I'm a Nutritionist, I'm Curvy, and My Labs Are Optimal

The scale read 103kg this morning.

Standing in my bathroom, I looked at that number and felt... nothing. No shame spiral. No diet panic. Just data.

Here's what else I know: my blood work is textbook perfect. My HRV sits between 50-80. My Oura recovery scores consistently hit above 90. Low inflammation markers. Excellent blood glucose regulation. Strong lipid profile. Optimal insulin sensitivity.

I'm also 180cm tall and wear a size 14-16.

I run ultramarathons. I'm training for a 92km gravel cycling event. I'm strong, capable, and fit.

And I'm the nutritional scientist you're trusting with your health transformation.

The Question Nobody Asks Out Loud (or maybe it was just me?)

"Can someone who looks like her really help me lose weight?"

You're wondering. You should wonder. I would too.

The wellness industry has taught you that credibility looks a certain way. Lean. Toned. Instagram-filtered into a very specific body shape that supposedly proves expertise.

I'm here to tell you that's nonsense.

What My Body has to say..

My Labs Don't Lie. Every six months, I run comprehensive blood work. Fasting glucose. Insulin sensitivity. Lipid panels. Inflammatory markers. Hormone levels. The results? Metabolically healthy across every measure.

My Training Isn't Theoretical. I hold an Honours degree in Nutritional Science. I'm certified in Metabolic Balance protocols. I've completed advanced training in NLP, CBT, and sports nutrition. My knowledge comes from European medical education standards, not weekend certification courses.

I Practice What I Teach. The same protocols I use with clients? I live them daily. The Metabolic Bridge Protocol wasn't developed in a textbook. It came from years of my own experimentation, refinement, and real-world testing.

But Here's What Most Wellness Professionals Won't Tell You

I track my macros. I weigh my food. And I probably always will.

I know that sounds contradictory. The curvy nutritionist with perfect labs who's supposed to represent "food freedom" is... tracking every gram of protein and carbohydrate?

Let me explain why this matters.

My Genetic Reality

I've had comprehensive genetic testing done through SelfDecode. I understand exactly what I'm working with.

I have the FTO AA genotype combined with LEPR GG variants. In plain language: my body's hunger and satiety signaling works fundamentally differently from someone without these variants.

Research shows that people with the FTO gene variant have higher ghrelin levels (the hunger hormone) and reduced dopamine signaling in response to food (Frayling et al., 2007; Stice et al., 2008). The LEPR gene affects leptin receptor function — leptin is your "I'm full" hormone. With LEPR variants, even when my fat cells signal "we're good," my brain isn't getting the message properly (Wauters et al., 2001).

In practical terms? My body's internal fuel gauge is broken.

Studies show people with these genetic variants consume 125-280 more calories per day when eating freely (Haupt et al., 2009). Over a year? That's 13-29kg of potential weight gain.

For years, I fought this. I thought I was broken. How could I, someone with an honors degree in nutritional science, not manage my own appetite without constant effort?

When "Thin" turned my world upside down

I've been lighter. About 15kg lighter, actually.

And I was not healthy.

My hair fell out. I lost muscle mass despite training. My menstrual cycle disappeared. I was cold all the time. My energy crashed. My athletic performance tanked.

But hey, I was thin, right?

Here's the really insidious part: I wasn't even hungry anymore. Years of severe restriction had suppressed my metabolism so dramatically that my hunger signals shut down completely. I was eating around 1,500 calories while burning close to 3,000 through training, and I felt... nothing.

That's not "fixed" hunger signals. That's a metabolism on the verge of shutdown.

Research on adaptive thermogenesis shows that when you maintain body weight far below your set point, your metabolism can suppress by 300-500 calories per day beyond what would be expected for your new body size (Rosenbaum & Leibel, 2010). My lips were blue. Everything possible got downregulated.

That was three years ago.

I was "thinner." But I was objectively less healthy.

Set Point Theory and Why I'll Always Be Curvy

We all have a biological set point range for body weight (Müller et al., 2010) — the weight range your body defends based on genetics, not what Instagram says you should weigh.

My genetic variants mean my natural set point is higher. My body wants to be curvy. It's supposed to be curvy.

Now, at 103kg, with proper nutrition supporting my training load and structure around my eating that works with my genetics instead of against them?

I'm the healthiest I've ever been. I've gained power, performance, and 8kg of muscle. Yes, some fat too, but negligible compared to all the other benefits.

I'd rather be curvy, strong, powerful, and healthy than thin, depleted, injured, and miserable.

What "Healthy" Actually Looks Like

Health isn't a size. It's a collection of metabolic markers, functional capacity, and quality of life.

The Health at Every Size paradigm, supported by over two decades of research, shows that metabolic health markers can be excellent across a wide range of body sizes (Bacon & Aphramor, 2011).

