MORE about me
I am a dog and cat and plant mom, coffee enthusiast, sometimes recreational power lifter, and avid reader of Yelp reviews. I have a BS in Community Health Education and a passion for continuing to absorb and share health-related knowledge.
I did not grow up in a health and fitness oriented family. I did not do sports in high school. In fact, I barely passed my gym class. I am not naturally predisposed to being physically active or thin. I spent my entire adolescence overweight and I vividly remember being completely winded and needing to stop for a break halfway up a set of stairs on my college campus as a freshman. I hit my highest weight of 215 lbs when I was 19, and spent the next several years working to lose 75 lbs. I did so only through my nutrition (and some regular walking) -- I didn’t find exercise I enjoyed until I had already hit my lowest weight.
My long-term focus on proper nutrition and physical activity makes me feel a little bit like I’m aging in reverse. I am physically and mentally healthier in my thirties than I was in my teens and early twenties, and I feel like I am still getting better. Making good nutritional decisions allows me to do the things I love, like lifting barbells and hiking mountains, while still enjoying a big rice Krispie treat or glass of wine when I want one.
certifications + experience
BS in Community Health Education
Certified Health Education Specialist
MY NUTRITION JOURNEY
I grew up in a family that didn’t really stress about nutrition. My mom made us eat vegetables and tried to make us do at least one physical activity regularly, but exercise always felt like a chore and I never really thought about what I ate. I was definitely always the “chubby friend” in my friend groups, and things only got worse when I got to college.
I lived mostly on fast food and Milk Duds the first two years I lived on my own. I used to get off of work from my retail job at 10 PM and then go out to an all night diner for chicken strips, fries, and dessert. If someone had told me at that point that I would ever even develop an interest in nutrition - let alone become a nutrition coach - I definitely would have laughed.
At a doctor’s appointment at 19, I got on the scale for the first time in two or three years and saw that I weighed 215 lbs. Something about that didn’t sit right and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. In December of that year, I decided it would be my New Year’s Resolution to lose some weight. I didn’t really have an end goal in mind, just that I would see if it was even something I could do. I ended up starting my resolution early, and began tracking my calories the day after Christmas.
A lot of my initial weight loss was through trial and error, mostly using some of the core principles of flexible dieting: aiming to increase my protein intake and counting my calories. I still have a few of the handwritten food journals I kept during that time, and I wish I had received some outside guidance when I was going through that time period. It took me three years to lose 75 lbs. That would have been much faster with a coach.
Although I had been successful with my big weight loss, I ended up diving into other diets because I felt like maybe I had more to learn. Over the next few years, I tried everything from vegetarianism to low-carb dieting to strict Paleo, and eventually found lasting success by doing my research and using evidence-based nutrition, which looked a lot like what had brought me my initial success: counting my calories, then focusing on protein, and eventually tracking my macros. Even when I switched gears from losing weight to gaining strength and muscle mass, I have been able to use the same approach to make sure I am well-fueled while also still being happy with how my body looks. I’ve also been able to take long stretches of time off of tracking and just rely on my habits while still maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy relationship with food.
Looking back, I honestly can’t remember every little step I took that transformed me from being someone who never thought about what I was eating, to someone with an unbreakable weekly food prep habit. But that’s the magic of flexible nutrition: it’s all about baby steps and finding strategies that feel so livable that you can keep up with them indefinitely.
WHAT MY CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ME
“Whitney is a fantastic coach who continually kept me motivated and worked to find solutions that met the life I am currently living (not the imaginary version of me who is good all the time). She was knowledgeable and able to speak from her own real world experience of lifting and of losing weight. It is important to note how positive she is. There is never a discussion of ideal weight; it is about finding a nutrition or tracking method that supports my goals. I felt supported and inspired by Whitney. And I trusted that the advice she gave me had nothing to do with fads and buzz words, but was backed by real science and real proof of what works. It wasn’t sexy but it worked!”
FEMALE, 43 YEARS OLD
WHITNEY, 35 YEARS OLD
“Having Whitney has been a game changer! I feel so good this summer, I feel confident and not scared around food and parties! My mindset has done a 180 to the point that my friends have noticed!”
“Whitney helped me get to a place where I have such a better relationship with food. I am so glad I took the plunge 13 months ago to sign up to work with Whitney. It’s cheesy, but I feel like it’s changed my life! I’m just grateful to have discovered better, more balanced meals centered around good nutrition so I can nourish my body, and still enjoy my favorite things. I think what Whitney, Kate, and the team are sharing with the world is really special, and I hope this message makes it to everyone wanting to improve their relationship with food, but more importantly themselves!!”
FEMALE, 31 YEARS OLD
whitney’S QUICK FACTS
ROLE
Nutrition coach, at-home bartender, and sourdough enthusiast
BORING CREDENTIALS
B.S., magna cum laude, in Community Health Education; CHES
GO-TO DRINK
Gin (fave: The Botanist) + fresh-squeezed lime + seltzer
NON-GUILTY PLEASURE
Processed cheese. I’m talking Velveeta, nacho cheese, and Ritz Bitz Sandwiches here.
WALK OUT SONG
Woman by Kesha
FUN FACT
I am not naturally athletic and spent most of my formative years doing creative things (and participating in basically no physical activity). I still love to sing, draw, and read (especially fantasy fiction with a strong female lead).
COACHING SUPERPOWER
I am enthusiastic about helping my clients dismantle the nutrition dogma they've internalized, and swap it out for evidence-based principles and habits that work for them - both physically and mentally.
on instagram: @wlandonberg
WORK WITH WHITNEY
