About
About Me
Thanks for stopping by my site! If you are interested in how I turned my Struggle into Strength then read below…I’m still a work in progress (who isn’t?)
Hi I’m Marja!
I’m a Holistic Nutritionist and a high fat ketogenic enthusiast, on a mission to transform the way women think about food, our body’s and the dieting culture!
I grew up playing every sport imaginable, with an emphasis in soccer. Playing sports created my identity, passion and competitive drive!
At age 13 I noticed I was gaining weight, so I started going to the gym and lifting weights. Although I loved exercising, I slowly became obsessed with my weight and everything I ate.
I began excessively calorie counting, diet pills, and taking extreme measures to weigh a certain number on the scale.
This behaviour lead to having an eating disorder and disordered eating throughout my entire adolescence into my early 20’s.
My Story
In my 20’s I started creating a healthier relationship with food and exercise through education and working with different mentors and coaches.
My original career choice was to become a high school gym teacher since physical activity had been one of my biggest passions growing up. I began working towards a Bachelors degree in Physical Education and Coaching. Throughout my program I naturally became a personal trainer.
From all the years of crash dieting and restrictive eating I faced a lot of digestive problems and hormonal issues that I wanted to find answers to. I was tired of doctors telling me to just “cook my vegetables and take a pill with out” explaining the WHY and uncovering the real imbalance.
The nutrition courses I took in college and university looked at food as energy and numbers, not as medicine. I wanted to learn more about nutritional therapy, so that I could heal and support my OWN body from within.
I very soon discovered my real PASSION was on holistic health and nutrition. I was fascinated how food could change the body on a cellular level and the complexity of the digestive system. So I changed career paths and became a Holistic Nutritionist in 2012.
Bodybuilding
In 2014 I entered my first fitness competition, in the bikini category. I was attracted to the hard work and discipline that came along with the sport and to be completely honest, I wanted to see how ripped I could get by following a specific protocol.
I have competed in 5 federations such as the INBF, IDFA, NPAA, BCABBA and FMF. I received my pro card in the IDFA –International Drug Free Association in the bikini category in November 2015.
Although I LOVED the training and seeing my body transform, the sport triggered my past disordered eating to come back, not to mention body dysmorphia.
I reverted back to extreme calorie counting, tracking every ounce of food I ate (like a psycho) weighing food, and once again I became obsessed with the number on the scale and my physical appearance.
I was so caught up in the industry I didn’t realized how it was affecting my mental health. I ultimately came to the realization that fitness competitions where too taxing on my soul that I needed to give up the sport.
The Break down that let to Breakthrough
Beginning my Ketogenic journey in 2016 was a shockingly beautiful experience.
Full disclosure it took 6 months for me to figure out what worked for my body and design my version of keto.
In time eating high fat kept me feeling full and provided this new (better) type of energy.
From body building competitions and crash dieting I had lost my period (amenorrhea). So eating keto I was able to get my period back.
I was able to reset my hunger hormones, and regulate my appetite, so food wasn’t constantly on our mind.
The most beautiful discovery was I was finally able to stabilize my weight and create a healthy relationship with food and myself for the first time in my entire life.
That is when realized, that SO many women struggle with this exact same problem.
I starting looking for ways that I could take what I learned, what I knew worked, and what I thought could be improved to create a program that could specifically help WOMEN benefit from this style of eating.
I set out to design a program that embodied all aspect of health nutrition, mindset, movement and spirituality.
To prevent women from both making the same painful mistakes I made throughout my own journey and to get results, but ones that actually last.
And that is why the Fat Fuelled Female Method was created!
I want to inspire other women to live freely, without obsessing over food and having the scale dictate their level of happiness.
My passion with health and wellness shines through with the dedication and support I provides for my clients and their individual transformations.
If you are ready to take the next step and become a Fat Fuelled Female I am here to both guide and support you into an amazingly, beautiful lifestyle change!
Marja xo
Education & Certification
- Sports Science Diploma
- Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN)
- Registered Personal Trainer (BCRPA)
- Certified Sports Nutritional Advisor
- NCCP Certificate Olympic Weightlifting
- Crossfit Level 1
- Group Fitness (Canfit Pro)
- Yoga Instructor (200h)
- Yin Yoga (70h)
- Certified Pre/Post Natal
- Certified Twist Conditioning
- Certified First Aid/CPR
- Bachelors Health Science (4th year)