Free to Be Wellness (2026)

30/12/2023

2023 🤍 you’ll be a tough one to beat

19/04/2022

Fajita bowls are one of my favorite things to “meal prep” for the week (basically just cooking a bunch and eating the leftovers the rest of the week). They’re so simple and don’t take a lot of time or effort, which I love!

What are some of your favorite easy meals to make or prep?🥗🌮🥪

19/01/2022

Confession time! - I never ran my half marathon 😬⁣
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One of my goals for 2021 was to run a half marathon. So I signed up for one in April, which got postponed in the middle of my training due to Covid restrictions. So I took some time off, then I signed up and even became an ambassador for the Greensboro half that was scheduled for November.⁣
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Fast forward a few months when it finally came time to train again for my race, I was pursuing new, different goals, and I wasn’t excited about it anymore. So I put off doing my training runs, which led me to getting behind on my plan and trying to quickly catch up, which then led to overuse injuries 👎🏼⁣
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I had a nagging foot injury that just wouldn’t go away, and then compensations from my foot pain turned into knee pain. It got to the point that I couldn’t go on a run without being in significant pain after.⁣
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Eventually, I realized I was making myself push toward this goal that I no longer had a passion for. I was just doing it because I thought people expected me to. So I reached out to my contact for the ambassador program, asked her to withdraw from the race, and she was super understanding. ⁣
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The main message here is that sometimes quitting is okay. Specific instances could be injury, when you feel like the goal you’re pursuing is stealing more joy than it’s giving, and when you find yourself resenting your goal. ⁣
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In this picture, I had just dropped out of my race. I was on a trip to see one of my best friends, I was totally free from the stress of keeping up with a training program for a race that I wasn’t excited about running, and I was looking forward to putting more energy toward the goals I actually wanted to prioritize during that season.⁣
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Now don’t misunderstand me - I’m definitely not advocating for quitting every time the going gets tough, because that’s bound to happen with every goal we set. The point I’m trying to make is that we shouldn’t sacrifice our mental or physical health for a goal we’ve previously set but no longer serves us. Instead, we can let go to make room for the ones that do.

08/01/2022

After a lot of reflection and some work behind the scenes, I’m so excited to finally re-introduce Free to Be Fitness as Free to Be Wellness! ⁣
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When I began Free to Be Fitness, my main focus was exercise, with my certification being in personal training - but true health and wellness is so much more than that. Your health and fitness journey involves your mind, body, and spirit, because all of these pieces work together.⁣
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The message of Free to Be Wellness is exactly the same - The reason behind working on our health should not be because we so desperately want to change our bodies. We don’t need to have these huge (sometimes completely unrealistic) fitness goals that we start to resent, because the dedication required for that goal means spending less time with loved ones, overworking our bodies to the point of exhaustion, or just doing workouts that we hate because we feel like we should. ⁣
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Free to Be is here to challenge all of the beliefs you’ve been taught about your health and wellness journey. Some people in the fitness industry have probably convinced you that you just don’t want it enough, that you don’t have enough willpower, that you’re not working hard enough, that YOU yourself are just simply not enough. I want you to know that NONE of these things are true. ⁣
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Our lives should not revolve around our fitness and nutrition - these things should serve to enhance our lives, not become our soul purpose and source of satisfaction. You should feel the freedom to do the things you love, eat the foods you enjoy, move in ways that make you feel alive, and just be in God’s creation and simply enjoy it, no expectations attached.⁣
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If you’ve made it this far, I’m so glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to grow and learn with you as we continue this journey together ✨

