Health Without the Hype: Nutrition & Movement That Last

In this episode of Integrative GYN, Dr. Whitney West and nutrition and exercise coach Erin Romero discuss practical approaches to health and wellness. They emphasize the importance of simplicity in nutrition and movement, the common pitfalls of New Year's resolutions, and the significance of support systems in achieving sustainable health goals. The conversation highlights the need for a balanced approach to eating, the role of mental health in wellness, and the benefits of collaboration in healthcare. Listeners are encouraged to take small, manageable steps towards their health goals and to seek support along the way.

Chapters

00:00 New Beginnings: Health Resolutions and Collaborations
02:57 Philosophy of Wellness: Simplifying Nutrition and Movement
05:58 Overcoming New Year’s Resolution Pitfalls
09:11 Sustainable Movement: Finding Enjoyment in Exercise
12:00 Nutrition Made Simple: Real-Life Strategies for Eating Well
15:01 Common Nutrition Mistakes: Debunking Myths and Misconceptions
17:57 Meal Prep and Time Management: Fueling the Busy Woman
20:08 Putting It All Together: Seeking Help and Building a Support System
20:40 Embracing Vulnerability and Seeking Help
22:29 Overcoming Time Constraints for Fitness
24:01 Redefining Success Beyond the Scale
26:36 The Importance of Mental Health in Fitness
30:30 Building a Support System for Success
33:00 Tailoring Fitness for Busy Lives
34:30 The Power of Collaboration in Wellness
36:07 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Acceptance
38:04 Connecting with Erin: Your Wellness Partner

Takeaways

Health and wellness should be simple and accessible.
New Year's resolutions often fail due to unrealistic expectations.
Sustainable movement can be enjoyable and tailored to individual preferences.
Nutrition doesn't have to be restrictive; small changes can lead to big results.
Common mistakes include overcomplicating diets and neglecting fiber intake.
Meal prep can save time and ensure balanced eating.
Support systems are crucial for maintaining motivation and accountability.
Mental health is as important as physical health in the wellness journey.
Celebration meals can be part of a healthy lifestyle without guilt.
Collaboration between health professionals enhances client care.

Connect with Erin Romero:

Instagram: @dena_romero92

TikTok: @erinromero49

website: https://www.thewellnesswaywitherin.com

Connect with Dr. Whitney West

Instagram: @docwhitneyw

website: https://www.eh-wellnesspc.com

email: info@eh-wellnesspc.com

“You’ve been listening to The Integrative Gyn with Dr. Whitney West — because your health deserves more than fifteen minutes.”

The information shared in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. This podcast does not establish a physician–patient relationship and should not be used as a substitute for individualized medical care. Always consult your own physician or qualified healthcare professional regarding medical decisions or concerns specific to your health.

Transcript

Welcome back to the Integrative GYN. I am Dr. Whitney West. And at the time of this recording, it is a couple of days past the New Year's. And you know, everybody's doing their New Year's resolution and trying to figure out what they're going to change and do differently this year that they didn't do last year. Well, today I decided to bring on my collaboration.

Her name is Erin Romero. She is a nutrition and exercise coach. I was going to say expert, but we say coach. And she is working with me in my integrated medicine practice called Essential Health and Wellness PC. And we are going to work together to bring wellness to the women who come our way.

The title of this podcast is going to be Health Without the Hype, Nutrition and Movement that Last. So I want to say welcome. Thank you guys for joining me again and happy new year to all that are listening. And I want to say thank you to Erin for joining me today and joining me on this journey to help women with health and wellness.

Erin, welcome to the show. So before we get started talking about nutrition and movement, let's talk about you. Introduce yourself to the listeners and then we'll get going.

Erin (01:28.832)
Thank you so much for having me.

Erin (01:42.957)
Okay, well, as she said, my name is Erin and I have been in this game for a really long time. I graduated with my BS in health and wellness management in 2015 and since that time I have hit the ground running trying to find my way in the health and wellness field. It was a lot of working for other people at first in gyms and hospitals and I got to the point where I was like, you know what, I can do this for myself and make a lot more money doing it instead of implementing what they say. A lot of the things and a lot of the reasons why I did also want to go in business for myself was because my ideologies and the people I was working for sometimes did not go together. And when you approached me with your way of doing things, I was like, finally, a like-minded person to be able to coordinate with and so that is how my website the wellness way actually came to life was okay I can finally get a streamlined way to get people with my ideologies going straight forward

Whitney West (02:57.25)
Awesome. Awesome. Well, as you talk about your ideologies or whatever, just, you know, how would you describe your philosophy around health and wellness?

