“My life has definitely changed in the last year. I am more mentally aware than I’ve ever been. I’m not afraid to eat foods most people would deem unhealthy because I am able to fit it into my nutrition plan and still make progress. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to join Maria’s team, for whatever reason, just put all your insecurities and worries aside and take that leap! Your body, mind and health will thank you in the long run!”
I have been working with Maria for over a year now. Before I made the decision to ask for her help, I was diagnosed pre-diabetic and insulin resistant. I was a complete hot mess with no idea on how or where to start becoming the healthy person I’ve always longed to be. Throughout the last year I have learned that if you’re persistent, consistent and continuously taking one step forward at a time you can accomplish anything! Maria has always kept it real with me and has been so damn supportive throughout this journey. It’s not even close to a walk in the park, it’s hard work. But, if you’re dedicated to changing your unhealthy relationship with food and put in the time at the gym, you can crush your goals! I think the best part about all of this is the support not only from Maria, but the group of women I am able to connect with and share experiences, recipes and photos to hold each other accountable. My life has definitely changed in the last year. I am more mentally aware than I’ve ever been. I’m not afraid to eat foods most people would deem unhealthy because I am able to fit it into my nutrition plan and still make progress. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to join Maria’s team, for whatever reason, just put all your insecurities and worries aside and take that leap! Your body, mind and health will thank you in the long run!
-Sam N
“I have lost 8 % body fat, 16.9 pounds, and 23.5 inches. I was able to accomplish these goals through my nutrition and without the major cardio workouts I had always relied on. I didn’t realize how much the balance of mindfulness and well-being would affect my overall fitness goals.”
I felt connected to Maria from the beginning. I started working with her about 6 weeks before I had a scheduled knee surgery. I knew that my nutrition would be the lever I could pull while I was non-weight bearing on my knee for almost 8 weeks. Maria helped me find the right balance of macros and helped me focus on nutrition, sleep, stress, and overall well-being. I saw great results in the first 6 weeks, and even better results after working with her for 5 months now. I have lost 8% body fat, 16.9 pounds, and 23.5 inches. I was able to accomplish these goals through my nutrition and without the major cardio workouts I had always relied on. I didn’t realize how much the balance of mindfulness and well-being would affect my overall fitness goals. Maria is teaching me new things about eating and mindset that are giving me self-sustaining habits moving forward. She is proactive in giving daily advice through social posts, is always available for questions, and is encouraging in our weekly check-ins. I am so glad that I was introduced to her and that I chose to make this investment in myself.
-April Byl
“If you are sick of giving up on yourself, sick of letting food consume your life, sick of the relationship you have built around food, and sick of your very own excuses, this is your journey.”
I was nine years old the first time I remember looking in the mirror and thinking I had a pot belly. I was 12 years old when I started the practice of running no longer in the hopes to cure my anxiety but to burn off as many extra calories as I could. The cycle only worsened for years to come as I participated in activities of binging and starving over the next 30 years. I have done lots of research. I have done every diet you can imagine. I would do anything for quick results which I could be proud of for 6-8 weeks but never sustain. One diet left me at my lowest weight in which I was so proud of that I didn’t even realizing how sick the plan was making me. I was too fixated on following my strict diet/exercise program that I welcomed any process happening in my body which decreased my weight. Let me repeat that again, I was ill but so fixated on weight loss that I didn’t notice how ill I was in which I was eventually diagnosed with an inflammatory bowel disease.
I cannot honestly tell you the last time that I was not “dieting.” I also could not tell you the last time I looked in the mirror and felt confident at the image which stared at me. My weight has never fluctuated into the category healthcare would call “obese or unhealthy.” However, I cannot remember a time in my life when I have been a healthy, whole person. Until I met Maria…. My sister was a dieter as well. Only she changed. The way she explained things to me. The way she talked about food. The way she approached food. The way she approached her self-image. She had started working with Maria and often times discussed with me the “journey” and how everyone will follow their own path. This journey was not one I was ready for. This was not a quick fix. This was not the extremely restrictive, follow the instructions, and “do everything that I say” program. This coach was going to make me track my water, steps, calories, and god forbid, TAKE PICTURES OF myself. I attempted to finagle getting out of the pictures, but this was all a part of the journey. This was the moment of truth and realization that controlling all of the things I ever associated with dieting was necessary to let go of food and exercise controlling me.
I spoke with Maria in an almost 2-hour discovery call. At the end of the conversation, I reiterated my strong fears of failing to her yet again. She simply explained to me that you the journey was mine in which she would walk with me, but I was would be in control on writing the story. Wait? I was in control. I have never been in control of this situation. My diet and exercise obsessions were always in control of me. I could not have been more wrong.
