EP #149 How Personalized Nutrition And Habits Create Lasting Change

You know that moment when motivation is high, you’ve got a plan, and then real life hits at 9 p.m. with stress, cravings, and the familiar spiral of “I blew it”? We get it, and so does Coach Jenna from Veteran Empires Integrated Wellness. She joins us to talk about the one thing most wellness programs miss: ongoing human support that helps you stay steady when the week gets messy. 

Jenna breaks down how her integrated wellness coaching works, starting with a free consultation and moving into a personalized plan based on your needs. We talk nutrition coaching, fitness training, and behavior change, plus what it means to avoid cookie-cutter programs that fade after a few weeks. She shares how she considers chronic disease, diabetes, autoimmune issues, and inflammation, including when an anti-inflammatory diet may be a smarter starting point than another round of restriction and cardio punishment. 

Her story brings the message home. Jenna’s passion for positive coaching started in the military helping soldiers build consistency, and it deepened after her own lupus and autoimmune struggle forced her to rethink health from the inside out. We also get into “food noise,” perfectionism, and the myth that you have to have everything figured out before you begin. The takeaway is practical and hopeful: progress is built with habits, grace, and a support system you can actually reach when it matters. 

If you’re searching for a Fredericksburg wellness coach, personal trainer, or sustainable weight loss support, this conversation will help you ask better questions and choose a plan you can live with. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs real support, and leave a review so more neighbors can find the show.

Jenna McCranie

Veteran Empires Integrated Wellness

veteranempires.com

575-640-3681

Transcript

Welcome And Meet Coach Jenna

Speaker 0:02

This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

What Integrated Wellness Really Means

Speaker 1 0:13

Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I have a special guest joining me today. We've got Coach Jenna with us, and she is with Veteran Empires Integrated Wellness. Jenna, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. This is my first podcast, by the way. It'll be painless. I am really excited for this as well. I want to dive in and learn all about you and about your business. So let's start there. Tell us what is Veteran Empires Integrated Wellness?

Speaker 2 0:54

So at the heart, um, V.E.I.W. is really about helping people take back control of their health. Um, I think what sets us apart is we're not just your traditional weight loss company or nutrition coaching or wellness coach. Um, what I really focus on is providing seven days a week support to my clients. And that it's a big tall order. But um, having struggled through health issues myself, um, what I realized was that a lot of coaches or clinics that you maybe go into where people are failing is they didn't have that constant support. And that's really what coaching should be. Um, so that's really the heart of what V.E.I.W. is. Um we encourage and advocate for people to take back control of their health and wellness. Um, I'm a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and a behavior and habits specialist.

Speaker 1 1:52

Amazing, amazing. So I love that so much, and I love that you have really thought through what it's like to be on the other side. And so, can you walk us through what does that look like? So, someone is listening and they're thinking, okay, this is what I need and they want to work with you. Walk me through what your program looks like for them.

How The Program Starts

Speaker 2 2:14

So, it first of all, it starts with connection. Um, they'll reach out to me either email or phone. Um, and I also have my website and my app, and it starts with a free consultation. Um, I don't believe that people should have to pay for a consultation to figure out if something's going to be a good fit. Um, as a coach, I need to make sure that it's a good fit for the client, and the client needs to make sure that it's a good fit for them as well. Um, so it really starts with a free consultation. They last up to an hour. Um, they I always say give yourself at least 30 minutes, but they reach out to me, they kind of talk to me about what they're struggling with, and it's not always something as simple as um, you know, I can't find time to go to the gym, which I think is a lot of common, you know, people may say that that that's a common issue, or um I'm late-night binge eating. So we really get into um, you know, are you suffering from diabetes? Are you suffering from chronic disease? Do you have autoimmune issues? Um, addressing whether or not like an anti-inflammatory diet might be the um best course of action, and really asking them what they feel they need on their journey. Um, I don't like giving cookie cutter programs. Um, I don't think that they work. I I want to give people programs that work until they're well into their 80s. So I'm not about cardio punishment or fad diets. Um, I think that's what leads people to reach out to me is um I take a different approach. So it definitely starts the free consultation and we even do second and third follow-ups from there. And then I um follow up with like an email and what the best course of action is gonna be for them and um talk to them through um my app and they just continue from there and they have seven days a week support for me. Granted, I don't get back to them at two o'clock in the morning though.