Erin (03:05.364)
It's not complicated. think sometimes people overcomplicate things because there's so many influencers out there today like, you have to do this and that. No, no, no, no, no. You need to burn more calories than you're taking in. It's that simple. And I think people are like, well, should I do keto? Should I go vegan? Should I do? No, let's just start with simple things first.
Let's not eat 3000 calories a day when you only need about 1500. Let's just start there. I don't even go as far as to tell people, eat your macros like this, this, How about we just eat one Chick-fil-A sandwich? I don't care if you go to Chick-fil-A, just eat one sandwich though.

Whitney West (03:49.498)
Gotcha, gotcha. So what excites you about working with essential health and wellness?

Erin (03:59.243)
But like I said, the like-mindedness, seeing another woman with a little melanin doing this, that also makes me happy because I know a lot of times in the healthcare field, people like us are overlooked, misdiagnosed. And it's like, I can finally have someone to have my back to explain, it's not just hype. I have some credentials, but she has even more. So if you don't want to hear it from me, listen to someone else.

Whitney West (04:23.864)
Right, right.

Erin (04:27.787)
Who is going to have your best interest at heart?

Whitney West (04:30.444)
Awesome. So it is hard being brown skinned in this industry because social media definitely tells us that we have to look a certain way and we need to be a certain way to get that look. We have to do certain things to get that look. So what I was excited about talking with you is that you did it without extra stuff. There was no, you didn't have to buy a membership to a gym. You, you know, we're going to push, you know, changing, like literally uprooting them and changing their entire, you know, their, I say, I the word diet, but I'm going say diet right now. Changing their, you know, diet completely so that it upsets them. What I usually tell folks is we had to make some lifestyle modifications, but we do them, you know, a short bursts. you know, but consistently so that we don't, you know, you don't feel overwhelmed with trying to empty out your pantry and then rebuy whole new stuff and then you don't like anything. So you got to, it's a transition. You got to slow, slow walk this thing, right? Because a lot of people are, you know, anti giving up with the things that they think are helping them or making them feel good. Right? So we got to slow, slow walk them into it. So, you know, as I said, when we first started the podcast, this, you know, January is this, you know, new year's resolution deal.

Erin (05:48.021)
that.

Whitney West (05:58.886)
And that usually ends by February 1st, right? Let's say if they get started January, they got a good, they get started for real, maybe the 10th, and then they got a good two weeks or so. you know, and then they, they miss one day and then, then they're like, Oh man, it's over. Like it's over. Right. So why, why do you think, uh, new year's resolutions like usually fail? Like, why do you feel that? Or do you feel that?

Erin (06:02.11)
Well, good.

Erin (06:16.339)
Yeah.

Erin (06:24.875)
no, they definitely fail. Like sometimes they don't even make it to February. I think it's because people try to take on too much too fast. Like you said, let's take this one step at a time. Instead of you haven't worked out, not just last year or the year before or the year before. Let's not say we about to start with a five day work week. No, no, no. Let's start with two days, small bites and you can be consistent with that.

Erin (06:53.34)
And so I think people are like, but if I don't get it, then I'm not gonna get it next month or what next month. I literally told someone last week, they were like, I have to get back into it. I was like, well, start today. They're like, but today's a Thursday. I'm like, and it's a Thursday. You woke up this morning. I was like, because tomorrow is always gonna be tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Let's start with something simple. Keep it, keep it consistent and then move up.

Whitney West (06:59.002)
Right.

Whitney West (07:08.404)
Hehehehehe

Whitney West (07:17.606)
All right.

Whitney West (07:22.522)
Gotcha. So, you know, you, it's funny, you just said that the, you know, somebody was like, well, I'll, I'll wait until tomorrow or wait until Sunday or Monday, you know, beginning of the week. So, and I feel like that's like an all or nothing, right? So it's like, I got it. I'm going in and I'm going to do it all. And like you said, that five day, I'm gonna work out five days this week and you haven't worked out in a year. So how, how does that all or nothing thinking turn into sabotage?

Erin (07:32.425)
Mm-hmm.

Erin (07:52.852)
Well, as I said, you, small bites is easier, but not only can you sabotage yourself mentally, physically you can sabotage yourself. You haven't been working out and you hit it that hard. You're more prone to injury. And especially women, we're going up and down with our hormones because menstruation, menopause, all these things, you're gonna hurt yourself. Then you're gonna become discouraged and not wanna try again.


Erin (08:21.679)
So I'm like, let's not do that. Let's not self sabotage, literally.

Whitney West (08:27.288)
Right, right, right. So let's talk about what actually works. How can someone make a plan to get started and then stick with it, like be sustainable?

