About Me

My name is Amara. I am 21 Years old, and currently live in Fort Wayne, IN. At the age of 11 I began experimenting with harmful behaviors regarding food. As I continued to grow up these behaviors became worse, and eventually took over my life at age 19. I struggled immensely with bulimia, anorexia and complete hatred of my body. I half-heartedly tried to stop these destructive behaviors, but eventually had to seek professional counseling. During my time in therapy I learned so much about dealing with underlying issues and how to change my thinking patterns. I was able to regain control of my life and finally gain some direction.
The following months after completing therapy were challenging. I was eating, I wasn't purging anymore, but I was working out constantly and had lost all of my friends. When I realized what was happening I knew I needed an even bigger change. Fast forward to February 2014, I decided that I wanted to feel good.  It had been so long since I had felt "normal". My entire life was ruled by fear of gaining weight. I didn't do anything the way a "normal" 20 year old would. I began thinking back to my time in therapy and used those tools to make more progress. It was scary to loosen my death-grip on extreme calorie restriction and exercise, but it wasn't too long until I finally felt free. As I began to regain weight and regain my life, I realized that there is a way to have a happy life, and to balance food control and exercise.
Now, at the end of 2014, I can see a bright future. I have established a healthy relationship with food and exercise, I am fulfilled in my relationships, and I am working on building my Health Coaching Business. I firmly believe in balance and taking things slow. I do not agree with the "all or nothing" mentality and I want to help people break free from that cycle. That is why I chose the name "Beyond the Plate". You can have the healthiest diet in the world and the strictest exercise regime and be completely, utterly miserable. You can have great abs and toned arms and still feel ugly and alone. My goal is to coach people through their thinking process and to help establish a positive relationship with food and physical activity. I want to help people find work they love and to improve their relationships. So that's a little about me and where I am coming from. I hope you enjoy the content on this blog, and that if you find it helpful you will pass it along.
Have a wonderful day and thank you for your time,
-Amara