Hi, I'm Kersten, PhD, NASM & ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, and Macro University Certified Nutrition Coach.
Here’s the story behind why I do what I do.
From Burnout to Balance: My Fitness & Fat Loss Journey
In my 20s, my relationship with food and exercise was anything but healthy. I was under-eating, overtraining, and obsessing over the scale. My workouts were extreme—sometimes up to 3 hours of fasted running each morning—while I tried to eat as little as possible to stay “skinny.”
I was stuck in a vicious cycle of restriction and binge eating, constantly feeling like I lacked willpower. But what I really lacked was nourishment—and balance.
After 7 years of this, my body was burned out. My hormones were out of whack, I had no periods, my energy was low, and my self-worth was tied entirely to my appearance.
From Skinny to Overweight — From One Extreme to the Other
To restore my health, I had to stop running and eat more. This was necessary to restore my hormonal health and get me out of exhaustion. So I gave myself permission to eat again which was great and much needed after years of restriction. But without any structure, I quickly swung to the other extreme. I gained more weight than I needed to restore health, lost my athleticism, and didn’t feel like myself anymore.
The wake-up call came in late 2019, in a fitting room. Nothing fit. I was out of breath walking up stairs. And I realized something had to change—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.
I was gaining and gaining.
My light bulb moment was at the end of 2019 when I was shopping for a dress for my friends' wedding. As I tried on some options, I realized that I had gone up yet another dress size. I had gone from a healthy size of 8-10, to now 14…
I was not obese by any means but I also wasn't comfortable with all the weight that I had put on. I was missing my athleticism, I was missing my strength and being able to do any activity without getting out of breath. I had always been active before that, so I really felt like I didn't know myself anymore.
The Turning Point: Macros + Muscle
It was that moment in the fitting room that I decided to ask for help.
I had a friend who had told me little bit about macro nutrition, but every time she mentioned it, I brushed it off as something too complicated. Besides, I didn't want to do anything that was even close to dieting. I had done too much of it in the past.
But as I was standing there, not recognizing my own body in the mirror, I decided that I'm ready to give this macro thing a try. I asked my friend, who was a macro coach, to help me.
And it went great.
With macro tracking, I learned how to nourish my body properly without cutting out my favorite foods. I didn’t need a meal plan—I needed education and structure. I started feeling more energized, and within months, I saw better results than I’d ever seen before—without feeling deprived.
Around the same time, I fell in love with real strength training. Not HIIT. Not endless cardio. Just focused, progressive weight lifting with the goal of building muscle and getting strong.
I finally understood the power of strength training—not just for reshaping my body, but for improving my metabolism, hormone health, bone density, and aging well.
I Fell In Love With Strength Training
I learned how skeletal muscle is the cornerstone for excellent metabolic and hormonal health, how strength training was the most valuable tool for strengthening my bones, for slowing down aging… All which could be summed up with two words: Faster metabolism.
I learned that with more muscle mass on the body, we don't only get the fantastic health benefits of a more flexible metabolism, but also the ability to eat more and not gain weight. I learned that lifting weights is the one and only thing that is able to change the shape of our body, something that I had previously tried with endless cardio and not succeeded — and I now knew why.
Helping Women Ditch the Extremes and Find Their Strength
After transforming my own health with macro nutrition and strength training, I knew I had to help other women do the same.
So I became a certified Macro Nutrition Coach and began coaching women who were stuck—either in constant restriction and burnout, or overwhelmed with information and not sure where to start.
Many of my clients are just like I was: done with quick fixes, but unsure how to move forward. I teach them how to fuel properly, train smart, and regulate their nervous systems so they can finally reach their goals—and feel good doing it.
To Sum It Up…
I believe:
✅ You don’t need to suffer to lose body fat.
✅ You can eat your favorite foods and still make progress.
✅ Strength training is the #1 tool for building a healthy, strong, resilient body.
✅ A sustainable approach will always win over short-term intensity.
✅ It’s never too late to change your habits and build the body—and life—you want.
If you want sustainable muscle building and fat loss results, and you want to get them in a healthy way, I am here to help you. This is my passion and I can't wait to work with you! Before you apply, check out the Client Success page.