Erin (08:44.137)
I think we have to evaluate where you are currently. Are you a person who just fell off the wagon a few months ago because of an injury, because you had to move? Let's see where you are right now and evaluate that. And then we can say, OK, well, let's say you're going to do three days a week. Awesome. Let's do something simple. Let's say you like dancing. Let's dance. It does not have to be.

Erin (09:11.901)
going to the gym, doesn't have to be running. It has to be something that you like, that you want to be consistent. I love the fact that I have a friend, she likes to do dance classes. And I did one of her dance classes, I was like, I'm not sweating like this a long time. Like I'm usually a gym girly. It's like, I love to see the different ways that people embrace movement. I actually did something not,

Whitney West (09:27.917)
Hahaha

Erin (09:41.501)
just finished it in the new year where I went an entire month without working out. And that is crazy, right? And so I came back and I did 30 days of people following me along on social media, seeing my climb back into the gym. And I did like workouts from the couch. I did workouts with kids running around. I did workouts like literally, but for 30 days I did this.

Erin (10:08.974)
And the point of that was to show people your workout can look any way you want it to look. So even if it is just walking around your yard with your kids, do it. It doesn't simple. Just make it simple.

Whitney West (10:25.208)
Right, right. Yeah, please make it. K-I-S-S, keep it simple. And add the other S if you like. So, all right. So, well, you just kind of answered a bunch of questions that I was going to ask you about. How do you keep your clients enjoying their movement time? And what's your advice for someone restarting movement after burnout or injury? You just kind of talked about that.

Erin (10:30.307)
Yes, yes. Yes.

Erin (10:51.666)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Whitney West (10:53.136)
So, all right, well, let's talk about nutrition. So, again, we, we just, we just previously talked about, you know, not throwing everything out of your pantry and revamping, you know, completely entirely or whatever, all at the same time. So, so again, let's like we did about exercise, let's talk about nutrition. Like what, what can they do that'll work? That'll be sustainable real life stuff.

Erin (11:18.95)
Real life stuff, I would say the easiest way that I implement new diets for my clients is to get what their calories per day is. And I know people are gonna come from me like, hate calories. I understand. I totally get it. Cause sometimes it can be like, well, it's just a bag of chips. I get it. I totally get it. But I found that it's easier to let people still eat the things that they enjoy.

in a smaller portion. Go ahead, like I said earlier, get your Chick-fil-A, but get a kid's meal. That's cutting down a whole lot of calories. Don't get the tea or the lemonade. Get water. Just make simple changes so you can still enjoy life because I think what a lot of people feel, like you said, I'm giving up. I don't have any fun. And then when the cheat day comes, it becomes a cheat week because

Whitney West (12:17.422)
Right, right.

Erin (12:18.139)
I wasn't able to get my piece of cake yesterday. I'm about to eat the whole cake today. No, we're not gonna do that. Go ahead and have your piece of cake today. But remember, you did have Chick-fil-A earlier, so make that piece real small. So we can still be consistent because again, you have to burn more calories than you take in. That's the only way it's gonna work.

Whitney West (12:21.166)
Yes.

Whitney West (12:32.591)
Right.

Whitney West (12:39.654)
So if someone is kind of overwhelmed by like nutrition advice like that, I know I sit in the office and I'll go through, you know, somebody who's got high blood pressure and cholesterol issues and you know, they may or may not be overweight or whatever and we'll talk about like the anti-inflammatory diet and which is also called the Mediterranean diet. And for some, like, you know, they've heard things about it and, and it distresses them because that means they can't eat what you just said. It can't eat the foods that they were eating before. And I tried to do, you know, a little bit of discussion with them on that. actually give them a website that has, you know, options for recipes. I said, if you, only know how to cook one or two things with these foods, you know, let's, let's try to get you some more information so you can start making other stuff so you don't get bored. you know, I don't want to that same thing over again, you know. But if they get overwhelmed by that, like they're sitting there and they're like, my gosh, what do do first? Like, where would you suggest they start?

Erin (13:48.419)
say doing one of those services that has the meal prep for you that way it's taken a little bit of pressure off of you. don't have to think well have they've done it for you. They tell you how many calories, protein, fat. So if you have to start out that way that's perfectly fine. We're not losing here. I hate when people like you said they get overwhelmed and I just can't do it. It's just easier to just go out and get fast food and come home or cook the meals that I've been cooking instead of trying to learn because people are busy. I get it. I get it. So let's start with one of those services that will take it out for you. I mean, if you have a house full of kids, you would hire a maid to help you out if you had the means to, of course. So this is the same thing. If it's overwhelming, if it's too much, let's outsource that.

