Hello, Hello!
My name is Britany & I am so happy that you are here right now, reading this (my very first blog post), and supporting me & my dreams. Health & wellness is my one true passion and I am beyond excited to start sharing this with each of you.
Background check.
I was born & raised in a small town about an hour of south of Minneapolis, MN. I grew up only miles away from most of my family & friends, lived a good 20 minutes from a grocery store, & graduated high school with a class of 12 (that is no ‘typo’). Small town or not, it was here that I was taught the values of hard work, dedication, honesty, and respect. My mother was the primary teacher of these valuable traits and let me tell you, she is the shit. All that I am and ever hope to become is greatly due to the way she raised me… shout out to you mom, I love you!
After high school graduation I headed to Minnesota State University-Mankato to further my education & declared a major in Athletic Training. The 4 years I spent obtaining this degree were hands down some of the best years of my life. The friends I met here are some of my very best friends to this day & I am beyond blessed to have them all in my life.
Was health & fitness always top on my list of priorities? No. I honestly didn’t think twice about what my nutrition was like through high school, I could eat whatever I wanted and my body wouldn’t change a bit. In college I exercised on a regular basis and eventually even picked up running as a hobby, however I was less than concerned with my eating (& drinking) habits. Then, slowly but surely the stigma of being ‘skinny’ got the best of me. I was not 100% satisfied with the way I looked or felt, regardless of the amount of time I spent in the gym each week. I decided my diet needed a change, I especially needed to cut out the excess calorie consumption that was happening after 2am. So what did I do? I became a pescatarian. Yes, me… who’d grown up around cows, chickens, and all sorts of other animals, I was no longer going to eat any animal meat other than seafood. Initially this worked wonderful, I no longer could eat the pizza people ordered after bar close because it had sausage on it, I couldn’t order chicken strips at a restaurant so I’d order salmon instead, & McDonalds double cheeseburgers had nothing on me anymore. I had changed to a whole grain, fat-free, ‘healthy’ diet & again was satisfied with my body, myself, my health.
In the spring of 2012 I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelors degree in athletic training & a minor in corporate & community fitness. That following August I packed my bags & headed to Normal, IL where I spent the next 2 years enrolled in their Masters program. I had a graduate assistant position as a Certified Athletic Trainer at a local high school, a second part-time job, & more schoolwork than I knew what to do with. At this point ‘busy’ was an understatement.
Has anyone ever told you that being alone in a new place is one of the most terrifying things in the world? Well, they are correct. I was used to being within a 2-block radius of the majority of my friends & not much further from my family. Now I was 8 hours away from them all, stressed to the max, & getting my first taste of the real world. I absolutely hated the first 2 months, phone calls home were not only daily, but sometimes hourly. Eventually everything got better. I made some new friends, got the hang of the courses I was taking, & grew to love the athletes I worked with every day.
A sudden relationship change sparked my interest in running a half marathon and in the spring of 2013 I finished my first half marathon with one of my closest friends by my side (or maybe slightly behind me… haha). As my graduate work continued, I became more & more interested in proper nutrition & activity levels. While training for my 2nd half marathon I was introduced to the 21-Day Sugar Detox. Initially, I thought it was absolutely crazy... “how am I supposed to give up ice cream & chocolate for 3 whole weeks?!?!” After a few short minutes I calmed down and realized that I was not going to be the one who turned down the challenge. I began the detox ready to conquer & stuck to it the entire 21 days. By the final day I had lost a total of 12lbs, the abs I had always strived for were revealed, & my mood was wonderful all day long. This was a breakthrough for me, cutting out added sugar and processed foods from my diet literally gave me the body I have always dreamed of. I realized right then, that diet carries much more power over your physical and mental state than exercise ever could.
I immediately began sharing this wonderful program with as many people as possible, my roommate was my first and most important recruit. Once I got her hooked, it became our way of life. Testing new recipes, spending afternoons in the local co-op discovering new products, and pushing each other towards our overall health & fitness goals basically engulfed us (in the small amount of spare time we did have). When graduation came in the spring of 2014 we both looked and felt like a million bucks.
Upon completion of my Masters in Kinesiology I headed directly back to my home state (MN) where many friends, family members, & even a special guy awaited me. I began working within a few short weeks, moved into an adorable apartment in Minneapolis, & the biggest news yet… began eating meat again!
Since graduation I have become a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT), 21-Day Sugar Detox Health Coach, & started my own photography business ‘simply b photography.’ Although I’d love to take all the credit for this myself, I need to give a large round of applause, more like a standing ovation to my boyfriend, Austin who has been there for me through this all. Not only has he helped me in times of deep technological error (I am not the best with computers), but he has mentally & physically supported me in creating BOTH of my businesses. Without him none of this would be possible & I am forever grateful for his help.
That’s it! Whew! I may have been slightly long winded there, but I wanted you to get a feel for who I truly am. You deserve to know exactly who you’re working with. That said… I cannot wait to meet you! I’m here to help inspire your true health. I’m here to help you Define Fettle.
Xoxo -brit
