Nutrition Made Simple Podcast Episode 11: CrossFit Gym Owner Loses 200 Pounds & Is Now Helping Others Through Nutrition Coaching

Nicole Aucoin (00:00):
Welcome back to the Nutrition Made Simple Podcast. At Healthy Steps Nutrition, we believe something as fundamental as nutrition shouldn’t be complicated, which is why we focus on a simple habit-based approach when working with clients. I’m your host, Nicole Aucoin, registered dietitian and founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition, CrossFit HSN, and HSN Mentoring. I’m also the author of the Healthy Kids Cookbook. 100% get approved recipes for the whole family. You can get it on Amazon. In this brand new podcast, you will be teaching you how to take one step at a time to become the healthiest version of yourself. I’m so excited for today’s podcast. We are sharing Mary Cook’s story.

Nicole Aucoin (00:50):
She and her husband own CrossFit Swarm. We’re sharing her story because she has an amazing weight loss transformation. She has lost 200 pounds. Can you imagine? I met Mary and her husband, Brian in October when they called me because they were looking for help to build a nutrition program in their gym. Like most gym owners, they understand nutrition is an important piece of the puzzle, but they just weren’t sure how to package a program. I knew from the first conversation that she would be absolutely amazing, given all the tools and education she could coach and inspires so many people to make their own transformations. There is no one that can relate better to someone who’s looking for help than someone who’s been through their own transformation themselves. Mary has had her ups and downs over the years like anyone who’s lost 200 pounds, but she’s pretty much been able to keep it off and maintain it.

Nicole Aucoin (01:49):
Get ready to be inspired. We will get to this episode and sharing Mary Cook’s story right after this message. Our mission for this podcast in the month of January is to inspire 4,000 people to ditch the all or nothing mindset and become a healthier version of themselves. This is the last episode of the month and I need your help. Do you know someone who’s looking to lose weight? We would love for you to share this podcast with them. You never know who could use some words of encouragement. Take a screenshot, post it on social media. And please don’t forget to tag at Healthy Steps Nutrition so their friends can find some more awesome free help. Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes. Next week, we will be talking about tips for fueling for the Crossfit Open. Now let’s get to Mary Cook’s story of losing 200 pounds, and now helping others do the same. [inaudible 00:02:49] Mary, thank you for taking your time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. Welcome to the Nutrition Made Simple Podcast.

Mary Cook (03:05):
Thank you so much, Nicole. I’m happy to be here.

Nicole Aucoin (03:08):
You are the first outside testimonial that we are bringing in which, feel you’re kind of on the inside too, because you use the HSN programs around at your gym, but you have such an incredible story losing over 200 pounds. I want to dive into that first and get us started. What motivated you to make a change?

Mary Cook (03:32):
So I was always on the heavier side growing up, I was really never into sports or dance. I was more book-smart, but growing up as a heavy teenager, it’s hard. I didn’t like going to school and it wasn’t because I wasn’t there intellectually. It was just, I was uncomfortable and I was really the biggest person in high school. And so I did, I actually dropped out of school at 16. And then as soon as I was able to, I got my GED, passed it the first time. And so it’s one of those things I kind of regret, but I’m very proud of how far I have truly come. I was 19 years old, 19 or 20 at a doctor’s, a regular doctor’s appointment. And the doctor at the time and I get their profession, but was just really laying into me about my weight and that I would be in a wheelchair, in just a few years that my knees would give out on me.

Mary Cook (04:28):
And she was just really harsh on me and was really guiding me in the direction that the only thing that would help me would be to have gastric bypass surgery. And I left that appointment in tears, frustrated, angry, mad, everything. But I knew in my heart that I did not want to change my body or have in terms of like surgery and have anything done to help me support the weight loss. I knew I could do this myself and I wanted to prove to myself and to the doctor and just really, again, to myself that I could do it. So I set off on a journey. My mom and I, at the time it was Weight Watchers that I had joined, which really taught me, which Healthy Steps Nutrition is totally about is just making that healthy lifestyle, and those habit changes dialing in on your portion control, selecting those wholesome food choices. My journey, so that was when I was 20 years old. I’m 41 now. So it’s been a 20-year journey, but it was an initial hundred-pound weight loss that I had.