Whitney West (14:36.004)
Right, right.

Whitney West (14:42.704)
Gotcha, gotcha. So what do you see as some common nutrition mistakes that people make, especially women?

Erin (14:52.368)
think women are, especially with social media, they are falling into the, need every single supplement you have in my body. Like, I really don't like taking supplements unless I am deficient. Like, unless I'm deficient, I don't need to be taking B12 or Magnesium. I don't need these every day. I just need to eat right. So why don't we implement more foods where we can get our vitamins naturally? Because again, I only know so much. You would have to go to your physician to tell you you're on this medication and you're taking this supplement. I know some of the interactions, but I don't know all. So let's not have an adverse reaction because you're trying to take everything. And another one is people think protein.

Whitney West (15:25.359)
Right?

Erin (15:47.494)
I gotta get my protein. I gotta get my protein. Let me get my protein shake. Yes, protein is very important when you're working out, getting in shape, because we all know muscle burns more than fat does. But how about some fiber with that? You're eating all this protein and it's not coming out. We need to throw some fiber in there because now you're just retaining weight. So if we can get our supplements

Whitney West (16:01.71)
Hahaha

Erin (16:15.993)
on a basis where we're taking what we need instead of everything and then throw some fiber with our protein, women will be golden.

Whitney West (16:19.546)
Mm-hmm.

Whitney West (16:26.758)
Gotcha, gotcha. mean, gut health is absolutely paramount. know, most of the hormones that we're, you know, that people think are made in the brain are actually made in the gut. And if your gut's not working, then you're not working. You know, so fiber is absolutely, absolutely important. You know, we should be getting in probably 25 to 35 grams a day. And they say most people get in maybe 10 to 15.

Erin (16:43.461)
All right.

Whitney West (16:56.55)
So, you if you're not feeling regular, that's gonna be part of your issue. And then water is absolute, you know, is a must. A lot of people don't drink enough water. You know, they're drinking sugary drinks and that kind of thing. you know, I try to give them some basic advice as we, you know, work on all the other things that they have going on and try to get them feeling better about themselves.

So what does balanced eating look like for the busy woman you just mentioned? Like what does that look like? I know we need to get the protein and fiber and somebody says, I I skip meals because I'm so busy. I run out the door in the morning or I'm coming in late at night or whatever, or I work through lunch. So what does balanced eating look like?

Erin (17:43.203)
Right.

Erin (17:50.83)
Mm-hmm.

Erin (17:54.565)
As you said, I've heard the story before I just don't have time I don't have time Well, you need to make time just once a week if that's all to meal prep because getting at least three meals a day is going to be golden because I tell people all the time your body is going to store the fat because you're not feeding it and we're like, but I don't eat I can save them

Whitney West (17:57.798)
You

Whitney West (18:06.086)
Hmm

Whitney West (18:18.298)
Yes, so good.

Erin (18:20.825)
You would think starving your body would get rid of the fat. No, it's gonna hold on to it. So can we just prep? If it's at night after everybody's gone to sleep, okay, this is my breakfast, this is my lunch, and I'm gonna throw something in the crock pot for dinner. I have had to learn, and I know it might sound mean, but I am a mother of four children and a husband. So I have a lot going on at my house on the daily. So if I can make the time

Whitney West (18:24.676)
Mm-mm. Mm-hmm.

Right.

Erin (18:50.638)
to prep things, I know you can make the time. You have the time. If you have to put your phone down and not scroll TikTok for just 20 minutes, I promise you, you can get it done. You can get it done. So I would say set yourself up for success meal prep, or if you don't wanna do that, outsource again.

Whitney West (18:53.317)
Gotcha.

Whitney West (18:57.03)
Mmm. Yeah.

Whitney West (19:10.692)
Gotcha. Gotcha. Yeah. You probably stepped on some toes and talking about that, putting that phone, that doom scrolling that we doom scrolling. Yeah. Yeah. So, I, you know, I tell patients all the time, say, you cannot, it's like when they don't eat, it's like driving a car, like on, on a empty gas tank. Right. I said, you cannot drive a car if you don't fill it up with gas. Right. So think of your body as that car. So you have to fuel the body.

Erin (19:15.565)
Yes.

Yes, yes.

Whitney West (19:39.878)
you know, so it can burn off, you know, whatever you're taking in as energy. So that's what the car does when you put the gas in, like you're, using it and it's burning off that gas. Um, I said your body cannot function if you don't actually fuel it. Right. So, um, all right, so let's, let's put, put, let's put this all together, you know, nutrition, um, exercise and, um, what do we, uh,

Erin (19:45.155)
Bye.

