When she started: Gillen began in November 2020.
Personal life: “I live in Marrietta. I’m a busy mom of two teens and have been married to a great husband for 25 years,” said Gillen, who is on the web at stacygillenhealth.com and Instagram @stacygillen.health.
The lifestyle change: “I was a serial yo-yo dieter,” Gillen said. “For many years, I had a busy corporate job, and I traveled a lot. I was given a great opportunity to step away from my corporate job a number of years ago, but that wasn’t quite the answer. Then COVID hit, and that made it worse. We got locked down, and I love to cook and bake. ...
“We took a family trip to Colorado. When we started doing some of the hikes and things, I was dramatically behind the family. It was so bad.
“Exercise has never been an issue for me. I would go to Orangetheory Fitness five days a week, but here I am on a trail in Colorado breathless. When I returned ... there was a switch that flipped and I said this has to stop now. I didn’t want to get sick or worse die of COVID and leave them. I think that was the trigger for me to say enough is enough. I found myself a health coach.”
Stacy’s how-tos
1. The big decision: “I was ready for forever change; it was not going to be just change, it was going to be forever change.”
2. The program: “Finding the right program, finding my coach and getting myself straight.”
3. New mindset: “I wondered why was I always a habitual dieter. I started working on the power of emotions, mind over matter, really getting into touch with that.”
Dietary changes: “I went to eating six small meals daily. I eat every two to three hours all day.”
Exercise routine: “I’m still a big fan of Orangetheory Fitness. I try to take the regular cardio classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I’ve incorporated weights on Tuesday and Thursdays. It’s so important as we age.”
Biggest challenge: “Socially as a society, we celebrate everything around food and drink, and oftentimes the bigger the success the more elaborate the feast. I think for me that is the biggest struggle.”
Stacy’s top tips:
1. Sustaining change: “This is absolutely a full-on marathon —it is not a sprint — giving yourself the grace to know it takes time for good, long, sustained change.”
2. Finding guidance: “Finding a friend or a coach who can guide you on your journey, and work to find a community of like-minded people.”
3. Keeping accountability: “I started living out loud on social media because I felt like if I put myself out there, I had to stay the course.”
How life has changed: “It has been so seriously life-changing. The craziest outcome of this whole thing: I had a break in my corporate life and I was searching for what I wanted to do when I grow up, I am actually now a health coach as well. Talk about accountability, I wake up every morning wanting to be the best version of myself for my clients.”
Seeking readers’ stories of lifestyle changes: We’re looking for stories about changing health habits. While The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not endorse any specific programs, we include names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. If you would like to share your story of a lifestyle change, please contact reporter Michelle C. Brooks and include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks directly at: ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