Working with Maria is just that, it is work. She will open you up, she will expose your feelings, and she will dig deep when you just plain will not. She will give you tough love when maybe you don’t want it, but she knows you need it. SHE WILL NEVER QUIT ON YOU!!! Imagine that, a coach who refuses to give up on you even on the hardest days when all you want to do is give up on yourself and not accept where you are and the possibility of where you will go.
If you are sick of giving up on yourself, sick of letting food consume your life, sick of the relationship you have built around food, and sick of your very own excuses, this is your journey. If you want to dig deep into building your mindset, understanding the importance of the basics, and discovering all of the things you are truly capable with time, habits, and motivations, then this is the journey for you. Quite frankly, if you are sick of getting in your own way, this journey will be the single best gift you can give yourself because after all, a 30-year diet sounds just absolutely awful doesn’t it?
-Dana
“I’ve learned that I can enjoy weekends, parties, events, etc. and don’t have to feel guilty about it. I’ve learned about balance and that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Maria has been amazing! She has truly helped me on some of my toughest days. I went from an anxious mom of two busy boys, to a more relaxed person over all.”
“I can say that it was hands down the best purchase I could have ever committed to for myself.”
I have always been the type of person to workout my whole life, but coming off the pandemic and a crazy year I felt sluggish and just wasn’t confident in my own skin. I knew I needed to do something about my nutrition habits and get back on track with my wedding I had coming up. I reached out to Maria and we started my six month nutrition journey. I can say that it was hands down the best purchase I could have ever committed to for myself. I was undereating and then coming home from work and binging on all my favorite snacks. In just ONE month, I saw a huge change. I have lost 11 pounds and many inches working with Maria along the way. She is not only a coach, but a huge supporter and always a phone call or text away. It’s not just a six months and done program either. She has prepared me enough to do this on my own by helping me create all these better habits in my life. I no longer binge eat, I hit my calories daily & I can look at food and know what they are high in for macros (something I never used to do) and she has taught me about balance when going out to eat too. These habits that she has helped me create got me to my goals in five months. I am forever grateful for Maria and her knowledge. She takes time to get to know you and your body & there is always that little birdie in my head saying, “what would Maria do right now”. Six months ago I wasn’t confident in my own skin, but today I am beyond comfortable in swim suits, shorts, you name it. I AM PROUD. I can’t thank Maria enough. She has changed my life and my eating habits for the better.
– Alia Schuster
“I lost 10.6 lbs and 19 inches overall! Maria is such a motivating and encouraging coach who will not only hit you with hard truths but is also very reasonable and understanding.”
Maria is such a motivating and encouraging coach who will not only hit you with hard truths but is also very reasonable and understanding. She holds you accountable and makes you WANT to succeed because she holds herself accountable to the exact same things she preaches. I always felt like she had my back during the 9 months that I benefited from her services.
I knew Maria was the coach for me from the beginning. And I learned so much regarding my relationship with food and how to truly use food as fuel to power me through workouts and improve my overall health while letting it help me lose that excess body weight and get closer to the goals I wanted to reach. I lost 10.6 lbs and 19 inches overall! Because of her coaching and advice for small habits consistently created over time = results, I also worked up to running a 9 min 21 second mile. I stopped my coaching sessions for the time being, and I’ve still been able to utilize the knowledge she instilled in me to keep me from falling off the fitness wagon and landing back where I was before working with her!
I recommend her to anyone who asks me about counting macros/calories or what I’m doing to stay consistent in my daily physical activity. Her advice, recommendations and straightforward truths are what got me to make such progress that is sticking even now and makes me want to keep going until I reach all my fitness goals and continue them for life. I’m planning on working with her again soon!
– Callan L
“I have worked with a lot of different coaches and Maria has been by far the most supportive and influential.”
I have been working with Maria for over the past six months and it has been life changing for me, which sounds really cheesy, but it is completely true. I have had a lot of things that have taken place this year that were pretty traumatic and Maria really helped me push through while continuing to take care of myself. She has not only been someone to discuss my fitness, nutrition and health goals with, but also someone that has supported me when I felt very alone. There are MANY health coaches out there, but Maria is different. When I think about all of the things in my life that I want to change, I get very overwhelmed. She has really helped me narrow my goals down and put things into perspective. You don’t realize how helpful it is to have someone listening to you, supporting you and brainstorming ideas with you until you have it. While my mental health has really suffered over the last year, Maria was always there to cheer me on. She has helped me realize it isn’t about perfection, but about putting effort into changing and trying to do/be better. Also, I focus on eating plant-based, and she never once tried to persuade me in to eating meat or anything I didn’t want to eat. She helped me come up with alternative protein ideas and that was incredibly helpful. Maria has done so much for me by helping me learn more about what I am putting into my body, how to make small lasting changes and how to incorporate time for myself for my own wellbeing. I have learned that physical health really impacts mental health and I would still be struggling had I not worked with Maria. I have worked with a lot of different coaches and Maria has been by far the most supportive and influential. I would strongly recommend joining her program, you will not regret it! She has helped me in more ways than I can count.
