How Sobriety Helps with Weight Loss & Mental Health with Coach Tehya

I’m sitting down with Coach Tehya, a health and fitness coach who has been through it all and come out stronger on the other side. We’re talking about sobriety, fitness, and the real impact of alcohol on your body and mind.

Tehya shares her journey from starting drinking at 13 to getting a DUI, realizing she needed to make a change, and ultimately finding a way to rebuild her life without alcohol.

So what really happens when you stop drinking? How alcohol affects everything from your metabolism to your mental clarity, and why so many people struggle with the idea of sobriety. She breaks down the connection between alcohol and weight gain, the social pressure to drink, and the unexpected ways people react when you decide to quit.

If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with alcohol, wondered why cutting it out can feel so hard, or just want to hear a story about taking back control and creating a healthier, happier life, this conversation is for you. Tehya keeps it real, sharing what worked for her, the challenges she faced, and why she’s never looking back.

Join us for an open and honest conversation about making big life changes, setting boundaries, and what it really means to take care of yourself.

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Transcript

  alcohol takes 48 to 72 hours to completely get out of your system.

And while alcohol is in your system, your body does not metabolize any food. So for  48 to 72 hours, you're eating all of that food and your body is literally storing it. Where is it storing? Body fat.  No wonder we're like gaining so much weight when we're, drinking alcohol. 

I would ask myself, like, is it actually worth it for me to go another 72 hours without my body?  Metabolizing any food and  most of the time it just wasn't worth it to me.


 What did you do about your eating situation once you got sober?

I didn't realize this was such a huge concern But you kind of do start trading the calories because you're craving them. 

So We're gonna get into that.  I think you're gonna have some great tips.

 ​
 Hey guys, welcome back to the Samantha Parker show.

Today, I've got an amazing guest on. This is Taya Ortega. That's a badass name, by the way. Thank you.  Okay, where do you live? I live in Austin, Texas. Ooh, Austin, did it, it just recently snowed there, didn't it? It did, and now it's 80 degrees outside. Yeah, it's 70 here. I'm like, I'm here for it. That's insane.

I'm here for it too. I laid by my pool the other day. It was so nice. You did? Yeah. Yeah, I'm jealous. I know, it was so amazing. Okay, but this weather, like when we get the springtime weather, I don't want to work. I don't know what I want to do, but it's like, I just want to like, drive around with my windows down.

I want to be a spineless jellyfish and just, like, do whatever I want. Yeah, it's like, it's spring. I want to, like, hook up and, like, hang out. Sit outside, like, enjoy the nice weather. Like, it's the perfect weather to just, like, sit outside and do absolutely nothing. Okay, so let's get into this here. You are a health and fitness coach.

Like, or what would you, like, really give yourself the title of?  Yeah, so I have a couple different hats that I wear so health and fitness coach for sure for four years now And I'm also a life coach as well. I just started doing that recently. So a couple different venues there Yeah, I I did stalk your Instagram.

So I was really like vibing with you. I'm like, this is a cool girl  Thank you Okay But I invited you on the podcast because we're gonna talk about your sobriety story and then for those of you guys who are listening a big question I get asked Is like what did you do about your eating situation once you got sober?

And I was like, I didn't realize this was such a huge concern But you kind of do start trading the calories because you're craving them. So We're gonna get into that.  I think you're gonna have some great tips. I'm excited  you talk a lot about things that, like, really align with me, so I think, you know, you guys listening, I really do think you're gonna enjoy this episode.

So let me give you a little bit of backstory, because you, like, gave me a backstory. I was like, I was like, damn!  But it kind of looks like, I wouldn't say you've had a hard life, but you've probably definitely, like, built yourself from the ground up. Yeah, yeah, I would say that. Yeah, so you started drinking at 13, and smoking weed, and this is what I thought was wild, is you said your mom would buy you vodka?

Yes, handles of vodka.  That's wild. I, my parents would always say like, if you want to have a beer, like have a beer, you know, like they were trying not to make it a big deal, but I never was really into it. I didn't start drinking actually until I moved in with my dad at 17. Oh, really? Mm hmm, and I was definitely not getting it from my dad.

