Interview With Dawn

What is different about your coaching approach and why does it work?

You have five main lifestyle habits that create your weight, health, and energy levels – Food. Sleep. Hydration. Movement and Mindset. I teach the essential and fundamental facts of these habits; ‘how’ the body works, and ‘what’ and ‘how’ these are fueling or failing you.

We will work together to shift the priority you give to these, and how you can easily incorporate these changes into your everyday life. This is a real-life sustainable solution, empowering you with the tools needed to create a system that is for your whole lifestyle…for life!

I have created The Mind-Body-Food Success System©; a series of 9 important steps every health/weight conscious person needs to apply to lose weight and keep it off, be healthy from the inside out, and exude energy all day long!

So, my approach does not compete with the other diets out there: what I teach is the basis for all those. My coaching process is a powerful one that creates a ‘shift in consciousness’ and leaves you feeling empowered, equipped, and ready for action. You will go from ‘having’ to eat and be healthy, to ’wanting’ to eat and be healthy – because you simply get it! You get what your body needs, and why, and that will enable you to make healthier choices without even trying. Your mindset is the key to success. You will create new habits that fuel you, and the powerful and positive affect will ripple into every other area of your life! When you have the ‘mind-body-food mindset’ you understand how your body works with, food, and your other lifestyle habits, and all that it gives you. You enter a whole new world of enjoyment from food! You can be relaxed with it, have control over it, and know you can choose whatever you want…because your choices stem from a new foundation.

Once you really make, and experience, the connection that food and your other lifestyle habits are literally fueling you, your moods, health, energy, vitality, stamina; your ability to lose weight; boosting your immune system; giving you clearer skin; improving your sleep…then you will only want to do more of, quite simple, what is good for you. You will know that you have found your life-long food and health plan!

How did you end up specializing in the mind-body-food connection?

To answer this question, it’s probably best that I share with you the defining moments, and resulting ‘compelling story’ for me that brought me to where I am today.

From witnessing my fit and active Dad suddenly being bed-ridden, and changing his diet to drastically turn his health around, and throw his medications away; to the women he got the diet from, who reversed her ‘permanent and ever degrading’ creeping arthritis and got herself out of her wheelchair and walked again; to two women who were in remission from cancer through following an Asian-based diet; to experiencing first-hand the effect of alkaline vs acidic foods on the occurrence of aliments and disease; to simply witnessing time and time again the power of food, positively and negatively, during my worldwide travels.

My final defining moment was when I moved here to the States from England in 2000. As soon as I arrived here I started to put on weight: a lot of weight. I didn’t understand… I was eating the same foods as I was in England and still working out!  Whatever I did, I couldn’t seem to stop it. I was, quite simply, bursting out of all my clothes – it was horrible! My two ‘ah-ha’ moments were when I realized I was most comfortable at work in my pants with the elasticized waistbands and when my old baggy jeans were not only no longer baggy, but actually painful to wear.

I made a commitment to make a change. I put together a plan for just 5 days. 5 days came and went and I stuck to it. It made sense, I was feeling amazing, and getting results. In less than 3 months, I ended up losing all the weight I’d gained, and more, I had new-found energy, and my skin glowed. And, not that I’m would recommend this, but, due to other circumstances, I did it all without going to the gym. Fitness really does start in the kitchen! The true ‘me’ was now reflected on the outside!

I immersed myself in absolutely everything that had to do with getting in-shape and healthy for life. I built upon my previous education and knowledge in nutrition, therapeutic massage…even my Cordon Blue cooking skills. I essentially decided to become a mini-expert on what the everyday person needs to know to lose weight and get healthy. But it goes deeper than that:- it’s not just what you eat, but what your body does with it. Knowledge really is power, and the essential key, to have resolve to make a lasting difference in your life.

My fascination with human behavior and the mindset has always been there: from studying Psychology for a degree, to personal development under Tony Robbins’ Mastery University and annual tutoring program, to coaching people around the world in my corporate role. Success in any area of life is 80% mindset, 20% mechanics. And it was by experiencing a ‘shift’ in my own mindset that made me want to enable others.

My friends saw my success and started taking me to the side and saying “Dawn, how did you lose that weight and keep it off? What am I doing wrong? Can you help me?” I’d give them two or three things to do. Next time I saw them they’d say “I did what you said and it worked! I’ve lost 10 pounds and feel so much better!’