– J.W.
“I have lost over 30lbs and 30 inches. What I didn’t realize is the mental growth that would come along with my physical transformation.”
I started working with Maria hoping that I could lose 10lbs. After 5 months, I have lost over 30lbs and 30 inches. What I didn’t realize is the mental growth that would come along with my physical transformation. Maria is my biggest supporter and cheerleader, but also my accountability mirror and reality check. I feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin and head as a result of this journey and am now doing things I never even considered doing before due to how I felt about myself. I have made a complete lifestyle shift and am truly grateful for Maria.
– Sarah
“I have a whole new outlook on life. I am grateful for all the tools I have learned from Maria!”
When I first started working with Maria I thought I was in the headspace to get ready for another bodybuilding show and boy was I wrong. I was having trouble logging food and every time I didn’t track I felt like a failure. After a few checks ins like this Maria helped me realize maybe I needed to re-evaluate what my goals really were and that a different approach might be better for me. She was right!! I had this idea that a lean bodybuilding figure is what I needed to feel good about myself and that is when I am beautiful. After adjusting my goals and our check ins I learned about appreciating and embracing my strong body, and understanding that my curves are beautiful, food isn’t the enemy, and I can eat what my body wants and needs! I have a whole new outlook on life. I am grateful for all the tools I have learned from Maria!
– Jess
“Not only do I look better but I FEEL way healthier and better which has transferred to all areas of my life. I highly recommend working with Maria. I have never had a better relationship with food and exercise or felt better or more confident with my body as I have this past year working with her.”
Maria is such an inspiring coach! I have never stuck with anything long term before working with her and I have tried EVERYTHING! Her approach is very real world and tailored to my specific goals as well as fits my lifestyle and the resources I have available to me. I like how she gives me the tools and understanding of why we are doing things a certain way so I feel I would be able to continue the process on my own, however I find her weekly encouragement and the accountability priceless so I plan to continue working with her as long as I can! Maria provides essential support that helps me not to get burned out. She never makes me feel bad when I do not hit my goals, she focuses on the positives and helps me work through how I CAN reach my goals next time. I do find it easy to hit my targets because I still get to enjoy my favorite treats and I also get to have tons of choices on the types of exercises I do, foods I eat, meal timing, etc. Other plans and coaches I have tried were too restrictive or had an all or nothing approach which was not sustainable in the long run. Maria is always readily available for questions so I always feel supported, she takes lots of time and thought responding to my weekly check ins and she also shares her own struggles and insecurities which I love. It helps to know she has also been through the same journey and can share her personal tips and well as her professional expertise. Not only do I look better but I FEEL way healthier and better which has transferred to all areas of my life. I am happier in my relationships, more productive at work and less stressed. I highly recommend working with Maria. I have never had a better relationship with food and exercise or felt better or more confident with my body as I have this past year working with her.
– Angie
“I am confident that working with Maria has helped me be successful in this and am confident I am taking the right steps toward a sustainable, healthy future.”
I have been working with Maria for only about 2 months now and have experienced some really important changes in a short period of time.
The numbers are there: down about 5 pounds total, 2% body fat, 9.5 inches: and we have about 7 months to go! What is behind the numbers is what is really key: improved confidence and self-talk, relationship with food, balance, discipline, effectiveness of workouts, sleep quality and lower anxiety. All of this has been accomplished with real-life activities and I think that is the point. You can make sustainable changes while being flexible, enjoying dinners out, vacations, etc.!
The benefits of working with Maria go even further. She is so real and easy to connect with; she doesn’t shy away from sharing her own experiences and valuable advice.
I have struggled with disordered eating and body image issues from age 11-20. I have worked really hard since then on myself, a healthy food relationship, and using exercise as an outlet. Overall, I know I have come so far. As I grew into my mid-late 20’s, I struggled with a few things: anxiety, over-exercising to compensate for said anxiety, panic attacks, and have had a handful of miscarriages in a short period of time that have led to hospital stays and surgery. It became clear I needed to really work on myself again, and I fully believe that caring for yourself starts inside. Before I started working with Maria, I decided to stop the anxiety medication I was taking. I am confident that working with Maria has helped me be successful in this and am confident I am taking the right steps toward a sustainable, healthy future – no matter what that holds.
-Kelly