But yeah, I grew up, like, alcohol was everywhere. Right. Of course. Normal. Yeah, so at 13, though, your mom would buy you vodka? Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, she would rather me drink at home than go out and drink is what her like idea was. So if I was going to drink, she would rather me drink at home than  go out and get, you know, messed up and end up in like an accident or something crazy.

I don't know, 13, like I would fucking kick your ass.  Now that I'm a parent, I'm like,  I look at my little brother and he's 13 and I'm like, I couldn't even imagine him drinking at all, let alone vodka.  Yeah, I have a 13 year old son and I would completely lose my marbles. Yeah, right. Insane.  Yeah, my 18 year old daughter, like when we were in Mexico, she had a drinking moment, but she was like legally going to the bar and getting them, you know, and I was like, no, we're not doing this.

I know, right?  Yeah,  but okay, so you were drunk, you were blacking out at the age of 13. Yes. Yeah, very much so.  Okay. So you felt like right off the bat though, that alcohol was a problem for you?  No, I didn't realize it for years and years. Like I was just like fitting in with a crowd. Like I naturally hung out with a lot of older people and my town, and then I had moved towns to a really, really small town, and that's.

That's all everyone did, because there was no Walmart parking lot to go hang out in. So like, everyone was hanging out with the older people. I got in with the older crowd, going to their parties at their houses, because people had apartments and stuff. And I didn't realize it was a problem until  just like two years ago, really. 

You know, I think that I just kind of thought it was normal, you know, like all this stuff was normal or even like being like, oh, I've got a hangover today, you know, and you're like, oh, that sucks. Like suck it up, you know, we're working. But now that I'm like away from alcohol and like the, I would just say like the further away you get, like all of a sudden your perception changes and I'm like, that's not normal at all. 

Yeah, I think your eyes just like start to open a little bit more of like how much it actually affects. Every single aspect of your life, the further that you get away from it and like you hear other people talking about it too, and then you think like they don't even realize how much it's affecting them too, because it's just so normal.

Like it's the one thing that is so normalized to everyone. It really is. And you know what's interesting now is like, there's just, like, close people in my life, let's just say that, and they'll be, like, talking to me, and I want to be like, You know you're an alcoholic, right? But it's like, you can't, I feel like it has to be a journey of self discovery.

Yeah, no, like, they have to discover it on their own. Yeah, I'm just like, I'm out here just, like, blasting my shit on the internet, you know, I can be an example, or you can go ahead and mute me, like, whatever. Yeah, like, that's fine. I'm still gonna talk about it. Yeah, okay, so then you kind of, like, obviously you grew up, you got married, and then you and your, is it your ex husband?

Yeah. Do you like how I have this little timeline of events? I know, right?  I love that. So you and your ex husband would drink too, and then you got divorced or you split up and then you told me that in April of 2023 you got a DUI and you went to jail.  Yes. Oh my gosh. Was that awful? I've never got a DUI.

I've deserved a lot of DUIs. I'm not, that's not like a proud thing to say. Same, yeah, honestly, like, I am not a proud thing to say either, like, I have been drunk driving for years and years and years, and like, there are times where I was way worse and  should have gotten into UI, you know, or should have been an accident, and I'm so grateful that that didn't happen, you know, but it was a huge eye opener for me, sitting in a jail cell, because it My parents, both my parents have been in prison, and my mom, well, both of them, just countless, you know, arrests, arrests, my mom has like three DUIs, my aunt has like three DUIs also, so it's just like so common in my family, and like, I have always vowed, I'm like a black sheep in my family, I've always been like, I will not end up like them, like I will do everything in my power to just not end up like them and be so far from that statistic that I should have been.

And sitting in that jail cell with all of those people that did deserve to be there. I mean, I deserved to be there too. I was drunk driving. Yeah, totally. But like, I'm like, I do not belong here. And that was such an eye opener. And yes, it was like the worst experience of my entire life.  So, okay, but so you go to jail, you get out, it like cost you a shitload of money.

And then you said you like drank again.  I feel like this is something I would have done too, like a few years ago. I'd have been like, I'll be more careful. Shame on me. Yeah, I did have like a huge like wake up moment because that year in general I was like, oh, I'm just gonna do it on occasion and like it was an on occasion thing because at this time I lived about an hour and a half north of Austin and there's not shit to do there.