Whitney West (20:08.446)
How do we put this all together?

Erin (20:11.455)
say for most people you need help. People like me, I'm here to help and what I think intimidates a lot of people is, well I haven't done it in so long and I don't want to be embarrassed. Don't feel embarrassed for asking for help. There's new exercises that I see all the time and I don't mind messaging another trainer, hey I just saw you doing this, do you mind explaining what muscle group is this working, what are the benefits? we have to be vulnerable in ourselves to ask for help. once we do that, then we can have someone say, kindergarten here, let me put it together for you. Baby steps. So we can figure out, okay, I can't work out doing these burpees and stuff because I have a knee injury. That's fine, let's modify for you.

Erin (21:06.93)
And another, I think, obstacle is people are like, you're too expensive. Granted, I'm not going to say that I'm the cheapest person out there, but there are definitely people who are charging exponentially more than I am. And how I have to explain it to people is, you know, my services amount to the same as your medications do every month. So it's new.

Whitney West (21:30.648)
Wow. Wow.

Erin (21:34.014)
you want to stop paying for your medications, start paying for my services, and you won't even miss it. And for some, I'm much cheaper than their medications. But I just, think, like I said, making yourself vulnerable and actually admitting I need help and going out, there are plenty of free platforms and apps.

Whitney West (21:42.551)
Mmm.

Right, right, right.

Erin (22:02.399)
that will design the workout for you. I'm not one of those, but I do post on social media like, hey, do this, do that. This helps with the thing I see every day, how to build a booty. I post videos on that or how to get a snatched waist. You can go to TikTok and doom scroll that. But let's not go down those rabbit holes that take us on a totally different tangent.

Whitney West (22:29.466)
Gotcha, gotcha. What do you say to the clients that say they have no time?

Erin (22:36.598)
You have time. You have time. Let me tell you, before I started working for myself, I had a regular nine to five. And again, I had to get kids up for school in the morning. I had to make breakfast. I had to make dinner. And I was still able to work out. Did that mean I had to get up sometimes at four or five o'clock in the morning? Absolutely. And I think making ourselves uncomfortable and doing things that we have never done before, that's where we start to see results. Because if you were doing the same thing you've been doing, what are you going to get? The same results. So let's let's try something different. Let's instead of coming home and, you know, like decompressing on the couch, go straight to the gym after work.

Whitney West (23:12.142)
Awesome.

Whitney West (23:19.578)
Yeah.

Whitney West (23:31.238)
Hmm.

Erin (23:31.263)
Because I know for me, I have to work out in the mornings. If I wait till the evening to work out, it's not getting done. It's like I've clocked out, mommy's off, I'm done. So I have to get mine done in the morning. if you turning the key means you're done, don't come home yet. Go ahead and go to the gym. Or if you come home, don't come in the house. Walk around the neighborhood. Do something. You can make time for what you wanna make time for.

Whitney West (24:01.19)
Gotcha. Yeah. So I, I'm the same way. I have to, I have to do it in the morning if it doesn't get done and I'm, I just, cause there's no telling where I'm going to be come, you know, and then it keeps me awake. So if I, if I try to exercise at night, I've tried to, and I cannot do it literally will keep me up. So yeah. So we're, you know, working out in the morning is definitely my, um, it's best for me. Like I know, I know my body enough to know that. Um, what does, uh, success,

Erin (24:08.661)
Right.

Erin (24:16.801)
Thank

Whitney West (24:29.094)
look like with your coaching model? What does that look like?

Erin (24:33.682)
It looks like you're finally starting to feel better about yourself. We're not looking at the scale. We're not looking at anything other than how are you feeling now? Do you feel like you've worked enough and do you feel like you're doing the things that you need to do to see the results that you want? You feel good about yourself. That's the first step. I think sometimes we miss, we say, I've lost 10 pounds, 15 pounds. That's great. Don't get me wrong. That's wonderful. your mental health is what's really gonna push you through. Because there's gonna be days when you're like, just don't feel like it. I don't want to. I haven't lost any weight. I haven't lost any inches. I'm hungry. I'm tired. I'm angry. I just, I don't wanna do it. So we have to make sure our mental fortitude is also being worked on while we're on this journey. Because I know there have been plenty of days where like, Nobody cares. Nobody cares what I do. Nobody cares. It's all me. So you have to care enough to see success for yourself. I got up three days in a row and did what I was supposed to do. Congratulations. Now keep pushing. Like, I'm so proud of you. I can be proud of you. Are you proud of you? So I think self, our self esteem is what's going to push us through mental fortitude is what's going she through. It's not the calories being burned, it's not the weight being lost, it's I feel better about myself.

