"I Get to Drive the Car" — Nicole Lost 44 Lbs

"You've really helped me shift how I get to decide. I get to drive the car. My food really impacts my mood — I'd always known that, but it didn't really click until now."

I'm Nicole. I live in Reno, Nevada and I'm a web and graphic designer. I went through Chandra's Food and Mood program and we did a trade — she coached me through the program, and I helped her with her website. Chandra is like an Earth angel. She popped into my life — and she's been the only person I've ever been able to say some of the things I've really wanted to say to.

What Makes Her Different

Two of the things I struggle with are acceptance and resistance. I tend to not accept situations as they are. I'd kind of create scenarios in my head — how can I avoid that, how can I avoid getting sick, how can we avoid hard things happening, why did that happen to me?

Chandra's perspective that life is 50/50 really sat with me. All of these things she teaches in her program — I knew them intellectually, but they weren't sinking in. I was letting my gut or my brain drive me, not marrying the two when things got stressful.

She pairs the education piece — understanding why our brains are doing what they're doing — with okay, that's here, that's normal, now how do we move forward? Spiritual, emotional, and physical all pair together — because we live in a culture that's kept them separated. You helped me identify the why, and then helped me see I get to decide. I get to drive the car.

The Anxiety Piece

My biggest thing was anxiety. Everything I did or didn't do was driven by my mood, my intuition, my feelings. I'd either ignore my intuition or get stuck — okay, these are my feelings, now I don't know what to do with them. I told Chandra I could feel that this was where everything else stemmed from — stress, sad choices, time management, all of it. Anxiousness I'd created over 33 years of just my experiences.

She gave me a space that made me feel so seen and heard. She gave the educational piece — yeah, that's totally normal, it was your kid brain creating what made sense then. It was your safe space. She helped me realize I can talk back to my brain. I can change my brain. I can interrupt my brain — 'I had this thought, that's normal, but I don't have to believe it.'

When my dog died — something I was so afraid of — I'm so thankful I had Chandra and this coaching to deal with life's biggest, hardest moments. She doesn't say it's going to be easy and pretty. It's messy, and that's okay. And when the program ends, you still have the self-coaching tools.

Body, Cravings, and the 44 Pounds

I lost 44 pounds in roughly a year. After Covid, I'd gone from being in great shape for a decade to sitting on the couch — and patience is a hard thing for me. Chandra helped me see it doesn't have to be that hard, no matter your age. She gives so much hope that it's not just the way it is.

It all started with my brain — with interrupting my thoughts, not resisting, not beating myself up. That gave me energy to cook better foods, meal plan, get to the gym when I wanted to.

Cravings used to drive me. I love pizza for life. I love beer. The most helpful thing Chandra said was — decide you're going to do it and love it, or don't. Don't keep going back and forth in your brain. That's so much energy. Now, when I want pizza, I have a piece — I don't eat the whole thing. The mind piece has so much to do with how it lands in my body. And my body now craves the yummiest salad with steak after a weekend of indulgence.

The Tools Are Forever

Chandra's program isn't a diet fad. It's not one-size-fits-all. It's not fast. It's forever. It's a change, but it's worth it. You walk away with self-coaching tools, lifetime access to her videos, and the ability to use any of these pieces at any point in your life — a big stressful moment, a win, a celebration.

And what I most appreciate: she meets you where you are. Like a kid coming to their mom — she's accepting, she gives you the consequences without judgment, and she helps you grow without dragging you. The All-or-Nothing mentality she helped me shift. Drink the beer if you want — don't beat yourself up. Decide and commit.

"We don't have to go to Costa Rica or these far-away places to find ourselves. All of these pieces are within us — and you just help bring them out."

I recommend Chandra because so many of us are facing inflammation, anxiety, autoimmune conditions — and all of it really goes back to Mind-Body-Spirit and what we're putting in our food. Gut health is where all of those things start.

You're an Earth angel. Thank you, Chandra.

— Nicole