About

The scoop on me

I struggled with my weight. Even though I wasn’t heavy in high school, I felt fat and suffered from low self esteem. I struggled with addictions to drugs, alcohol and cigarettes as a young adult and as I laid each one of those addictions down, my weight increased. I used food as a way to continue not feeling and dealing with my false and damaging belief systems. I did a lot of personal work, but was still hiding behind the weight.

I turned to food to stuff my feelings of self-doubt, insecurity and unhappiness. Like you, I tried diet after diet, hypnosis, exercise-but-not-eating-right and vice versa, beating myself up, deprivation and just trying really hard. Most of it didn’t work at all; some of it worked for a while until I regained the weight or even more.

I have been up to 50 lbs. heavier and have yo-yo dieted and beat myself up for how I looked for many years. I’m happy to say that’s over. What did I do? I walked my talk. I hired a weight loss coach to take me through the process of examining not only what, when and how I ate, but much more importantly, WHY I ate. I now weigh less than the lie on my driver’s license. (I currently weigh 164 lbs. and am a size 10/12.)

I went into the process wanting a lower number on the scale; I came out of it reconnected to my feelings of freedom, confidence and self-respect. Those feelings were always within me, I just believed a bunch of false stories that got in the way of who I really am.

Food does not own me anymore. I am free from weird eating rules and conventions I created for myself. I fuel my body with food and give to it with exercise. I commit to being kind to myself and seeing myself as the strong, confident and dare I say foxy woman I am. I am so passionate about this process because it worked for me and I know it can work for you.

As a coach, my job is to:

• Not to tell you what your truth is, but to help you access that information that already exists within you
• Teach you tools that allow you to stay connected with yourself, examine your thoughts and belief systems, and achieve and maintain your natural weight. My job is not to make you dependent upon me.
• Clearly and truthfully (and sometimes boldly) tell you what I think is going on. Your job is to tell me where I’m wrong (really!).
• Help you build respect and accountability for yourself, not be your food police.
• Be there for you on this journey in the form of utmost respect, support, love, and virtual high five’s.
• Remind you not to take it all so damn seriously.

I’ve studied with the best. I’ve trained with some of the best coaches in the country. I am a master certified Martha Beck coach, personally trained by Martha Beck, author, columnist for O Magazine, and frequent Oprah guest. I’m also a certified weight loss coach trained by Brooke Castillo, author of “If I’m So Smart, Why Can’t I Lose Weight?”

I have a Communications degree from the University of Washington, where I specialized in interpersonal communication, small group dynamics, public speaking and organizational communication. Prior to life coaching, I worked for 13 years in various marketing leadership roles for both large and small corporations, both functional and dysfunctional. I was known for my ability to create relationships and seek common ground even in the most difficult situations—to lead people through the hard stuff.

I love this work. In doing this work myself, I not only lost weight, I changed my life. I realized that I am passionate about helping others out of this place of feeling trapped inside their bodies. I get what you’re going through and I believe in what I’m doing. I truly love working with my clients—we dig in and do the work, and have a lot of laughs along the way.

Ok, really about me.

• What you see is what you get. I strive to be authentic and real. I am not perfect and I won’t pretend to be.
• I believe there’s way more to be happy about then be sad or pissed about.
• I have an irreverent sense of humor and am not afraid to use it.
• I was born, raised and will always live in Seattle, Washington. This is my place–when the clouds break and the sun sparkles on my city, there’s nothing better.
• I am a voracious reader. I read fiction, self-help, tons of blogs and basically whatever I can get my hands on.
• I’m strangely addicted to email and online social networks. If you like, friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter, @bridgetteb.
• I’ve developed a love of working out—I even run a little. Crazy.
• I’m never giving up Diet Coke or coffee—or nachos—but I’m also not dependent on them.
• Golf teaches me there’s always more work to be done and that throwing your clubs doesn’t help you play better.
• Family and friends are lifeblood to me—vital, nourishing and required.
• I adore my partner Chona, she’s my rock, my best friend and fellow goofball.
• I am strong, physically, mentally and emotionally. I got that way by doing this work.