05/09/2021

Alrighty gang, let’s talk body image and self-esteem 🧠⁣
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This is the one thing I work on with every single client, no matter their other goals, because it’s so incredibly important in your health and fitness journey. ⁣
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I’m also SUPER passionate about this topic and did an entire research study on body image in the fitness world during my undergrad at ⁣
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Almost everyone deals with distorted body image and low self esteem at some point in their lives, and for some, that’s ongoing. And I mean, how can you not? We’re constantly bombarded with messages from social media and TV convincing us that the body we’re in isn’t good enough, and we’re just not doing enough to fix it (insert product that some company is trying to convince you will be the magic solution to said problem). ⁣
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The true solution is to love our bodies and respect them EXACTLY the way they are right now. Reflect on this question: “If your workouts never changed the shape/size of your body, would you still do them?” ⁣
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Exercise needs to become a way that you love your body, not how you punish it for not looking a certain way. Do workouts you LOVE and look forward to doing, and shift your “why” to something that’s meaningful to you. ⁣
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Start to look in the mirror and thank your body for all it’s done for you and what it’s capable of doing. Thank God for the physical and non-physical things that make you, YOU! THAT is the key to positive body image and high self esteem ✨

01/06/2021

Exciting news!! ✨⁣⁣
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I’ll finally be pulling my running shoes out of retirement this fall as an ambassador for the Greensboro Half Marathon on November 20th! 🏃🏼‍♀️⁣⁣
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This will actually be my first official half marathon, so I’m super excited to train alongside all you fellow newbies out there and share everything I learn from all the veteran runners on training, nutrition, and race day tips! ⁣⁣
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Sign up to run with me at triviumracing.com! And make sure you use the code freetobe to get 10% off race registration!

17/08/2020

EAT THE DANG COOKIE 🍪 ⁣
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You heard me!! I spent wayyyy too many years of my life obsessively tracking every calorie that I ate and skipping out on my favorite desserts because they weren’t “healthy”. Well I’m here to tell you, IT’S NOT WORTH IT.⁣
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Late-night cookout run with your friends? Get a milkshake. At a birthday party? Eat some cake. Just craving a cookie? Then EAT A COOKIE. ⁣
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Now don’t get me wrong, moderation is important, and it’s probably not the best idea to eat multiple desserts every single day or a whole pie in one sitting, but you don’t have to pass up every single opportunity to eat your favorite things because you think it’ll help you reach your goals faster.⁣
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Because honestly, the complete opposite is actually true! If you suppress all your cravings and heavily restrict your eating, you’re so much more likely to binge on those foods when you finally get the chance to eat them 🤯 ⁣
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So let yourself have sweets and all the foods society tells us are unhealthy every now and then! You’ll end up forming a healthier relationship with food and be SO much happier in the long run.⁣
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What’s your favorite dessert?? Mine is brownies and ice cream! 🍨 ⁣
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31/07/2020

Alrighty folks let’s talk about pre and post workout nutrition 🍓🥑🍠⁣
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What you eat before and after your workout is SUPER important. It can impact your performance and recovery in more ways than you probably realize.⁣
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I’ve had clients almost pass out during my sessions and, after questioning them a little bit about their day, realize that all they’ve had that day was black coffee and some Cheerios at 7 am ...our session was at noon⁣
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Keeping your body properly fueled throughout this day is important, but making sure you’re hydrated and have some carbs in your system before you get to the gym can make or break your workout⁣
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The goal is to eat something that’s pretty easy to digest or give yourself enough time before your workout so that you don’t have stomach issues while you’re exercising ⁣
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Post-workout nutrition is just as important! Protein and carbs eaten within 2 hours of finishing your workout helps your muscles recover and build that new muscle tissue that you worked so hard for. ⁣
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If you’re stumped on what and when to eat before and after your workouts, here’s a few snack ideas:⁣
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Pre-workout ⁣
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🔸 fruit smoothie ~ 1 hour before your workout ⁣
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🔸 Cheerios or any cereal low in added sugar ~ 1 hour before your workout⁣
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Post-workout⁣
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🔸 protein shake with orange juice ⁣
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🔸 peanut butter and banana on whole wheat toast ⁣
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Disclaimer: I AM NOT a registered dietitian (RD). If you have specific nutrition goals or dietary needs, please DM me and I will refer you to some people I know and trust!