Whitney West (26:07.418)
Yeah. So, and it builds confidence and then they learn how to, they're more confident in not just their themselves, you know, just in general, but about their bodies, right? What their bodies can do and then how it feels. So, and you know, once you get started, the hard part is actually getting started. And once you get going, one, you feel guilty for not doing it. And two, you miss the high, you know, because, you know, whatever it depends on what kind of activity you're doing, but

Erin (26:09.78)
All right.

Erin (26:30.707)
Yes.

Whitney West (26:36.996)
you, when you start to feel better, you miss not feeling better. If you, if you skip three, four days or whatever, you know, so, but the, think the biggest thing is that the mental health piece is, is really important because exercise itself can actually make you feel better, right? You know, the endorphin high, they talk about the runner's high. You don't just get that with running. You get that with exercise in general, right? but the,

Erin (26:41.117)
Right.

Erin (26:54.847)
Mm-hmm.

Whitney West (27:05.55)
I think the biggest thing in all of this that we just talked about is that one, they got to get started. And two, they got to give themselves grace if they fall off the wagon, right? We mess up with our nutrition or we mess up like one day, one meal, whatever, does not destroy your entire, you know, your life. It's you not deciding to get started again, like to...

Erin (27:16.042)
Absolutely. Absolutely.

Whitney West (27:30.148)
You so you said you said something about the cake, like I miss my cake and or whatever. I'm now I'm eat the whole thing. Well, that's not we don't want to do that. Yeah. So go eat, go eat the cake like the piece of cake if it's a celebration or something like that, you know, but but don't don't. So I just thought about somebody, a couple of friends I have like to.

Erin (27:37.385)
Yes.

Erin (27:43.828)
Listen.

Whitney West (27:51.374)
celebrate their birthday the entire month of their, of their, right. Not one day, not one meal. It's like the entire month. Like I'm celebrating all month long. Really? Like really? So yeah. So, you know, we can't have that kind of, of, mentality when it comes to like health and nutrition because, well, you know, exercise and nutrition because we, we absolutely will set ourselves back.

Erin (27:54.297)
What?

Erin (28:11.679)
Thank

Whitney West (28:19.502)
And then, and then we'll have to get over the hump, get started again. And then, you know, we, we, pushed ourselves 10 steps back. So now we're like, my God, why am I even bothering? Cause it's not working kind of deal. Well, you're the one who kind of pushed yourself back 10 steps. So you were doing great. You know, I, I was in a, exercise program, a couple of maybe two, three years ago.

Erin (28:30.61)
Thank you.

Erin (28:34.288)
Yeah.

Whitney West (28:44.558)
And part of it was making sure that you did what they call your celebration meal, right? Because you were on some kind of restriction for the entire week. they gave you, some people call it a cheat meal. But it wasn't really a cheat meal. It was a celebration meal where you could actually eat what you wanted to for one meal in that week, right? And you go back to eating how you were supposed to eat based off the program, right?

Erin (29:05.554)
Mm-hmm.

Whitney West (29:11.206)
And then some people did like the entire day like they every meal that day It's really supposed to be one meal one meal and it was funny because when I first you know, I first started the program my first celebration meal I was like I'm getting
pasta and whatever. And I think I felt so terrible after that, like I, cause I got whatever I was denying myself that whole week. And I was like, you know what this, I don't like how I feel, you know, I don't like that. So what I did was I picked, you know, I'm a breakfast, I love breakfast food. So, you know, pancakes, waffles, you know, whatever. So I would do that for my, you know, my celebration was my always like usually my breakfast meal.

Erin (29:33.384)
Yes.

Erin (29:39.923)
Yes.

Whitney West (29:55.206)
on on Saturday or Sunday and then then we would go back to eating how we were you know supposed to I did anyway And I did really good on that program It's just like super restrictive though the rest of the week, but that one meal you were waiting on you're like I'm gonna save this for my celebration meal so But yeah to hold the setback thing and people, you know just kind of you know falling off the wagon and not wanting to get back on is is is I think what? What kind of

Erin (30:12.082)
Thanks.

Whitney West (30:24.966)
destroys them at the end of the day. So speak on that for me. What do you think about that?

Erin (30:26.864)
Okay.

Erin (30:30.962)
Well, I kind of like how you mentioned your friends celebrating all month. It's not really conducive to a healthy lifestyle if that's the way you're leading. But I think something major that I forgot to touch on is you need that support system in place. Do you have anybody who is rooting for you? Because there will be days that you're done. You want to give up. So are the people behind you

Whitney West (30:35.078)
No.