Like no one's really, unless we're like having a little house.  Like no one's really doing anything. There's not like bars or anything. So it was only when I came down Austin and I hated driving to Austin. And because that meant like I would have to get a hotel or stay with someone. And I didn't like doing that.

So it was like, an occasion thing. And it was me and my own roommate. And we came down, went to a comedy show and. That happened. What's crazy is I actually paid for a hotel that night and ended up driving home anyway Because I forgot because I was so drunk because I forgot That's awful. I know. Yeah, it was bad. 

 So then I was like, okay like It's gonna be like, it took me a long time to drink again, don't get me wrong, but I ended up drinking again eventually. And I had two more instances where I drank again.  One of them was me coming down to Austin with this girl that just likes to get blackout drunk. And I had my best friend in town, and then this guy that I am actually dating now, he came out with us, and he used to be a big drinker, but hadn't really drank at all.

And I got so freaking drunk that night, because people were like pouring, pouring liquor into my mouth, like I was taking shots off the bottle, just like shit that I used to do, and it's like, hey, you don't drink like that anymore, like you can't do that. Ended up getting blackout drunk, made a huge freaking fool of myself, per usual, and I'm like, what the fuck?

I didn't drink at all until I went to my middle school best friends.  Bachelorette party. Back home. And these are people that, like, I haven't seen in, like, years and years and years. Like, I moved across, you know, I moved from Iowa to Texas, completely restart my life. These people just see me on social media, like, thriving.

You know, and then I go back home and I just, like, make, I do it again. Like, make a freaking fool out of myself. And I was like, I'm done. Like, I was done drinking.  And then I went to a business retreat with my,  business coach and I had a margarita and that was like my official sober date was after that.

So November 11th, 2023 was my official sober day.  That's incredible. Congratulations.  Thank you. Thank you. I don't even think about it. Like, I don't even want it. There was a friend of mine that I'm really not friends with much anymore.  He was like, you'll do it. You'll drink again eventually. And I was just like, that was such a rude comment to make because I was like, no, I won't.

Like, I don't want to. I've had a lot of people make comments like that to me, like people who I actually like really looked up to and admired and And I had this one lady who was like, I went to AA for several years. She was telling me about how she used to have a drinking problem. And she's like, no, I just have a few drinks here and there.

She's like, you'll get to that point. And I'm like, that's a dangerous thing to tell people. I know. Right. It's like, I feel like that's so disrespectful. It'd be like, good for you. Like you should be like, good for you. Like, hell yeah. Stay on that sober journey. If you're like, nah, you'll drink again. Yeah. I'm like, I think what people don't understand is like.

It's not like that, you know? I think I could, I could go out to dinner today and only have two drinks, I absolutely could. But then it's like, the weekend, and it might even take a few months. But it's like, for me, that slippery slope is there because I've already done this, I've done this before. Yeah. What?

How long have you been sober? Eight months, so not super long. That's, that's a long time.  I do, I, yeah, I, like, the first few months are like, it's like a snail, you know, so it feels like a long ass time.  That is an incredible amount of time though, I love that. Yeah, it took me eight weeks to even, like, talk about it, like, I just, I say, I went ghost.

I totally just, like, disappeared. Yeah, sometimes that's what you have to do, though, like cold turkey, like  not a beer, yeah, and disconnect from the people, like, that you normally drink around to, or that, like, make you drink more, you know? I just didn't want anyone's opinion. It was, because I, I tried to get sober in 2020, and I'd already done this, and I had, you know, I thought people would be really excited for me, and I remember there was just a lot of, like, backhanded comments, and I was like, I'm not going to deal with this.

Yeah, yeah. So that's the space I was in and I was also in the space of like, I suck, blah, blah, blah, which is so interesting now.  Yeah, but you made it. That's the biggest thing. It's like getting past that like fear of people judging you for that too. I feel like there is a huge, um, like judgment  persona against that too.

Like people are like, you know, the comments that they make, like, why aren't you drinking? I got that one time and I fired back with, why are you drinking?  So like there are people just always make, you know, those backhanded comments about, and try to like judge you or make you feel like you're weird for not drinking.

So that is like an absolutely real thing. It's like, you will have those people. And then you'll also have the people that like, are so freaking proud of you. And then you'll also have the people that are like, Hey, like I see what's happening in your life. Like I could use some of that. So it's worth, it's worth not staying quiet about for me.