27/07/2020

Why I haven’t weighed myself in over 4 years: ⁣
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I have clients tell me all the time that they want to lose weight and are often frustrated that the scale sometimes goes UP once they start training ⁣
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And I usually tell them exactly what I’m about to tell you ⁣
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STOP OBSESSING OVER THE SCALE!!⁣
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Bodyweight is made up of so many factors besides how much fat you have on your body, and day-to-day weight CHANGE is influenced by SO many things⁣
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🔸 water retention (which is impacted by hydration levels, workout intensity, the foods you eat, for my ladies: if it’s that time of the month)⁣
🔸 increases/decreases in muscle mass⁣
🔸 medications you’re taking ⁣
🔸 if you’ve pooped that day 💩 (it’s true 🤷🏼‍♀️)⁣
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Some of my clients weigh themselves every morning and FREAK OUT when they see that they’ve “gained” 1-5 pounds. Or they consistently start seeing their weight go up as they resistance train⁣
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BUT THIS IS NORMAL and definitely not something to worry about! Because that “weight gain” is probably not fat!⁣
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As I said before, weight can fluctuate a lot day-to-day based on a bunch of different factors, and I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “muscle weighs more than fat.” ⁣
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This isn’t ENTIRELY true. What they’re trying to say is that muscle is denser than fat, so a pound of muscle takes up less space in the body than a pound of fat. So you could be FEELING better, stronger, increasing your muscle mass, but the number on the scale may keep going up. Make sense❓⁣
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Moral of the story: bodyweight is a really unreliable number to use to gauge your progress. I personally recommend that my clients not weigh themselves at all and focus more on how they FEEL. However, If you’re a numbers person and you like to track data, I’d recommend keeping track of body fat percentage instead. This makes it easier to see your changes in fat and muscle mass as you progress and not obsess over a silly oversimplified data point. ⁣
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If this was helpful for you or if you have any questions PLEASE comment down below! 💬

24/07/2020

HELLLOOOO 23 🎂 ⁣
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Started off the day the best way I know how - paddle boarding!! 🌊 🏄‍♀️ ⁣
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I’ve never been a huge birthday person but I LOVE any reason to celebrate and eat brownies and ice cream (which will definitely be happening later)! 🤣 ⁣
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I also really like the idea of reflecting and setting intentions and goals for the year to come 🌟 ⁣
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22 was SO GOOD to me. It gave me a college degree, cool new internet friends (hey guys 😁👋🏼), lots of self discovery, acceptance to my dream DPT program, unforgettable memories with loved ones, and my own online personal training business!!🎉⁣
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Things I’ve learned this year: ⁣
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🔹Perfection is SO overrated (and so much less fun 🤪)⁣
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🔸You truly get out of life what you put into it⁣
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🔹You are NEVER going to be in full control, and accepting that is the best feeling⁣
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🔸The biggest thing holding you back is your own self doubt ⁣
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🔹Self love comes from within, not from the opinions of others ⁣
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🔸The people you choose to surround yourself with make you who you are⁣
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🔹Choose people that choose you⁣
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I’m going into 23 with more confidence, fulfillment, clarity, and some BIG dreams and goals for the future.⁣
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I CAN’T WAIT to see what adventures this next year has in store! I have a feeling it’s going to be a wild ride, but I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way ⁣

@ Lake Norman

07/07/2020

🔸The impact of self talk 🔸

Have you ever been in the middle of a workout feeling tired, uncomfortable, totally discouraged, ready to give up...?

BELIEVE ME, we’ve all been there. And sometimes the best thing to do for your body, depending on the situation, is to stop the workout and do something else instead!

BUT there’s also a time and place for pushing our body and being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

During those points, self talk is CRUCIAL. If you’re constantly telling yourself throughout the workout things like “this is SO hard,” “I don’t want to do this anymore,” “I’m so bad at this,” then you’re going to BELIEVE IT!

SO STOP! Instead, start telling yourself things like “You’re already halfway done,” “One rep at a time,” “You GOT THIS,” “You are SO STRONG”

I’m telling you, it will make a HUGE difference in your training, and I promise you’ll start to notice you like working out so much more 💪🏼

Free to Be Wellness

30/12/2023

19/04/2022

19/01/2022

08/01/2022

05/09/2021

01/06/2021

17/08/2020

31/07/2020

27/07/2020

24/07/2020

07/07/2020

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