Whitney West (30:56.655)
Hmm.

Erin (30:59.176)
pushing you forward or pulling you back. So I know in my case, it's my husband for me, because he knows what goals I have for myself and how I want my business to be structured and how I want myself to look. And so it'll be days where I'm like, you know what, the baby didn't sleep last night and I have to do this and do that. He was like, yeah, but you remember that bikini you bought? And I'm like, okay, I'm done.

Whitney West (31:00.998)
Mmm.

Whitney West (31:26.052)
You

Erin (31:27.965)
I'm hitting the gym right now. I'm gonna go ahead and go. So, and then he'll be like, well, I just saw this girl on TikTok do, you know, this kind of split squat lunge thing, whatever. And I'm like, challenge accepted, sir. Like, he knows what to say to get me to go and do what I need to do. And I'm the same way with him. And so when we're on this journey, we need to make sure we're surrounding ourselves with people who

Whitney West (31:29.424)
You

Whitney West (31:43.5)
Yeah

Whitney West (31:57.51)
Hmm.

Erin (31:57.882)
Number one, aren't gonna be jealous that, okay, it's a new year, new me, but you're so accustomed to the things I used to do. Can you help me? Can you support me be this new version of myself? Or are you gonna be, I know it ain't gonna last. I know we're not gonna, don't, distance yourself from that. I know there are people out there. And that's one thing that I am so proud of in my personal training is,

Whitney West (32:06.532)
Mm-hmm.

Whitney West (32:11.694)
Mmm.

Whitney West (32:15.961)
Gotcha. Yeah.

Erin (32:27.312)
I'm gonna be your accountability coach. And at the very beginning, I will ask people, do you need a friend to hold your hand and pull you through? Or do you need a drill sergeant to tell you to get your butt up and do it anyway? And it's some people like, well, sometimes I need both. And it's like, I have to navigate that lane. But whatever you need, if you don't have anybody else, you got me. I promise you, I'm gonna get you to the finish line.

Whitney West (32:29.562)
Mm.

Whitney West (32:53.094)
Okay, okay. So who would benefit most from working with you?

Erin (33:00.54)
So my clientele is mostly women. I like to go with a busy woman, a busy mom, just someone who, like you said, I don't have time. I have maybe 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there. It's not consistent. That's my client. I haven't worked out in a really long time or I've never worked out. So I need someone to show me exactly what to do.

That's why with my clients, I will send them a video and say, okay, this is exactly how you do a squat as to not injure yourself. This is how your planks should be done. And we can give each other feedback. That was great. Let's move on. Let's add more weight. The person who thinks they don't have anybody or it's too hard, I got you.

Whitney West (33:50.022)
Okay, okay. So how does working alongside a physician change your client experience? Because we're collaborating my integrated practice and your exercise and nutrition company for business. And I love collaboration. That's actually what integrative medicine is about, utilizing other resources and other modalities to get us to that true wellness. So how would that change or make better your client experience?

Erin (34:30.127)
like I said, it's like a new year, new me. I think a lot of people, especially people who know me, they know I've been in this game for a while. They know I'm in shape. They know all the things. But it's kind of like, yeah, that's cute. That's what she does. But now it's like, OK, someone else has seen my potential. Someone else knows and has seen my results. So now it's like I have a little bit more of a

I guess you could say chip on my shoulder. Like, okay, so now we have someone who you would respect outside of me backing me, partnering with me. So do my words have more standing? Absolutely. So now it's like, can you come speak at my church? Can we do a group thing? Absolutely we can. So I must thank you on that part because.

Whitney West (35:24.631)
Ha ha ha.

Erin (35:26.522)
Like I said before, was, that's so great. She's so cute with her little business. But now it's like, I'm able to reach so many more people. And that's all I ever wanted. Even if you never hire me as your trainer, as your nutrition specialist, if you just call me and ask for this one piece of advice, I've reached you.

Whitney West (35:36.87)
Mm.

Whitney West (35:48.518)
Awesome. Okay. Okay. So, what would you like your, like the listeners to know about you, and your approach, your coaching model, or, whatever, what would you like them to know?

Erin (36:06.779)
am going to be your best friend two weeks into the program. Those first two weeks, you will not like me. You're gonna get tired of hearing my name. You don't wanna see my number pop up on your phone. If you stop answering, I'm gonna start sending you emails. Like you will not like me those first two weeks. But after that point, you'll be like, thank God.

Whitney West (36:31.078)
Mmm.

Erin (36:35.385)
I made it past that point because it feels so much better. I'm still a little sore, but I'm getting it done. I'm not gonna leave you behind because so many people, especially so many women, they have this self-esteem issue, especially after children. I know I do. It's like my body is not the way it used to be and it doesn't.

