Jana Giles
Coach
Qualifications
About Coach
I believe life happens for us and not to us. The hard situations in life can actually come to serve ourselves and others. With that being said, it was a rough start but the things that happened led me to a life full of adventure and drive. It directed me towards my passion of helping others grow in their journey. When I was a baby my aunt noticed I was a strange color. Like a grayish yellow tint - not a color you want to see on a baby. My parents were obviously worried so they took me to the hospital, ran a million tests, and came home with a diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism. I was born without a thyroid. If you don’t already know, your thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland located in your throat. It controls your hormones, your metabolism, and your energy levels. It’s a pretty big deal to not have one. All throughout my life hormones have been a pain in my butt… or my throat to be more anatomically correct. Bless my parents for putting up with me in my teenage years. That was a yikes party! Mix poor eating habits with being a stressed out pre-teen with a thyroid problem and you get an 80 pound weight gain between 7th grade and my freshman year of high school. Oof. Then, my junior year we had a major loss in our family. My dad passed away from a heart attack. He was 6’4 and weighed in at about 450 pounds. He was my best friend. As you can imagine, it shook my family. I had seen my dad struggle with weight and health issues my entire life. From diabetes, toe amputations, neuropathy, and heart problems. It was hard to watch as a kid. My senior year I decided I wanted something different for my life. It led me to eventually losing 50 pounds with diet and exercise and eventually going through a holistic nutrition program, riding my bicycle across America twice, running a half marathon, and developing a health and lifestyle coaching program for women. I love a solid redemption story. In the ups and downs of that journey I did hit some pretty painful spots. Unfortunately, I developed an eating disorder and body dysmorphia, and was very sick for a couple of years. I knew I needed help. With counseling and working with my doctor I managed to army crawl my way back to health both physically and mentally. As I went through counseling I gained all my weight back that I had lost…plus some. I was so frustrated because I didn’t know how to eat anymore. I had to follow a specific diet for my thyroid but with a history of an eating disorder it made eating very fuzzy. I still think through all of that, the hardest thing of all was dealing with my emotional health. But remember, life happens for us not to us. All of that journey brought me to a place of healing. I’ve been able to help so many people with my story and I’m also finally in a place where I love my body, even in my before photos. :) Now I’m on a personal journey of becoming emotionally and physically fit and helping as many people as I can along the way. I feel blessed beyond measure to be in a place where my story and education can help others get to a place of health on every level.
Turning Point
It’s interesting. On my emotional healing journey I learned we can hold many emotions at once. We can be sad about something while also being excited and motivated. I also learned we can be confident and confused at the same time. We can be bright and sunny while also struggling internally. They often happen all at once. With that being said, I struggled with constantly feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I would workout for an hour and a half a day. I ate exactly what I was supposed to eat with no deviation. And I became the most fit I had ever been - I did it all with a smile on my face and I was bringing others with me. I was going to save the world from being unhealthy. Nobody was going to go through what I had to. Not on my watch. I encouraged the world and fought for self-love. I truly felt so full of life and inspiration. Also, at the same time I had a voice inside my head saying, you’ll never make it. You’re too lazy. You’re not enough. Being healthy is for other people, not for you. Your voice doesn’t matter… THE TAPES WERE LOUD AND ON REPEAT. Gah - it was worse than Nickelback on a good day. (Sorry Nickelback fans!)<br /> <br /> I can genuinely say my turning point was going through this emotional boot camp. They kicked my butt! Whew. But I FINALLY learned how to turn those voices off. I learned that those voices, oddly enough, are trying to help us. Kind of like Dobby on Harry Potter. Thanks Dobby, but please don’t ever try to help again. If you’re a Potterhead you know what I mean. Anyway, it was learning how to address my emotions that led to me truly taking care of my body. It led me to grace. It led me to a place where I can eat a strict diet for my body because I love it and not because I hate it. It led me to absolutely loving my body in my before pictures on my newest challenge. I’m telling you. If you want to transform your body, transform your soul. Deal with your emotions - then gain healthy habits that serve your body - and get accountability and community to help make the journey an enjoyable one.
Motivation & Passion
I want to help people love their lives. I want to help people who are trying to lose weight and feel hopeless. I get it. It’s frustrating. I want to help create systems, habits, and effective strategies that get your results. Most of all though, I want to help people love themselves through the ENTIRE journey and not just after they’ve lost the weight. I’ve been on both ends and everywhere in between. Let me tell you, it’s truly is about who you become on the journey. Let’s do this together.
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