Oh, for sure. I've had so many of my fitness clients get sober because of that, just because of like the, you know, education that I've put out about it or like, you know, helping them realize that like, you know, when you are on a weight loss journey and like how it affects you in that sense too. So  yeah, I think it's a great thing to talk about it.

And I think it's a good thing that we're normalizing it. Like it's okay to do that.

So the question I get a lot is like, how did you stop drinking? And it's usually a DM from someone who's in a shitty spot. They're like, how did you do it? I don't know what to do. Like, how do you answer that?  Ooh, that's such a good question. Um, I think weighing out the pros and the cons. This is what I tell people when they ask me this,  because there's no pros. 

There's absolutely no pros to it.  People look at pros. It's like, oh, well, it helps me let loose  or it helps me like socialize.  Or like it's just what me and my friends do to have fun.  And I think that if you can look at the pros versus the cons,  and realize that  those people that you have to drink around in order to have fun are probably going to continue to do that as their, their way of having fun for the rest of their lives.

And also if you have to use alcohol to like let loose and have fun, like That's something more internal that you have to work on and, like, overcome. Like, alcohol shouldn't be, like, a crutch for you to just be yourself, right? Like, there's probably, like, a mass that they're trying to hide, and then they need to, like, use alcohol as a way of, like, being their authentic self, because they fear being judged being their authentic self when they're sober. 

That's actually a really powerful statement, that there are no pros. There are. There are none. I mean, if you, and you look at all the cons with just the long term side effects. short term and long term side effects. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. I mean, you turn into someone that you're not, it affects your metabolism, it affects your hormones, it affects your sleep, it affects your well being in general.

Plus you look at all the diseases that it's linked to, cancer, like so many liver disease, like there's so many deathly diseases, and people don't research that because it's so normal. to drink.  If you actually, if someone like really wants to get sober,  write out a list of the pros and the cons.  That's okay.

Uh, hold on. We're going to take it off.  I don't know why I've never thought of that. When you said that, I was like, she's fucking right. There's not a single pro, you know? Yeah. Yeah. You can have fun with that alcohol. 100%. And it just takes. That strong willpower to get through the first couple times of like going out and having fun without the alcohol and it's really like you sticking to.

your boundary and the goal that you have. And if this means a lot to you to be sober, then it's just, you know, setting those boundaries with people that are close to you anyways. But like, once you realize like you can go out and have fun without drinking or like mocktail galore, like every single restaurant has a mocktail or can make you a mocktail.

Once you like actually educate yourself on like the negative effects of. alcohol, then like, why wouldn't you just want a mocktail? Because you're going to be thinking about that. Like when I found out the effects alcohol has on your metabolism, I was like, In my really deep in my fitness journey. And, the, the fact that I found out is that alcohol takes 48 to 72 hours to completely get out of your system.

And while alcohol is in your system, your body does not metabolize any food. So for  48 to 72 hours, you're eating all of that food and your body is literally storing it. Where is it storing? Body fat. It's like, no wonder we're like gaining so much weight when we're, you know, drinking alcohol. And, you know, so that like thought just never, that fact never left my mind.

So every single time I would want to drink, I, when I went into my occasional drinking phase, I would ask myself, like, is it actually worth it for me to go another 72 hours without my body? You know, metabolizing any food and like most of the time it just wasn't worth it to me.  Have you heard me talk about my whole thing about how I was lying to my fitness coach about my alcohol?

No.  So, cause I would, I would do everything right. Like I am like high functioning. I am the poster child for a high functioning alcoholic. Um, I was doing all of the workouts. I was turning in all my macros to her and was not losing weight. Initially I lost like 10 pounds, right? But I would be like, oh, I just had a vodka soda.

I'm like fucking liar, you know, and she was like  I was we it was a really like I kind of started to get into like a dynamic of like well This isn't working and she's like, well, I don't know what you're doing, you know, and I was like I think I just need to take a break, but I've been working with her for like probably like eight months And then like a month later, I was like, it turns out I have an alcohol, you know, yeah.

And it was like this whole thing. I'm like, I owe Ashley, I owe her an apology. So I need to check on her on my amends list. I need to go like investigate on my clients now. Which one of you is lying about your alcohol consumption? Yeah. And, you know, um, ultimately, you know, we had stopped working together mostly because our contract was up or whatever, but.