Speaker 1 4:05

It may be seven days, but it's not 24 hours.

Speaker 2 4:08

24 hours, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Options Beyond One On One Coaching

Speaker 1 4:11

Amazing. So that it's I I love how individualized you have made this. And so is is everything individual or are there any group components? Like what could someone expect in terms of of that part of it?

Speaker 2 4:25

Yeah, so um my company is multifaceted. Um, I always say like there's something a little bit for everybody. Um, I have something from one-on-one coaching, and then we do um, I do have out-of-the-box programs, like my summer shred program is not one-on-one coaching, but it has um alternate versions. So it has at-home workouts for people that have no gym access, no gym equipment, and it's low impact. And then it has, you know, your gym workout. So it's 12-week out-of-the-box programs. Um, my one-on-one coaching is individualized. Um, I also offer corporate uh group fitness classes. Um, I do group fitness classes at a lot of the luxury apartments. Um I draft wellness newsletters that include like nutrition wellness newsletters for corporations, luxury apartment complexes, housing complexes. Um, so it is really multifaceted. And I say we take a little bit of a counseling approach to it too, as far as food noise and um, you know, developing a positive relationship with food and getting back to basics. I always say if we can get back to basics and sit at the table and just really focus on enjoying food, we can kind of pay attention to those hunger and fullness cues. Um, so it is multifaceted. Um, I have one-on-one coaching, I have group support, I have Facebook support groups as well, um, so that people can really be each other's cheerleader. Because I think positivity and encouraging people through something that really is uh the majority of Americans struggle with these days is uh food addiction and food noise. And we all have it, even even I get it still. So um support is really, really the number one priority for my company.

Speaker 1 6:09

Amazing. I am so impressed by you. You offer so many um different, not just different programs, but uh, you know, group and individual. And then you can go into a gym and and go into an apartment complex. Um, you I'm I'm tired for you.

Speaker 2 6:30

How do you think something I teach in my life coaching program is balance, balance.

Military Roots And Health Struggles

Speaker 1 6:37

And you and you do life coaching. I do, yes, yes. I am very impressed by you. And so I would love to learn more about you. Tell me about your background. How did you get into this?

Speaker 2 6:48

Yeah, so um really it starts, you know, I'm an 80s baby, so I grew up on Crisco and soda and pop, and um both my parents worked a full-time job. But I would really say um my passion for nutrition and um physical fitness started when I was in the military, which oh my gosh, is it's been 22 years now. Um, but I volunteered to help soldiers get off the overweight program. Um, but I'm not sure what they call it now, but at the time it was called the overweight program. Um, because we do have height and weight uh standards and physical fitness standards in the military. So anybody that was struggling with meeting those standards, um, they were taking volunteers. I was a sergeant in the army, and um I really what I discovered was it really came down to habits and behaviors and consistency. So um through that, I just developed a real passion for the joy that people got out of it once they were passing their physical fitness test and once they were um meeting their weight standards. And we were doing it through a positive coaching, you know, which back then you would think it was like drilling down, you know, get down and give me 20. But um I took a different approach with it. Um, my mom was a very like loving mother, and I kind of took like a motherly approach to it, even though I was only 20 years old at the time. So I found that that positive coaching was really what changed. So, fast forward, um I personally went through um struggling with physical fitness as someone who's pretty physically fit now. Um, I suffered through uh lupus and autoimmune diseases. Um, my fatigue was so bad I couldn't get out of bed to use the restroom. Um I'm a mom, so that didn't fare too well. Um, I was working for the government at the time, um commuting up towards DC. And um I was on all the medication I was supposed to be on and just was not feeling better. And it wasn't really until I was like, you know, food, food is a healing mechanism. I'm like, I'm gonna try this. What's the worst that can happen at this point? So when I really started diving into the science behind healing through nutrition, my inflammation went down and I was feeling significantly better. Um, my energy levels restored, and it took time and it took a support system. It it took um my family cheering me on like keep going, you've got this, you're feeling better. Like, you know, because you have days when motivation's not a thing, and you really got to get into those consistency, those habits and those behaviors. And that's really where my passion came from was seeing especially women suffer. Um, going through perimetopause, my system, myself. Um, I realized that it wasn't the people that were failing, it was the systems put in place that were failing the individuals. Um, and one of those things is really not having that constant uh coaching and support. And you know, there's just so much information out there that a lot of people can get caught up in these keto and get on the treadmill for eight hours a week and all these different things. So I think having somebody that had the the experience has gone through it myself and um finding something that worked that people can stick with and that they're happy with, that they're not miserable doing. So that's really how I started my journey and what led me to start my company.