Mary Cook (05:30):
And so life stuff happened. I ended up getting married. I had my son, I put a little bit of that weight back on. So it’s been an up and down journey. And then finally at my son’s fifth birthday, there were some photos that were taken and I was looking back and I said, “Man, I don’t want to be that mom sitting on the sideline, watching her child play and not be involved.” I wanted to be the fun mom. I want it to be part and running and not be out of breath. I wanted to be part of that. And so I just got back on track and finally just stayed on the course and continued making those healthy habits, getting in my exercise. And in November 2014,, right before my birthday, I hit that milestone that I wanted to achieve of losing that 200, it was 200.5 pounds. And so it’s been six, a little over six years now that I’ve been able to maintain it and keep it off.

Nicole Aucoin (06:35):
Wow. There’s so much to unpack with what you just said [crosstalk 00:06:39] holy cow. Okay. So the whole story is just really incredible, right? You have been dealing with this for a long time, right? It’s not the weight that just came on in a day. There’s a whole childhood of struggling with weight issues. So you leave this doctor’s office when you were 19 and you’re like, “I can do this”, but you obviously, you mentioned your mom, so obviously you needed the support from other people outside right?

Mary Cook (07:08):
That was key. That was key to have, and still to this day having that support and that accountability. So my mom and I would go for walks. That’s really all I could physically do at that time was small, short walks, but we did, we went grocery shopping together. We were kind of a pair. And did the journey together on that initial time losing it.

Nicole Aucoin (07:32):
A lot of times when we see kids that are overweight, a lot of times parents sometimes have struggled with weight issues too. Did your family struggle with weight issues alongside of you?

Mary Cook (07:42):
Absolutely. Yep. And I think that’s where some of the habits, unfortunately, came from. My mom was a single parent, she worked two jobs. I was often with my grandparents because she had to work. And so it was just one of those things, I ended up using food to cope with a lot of things on boredom, loneliness, just different things, stress like just emotional. I’m definitely an emotional eater. So there was that whole family, my mom, my whole side, my mom and dad’s side, unfortunately, we were dealing with that.

Nicole Aucoin (08:14):
It makes sense. Right? And it’s unfortunate and you know this better now than ever, but food and beverage companies make things seem really healthy, so you think you like your grandparents and your mom probably is like, “I’m getting this whole green thing. It’s awesome.” But in reality, it’s probably way too many carbs that you needed or added sources of sugar, or different things that you were probably tricked with thinking that it was probably really good.

Mary Cook (08:39):
Yeah. And I get frustrated to this day, even grocery shopping, looking at those labels because they do, they look enticing, they look good. Oh! And it’s not until you really dive into the nutritional facts. And then so now as a nutritional coach, I’m able to work with my clients, really, to hone in on that nutrition label, explain what those things mean. Look at the ingredients together. So definitely things that had to be learned and be able to implement.

Nicole Aucoin (09:07):
Awesome. So the initial hundred pounds, your mom was like a huge part of that whole process, which is amazing. Talk to me about the second time around. So you gained a little bit of weight back, you had your son, you saw that picture like, “Hey, I don’t want to be like this anymore. I need to take control of my health. I need to do something different.” Who was there to support you in that time?

Mary Cook (09:28):
So it was mom, it was family too, we didn’t live in the same household at the same time, but we would make dates for walks again, still do the weekend grocery shopping, so we could meal prep. And it was just having, even though we were in the same household, it was still that support. And then I started to make girlfriends. I actually was into Zumba for several years. I was a Zumba instructor, loved it, but I had a great group of friends that we were all kind of on our journeys, whether it was, for me, it was not only weight loss and fitness, but I think everybody in life is on their own journey in some way.