Yeah. Yeah, um, I, it was funny, I found running about a month before my sobriety journey and I think that was like God or whoever you believe in stepping in and being like, you're gonna need this. So,  you know, I run, I lift my weights, um, but the inflammation goes away. It's fucking, it's like, it just literally, my face isn't even the same shape.

Ah, your face, totally.  Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, since you're a health coach, I was like, yep, they, your clients will lie to you. Okay.  Oh my gosh. I'm going to go investigate. I actually just added a question on my client check ins of how many alcoholic drinks they've consumed in the past two weeks. Yeah, but I would, I would say, you know, I would put on there, I'd be like, Oh, probably three or four. 

Yes, 10. I'm all 30.  I love that. I'm done.  Were you already like on like a health and fitness? I don't want to call it a journey because I think health and fitness should be more like, I guess it is a journey, like in life we're on a journey, you know, but have you, um, were you into health and fitness or did this kind of come about through sobriety? 

Yeah. So I've been on my health and fitness journey since like 2016. Um, I was. I joined the military fresh out of high school, and then I was in the best shape of my life. And, because I was running, of course, mile, like, eight, six, eight miles, like, every other day. Yeah, wait, hold on. What branch were you in? 

Uh, Army National Guard. Okay, okay.  Yeah, yeah. Uh, yeah, that was long lived. I served eight years in the National Guard. That's incredible. My husband just retired 20 years from the Army. Oh my gosh, really good for him. I would not be able to do that  for me. Yeah, but I mean they get you in good shape for the most part when you're in like the training phase, but yeah, you come back home and you get a little too comfortable and I actually gained like 30 pounds within like  probably like six months.

I was super depressed being back home and I was working on a gas station like eating like absolute garbage. So I just, I gained weight super, super quick. Yeah. And I was still binge drinking then, of course. I was restricting during the week, binge drinking and eating on the weekends. And so, yeah, that started in like 2016.

I never really like started to actually lose weight until about 2020.  When like COVID hit and I got married, well, I met my husband and then  we moved to Georgia. And then,  that is when I was like, okay, this is my official, like, reset again. And, but we were drinking really, really heavily, but then I started to actually, like, find macros and,  like, calorie deficits, energy in, energy out, like, I really started to do a lot of research and became really serious about it because I had no friends and the gym was, like, my only escape goat there.

So I finally lost the weight, got in really good shape, but we were still drinking very crazy because he has an alcohol problem. And so it wasn't until like I came back to Texas to where I was like, okay, I think I have an alcohol problem.  Like after I like left him, I'm like, this is a big problem.  Yeah.

And so how long have you been a health coach though? Did this like overlap at all?  Yeah. So I became a health coach shortly after I like, Actually started to like, figure it out and like, learn all of the, like, how easy it actually is. Um, so I started that in 2021. So I think there's like a direct connection, you know, between like, like now I'm like running races and you know, it's like between sobriety and like, cause you're like, dude, I feel so good.

Like I bet I can feel better. Yeah, yeah, I think it's also kind of like an escape too, whereas like, you know, instead of going out on a Friday night, let me go to the gym. Yeah, you know, absolutely. And you know, I will trade habits for habits for sure. Oh, yeah, for sure. I don't care.  All right, so let's talk about, you know, eating.

So when you first get sober, the cravings are real. Did you have, like, cravings?  No, I've never had cravings. Yeah. So I wouldn't say like you didn't have any sugar cravings.  I don't think so. Not that I really remember. Yeah. I wouldn't say mine were super bad, but I was like at the point where before I would have been, I was restricting like.

Cookies or anything I wanted because I was, you know, trying to put myself in this box and then I kind of just came out of, it was like, yeah, like I am craving sugar, and I'm like, I'm gonna eat the fucking cookie if I want the cookie. You know? Yeah. Yep. Yeah, I've always kind of had like a balanced mindset also.

Well, not always. When I actually started to create like a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. 'cause I went through all the dieting shit and the restrictive dieting, keto, intermittent fasting. Yeah. I saw you. You said you did a 72 hour fast. Yes, yes. Crazy stuff. I, I wouldn't do anything to lose weight like a lot of people do.

