Meet Amy

Welcome! I'm so glad you're here.

For years, I believed my struggle with food was a lack of willpower.  When I was 23, after having my son, I gained about 74 pounds. For years I joked that my son made me fat, until one day someone looked me straight in the eye and said, "So... when are you going to stop blaming your son for your weight? He's an adult now."

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As much as it stung, they were right. My son wasn't the reason I was overweight. I was using food to cope with stress, emotions, and life itself.

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Sugar had become my comfort.

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I carried a tremendous amount of shame about how much I was eating. It wasn't unusual for me to secretly buy three or four candy bars, a bag of chips, and a soda, then eat them all before I got home. I'd hide the wrappers in my purse like they were evidence at a crime scene. A couple of times each week, I'd bake a batch of cookies and eat every single one before my husband walked through the door.

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From the outside, I looked like I had everything under control. Inside, I felt trapped.

Then, when I turned 50, my own "check engine light" came on, literally.

The right side of my face went numb. My tongue tingled. My arms ached, and my right arm and leg kept falling asleep.

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For a while, doctors thought I might have multiple sclerosis or lupus. After what felt like every test known to man (I'm convinced I glow in the dark now!), I finally received good news: I didn't have either condition.

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But that health scare changed everything. It forced me to stop asking, "How do I lose weight?" and start asking, "Why am I eating this way in the first place?" That question led me on a journey that transformed my life.

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I began learning about stress, emotional eating, mindful eating, and how our thoughts, emotions, and nervous system influence the choices we make around food. I discovered that emotional eating wasn't a character flaw; it was a coping strategy.

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As I learned healthier ways to manage stress and difficult emotions, something incredible happened. The cravings that had controlled my life for decades slowly began to lose their grip. Through lifestyle changes, mindful eating, and learning how to care for both my mind and body, I lost all 74 pounds in just ten months. I went from a size 18 to a size 4.

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My health changed too. My total cholesterol dropped to 135, my LDL ("bad") cholesterol fell by 103 points, my blood pressure returned to a healthy range, and I felt more energetic and alive than I ever thought possible.

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But the greatest transformation wasn't the number on the scale. It was finally finding peace with food.

Today, my passion is helping others discover that same freedom. I created Beyond Emotional Eating because I want you to know that lasting change isn't about finding the perfect diet or having more willpower. It's about understanding the deeper reasons behind your eating, learning practical tools that truly work, and treating yourself with compassion instead of criticism.

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If you're here, I want you to know something important:

You don't have to be perfect.

You don't have to do this alone.

And no matter how long you've struggled, change is possible.

I'm honored you're here, and I look forward to walking this journey with you.