Nicole Aucoin (10:05):
A thousand percent, and connecting with a community that can be there to support you because we can all face it. And we both own CrossFit gyms now, there are days I do not want to go to the gym, but I’m like, “I know someone is waiting for me and I will go.” And that community is just a huge part of it. So let’s talk about, I want to dive into one thing really quick. You lose this 200 pounds. It had been a goal for a while. How did you feel when you hit that milestone?

Mary Cook (10:32):
Fricking amazing. Amazing, and it’s really about finally feeling confident and just that self-love and that happiness, and it’s such a great place to be in. And I think that is the biggest thing is just having that confidence and feeling good. That was it for me, knowing that if I put my mind to anything if you work hard and you really want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen. And [crosstalk 00:11:00]

Nicole Aucoin (11:00):
I love it.

Mary Cook (11:01):
Very proud of that.

Nicole Aucoin (11:02):
You should be and the cool thing that you’ve done. And one of the reasons why I had you come on this podcast is like, you’ve been truly open with your story. You shared it because your story is going to inspire someone else who feels like I’ve tried everything. I can’t do it. And yes, you can, if you put your mind to it. Mary tell me, so obviously there was a lot that went into losing that 200 pounds, but six years later, you’ve been able to keep it off. Let’s talk about that.

Mary Cook (11:28):
Sure. And it hasn’t been a straight line. I’d be lying if it was, it’s still hard, I still have to make conscious decisions and choices. And there have been a few setbacks in the last six years, just a couple of years ago, my husband and I, had been trying for two years to have a baby. And we, unfortunately, had a miscarriage and I got in a really bad depression and just a sad place and kind of turned back to old habits because some of those, they don’t go away. It’s just you learn on how to do different things. So, unfortunately I did, I ate some of those feelings and I didn’t really want to work out. I didn’t want to be in the gym. And so I did, I put on almost 30 pounds, and I finally, you just kind of have that wake-up call with yourself and you say, “You’re not in a good place. You don’t feel good.” Remember, and I try to tell my members the same thing, go back to that why in that time, where you felt great.

Mary Cook (12:28):
Why is this important to you? And we can’t just be and sit in these sad feelings all the time. It’s not healthy. So I was able to reach out, I got support. I started talking to someone. I was able to just bring myself back around and then got right back on and dialing those portions, making those healthy choices, getting in my water and then just moving my body. And I found not only just getting back into the groove, but the whole exercise piece, just the whole mental, just that not really, I guess, release of that stress. And it just would feel, and those good feelings, those good endorphins that you get, right, when we work out, it just did it for me. And so I was able to just pull myself out of that funk. It took time. It’s not quick, but it does just as long as you’re willing to just be patient with yourself and love yourself through the process. It’s definitely possible.

Nicole Aucoin (13:21):
I love it. And I don’t think people share that side of things as much. Truly sorry, this is the first time that I’m obviously hearing about the miscarriage, but I think people don’t share the side of, hey, it’s all perfect. It’s all bright and shiny, but real life happens. There’s the stuff that happens. Your priorities, you get off track, and then you said something else like, “Hey, I reached out to that support system.” Like I needed people to help me. You can’t do it alone. No one can do it alone.

Mary Cook (13:52):
That’s right. We need that connection. And that helps.

Nicole Aucoin (13:55):
Absolutely. What would you say is the biggest bright spot after losing 200 pounds? So what’s like the biggest thing that maybe you were surprised about, or like, “Man, this was so difficult before and now, I love doing it.”

Mary Cook (14:10):
Probably just being able to walk in my closet and pull anything off and just know that I’m going to rock it.

Nicole Aucoin (14:19):
I love that. There’s no like, this is my skinny outfits, these are my okay outfits, it’s just like, “Hey, whatever I want to wear, I can freaking wear and feel confident wearing it.”