Yeah, so once I, like, discovered macros, that really helped me, like, fit in the balance. Like, oh, I can eat the cookie if it fits in my macros. And, like, I'm not overeating by eating this cookie. So, like, I can go out to eat. I can eat, like, Chick fil A. And I can eat, you know, the foods that I want if I can fit them in my macros.

And so that really helps me with not restricting. when I got sober too because I already had already like built that mindset up that I could like eat a balanced diet so I think that helped a lot because I never like felt guilty for it or I was like if I wanted something I would eat it.  Yeah I do see a lot of people and this is a lot just like from my like sober community, like the comments I get on TikTok is they're like, well, what are you doing about everything that you're eating?

And I was like, well, I, I really got into Swedish fish and I would just pop a couple of those. And if I wanted the cookie, I'd eat the fucking cookie. I was having an emotional meltdown, you know? Yeah. Right. I mean, it's better than like the opposite of like going and drinking. Right. And like, yeah, that's where I was at calories.

It's like. You know, at least it can be a temporary thing, but as long as you're not, like, relying on it for, like, emotional, like, for the long run, you know? Yeah, so I really, the first, like, 30 days, I definitely was like, I'll eat whatever I want, you know, like, I'm just getting through this. If I want it, I want it.

And then after that, I was like, okay, like, I want to, like, feel really good and help my body. Um, and so I kind of switched, like, what do you recommend for people as they're, like, coming out of that phase? Like, how can we, like, help to start repair our bodies?  Yeah, I think,  number one, like, your energy and your, like, mental clarity and, like, your just functioning in general has so much to do with what you're putting in your body anyways.

So, like, if you, like, feel sluggish, you're super low on energy, you're super tired, a lot of that comes down to, like, not nourishing and feeling your body properly anyways.  So I think that like when you get sober, it's the perfect time to actually like start caring about your body because you're probably getting sober because you actually want to like love and respect your body and like you're recognizing the damaging that the damages that it's doing to your body.

So like going all in on this, like learning how to nourish your body properly.  Making sure you're eating enough and not restricting yourself is like the number one tip that I can give because that is going to play a huge part in like your cravings, too A lot of times when you are restricting yourself the more you restrict or like, you know If you're going all day without eating and then at night you're like binging on a big meal, like that's going to have your hunger cues going up and down.

Right. And then your cravings are going to be crazy too.  So just making sure you're consistently fueling your body throughout the day to making sure you are getting in like good nourishing foods. Again, it's a really good time to just like nourish and love and care for your body because like it needs that, especially for like years and years and years of alcohol consumption.

It needs the nourishment. So, actually incorporating, like, fruits and vegetables into your diet in some way, shape, or form. Even if you can fit, like, a banana. Start there. Like, start with just, like, something, adding some sort of color to your diet. I think that's huge. That's also natural sugar. You can also just like, play around with different kind of like, snacks and stuff, like, you know.

I always pair it with  something that I want, like if I want some ice cream, then I'm gonna add strawberries, because that's something that I need. So something I want with something that I need. So,  nourishing your body enough. And then incorporating balance in there. I would say those two. Oh, I like that.

Yeah. You know what I'm really happy you didn't mention and you'll probably hate me? Protein. I don't know why, but I'm like, if I see another video that starts with, here's a high protein and I'm like, you're just eating a normal meal. Like, why is it like, I just, I'm so outraged. And I do realize like protein is important and I put my protein first, you know, but I'm like, Oh my God.

Yeah, you know what's so crazy is, like, hearing you say that, I feel like protein is so overhyped when you know that protein's important and you're like, oh my gosh, you know, like, we get it.  But I have a lot of clients that come in that like don't eat any protein that are like 50 grams or less than protein I definitely think that here's a high protein meal is like, okay, we don't need to be eating high protein meals We just need like protein in general But the amount of people that don't consume protein or know that they should have it is And that plays a huge part in your cravings too But I wouldn't say that's the most important thing to pay attention to when you're getting sober  Yeah, so thank you.

I just appreciated that. I was like waiting for you to be like high protein high protein  And you know those videos too that's like they take something where i'm like, oh that looks yummy And then they like dump a tub of cottage cheese in it and I was like, well, that's That's intriguing.  Oh my gosh, yeah.