Whitney West (36:56.422)
Mmm.

Whitney West (37:00.84)
Mm-mm. Mm-mm.

Erin (37:02.18)
feel right, I feel like I'm in somebody else's skin and I have to tell them, listen, I know exactly where you're coming from. I know the stretch marks, I know the extra skin, I know it all. Don't be ashamed to tell me about it. And I want people to know I'm going to be your best friend. Even though you won't like me for a little while, I'm going to be your best friend because I know what you've been through.

Whitney West (37:25.626)
Mm-hmm.

Erin (37:29.594)
That's why I kind of cater towards women because women respect what I have to say a little bit more than a man whose body has never been through those kind of changes and will never go through those changes. Do you even know what a hot flash is? No, sir, you do not. So I want them to know I'm going to be your friend and I'm going to relate to you way better than anyone else probably could.

Whitney West (38:01.05)
Okay. How can listeners find you?

Erin (38:04.868)
So I do have a website, thewellnesswaywitherin.com. There's some other wellness ways out there, but let's put that witharren.com. You can find me that way. It has my email on there, my phone number on there, some of the programs that I have. And I'm always available to, if you just want to do a consultation and kind of vent so we can come up with a specialized program, I'm open for that.

Whitney West (38:11.834)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Erin (38:34.265)
I think that's where I do my most of my business is, well, I saw what you have, but this is actually what I need. And so I don't mind creating a specialized program for anyone who needs my help.

Whitney West (38:49.806)
Okay, so that's what this is all about. at Essential Health and Wellness PC, we are about integrative medicine, which is again, collaboration and personalized care, which is also realistic. Like you can put your hands on it. This is like real, absolute.
the real tips that you can use. So, Erin is saying that she is absolutely the same way, which is why we're collaborating together, because we're on the same wavelength with that. So, there is no one size fits all program. Even with your regular care, this is not cookie cutter anything, right? So, everybody comes to the table with different needs, desires.

Erin (39:13.379)
Mm-hmm.

Whitney West (39:39.654)
And they have obviously different backgrounds. So what they're going to need moving forward is going to be very different. So, you know, some of the things might be the same for other folks, like, let's say, you know, I don't know, we're deficient in vitamin D, which most of us are, right? So, but outside of that, you know, everything else is, is, going to be individualized based off of what you need specifically. You not, not your friend. You heard, you know, your friend got this and
you are you going to get the same deal? No, no, because you need something different. And what you're coming to the table with is going to be very different. that's pretty awesome. I'm so excited for this collaboration. So those who are listening who are thinking about doing something. We're in Alabama, obviously we're in Huntsville, Madison area. Erin does a lot of her thing, telehealth or Zoom stuff. So.She can connect with you that way. I'm in Alabama and I actually have licenses in other states too. So we can talk about that if you're listening and you're someplace else. But if you come through Essential Health and Wellness PC and are a client of mine and integrated practice, and we discuss your desire to do nutrition and exercise coaching, then you actually get a discount going in with Erin.

So that'd be great. So I will put the contact information for Erin in the show notes. Again, she's the Wellness Way with Erin. It's E-R-I-N.com. I am Essential Health and Wellness PC, which is E-H-WellnessPC.com. And that's how you can get in touch with both of us. But I will actually put it in the show notes.

Whitney West (41:42.318)
So if today's conversation resonated with you and you think this is exactly the kind of support, excuse me, this is exactly the kind of support we offer and you want to become a client of either one of us, please reach out. We will absolutely be excited to get started and get you on your health journey. Erin, thank you so much for joining me today. I I am so excited about this collaboration.

Erin (42:10.913)
me too.

Whitney West (42:11.608)
Yup. This is going to be a great 2026. Like I said, this is not about new year's resolutions. This is about, you know, true lifestyle modification that you can do slowly and consistently that will change your life forever. Never. Because at the end of the day, we want to, we want longevity. Like we want to live longer, but we also want to feel better living longer. So any last words?

Erin (42:40.034)
Don't be afraid to take that first step on a Thursday afternoon when you're watching TV.

Whitney West (42:43.878)
Do it. Let's say the Nike logo, I mean, slogan, just do it. Just do it. You will feel better for it. You will feel better for it. Yeah. So thanks again for joining us here at the Integrative GYN. Please join us in upcoming episodes where we again discuss

Erin (42:48.13)
Don't be afraid. Do it.

Yeah, just do it.

Erin (43:00.16)
Absolutely.

Whitney West (43:12.87)
all the issues for women's health because your health deserves more than 15 minutes.