Mary Cook (14:29):
Exactly. That’s so big. And that was the biggest thing for me, I struggled for awhile. Even when I first started working out, I was always in baggy clothes. I had the t-shirt, the baggy pants and slowly, it’s funny, my girlfriends will call it out to me and they’ll show me photos. And I’m like, Oh my gosh, yes, I started off that way. And then just as I continued to lose a little of weight and got more confident, I would go into the tank tops or just tighter fitting things. And so it was just so big for me.

Nicole Aucoin (14:59):
That’s awesome. And you’ve honestly been through some even surgeries to tighten things up and like… Because losing 200 pounds, you’ve got one and a half people inside of you that you’ve lost, right?

Mary Cook (15:13):
Exactly and unfortunately that when you do lose that amount of weight, there’s only so much exercise and so much that skin can contract and go back. So unfortunately I did have a lot of excess skin on my belly, on my arms, on my legs, really everywhere. And I did seek out, in the beginning, so right when I hit my goal, I did seek out and had a consult with a plastic surgeon and I wasn’t mentally ready at that point. And I was just nervous. And I just made a decision not to have that skin removed at that time and really just embraced it and rocked it. And people always would come up to me and say, “Hey, you got a story”, and they could just tell. And so I even just, without the skin removal surgery I made so many connections just with that.

Mary Cook (16:05):
And I love talking about my story and sharing, but I got to a point where it was uncomfortable, especially with CrossFit and running and doing the things that I’d love to do. It just, it got in the way and I would get burns and rashes from like my armband. And so I said, “You know what? I want to check this out again. I want to see if maybe it is something that I do want to do.” And with the support of my husband and my entire family, I had my consult and I decided to move forward. And I cannot even tell you how much it’s changed my life. It’s incredible. So even just from the feelings that I had, when I lost the weight, taking my journey to this next step and really, it was just for me, it wasn’t for anybody.

Mary Cook (16:50):
My husband loved me before. We got married before those surgeries. It was just something I wanted to do for myself. When I looked in the mirror without any clothes on, I had this vision in my mind of what I felt like I wanted to look like. And so for so long, I just didn’t see that particular image. And so I decided I’m doing this and I did. So I’ve had, so far, I’ve had three procedures done over the last year or so a year and a half. So I do, and I share a lot on my Instagram. I’m very open with that, pictures. I’m even into the surgery pictures.

Nicole Aucoin (17:25):
We’re going to post some of these pictures in the podcast, I’ll pull some from social media and we’ll tag your social media handles so people can follow you because you are so open about the awesome things that have happened during this journal and the struggles that you’ve had. And I mean, no one really thinks about, “Hey, you lose 200 pounds. Now, what happens with this skin?” Right? Like, and you were very open about like, “Hey, I’ve got this and these are my battle scars. This is the hard work that I can see every single day, but now I’m ready to turn to the next chapter here.” Right?

Mary Cook (18:00):
Exactly. And I rocked a bikini before my skin removal surgeries, and I rock a bikini now. I don’t have the skin now, on some part, I still have excess skin, but I wear my scars proudly. They’re there, they’re visible, but they tell my story. And I think everybody has scars of some sort, some just aren’t visible. So, we all, I might cry if I talk it.

Nicole Aucoin (18:23):
You seriously have such an inspiring story. Okay. I wanted to dive into one thing. So, your son’s fifth birthday, like he’s old enough to see healthy food or not see this. And he watches your journey. And for so many parents, they don’t realize what you talk about with your kids at that young of age or what they see, or what foods they’re introduced to, or how you’re eating at home, will affect their future a thousand percent. Right? So-

Mary Cook (18:52):
Yes.

Nicole Aucoin (18:53):
…can we just talk about one thing, I’m so passionate about helping families and kids. So, I love this and your journey and your son essentially being involved, right, because he’s been around for all of this and old enough to kind of comprehend, definitely comprehend now, talk to me about how it’s impacted him in how he eats and just understands what healthy eating is.