I was in that phase for so long, but like, I feel like once you learn how to feel your body too, and this is something that I say all the time, it's, it's someone, no one can take that away from you. Like learning that knowledge too, so like you can just learn how to feel your body and like set yourself up for life for that.

I know this morning I had a long run and so I got, I was like starving, you know, and I'm like, okay, so I'm going to have two eggs, two turkey sausages. And my English muffin, but it's like, you know, you would see that online and they're like, it's high protein. And I'm like, Oh, I don't know why I'm just like, I'm over it.

It's like, no, it's just normal, just normal guys. Like I needed this.  Yeah. Yeah. I love that. I love that you have the knowledge on that too, because I feel like that really helps, especially when you have like those goals that you're aiming for and just to make you feel good too. That plays such a big role. 

Yes. Okay. So what's it, oh, I loved this. Okay. What's your Instagram and your TikTok handle? Okay, so my Instagram handle is Coach Teya, T-E-H-Y-A. My Instagram hand, or my TikTok handle is official te  TEH.  Okay, awesome. But do you post kind of the same type of content?

Because I only looked at you on Instagram.  I post more of just like the real, unfiltered, life shit on TikTok. Yes. Okay, thank you. Me too. I'm like, please, and,  I mean, I'm a social media manager for a living, so I make content for other clients, but I'm like, please record that in your car. They're like, for reals? 

Yeah. But I loved anyways, my whole point was I loved on Instagram, you were talking about how no one is coming to save you and you were like, get up. I love that because I think even in sobriety, like nobody was holding a gun to my head. Yeah.  Yeah. I had to do it for myself. Yeah, yeah, that's so true. And I feel like any journey that you're on, whether it's, you know, your sobriety journey, whether it's your fitness journey, whether it's your entrepreneurial journey, your content journey, you know, like whatever journey you're on, I feel like  it's like people wait for the perfect time.

And like years and years and years passed, and like they just stayed the exact same. And like, I really look back at some of the people that I used to be friends with, or like some of the people that I graduated with, and I just think like,  they want that.  And I hear this all the time in the, in the health industry as well.

It's like a lot of people want to change. But they're not willing to do it. It's really easy to say you want to be sober. It's easy to say you want to lose weight. It's easy to say you want to start this side hustle. But like,  you're not taking any action. I feel like a lot of people are like, Talk. Like, I want to do this.

Like, it'd be nice to do this. But they never hold themselves accountable to it. And I think that a lot of people just need to be reminded that like, this is your life.  No one is forcing you to do anything, and until you actually take the reins and take control, like, your life will be the exact same.  No, that, and then also, like, you have to change the people you're around, and I loved you had a story, you guys just need to go watch her Instagram reels, I was, like, motivated.

I was like, you're a chiller version of David Goggins.  Oh, I love it. I was here for it. But you were talking about how you have to be the product of those around you, and the example you gave was about smoking cigarettes, and I was like, that just like, you know when you just have those blatantly obvious examples, and I'm like, why didn't I think of that? 

Yeah.  But essentially what you were saying was, you know, you had a friend that smoked cigarettes. Well, tell the story. I'll let you tell. Yeah, so I was just like a rebellious teenager. Obviously I started drinking when I was 13 and smoking weed when I was 13 like I was in a town that like that was normal and I just got in the wrong, wrong crowd.

And I had a best friend when I was like 1213 and she smoked cigarettes and I thought like, You know, I'll just stick to the weed. I'm not gonna smoke the cigarettes. And my mom, of course, didn't know about the weed, because that was like a huge no.  And so I, I was hanging around her, and my mom, she was always at my house.

And my mom would see her smoke, and obviously my mom's not gonna tell her, like, she can't smoke, but she would. Like, my mom's the, like, she's everyone's mom, you know, like, everyone just likes her. And she would give her shit and then my mom was like, Taya, if you're gonna hang around Maddie and she's smoking, you're eventually going to smoke. 

And I'm like, I'm not gonna smoke. Like, that's disgusting. And my mom says, if you're in the barbershop long enough, you're bound to get a haircut.  And I'm like, no, mom, I'm not going to smoke. That's disgusting. And sure enough,  I started smoking.  Yeah.  I mean, I was like, well, yeah, we knew where this was going, but  no, if you're in the barbershop long enough, you're bound to get a haircut.

