Embarking on a Journey of Empowerment, Not Just Physical Transformation.
I want to share with you my journey, in the hope that I can inspire and empower you to create a life that will see you thrive. Through my qualifications and lived experience I understand the power of transformation firsthand – and I’m here to help you make the changes you desire with lifestyle coaching and targeted programs.
Back in my high school days, the tumultuous span of Years 11 and 12 were marked by a relentless battle against my weight. This struggle persisted during my university years, where I grappled with the agony of bulimia nervosa. I explored countless diets and subjected myself to bouts of intense exercise in the midst of overeating, starvation, depression, and self-loathing.
I was not considered obese, but I was overweight, making me profoundly uncomfortable in my own skin. After university, I conquered the binge and purge cycle of bulimia through counseling, research, and countless trials and errors.
However, my complex relationship with food remained, intertwined with my weight and emotional struggles. I could see the destructive patterns in my behavior, but breaking free from my obsession with eating, yo-yo dieting, and losing weight felt impossible.
It was an all-consuming ordeal to say the least, concealed behind a facade of happiness and accomplishment. I managed to complete a science degree at Sydney University, started working full time, bought a house, and was in what could be considered a ‘stable’ relationship – the façade somewhat intact. My external appearance masked the inner turmoil that raged within me, always feeling like I was on a precipice, constantly teetering on the edge of collapse or disaster.
It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I reached a breaking point and decided to make a drastic change in my life.
I packed a bag, left everything behind, and moved to South Korea to teach English as a second language. There, hidden beneath the surface, I unearthed the answers I had sought for so many years.
Over the course of eighteen months I shed almost sixteen kilograms and to date, have never put that weight back on. In the years that followed I endured severe emotional and physical stress in the form of destructive relationships, childbirth, single parenthood, and financial hardship; but aside from my pregnancy, my weight never fluctuated by more than a couple of kilos.
For almost twenty years now I have lived an active, healthy, and balanced life; and have explored several vocational areas including conservation and land management, property management, early childhood, and insurance.
Today, in my mid-forties (shhhh!!), I am substantially fitter, stronger, slimmer, and more energetic than I ever was in my late teens and twenties.
Until recent years I held my story close, shrouded in shame and bound by the stigma that often surrounds eating disorders and mental health struggles such as mine. I met countless women of all ages, and also some men, with patterns of behaviour that I was very familiar with and that were indicative of bad relationships with food; I would reflect often that I used to be ‘there’. Most people assumed my weight loss and current physique was effortless or due to good genetics – nothing could have been further from the truth.
About six years ago, a friend lamenting her own weight struggles offhandedly asked me about my “secret” to slimness. In that moment, something within me shifted, and I finally found my voice. As I shared my journey, from battling bulimia to conquering disordered eating, my friend was intrigued and asked to learn more.
As I continued my story, it felt natural to offer help and advice. Her enthusiastic “yes please” ignited a fire within me. Drawing from my passion for writing and journaling, I delved into my old diaries chronicling my evolution from despair and self-loathing to the vibrant, healthy, and energetic person I am today.
From these experiences, I distilled a step-by-step program designed to guide anyone struggling with destructive eating habits and an unhealthy relationship with food.
This was the birth of “Emotional Freedom from Food,” a revolutionary turning point in my life and in the lives it would liberate in the years to come.
Over the next few years, whilst still working nine to five as an environmental officer, I refined the program and acquired additional skills, experience, and qualifications in neuro-coaching and mental health, and in 2019 I was awarded Volunteer of the Year through New South Wales Hunter New England Mental Health.
I had created what I consider to be a unique “winning formula” for achieving lasting optimal weight loss and vibrant health.
I’m determined to share this winning formula, because I believe that if someone had approached me all those years ago when I was at my lowest, sat me down, explained it all, and walked beside me on my journey of healing and self-discovery, I could have been happier, healthier, and, most importantly, slimmer, many years earlier!
In the beginning, it requires commitment, determination, challenge, and effort. But over time, it becomes second nature, a logical path, a natural progression, and a self-determining journey. Eventually, it evolves into simplicity, ease, and most importantly, a profoundly rewarding lifelong experience.
So, my aim and aspiration is to guide you on this transformative journey, to help you gain the mental strength needed for lasting change, and achieve ‘Emotional Freedom from Food‘.
It’s about liberating yourself, embracing food as a source of nourishment and delight, and redefining your relationship with it. This isn’t about merely surviving; it’s about thriving, finding joy in every bite. Together, we’ll turn what was once a torment into a celebration, ensuring that every meal is a testament to your newfound emotional freedom.
It’s your time to savour life, one delicious moment at a time.
Danica.