Mary Cook (19:17):
So, it was a little rough too, because unfortunately my first husband and I divorced, and so my son had to then live between split homes. And it definitely presents a challenge because, on our side, there are definitely healthier eating habits, but on the dad’s side, not so much. So, as a parent, co-parent, it is definitely a struggle. And so I’ve never wanted my son to have to worry about dieting or things like that. So, I don’t really talk like that so much in front of him. We just make, for sure, we’re talking about like, this is what a lean protein is, and this is healthier fats or these are healthier options to choose from, and now that he’s, actually, he’s 14, he’s turning 15 next month. I can’t believe it. It’s crazy. He still struggles a little bit.

Mary Cook (20:10):
And so we still are, we’re working on it. He definitely is making healthier choices and I’m super proud of him. He’s a hockey player. So he’s definitely active. And so it’s definitely been a tough road, I will say, as a mom and kind of dealing, trying to co-parent when not everybody’s on the same page if that makes sense.

Nicole Aucoin (20:33):
Completely. And I think that he can see what healthy eating is from your side and understanding we have a split, I’m a stepmom, right? So my husband has married before and his ex-wife, we get along really great. She eats really healthy too, so the kids are eating kind of the same foods. If anything, she’s more strict at her house than we are at our house, which is interesting, but they understand, right. They understand like, hey, what does a balanced plate look like? And if they want something, they’re going to turn it over to the nutrition facts label and see how much sugar is in it.

Nicole Aucoin (21:03):
And then they’re going to realize, can I get this, or can I not, depending on what the nutrition facts label is, but I think getting kids involved with the conversation and helping them understand what healthy is and why, like the fact that your son plays hockey is awesome, right? So you can correlate healthy eating to improve to performance and gaining muscle and being better on the field and all of these things based on [crosstalk 00:21:25] what he cares about not weight loss or dieting. I don’t talk about that at all, but my kids care about doing better on the golf range and doing better in school. So we’re going to talk and navigate all of our conversations of healthy eating around what they care about and why it will help whatever they care about. And I’m sure you’re doing the same thing.

Mary Cook (21:44):
Absolutely, how we’re going to get him faster on the ice, a stronger slapshot. We definitely have those conversations. Yeah.

Nicole Aucoin (21:51):
I love it. All right. We’re going to transition now to talk about your role as a nutrition coach. One of them, I remember we had a free call and I was like, “I’ve never been more straightforward on a free call. I want you guys to sign up for HSN Mentoring because I know that you have a story that you can help so many people.” And why did I say that? Well, I know that one of the amazing traits of nutrition coaches is that they have empathy. And I don’t know if someone that has more empathy than someone who’s lost 200 pounds. Like you have something that I don’t have, right? Like 99% of nutrition coaches don’t have, because you’ve been there. You understand everything at another level because you’ve been there. Talk about you opened up a CrossFit gym, right? When did the gym open up?

Mary Cook (22:39):
So, my husband started it in 2009. And so when I met him in 2016, I became involved. So this is his baby.

Nicole Aucoin (22:47):
I love it. Okay.

Mary Cook (22:48):
But yes. Yeah.

Nicole Aucoin (22:49):
Okay. So he opens up this CrossFit gym, you ended up getting introduced to it and then you’re there. Right. You’re introduced to CrossFit, you’re doing Zumba. You’re like, “Okay, let me give this CrossFit thing a try”, you try it. You fall in love. Talk to me about what your role was within the gym prior to becoming a nutrition coach?

Mary Cook (23:06):
So, really, for the first year, it was just being a CrossFitter and getting into the swing of things and learning. And I loved the whole coaching aspect. So being a Zumba instructor, I just loved being in front and leading and motivating. And while I didn’t know necessarily all the terms of CrossFit and all the moves and all the lists I just love the whole motivation and support factor and creating that, just that community connection. I love that. So I started shadowing Brian, my husband, and would partner with him and shadow coach and then take on some. And then I did, I went and I goT my level one certification and I became coaching some classes. So it, really, before I became nutrition, I was really just focused on the whole fitness side and learning all of that and bringing some of my passion and my fun and motivation to the whole coaching side of their group.