Right.  But I think it's a great life lesson to think about a lot of things and I, I mean, I'm going to be 40 this month and I wish that I would have been like, what are you doing? You know, and even now,  and it's, it's been part of like my sobriety and I work the steps and things, but I'm really like, noticing where I was like apologizing to people and I'm like, actually those are shitty people.

Like, you know, thank you for the lessons, maybe we agreed upon it in a past life, but I'm like, why was I trying to get them in my circle? And now I'm like looking at things differently.  Yeah. Yeah. I think you. Your third eye opens.  Yeah. I feel like my whole, ever since I like cut alcohol completely out, I feel like I have just been like,  like woke, you know?

Like, I feel like I have like actually started looking at the world and started like, actually like.  just looking at things differently and people differently and situations differently. And like, I feel like  the people that I used to hang around are definitely like, like you said, like you look at them and you're like, that was a past life.

Like, you know, and it feels good to be able to actually make that decision to know that like, it doesn't align with you anymore. I feel like a lot of people struggle with that though, when they do want to get sober, but all their friends still drink. And.  They don't want to cut their friends out, but sometimes like you outgrow people.

Like you want to become this new version of yourself, but the people that you're hanging around are still with that past version of you.  But you know what's also been super awesome is,  some of my like really good friends and some of them are like family, like we're related. I am so close to them now and they were the ones that I was the most worried about because you know they drink we go camping and like we go on all these trips together and I was like they're gonna like not they're gonna cut us out like we're gonna get cut out and they have been so amazing like I've literally cried multiple times because they're like oh my gosh we're so happy look at you you know and so it should surprises you too yeah yeah you'd be surprised with who like actually supports you I feel like I I'm like I'm not close with my family whatsoever, so I never really, like, ha I'm getting a little bit more close with them now that I'm, like, getting older and, like, My brothers are back home, but I've never really like had extreme support in it.

It's kind of been neutral. Like I haven't like not really had people support me, but haven't really like been encouraged to go the route. Yeah. I know my mom, she like, Doesn't say it in person, but like, she'll comment on my Instagram post. She's like, so proud of you, you know, and I'm like, that works.

That works.  That's fine. I love that. Yeah, it was actually kind of fun. My dad, my parents were never together. So like my dad was down here.  Where I live a little while ago and he's like, can we record a podcast together? And I, he's like, you can say no. And I was like, dude, I would love to. And it was so much fun.

Oh, I love that. That's so cool. . Yeah. And he was like, we are so proud of you. And I was like, I needed that. Oh,  for you, . Yeah. So it's funny where like the support shows up and, but what's interesting is the people that I thought were gonna be like my ride or dies, they were, they were out. And that's where I.

I had to recognize that that was also me, you know? Like, I had put myself in that bubble when really I had this whole amazing life, like, just right next to me. Yeah, yeah. I think you, like, choose, you know, it's like a, you give up things to be able to have a different life. You have to give up people, places, and things in order to, like, really enjoy the life that you actually want.

It's going to come at a cost.  Yeah. So, okay, I want to say thank you so much for your time. We will make sure that we have you linked up. I think working with a health coach is amazing if you're an honest individual.  Yeah. Please tell the truth about your alcohol consumption.  You know, I was lying to myself though.

So it was like, I had like Delulu, you know, it wasn't anything like malicious. It was like Delulu at its finest.  But working with the health coach really helped me because again, it wasn't, you know, I'd worked with fitness trainers in the past and it was, they had me down to 1200 calories and, you know, and I think that shit's just different now.

So if you need help, it sounds like you get, you do macros and all that. Yeah,  all of it. I, I mainly help people who have yo yo dieted for years on end, and they just want to build a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Yeah, and just from watching you and your demeanor and everything, I can tell that like you're the real deal, so thank you. 

Thank you.  Okay, this is my last question though. What's the 444 tattoo?  Oh, that is me and my best friends, for better, for worse, for life. Okay, I love that. You know, when you were messaging me, your message was like 4 4 4 long, and like 44 seconds. And I like, because I pick up on numbers, like it's just a thing I have, you know?

And then I saw it on your form and I was like, how interesting. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. Yeah. Look, it's in there, it's in our DMs.  I love that. But anyways, thanks for being on the podcast, and it was great to meet you, and thank you guys for listening.  Thank you!