Myths About Perfect Eating

Speaker 1 10:46

Amazing. And it explains a lot of why you're so good at what you do and why you offer so many things. You know, you've been through it, so you're able to take what you've learned for yourself and apply that, and you can relate to everybody that you work with with a with with compassion, you know. Yeah, I love it. Empathy is the core of my coaching practice. Amazing. I love it, I love it. And so what is something that maybe is a myth or a misconception that you hear about about what you do?

Speaker 2 11:26

Oh gosh, especially with what I do, there are there are so many.

Speaker 1 11:32

Really?

Speaker 2 11:32

Yes, oh my gosh, like uh just the fad diets, just the liver detoxes, the ketos, the fasting, the cardio punishment, the it just goes on and on. But I would say the number one would be that you have to have it all figured out before starting. And you don't really, all you have to do is just put one foot in front of the other and just go from there. So I think one of the big misconceptions is you have to get it 100% right all the time. And when people get in that mindset, you're automatically setting yourself up for failure and self-sabotage and punishment. So I think really getting into a state of I don't have to have it all figured out, I don't have to have my pantry completely cleaned out or my fridge or throwing out all the junk. And, you know, I ate a piece of cake today, so now it's over, you know. So I'd say that's the biggest myth and misconception is that you have to get it 100% right all the time. And it's just not true. You you you can move past that, and I think getting to a place where you are have a healthier relationship with food, then you give yourself some grace and realize that there's gonna be birthdays, there's gonna be all these things sometimes, but uh you know, giving yourself some grace and um celebrating the wins and not focusing so much on the failures.

Speaker 1 13:02

I love that. I love that. And for for people who kind of get hung up on those little things that that set you back, it's so great that you do have that seven-day support. So if they you know, for one day make a mistake and you're like, uh, they can they can contact you and stay on track. Yes, yes. I love that. What is something that you wish the listeners knew about you?

Speaker 2 13:29

Well, what I love is especially with this podcast, they wish they knew I existed. We're gonna change that. Yes, and and I, oh my gosh, like I was so excited to uh meet you too, and to find out that you do this for not just small businesses, but women-owned businesses and especially those of us that struggle with marketing. Um, so I would say one thing I wish people knew about V.E.I.W. was I'm not just another uh coaching platform, I'm not just another um oversaturated fitness and uh nutrition industry uh participant. Um what makes us different and what I think you if somebody else knows of one, I would love to know. But what makes us different, what makes us unique is that seven days a week support. You're not getting a bot, you're not getting another coach. Um, I am it. Um that does mean that my clientele list does get smaller because I want to make sure that I I'm not oversaturated because I make sure that I am dedicating, you know, every ounce of effort that I have to my clients that decide to come on board with me. Um so I would say just knowing that um in an oversaturated wellness and fitness industry, we are unique because we offer that touch of a button messaging option and voice option where you can get support every day.

How To Find Jenna And Nominate

Speaker 1 15:01

Absolutely. Huge value in that. And you're right, most of your competitors are apps and it's bots and it's everything is automated. And so, yeah, that personal touch is so valuable. I'm so glad you offer that, and I'm so glad you mentioned that. Thank you. So if the listeners want to work with you, if they want to learn more from you, where's the best way to find you?

Speaker 2 15:25

Yeah, so um my website is under construction. I'm learning the tech side of it. Uh veteranempires.com. Um, I'm on social um Veteran Empires Integrated Wellness. So you can find me there. Um, you can also reach me by just giving me a text or a call, uh 575-640-3681. If you can tell, that's a New Mexico number because military. I moved around a lot and never changed my number. So yeah, I would love to reach out and um have set up a free consultation. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? I, you know, hopefully it's not a waste of your time. It's free.

Speaker 1 16:07

So yeah, so generous of you to offer that. I love it. Well, Coach Jenna, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing veteran empires with us. Thank you. And I'll see you at momprom. I can't wait. We're gonna have so much fun. Me too. It's gonna be great.

Speaker 16:26

Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXBG NeighborsPodcast.com. That was so good.