FitHAUS Nutrition Testimonials

ANNE MARIE - GET JAK’D Testimonial

In the fall of 2020, we moved. Once settled in, I noticed I was gaining weight and not feeling my best so I tried to step up my healthy eating plan and activity level. Several months passed. Yogurt and coffee for breakfast, salad for lunch & meat, carbs and a salad for dinner left me feeling hungry, lacking energy and motivation, craving carbs and sweets and not providing any positive results. Looking back, if I’m honest, this may have made me a bit depressed.

I found myself shying away from wearing certain favorite shirts because of the “muffin tops” that were now visible. My clothes were tighter than they had been. I felt like a squishy marshmallow and I wanted to be a well-done steak! I wanted to feel healthy and strong, but didn’t know where to start.

I had reservations about starting the Get Jak’d Program:

I don’t live in MN. How could it work?
I’m in my 60’s. My body can be pretty stubborn! I’ll probably have to eat less- how can I do that and feel good?
Did I want to commit to something for 12 weeks?
Did I really want to be held accountable?

Is it worth the investment of time and money? (Translates to “Am I - my health and my future self - worth the investment?)

I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did! Here are my thoughts post-program now that Get Jak’d knowledge is part of my life:

I’m eating MORE & weighing LESS (-11 pounds!)
I’ve LOST inches and GAINED energy. I feel better!
My clothes fit comfortably and I can wear any shirt I want…the “muffin tops” are gone.
It’s way easier to be consistent with my workouts when I feel this good..

I’ve become part of an online positive group of supportive, motivating, and sometimes humorous people all working toward personalized nutrition and wellness goals, so not living in MN doesn’t matter.

Jess provided us with all the knowledge, tools and feedback needed to be successful. Her accountability nudges and weekly check-ins were invaluable.

I’ve developed a sense of what portions actually look like on a plate (much more food than I was eating before!) and how much of each type of food I need to feel good and function well.

Added Bonuses:

My cholesterol was high. I figured there wasn’t anything I could do as there’s a family history. Wrong! Cholesterol is down 34 points!
I have learned how my body responds to different nutrients. I have an awareness of the food I put in my mouth and how I’ll likely feel after I eat it.

JULIA - GET JAK’D Testimonial

1. What were you struggling with before starting? What other things had you tried?

Before starting the Get Jak'd program, I was struggling with crippling anxiety due to the pandemic, bloating and acne, exhaustion (daily naps), lack of self-confidence, poor body image, and an extra 10-15 pounds after having two children. I had tried tracking, counting macros, and restrictive diets in the past where I lost weight initially but did not keep it off long-term.

2. What doubts/reservations did you have about joining the Get Jak'd experience/doing Nutrition & Wellness coaching?

I honestly did not have any doubts or reservations about joining Get Jak'd! I was so ready to understand how to eat for life and sustain it for the long-term. My goal was to get Jak'd before I turned 40 and I was confident I could get there with a plan and accountability.

3. What did you learn throughout the experience? How did that improve your wellness/fitness/mindset?

I learned that I was not eating enough to fuel my body and increase my metabolism. Yes, you read that correctly...I had to eat more! The shift in my mindset of adding versus restricting was significant and so valuable: I was adding more vegetables, adding more water, adding more protein and fat, and adding more calories. I never once felt hungry or deprived as my meals were abundant and balanced. Finally, I learned that there is no such thing as a "cheat meal" - I still ate pizza and ice cream and had a glass of wine now and then by working into my daily calorie/macro goals.

4. Were there any fun/surprising things about GJ'd? The group text, Facebook group, and meetings were fun and helped build a community of support. I was surprised that I was eating more yet losing weight - this never would have made sense to me in a pre-Get Jak'd world. I was also surprised at my energy levels and lack of bloating/acne/irritability. Finally, tracking everything in MFP was easier than I thought it would be and the shortcuts shared were super helpful to streamline things.

5. What were the results you experienced?

I lost 12 pounds (10% of my body weight) and 3" from my waist, hips, thigh, and chest. I took over a minute off of my mile. I gained the strength to do gymnastics movements that I have not done in over 20 years: handstands, full twisting flips, kips/bar muscle ups. I am no longer experiencing bloating, acne, or exhaustion (no more naps!). I gained the self-confidence to wear a bikini, crop tops, and short shorts. :-) Most importantly, my anxiety is nearly gone and I am back to living my life again!