During this process, I had an epiphany! I realized that the thing that I enjoyed MOST was enabling people to debunk all the myths and deal with the facts, and how to easily and effectively incorporate it into their lifestyle – because I’d been there and done it, and continue to live it every day. I had to find ways to eat healthy when healthy food was not around – at work, travelling, parties, restaurants, when time and money were of the essence; manage stress and emotional eating, and deal with the effect of aging on my metabolism and hormones. Thus, I got nicknamed ‘The Street Smart Nutritionist!’

So how do you bring that to others?

I made a commitment to empower men and women, primarily over the age of 25 to their 60s, get in tune with their mind-body-food connection, reach far beyond their health/weight goals, and find their life-long eating and health plan, through my private coaching, corporate programs, workshops, webinars etc. Since then, I’ve worked with many private and corporate clients, spoken in front of countless groups, and have created The Mind-Body-Food Success System™; a series of 9 important steps every health/weight conscious person needs to apply to lose weight and keep it off, be healthy from the inside out, and exude energy all day long!.

So how will this work for me?

Real-life tools/techniques of what works – I give what I call ‘street-smart’ solutions: tools and techniques that work in our hectic lifestyle, that are easily adapted, and are immediately effective. These have been tried and tested by many, as well as throughout my weight-loss journey. I live it! I understand your struggles because I have been through them, and continue to live it daily! I’m on-the-go constantly, and what I teach in the Mind-Body-Food Success System is exactly what I do personally to stay healthy, lean and fit.

Focused On The Facts – I focus on the facts of how your body works – the ABC’s of what it needs – and what you’re doing that’s fueling or failing it. This knowledge and understanding provides an essential deeper layer of motivation and reason to change. And will be the ‘grounding stone’ or backbone of your life-long food and health plan!

My personal investment in you – I will personally guide you to your goals by making small, sustainable changes, one step at a time, so within a short time, your new dietary and lifestyle behaviors become an established, automatic part of your life. You ‘resolve’ will need re-fueling along the way, and you will need to be reminded of your reason and motivation, especially through the tough times. You need an accountability partner – someone to reach out to at any time. You need mentorship that addresses your needs, likes, dislikes, habits and routines. You will, at times, need someone to be ‘on your case’, to nudge you over the hurdles. As your coach I will be there ‘by your side’ providing all of this. I’ll be available through e-mails and texts on a daily basis to answer your mind-body-food questions, help you overcome any related problems, or troubleshoot any obstacles.

More Than Just Nutrition – It is not enough to just be an expert in nutrition. It is far more than this. I don’t really like the word ‘nutritionist’ as, to me, it sounds too ‘text-book’, and focuses just on food. To be successful in a way that is sustainable, and infact easier, is to understand and address the main fundamental pillars and associated behaviors that create your weight, health, and wellness: sleep, hydration, food (calories and nutrients), exercise/movement. As your coach, it is my responsibility to ensure these are all worked on in parallel, in a plan designed for your lifestyle.

Beyond Just a Goal – Most people have some sort of weight or health goal. But unless this is realistic, and has substantial reason and motivation behind it, it will probably fizzle out after one or two attempts. I am able to really get to the core of what’s going to work for you. I will establish real motivation that will push and pull you through as you change your habits and behaviors, and work out a realistic attainable plan. I will design an optimal mind-body-food plan tailored to your individual needs, taste preferences, activity level, and lifestyle.

It about Long-Term Sustainable Success – This is not a quick-fix: this is a lifestyle change – and essentially so. What I teach is for life! I am successful if, not only have you reached your goals, but that you have truly adopted and incorporated the healthy habits and principles into your life. I will clearly witness your mindset shift! It’s like riding a bike: it takes time and is a process…but once you get it, you can never forget. You are then able to go on to finely tune your new habits, and continue to optimize your weight and health.

Knowing the psychology of it all – A lot of people know what to do, but yet still struggle to lose weight or create healthier habits. That’s because knowing what to do is only part of the solution. Habits are entwined with attitudes, belief, and behaviors; and most people need help with the psychology of change, or eliminating old poor nutritional habits, and implementing new nutritional behaviors. Having studied Psychology, especially behaviors and habits – and how they are formed – it is clear that your mindset is your key to success.

I want to maximize it all and bring that to you! I bring to you my personal story – my powerful experiences, and my own mindset ‘shift’; my years of education and constant research, and my real-life knowledge from around the world. I will educate, inspire and transform you to get healthy and slim from the inside out, and empower you with the ‘mind-body-food mindset’ for your best life!