Nicole Aucoin (23:57):
I love it. And like most gym owners, you Brian, and I had that initial call and you’re like, “Hey, I understand. I’ve lost this much weight. I understand where nutrition plays a role. We need to make this a bigger priority in the gym.

Mary Cook (24:09):
We do. We were really lacking. That was one thing that I know Brian wanted to try. He did for a while and then it kind of slacked. So it was definitely a gap that we wanted to fill and figure out how we could support our clients on this big missing piece.

Nicole Aucoin (24:27):
So talk to me about it. How has your role in the gym transformed as you became this nutrition coach?

Mary Cook (24:35):
Yeah, so I’ve almost become more confident [inaudible 00:24:40] in talking with people about their nutrition, and they all kind of know my story and I’ve shared a lot, but now they’re actually looking to me as kind of their mentor and their leader and someone in terms of that they can get that guidance. And yeah, so it’s been absolutely incredible bringing able to bring that to our gym members.

Nicole Aucoin (25:06):
I love it because they all know listening to your story, how important nutrition was and continues to be. But now it’s not an informal conversation. Now you’re meeting with people, one-on-one, you’re working with them. You’re giving them the accountability and support. What’s your favorite part of being a nutrition coach?

Mary Cook (25:25):
Oh, just sitting down with them. And when we’re doing our check-ins and hearing like there, or just seeing their faces light up with how excited they are with some of the things they’ve been able to start doing. I had somebody that was eating out every single meal. So our first step was just about learning how to make healthier choices and it’s just really starting small. And I think the biggest thing is just seeing those wins and that excitement and that energy and people that I’m helping to help them blossom. It’s just so self rewarding and just something I am super, super passionate about and something I just love doing well.

Nicole Aucoin (26:07):
Well, you’re amazing at it from so many fronts because you can say like, “Hey, I understand. Going out to eat? Hey, this is what you should do.” It’s not like you’re telling people to do one thing and you’re doing something different. Like you have a whole nother respect for you because you practice what you preach. And I agree with you a thousand percent, like the little wins are sometimes the best things because those little wins and those successes lead to motivation to continue, right?

Mary Cook (26:31):
Absolutely, it does. And when I’m having those conversations, I can relate so much to, really ever there’s something in everybody that I can connect to and that and we joke around about it, but I’m able to tie it back to a lot of different experiences that I’ve had and while I’m not perfect, and some things may not work for them. I’m able to share some different ideas, just things to try sometimes, especially if they’re stuck or struggling on how to build a meal or what I can put together, just different little ideas that I’m able to share what’s worked for me.

Nicole Aucoin (27:06):
I love it. And then you’re always bringing it back to their why too. You mentioned that before, like, “Hey, we all have this story. We all have a reason why we wanted to do something. And when the going gets tough, we have to circle back to what was the real reason you wanted to do this hard stuff in the first place?”

Mary Cook (27:22):
Exactly. And when they do know and can talk about it and I see why they get excited, I tell them, hold on to that feeling. That’s what we have to keep going back to in those moments of struggle or just when they’re maybe hitting, hitting a roadblock, those are the things that we just have to go back to. And I always tell them, you can always reach out to me if you need some help or [crosstalk 00:27:46].

Nicole Aucoin (27:47):
Yeah, you’re always there. As a coach, you’re the guide, right? You’re the guide that’s helping them navigate, giving them a different perspective and really providing them the support and accountability. Because you’ve mentioned it multiple times in this episode, if you do not have support, it is so tough to stay on track.

Mary Cook (28:04):
Absolutely. Yes.

Nicole Aucoin (28:05):
So tough. All right. One last question for you. Someone’s listening to this that’s like, “Oh my gosh, I am where you were at age 19. I need to lose 200 pounds.” What would be the first step that you would recommend that they do?

