburgh the same way, aiming for perfection in every aspect of my life.
But as I’m sure you know, it’s impossible to be perfect at everything, to control everything. So when my life became too hard to control, I took control in other ways. I started controlling my food. My old days of drinking mochas and eating bagels were over; it was time to eat clean. I controlled my exercise. I spent every morning jumping up and down in my living room to workout DVDs and refused to take the elevator; I could never take a rest day.
Because you have to hustle, right?
Wrong. I thought about food every minute of every day. I couldn’t concentrate in classes because I was too concerned about how many minutes were left until my next meal. I wasn’t giving my body enough fuel for my crazy workouts. I was tired all the time but found myself unable to sleep at night. But I was trapped in the routine that I had created for myself, too afraid to break free.
It took spending a semester abroad in France to realize that I didn’t have it all figured out. I lost control over my food and exercise while living in France, but I gained control over my health. I ate the foods that I had learned to fear — bread, cheese, chocolate — and I didn’t “lose all my progress.” I didn’t blow up like a balloon, or gain 20 pounds. Instead, I felt better. I felt alive. I was giving my body enough fuel to go on amazing hikes in the French countryside. I slept through the night instead of waking up to the sound of my stomach grumbling. I felt good.
When I came back to the states, I had a new perspective and mindset when it came to my health. I started weight lifting a few days a week instead of doing insane HIIT workouts every day. I ate the foods that my body craved, including a sweet treat at night or a piece or two of bread with dinner. I began researching the crap out of exercise science and nutrition. I was shocked to discover that so many people still believed that exercising more and eating less was the only way to be healthy, when, for me, it was exercising less and eating more that gave me true health.
I understand what it’s like to have a bad relationship with exercise and food. I battled with orthorexia and exercise addiction, but now I’ve found ways to leave those negative mindsets behind and focus on using food and exercise to help my body, not hurt it. These personal experiences and my unyielding need to learn have made me an imperfect expert in exercise, nutrition, and holistic health.
Now, my goal is to help you take control of your health in a world of information overload. If you’re confused by the massive amount of health and fitness advice online and in the media, I’m here for you. If you’ve been constantly doing all of the “right” workouts and eating all of the “right” foods but you’re not seeing the results you were promised, I’m here for you. And I know that you shouldn’t have to waste your time or your health following this out-of-date and under-researched information. I am here to dive deep into your individual needs to help you become truly healthy once and for all.
I have worked with clients on bettering their gut health, hormone health, relationships with food and their bodies, and much, much more. Fill out my 1:1 Waitlist Form to see if we’d be a good fit working together!
After all, we only get one life: we need to live it in the most perfectly imperfect way possible!
Credentials
- University of Western States, Master of Science (MS) in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, 2022
- University of Pittsburgh, Bachelor of Arts in French & Political Science, 2017
- National Academy of Sports Medicine, Certified Personal Trainer, 2018