6. What would you tell someone who is considering participating in the next Get Jak'd session?

Stop considering and just do it! You will not regret it as it is literally life changing! What do you have to lose?

7. Anything else? I am just so thankful for you, Jess. You have no idea how much these last few months have impacted me physically and mentally. I will forever be grateful for Jess!

- Julia

STENN HOIDAL - Get Jak’d Testimonal

I’ve experimented with numerous health and nutrition programs—everything from paleo to vegan—with varying degrees of enjoyment and success. Get JAK’D was the best…by far. It was practical, made intuitive sense, and was easy to stick with. Because it focuses on macros and doesn’t eliminate particular food groups, it didn’t feel like I was depriving myself. But most importantly, I saw results and was supported by a great community throughout. Specific results included improved muscle definition (nice to see you again abs!), as well as fat loss. Also, great energy for my workouts

LINDSEY - GET JAK’D Testimonial

Fitness to me has always been an incredibly personal journey and I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older that it doesn’t look the same as it did when I was younger. When I first started at FitHAUS I saw on the website they offered Nutrition coaching, so I did what anyone else would do, which was stalk it in the internet shadows, reading their articles/overview of what they offered. However, never really pursuing it.

Then in one of the FitHAUS emails it mentioned that there was a Get Jak’ed nutritional program coming soon and there would be an informational session. I thought I myself that I could do an informational session, so I signed up! The info session talked through what the program consisted of, which offered macro planning (since I had gestational diabetes while pregnant I knew what this was), group guidance and sessions with Jess. Plus it was a 12 week program. I figured ok, might as well try it and it’s only 12 weeks so if it sucks then it will only be 12 weeks of my life.

During the first week we met with Jess and were given our macros. Jess walked through how to track and in MyFitness Pal.

I had some initial hesitations. What if this is like the time I tried to track previously and failed? What if I don’t see the results that I want? Wait…what are the results that I want to see???? The thing that was different here was that Jess was open to talk through all of that. And I asked a LOT of questions. She stressed to take it slow and focus on a few things at first to ensure it wasn’t overwhelming and then add on top of that. That mental shift was HUGE! After the first few weeks I was nailing my water intake, getting the veggies in and slowly creeping up on my protein goal. That trajectory only continued through the next 12 weeks. I was seeing the inches fall off and the weights increasing in the gym.

At one point I will say I was discouraged because the scale wasn’t moving. Ugh, I saw the tape measure getting tighter but the scale didn’t budge. Jess was there. She was there to talk me through this and help remind me of what my goals were and my expectations vs. reality. During our group sessions and text chain it was great to see and hear from others on this journey too. We shared wins and struggles, which was refreshing to know that others were feeling or going through the same things. Plus the recipes everyone shared were great! The unexpected gain that I am most grateful for is the mental shift. I’ve spent 37 years not understanding how changes to what I’m eating can impact not only weight and inches, but also my mood, periods, and day to day living. This program allowed me to recognize and reconnect with myself that I have never known was possible. I am incredibly grateful for this program and the shifts I have made from a nutritional viewpoint. It has given me the tools to be able to tackle birthday parties, travel and daily meals with ease and knowing that no matter what happens one ice cream cone isn’t going to throw all my work out the window 💪🏼

- Lindsey B

PAT - FitHAUS Nutrition Client Testimonial

"In Late 2020, I took a leap of faith and began working with Jess. I was scared to disappoint myself or her, but was also miserable and knew something needed to change. Here are some of the victory notes I've kept along my journey so far…”

I’m getting dialed in to my protein and veggie goals and stepping out of my comfort zone to add new, nourishing habits to my life.
After years of fearing them, I got my box jumps back!! I’m feeling ACCOMPLISHED!
I no longer dread meal prep...wohoooo!!!
I strung 50 unbroken single unders together and am feeling STRONG.
I am shifting away from emotional eating and into a healthy and balanced food relationship.
I am a BOSS in the kitchen. I put nourishing meals together, intuitively, without stress.
I am keeping it fresh by taking breaks from tracking and making progress while enjoying food and life
I am down over 7 lb per month and have lost over THIRTEEN INCHES in 2021.
In April 2021: I had a check up and my doctor cut my meds in HALF. Lowering them was a secret goal I used to be afraid to believe I could achieve. I am SO PROUD and PUMPED to keep going!!!!

