My Story: From Struggle to Strength

My Mission

To glorify God by using my experiences and gifts to shine a light on those around me and to empower women to see and feel their worth in abundance.

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This wasn’t something I ever planned to share so publicly. Not because I’m afraid or ashamed, but because I never imagined myself as a fitness and nutrition coach. Yet here I am, and I’m sharing this story because I believe it might resonate with you, challenge you, or even inspire you.

Social media is often a highlight reel—we paint the picture we want people to see rather than the one with flaws and imperfections. I want to build something different here. A community where vulnerability is welcome. Where it’s okay to share the highlights AND the breakdowns. Where you can dream big, fall down, and ask for help getting back up. Where you feel safe, seen, heard, validated, and celebrated.

The best way I know to create that space is by sharing my story—the raw, uncut, unfiltered version from the beginning.

The Moment Everything Changed

As a young girl, I was pretty average in size. Athletic from the moment I could walk, eventually settling into gymnastics and cheerleading in middle school. At a whopping 5’1″, I was strong and maybe a little stocky—not large by any means, but not a twig either.

Then came spring break in middle school. I was at the beach with one of my best friends, and I remember it SO vividly. Rain kept us inside, so naturally, we decided to listen to music and binge Girl Scout cookies. As I was putting the third (or maybe tenth) Samoa in my mouth, my friend’s older sister walked in with her friends—sophomores who seemed absolutely perfect in my eyes.

We offered them cookies. Their reaction? You would have thought we’d offered them hard drugs.

“Yeah right…I can’t eat that stuff and still look good in my bikini.”

I was confused. I had NEVER thought of it that way—that the food I ate had some impact on how I looked. Something inside me shifted in that moment, and I could never have anticipated the impact it would have.

The Struggle That Followed

Not long after that spring break, my family went through some difficult times. I told my mom I wanted to start eating healthier and even wanted to buy nutrition books. She was incredibly supportive and encouraged what seemed like a newfound passion for health.

That passion quickly became my way of controlling an uncontrollable environment. I developed a severe eating disorder.

From age 13 to 35, I was in a constant struggle with food. My weight fluctuated from as low as 78 pounds to 135 pounds. I battled anorexia and bulimia, and used exercise like a drug. I lost my period for years, caused tremendous damage to my body, and fought a mental battle every single day that most people never knew about. I put immense strain on my family and struggled to maintain healthy romantic relationships.

Years of yo-yo dieting left my metabolism completely dysregulated. The only way I could maintain a weight I felt good at was through calorie restriction, cutting carbs, and excessive cardio. Sure, I appeared “fit,” but in reality, I was just small with a high body fat percentage, no muscle, and starving all the time.

My Miracle

When I was 35, God blessed me with what I now know is my miracle—my daughter. She’s a miracle for many reasons, but for the purpose of this story, she’s the inspiration and reason I am where I am today.

When I got pregnant, I made a commitment: I would not let my battle with food cause her any harm. I would eat healthily, take care of myself, and prioritize the health of my pregnancy above all. After having her, I vowed to set the right example—no negative talk about my weight or body around her, model a healthy relationship with food, and do everything possible to help her build that same healthy relationship.

I’m proud of how I’ve honored those commitments. But it hasn’t been without struggle.

I had my daughter at 36 and started experiencing perimenopause symptoms at 40. Add a demanding career with long hours and high stress, plus a husband who traveled 50-75% of each month. While navigating the toddler years already exhausted, my hormones decided to give me the middle finger. It was a recipe for disaster.

I was eating “healthy,” but nothing worked. Restricting calories didn’t work either. It felt like if I looked at a piece of lettuce, I’d gain a pound. I had pockets of fat I’d never seen before, especially around my belly, and I was so soft. I remember my sweet daughter squeezing some fat on my tummy and saying, “Mommy, you are so squishy.” How can something be so precious and make you want to cry all at once?

Between work and caring for my daughter, I’d completely stopped working out. I complained to my husband about how unfair it was—I wanted to get in shape but didn’t have time. He lovingly challenged me: “If it’s important enough to you, you can find the time.”

He should have known better than to throw those kinds of daggers at an exhausted, squishy, perimenopausal woman. Frankly, I’m surprised he survived.

As much as it PAINED me to admit it…he was right. (Though it took me a long time to tell him that.)

I needed to do something to get to a better place mentally, to continue being the example I’d committed to being for my daughter, and to step up my self-love and prioritize my health.

The Instagram Scroll That Changed Everything

God works in mysterious ways. In this case, He worked through my Instagram feed.

I was scrolling when I saw a post that caught my attention—an adorable girl running on a treadmill with text that spoke to me: “Are you sick of killing yourself and not seeing the results you want?” Then the picture changed to the same girl walking on the treadmill, but she was TRANSFORMED. She looked amazing to begin with, but this was jaw-dropping. She was leaner, stronger, had visible muscle definition, and she even had the audacity to claim she was working out less and eating more than ever.

I don’t care how cute she was—she made me mad. My inner dialogue went something like: That’s just not fair. She shouldn’t post things like that when they aren’t real life. There’s no way she got those results with less working out and eating more. No matter what I do, there’s no way I’ll ever look like that.

She talked about a 6-week program that could transform everything—with coaching, workouts, a meal guide, and a tracking app. The cost seemed reasonable considering everything offered. So I figured if it didn’t work out or was a scam, I could stomach the loss.

I put in my information and hit submit. Just like that moment in middle school with the Girl Scout cookies, something shifted—I just didn’t know it yet.

The Transformation

I started my FASTer Way to Fat Loss program in September 2023. In 6 weeks, I lost 9 pounds and 11 inches. But the weight loss pales in comparison to the body composition changes—I lost significant body fat, gained significant muscle, got so much stronger, and felt the best I’d felt in years.

And that adorable girl in the video was right: I did it working out no more than 30 minutes a day, with no excessive cardio, and eating more than I’d eaten in my adult life.

This program completely changed my relationship with food. For the first time since I was 13 years old, I’m not afraid of it. It doesn’t cause anxiety. I don’t view it as an enemy. I love to eat and have a newfound appreciation for food. I understand the importance of each macronutrient and how they work in my body. When I fuel properly, my body works in a way I’ve never known before.

The transformation isn’t just physical. It’s mental and emotional. It has brought a sense of confidence I’ve never felt—not in the aesthetic of my body (though I’m certainly proud of that), but in feeling comfortable in my own skin. I feel proud of how well I take care of myself and of honoring the body God gave me instead of punishing it.

I no longer feel like I’m “chasing” something elusive or out of reach. Instead, it feels like I’m finally home where I was always meant to be.

It has also allowed me to show up better for my husband and daughter. I’m kinder, softer, more patient, and more loving. I have more energy and am more present. My daughter asks me to flex my muscles and tells me how proud she is of me. I tell her I’m committed to being strong and healthy so I can live the longest, healthiest life possible and be the best (and most active) grandmother to her babies one day.

Why I’m Here

God doesn’t always answer our prayers in our timing. He answers them in His.

All those years of struggling, suffering, and hurting—that wasn’t God ignoring my prayers. That was Him preparing me. He allowed me to experience all of that knowing I would be here one day, filled with a calling to help and inspire others. To use everything I’ve gone through to help, support, inspire, and lift up anyone who may have experienced or might be going through something similar. To shine a light on a path that does work and leads to freedom.

I am abundantly grateful to share my story with you. If you’re here, I see you. I’m so glad you’re here.

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Thank you for being part of this community. I can’t wait to walk this journey with you. Please follow along on my IG handle as well: mpfasterway