You can be "thin" and have terrible metabolic health. You can be larger-bodied and have optimal markers.

My labs prove this. My athletic performance proves this. The fact that I can run ultras through New Zealand's trails proves this.

Why "Intuitive Eating" Doesn't Work for Everyone

The intuitive eating movement has done wonderful things for people trapped in diet culture. For many people, reconnecting with natural hunger cues is genuinely healing.

But intuitive eating assumes your hunger and satiety signals are functioning normally.

Research shows this isn't the case for everyone. Genetic variants affecting appetite regulation mean that for some of us, our "intuition" is unreliable (Locke et al., 2015).

A 2019 study found that individuals with multiple genetic variants (like my FTO AA + LEPR GG combination) consumed up to 30% more calories before reporting fullness compared to those without these variants (Livingstone et al., 2019).

Thirty percent. That's biology, not willpower.

When you layer metabolic suppression from years of dieting on top of genetic variants affecting hunger, you get what I experienced: either complete absence of hunger signals (when suppressed) or overwhelming hunger (when recovering). Neither state provides reliable guidance.

A Structured Approach That Works

So what do I do? The same thing I recommend to clients who share similar struggles or who want a structured, evidence-based approach.

I know "tracking macros" sounds like diet culture. But here's my reframe: tracking gives me the freedom to live in a body that feels good and performs well.

For me, this looks like:

Knowing my protein target (1.6-2.2g per kg body weight for muscle maintenance during endurance training)

Understanding my carbohydrate needs based on training load (5-7g per kg on high-volume days)

Ensuring adequate fat for hormone production (at least 20-30% of total calories, crucial in perimenopause)

Having a calorie range that supports metabolic health without suppression (currently 2,200 calories)

I weigh and track my food. Not obsessively. Not with moral judgment. But consistently, because my internal signals cannot be trusted. It is just what it is.

Research shows that self-monitoring is one of the strongest predictors of successful long-term weight management — not because restriction works, but because awareness allows you to make choices aligned with your actual needs rather than dysregulated hunger signals (Burke et al., 2011).

This Is Permanent

It took me years to accept that this was in fact a permanent change to how I would live my life.

My genetics won't change. My leptin receptors won't suddenly start working differently. My set point won't magically lower.

I will always need external structure to maintain optimal health. I will always need to track my intake. I will always need to plan and prepare. I will always need to be more active than the average person.

And I will always be curvy.

I've made peace with both truths.

Because the alternative — either living with declining metabolic markers, OR trying to maintain an unsustainably low weight that costs me my hair, muscle, hormones, and performance — neither option is acceptable.

Acceptance Doesn't Mean Giving Up

Accepting that I'm curvy is not the same as accepting poor health.

I don't accept elevated inflammation. I don't accept declining metabolic markers. I don't accept feeling sluggish or having impaired performance.

What I accept is that my healthy body is a curvy body. My optimal weight — where my labs are perfect, my performance is strong, my energy is high — is 103kg.

That's 15+kg heavier than what diet culture and traditional and out of date metrics say I "should" weigh.

And it's exactly where my body thrives.

Research on weight-neutral approaches shows that focusing on health behaviors rather than weight loss leads to better metabolic and psychological outcomes (Ulian et al., 2018). When I stopped trying to force my body smaller and started working for health and performance, everything improved.

My inflammation dropped. My recovery improved. My training got stronger. My labs got better.

Not because I lost weight. Because I started working WITH my body instead of against it.

Why I'm Telling You This

Some of us have genetics that mean we can't rely on internal hunger cues. Some of us have set points higher than what society deems acceptable. Some of us are healthiest in larger bodies. Many of us have damaged our metabolic function through years of restriction.

We need to stop pretending that's a personal failing.

Genetic variants affecting appetite regulation and metabolism are incredibly common. A genome-wide association study identified 97 genetic loci associated with body mass index (Locke et al., 2015). You might have some of these variants too.

If you've tried intuitive eating and consistently gained weight, or felt constantly hungry, or felt no hunger while severely under-eating — it might not be because you're doing it wrong.

It might be because your genetic makeup requires a different approach.

The wellness space has swung so hard against "diet culture" that we've created new shame: the shame of needing structure. The shame of tracking food. The shame of being in a larger body even when you're healthy.

But structure isn't the enemy. Weight stigma and the pursuit of thinness at the expense of health are the enemy.

The Professional Standard

Would you trust a slim nutritionist who eats processed food and has terrible lab work?

Then why judge a curvy nutritionist with optimal health markers and advanced credentials?

Your bias is showing. I get it. The industry trained you to think this way.