Mary Cook (28:20):
I would… Maybe it is reaching out to a support system. Maybe it’s someone in their inner circle. Just somebody just to let them know, “Hey, I’m ready. What can I…?” I didn’t even really know what to do or where to go. So I think it’s just making, I think the hardest step is the reach out. I tell people when we get our new intros and they’ll put in their a little message I’m nervous to even be reaching out. I said, you already did the hardest part was just reaching out and we’ll help you from here. And as soon as I can talk to that person, what I feel good about is I make somebody feel like they can do this it’s going to be, and I’m real with them. And I said, it’s not a quick fix. You have to be patient. It’s going to take time. We need this commitment. I’m here to support you, but you’re going to have to put in the work too. So it’s really just that reach out, I think, is that hardest step.

Nicole Aucoin (29:08):
A thousand percent I agree with you so much. And actually, the first testimonial that we had someone who’s lost 70 pounds, not nearly where you are, but he definitely has some more room to go. He said the same thing, “Reaching out and finding that person asking for help is definitely the toughest step. But it’s what needs to happen so that you can have a support system to fall back on when the going gets tough.” Mary, where can people find you? Talk to me about how people can follow you and the gym, like where can people find you?

Mary Cook (29:38):
Absolutely. So we just rebranded. So we’re still a CrossFit affiliate. So we are still CrossFit Swarm, S-W-A-R-M. You can look us up on Facebook on Instagram. We have also rebranded as we brought in our whole nutrition services. So now that we’re offering life-changing fitness and nutrition, so we are going by swarm fitness and nutrition. So whether it’s www.crossfitswarm.com or www.swarmfitnessandnutrition.com, you can find us.

Nicole Aucoin (30:07):
Awesome. And then talk to me about, you have a personal social media where you share like the whole journey and ongoing tips that you have for losing weight. Where can people find you on that social media channel?

Mary Cook (30:18):
Yes. So my name is my journey after losing 200 and there’s some underscores in between each of the words, maybe we could post it as part of this, too.

Nicole Aucoin (30:30):
Absolutely. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your story. You have such an incredible story that I know will inspire others to just take that first step and really connect with people that are going to help them move towards their health and wellness goals. You have that awesome support system, and now as a coach, you’re able to support others, which brings it all back, full circle, in my opinion.

Mary Cook (30:54):
Oh, well, thank you so much, Nicole. I’m honored to be on here. I am beyond excited to be able to share my story and now to be able to really follow my passion in helping people in our gym and being that nutrition coach and giving that support and that accountability that people really need.

Nicole Aucoin (31:11):
Awesome. Well, thank you for trusting us to help you be able to implement that program in and do it, and [crosstalk 00:31:17].

Mary Cook (31:16):
I’m so thankful for all of you guys.

Nicole Aucoin (31:19):
Awesome. Wow, what a story. Losing weight isn’t easy. In fact, it’s a journey and it takes a lifelong commitment. It takes decisions and daily actions to leading healthy habits that can transform your health and your body. Are you looking for help? Join our free Facebook group Nutrition Made Simple and get connected with the experts who posts free tips and tricks to help you get on track. I think one of the biggest things that Mary talked about was having that support system, and you really need to identify people who are going to support you, not inhibit you from helping you reach your health and wellness goals. Are you a gym owner or a nutrition coach looking to turn it informal conversation about nutrition into a comprehensive nutrition program?

Nicole Aucoin (32:09):
Mary’s program went from no paying nutrition clients to 18 clients, paying nutrition clients in less than two months with the help of HSN Mentoring, click the link in the show notes so that you can have a free guide to help you build a nutrition program inside a gym. Next week, Ashley and I will be talking all about the CrossFit Open and what you can do to fuel your body for performance to ensure that you’re maximizing all of the energy that you have to do your best in the CrossFit Open. Are you loving this podcast? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and share this podcast so that our mission for helping 4,000 people this month is reached. Have an awesome week. Until next week.