Amy Henry's Bio
Amy HenryNutrition Consultant + Wellness Speaker
From a size 16 down to a STRONG size 6
“If I had to sum up my story in a word it would be “strength.” I have always had the strength to play competitive sports at a high level. I’ve always had the strength to exercise 6 days a week. But when my output didn't reflect the level of my input, and I was physically doing all I could do, that's when I strengthened my mind by educating myself on nutrition, which finally gave my appearance the strength I always knew I had.”
I hope others can find inspiration in my story.
Having been on a “diet” since the age of 5, I have seen my share of ups and downs, literally. I understand the struggles people go through when restricting calories, dealing mentally and emotionally with eating disorders, and the vicious cycle of repetitive weight gains and losses. I understand the struggles because I lived through them.
Always a competitive athlete, I was able to control my weight during my younger years by playing sports such as basketball, swimming and volleyball. College proved to be a challenging time. That is when I decided to become a vegetarian and practice a “No Fat Diet.” The result: my diet was overloaded with carbohydrates causing my body to store excess fat. After graduating with a BS in Management from Georgia Tech, I worked my way up the corporate ladder to become Director of Operations at an IT consulting firm. The combination of long hours at work, sitting behind a desk and continuing to yo-yo diet caused me to put on 40 pounds from my high school weight.
Exercise has always been a constant in my life. But because I didn’t know the nutritional piece of the puzzle, I never had the body shape I felt I should have. Marathons and spinning classes did nothing to change my body composition and I conceded I would always be a “big girl.” The last diet I ever went on was 8 years ago. To get ready for my wedding, I began a no carb/low calorie diet and stopped exercising. I lost 25 pounds of fat and muscle AND almost lost my future husband because I was cranky and starving all the time. On my honeymoon, gaining back 7 pounds in 7 days by eating normally, I decided I could no longer be held prisoner by a diet. My weight began to decrease once I began making small changes in my food choices. It was after the birth of my first child that I realized how strong and amazing the human body can be and began to appreciate the things of which I am capable. With a better mental attitude and support from my husband, Steven, I stopped dieting and started living. I went from a size 16 to a size 10. Replacing the fear of food and weight gain with a more positive outlook caused me to concentrate on improving my overall health and fitness level.
As a cardio junkie who did 6 days a week of spinning and running, I realized that everything needs balance, including my exercise program. After the birth of my second child, I began exercising at The Forum Athletic Club at Lenox in Atlanta, Georgia. Roman Fortin, owner of The Forum and former professional football player, inspired me to add strength training to my workouts and to regulate my blood sugar through nutrition using the Venice Nutrition system. The combination of the changes to my workouts and adoption of the Venice Nutrition system have had amazing results: I went from a size 10 to a size 6 and completely changed my body composition.
Because I am so passionate about fitness, nutrition and helping others, I decided to become a Nutritionist and Wellness Speaker for Venice Nutrition so I could educate people to stop dieting and start living!