But consider: maybe the nutritionist who maintains metabolic health without obsessing over body size has figured out something valuable. Maybe she's developed protocols that work with human biology instead of against it. Maybe she understands appetite regulation, genetic variants, and metabolic adaptation because she lives it every day.

Maybe that's exactly who you want guiding your transformation.

Here's My Promise

I won't sell you before-and-after photos (change is so much deeper than that). I won't promise you'll fit a specific dress size. I won't measure your worth on a scale but we will use it a a tool in the beginning.

I will:

• Analyze your individual biochemistry through proper blood work

• Design a Metabolic Balance protocol specific to your body's needs

• Teach you how to eat in ways that support hormonal balance

• Help you transition from strict protocols to sustainable lifestyle eating

• Track the metrics that actually predict health outcomes

• Show you how to create structure that works WITH your biology

Your body will change. Your labs will improve. Your energy will return.

How you look at the end? That's between you and your unique biology.

The Bottom Line

I'm a nutritional scientist who tracks macros and probably always will. I'm also a curvy woman with optimal labs, excellent athletic performance, and optimal metabolic health.

These things aren't contradictory.

Not because I'm obsessed with food or trapped in diet culture.

But because my genetics mean that without structure, my body will consistently drive me to eat more than I need. Because years of restriction damaged my metabolic signaling. And because I've accepted that my healthy weight is higher than what society says it should be.

This isn't a diet. It's not temporary this is how it is for me.

It's about being as healthy, strong, and capable as possible in the body I actually have — not the body someone else thinks I should have.

My weight fluctuates and always will. I'm not stressing about it anymore. but I sitll have days that I feel off of course. That is being human.

If you need your practitioner to look a certain way before you trust their expertise, I'm not your person.

But if you're ready to work with someone who understands metabolic complexity, values health over aesthetics, has the training to guide real transformation, AND understands what it's like to need structure in a world that shames you for it?

I'm exactly your person.

My body doesn't diminish my expertise. It enhances my understanding of what's actually possible when you stop fighting biology and start working with it.

If you've been struggling — fighting hunger that doesn't match your energy needs, being told you need to lose weight despite good health markers, feeling like you're the only one who can't just eat normally, or feeling shame about needing structure around food — maybe it's time to consider a different approach.

Not a more restrictive one. A more personalized one. One that works with your unique genetics, honors your natural set point, addresses metabolic damage from past restriction, and focuses on actual health rather than arbitrary weight goals.

That's what I do for myself. And it's what I help perimenopausal women do in the Sérenité Women's Wellness Program.

Because understanding your body isn't about forcing it to comply with someone else's idea of "normal."

It's about discovering what actually works for YOUR body — in all its curvy, strong, perfectly healthy glory — and building a sustainable life around that truth.

References:

Bacon, L., & Aphramor, L. (2011). Weight science: evaluating the evidence for a paradigm shift. Nutrition Journal, 10(1), 9.

Burke, L. E., Wang, J., & Sevick, M. A. (2011). Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 111(1), 92-102.

Frayling, T. M., et al. (2007). A common variant in the FTO gene is associated with body mass index and predisposes to childhood and adult obesity. Science, 316(5826), 889-894.

Haupt, A., et al. (2009). Impact of variation in the FTO gene on whole body fat distribution, ectopic fat, and weight loss. Obesity, 17(10), 1942-1945.

Livingstone, K. M., et al. (2019). FTO genotype and weight loss: systematic review and meta-analysis of 9563 individual participant data from eight randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 354, i4707.

Locke, A. E., et al. (2015). Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology. Nature, 518(7538), 197-206.

Mensinger, J. L., et al. (2020). Diet-free interventions and health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Research Reviews, 1-19.

Müller, M. J., et al. (2010). Changes in energy expenditure with weight gain and weight loss in humans. Current Obesity Reports, 5(4), 413-423.

Phillips, S. M., & Van Loon, L. J. (2011). Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(sup1), S29-S38.

Rosenbaum, M., & Leibel, R. L. (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. International Journal of Obesity, 34(S1), S47-S55.

Stice, E., et al. (2008). Relation of obesity to consummatory and anticipatory food reward. Physiology & Behavior, 97(5), 551-560.

Ulian, M. D., et al. (2018). Effects of health at every size® interventions on health-related outcomes of people with overweight and obesity: a systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 19(12), 1659-1666.

Wauters, M., et al. (2001). Leptin receptor gene polymorphisms are associated with insulin in obese women with impaired glucose tolerance. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 86(7), 3227-3232.

If you're a woman in perimenopause struggling with metabolic health despite doing "all the right things," the missing piece might be understanding your unique internal landscape. My Sérenité Women's Wellness Program uses blood pathology analysis to create truly personalized nutrition protocols that work with your specific metabolism. Learn more about working together