People sometimes ask me what the turning point was. The workout plan, the diet, the moment I "got serious"? I always give the same answer, and it's less glamorous than they expect. It was my blood sugar.
Before I ever thought about muscle tone or the number on a scale, I was a teenager who could barely stay awake. Getting my blood sugar steady is the single biggest thing that changed my life. I'm not exaggerating when I say that. Everything I do today, for myself and for my clients, started there.
The girl who fell asleep everywhere
I used to fall asleep in class. Not just once in a while, but regularly, with my head heavy and my eyes closing no matter how hard I fought it. I fell asleep at 6pm on weeknights. I once fell asleep standing in the shower in the morning, before the day had even started.
I had so little energy that "tired" just felt like who I was.
My mother, who loved me and was doing her best, had a theory: I needed more sugar. Low energy meant low fuel, so the fix seemed obvious. I sipped on juice boxes to keep myself going. It made sense at the time. It was also the opposite of what my body needed.
What was actually happening
I was on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and the juice boxes were keeping me on the ride.
When you drink or eat something that's mostly sugar, with no protein, fat or fiber alongside it, your blood sugar climbs quickly. Your body responds by releasing insulin to bring it back down. Often it brings it down hard. That drop is the crash: heavy eyelids, brain fog, irritability, and the craving for more sugar to feel okay again.
So you reach for another quick hit, and the cycle starts over. Up, crash, up, crash, all day long.
I didn't need more sugar. I needed steadier fuel. My body was asking for something that would release energy slowly and keep me level, and nobody around me knew to give it that.
Sixteen: the year everything shifted
When I was 16, I started eating more protein and exercising. I wish I could tell you it was a carefully researched plan. It wasn't. I was a curious teenager who wanted to feel better and look stronger.
What surprised me was what changed first. It wasn't how I looked. It was how I felt.
My energy was completely transformed. I stayed awake in class. I made it through the evening without crashing on the couch. I woke up and actually felt ready for the day, instead of dragging myself through it. For the first time I could remember, my body felt like it was working with me instead of against me.
Looking back, the reason is simple. Protein slows down how quickly sugar hits your bloodstream, so the spikes and crashes soften. Movement helps your muscles take up glucose and use it well. Together, they took me off the rollercoaster.
Then came the changes I could see
The aesthetic changes came next, and I'll be honest: they were so exciting.
My arms looked strong. I had muscle definition I'd never seen on myself before. I had a leanness I felt genuinely proud of. That pride didn't come from fitting into a certain size. It came from knowing how I got there. I hadn't starved myself or chased a quick fix. I had changed my health, and my body was reflecting it back to me.
That's a very different feeling from losing weight by restricting. When the changes come from the inside out, you trust them. You know they're built on something real.
A clearer future
Something bigger shifted too, and it's the part I think about most.
For years, low energy had quietly shaped my whole life. It kept my confidence low. It made everything feel harder than it needed to be. I was getting through my days rather than living them.
Once my energy came back, I could see my future differently. I knew it was going to be a healthy one. My trajectory felt clear for the first time. I felt like I was finally taking advantage of my one and only life, instead of letting it slip away in a haze of lethargy and self-doubt.
That's what steady blood sugar gave me. Not just better workouts or a leaner body, but my life back.
The change that lasted
Over that first stretch, I lost 30 pounds. Then, as I built more muscle and settled into a sustainable way of eating, I gained back about 10, in a healthy way. I've stayed at that weight, give or take five pounds in either direction, ever since.
That's decades now. No yo-yo, no cycle of crash diets and rebounds. I think that's the most telling part of the whole story. When you fix the foundation, you don't have to fight your body to keep the results. Steady energy makes good choices easier. Good choices keep your energy steady. Habits snowball both ways, and for once, mine were snowballing in the right direction.
If you're tired all the time, start here
I see versions of my teenage self in my clients every week. They're in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. They're exhausted by mid-afternoon, wired at night, and reaching for something sweet to get through. Many have been told it's just age, stress or hormones. Those things matter. But very often, blood sugar is part of the picture, and it's one of the most changeable parts.
You don't need a complicated plan to begin. A few places I always start:
Protein at every meal, especially breakfast. It's the anchor that keeps your energy level.
Don't eat carbs naked. Pair fruit, bread or sweets with protein, fat or fiber to soften the spike.
Move after you eat. Even a 10-minute walk helps your muscles use that glucose.
Build some muscle. Strength training gives your body more places to store and use fuel well.
Watch the liquid sugar. Juice, sweetened coffees and sodas hit fastest. Ask me how I know.
Start small, and modify rather than quit. You don't have to overhaul everything at once. Most people feel the difference in their energy first, just like I did. Everything else builds from there.
If you want help figuring out what's driving your energy crashes, that's exactly the work I do with my clients. Rebuilding from the inside out starts with getting your fuel right.