LEAH - FitHAUS Nutrition Client Testimonial

I began working with FitHAUS Nutrition because I wanted to lose a layer of body fat I felt I had been carrying around since having kids. I also wanted to continue to support my early on-set Hashimotos and RA (rheumatoid arthritis) with healthy choices so they did not progress. I wanted to manage my cravings and to be okay with just having a handful of M&M's (versus eating the entire bag). And the kicker … when Jess told me her goal was to get me to eat as much as possible, I was in!!

Prior to starting with FH Nutrition, I would say I generally ate healthy. What I lacked, however, was the knowledge of how much I should actually be eating and in what combination. I’ve never tried any serious nutrition program in the past, and everything I have tried was always ‘less’ (less calories, less carbs). That approach … to ‘less’ … was clearly not a long term strategy for me as most attempts I bailed at within a week or two.

Fast forward to several months in with FitHAUS nutrition ….

I wasn't sure I would be great at tracking but I actually really enjoy it! Who knew!?!

Some of my wins:

I can enjoy a handful of M&M's and not feel controlled by a craving! I'm amazed that I've lost weight and inches while eating MORE!
No signs of RA or Hashimotos!
I've definitely gotten stronger and I'm more confident in trying heavier weights during workouts!
I learned how to grill by myself!
I’ve also recognized that when I get dehydrated, I crave more sweets! Again … who knew(?!?), but also SO SIMPLE!

And I continue to learn more! I'm doing my first cut right now! It's been cool to learn about cutting/bulking and know that I'll learn to do both of these things and can have confidence that I get to steer the ship when it comes to my experience and results!

MEGHAN - FitHAUS Nutrition Client Testimonial

I want to open by telling you that this journey is so much more than a "before and after photo". Nutrition is so, so personal and everyone's journey and struggles are unique to themself. It is constantly changing and evolving as we learn more about our own bodies .. what works for one may not work well for another. But with the help of a coach who is attentive and willing to meet you where you are and help you achieve YOUR goals .. big things can happen :)

Months and months of chitter chatter back and forth with Jess. Me asking questions and dipping my toes in the water of what nutrition could look like for me .. but never fully committing. See, I've never really struggled a ton with my eating as far as not overeating. I always ate pretty well and have a pretty good balance with indulging and then getting back on track. But, protein. And carbs. (never seemed to struggle with fat, haha). And don't get me started on my energy level and hormones. I was kind of a mess! But true to the Irish genes, I'm stubborn .. and I didn't "need" any help. It's a good thing Jess is so patient with me and let me talk her ear off for a long time, listening intently and giving me feedback at times but being gentle with her approach.

This nutrition journey is unique and personal for each of us. We all have different goals we are trying to reach and they are not parallel to one another. For me, I wanted to increase my strength in the gym, have more energy and go through one cycle without being a basket case! Before I go any further, and if you only read to here .. I PRd my clean, successfully am lifting more weight than I have been, and my energy level has been so sooo good. Oh and that cycle, yeah last month ladies it came and I was SURPRISED! Because I hadn't been a total kook the days leading up to it!

When Jess and I started I was adamant on NOT TRACKING. I've dug my heels in and I will not budge. "Ok Megs, let's do it a different way then". Rockstar she is, she tailored a nutrition program a different way. We checked in weekly, I asked many many questions and Jess answered all with so much knowledge. Midway through I messaged her and said "Jess, do you want me to track in My Fitness Pal just for a couple days so you can REALLY see what and how much I'm eating?". I think her jaw hit the floor. So there I was, set that I would NEVER track and I logged on. And I did it for more than a couple days .. we are going on weeks of it! I don't weigh things. I guess generously on my serving sizes and tracked every thing that had a label. My biggest issue, always, was getting enough protein to sustain the workouts I was doing and repair the muscles afterwards. Once I started tracking and seeing how far behind I was on that macro and recognizing what a difference my body felt when I was eating enough of all three macros, things changed. Jess continually was telling me I likely wasn't eating enough .. nah, what are you talking about Jess .. dang it she was RIGHT! Once I honed in on eating enough protein ... enough carbs (my how tired and weak you can feel if you're not eating enough carbs) .. and enough fat, I felt so sooo good!

Nutrition is a journey. That age old saying, it's a marathon not a sprint, couldn't be more true. Jess guides you through what foods will fuel your body best based upon what your activity levels are, your short term and long term goals, and she will make sure you are able to still enjoy the foods you love. Balance is the key to her nutrition program .. and being MINDFUL of what exactly you are putting in. After working with Jess, I am so much more in tune with how my body feels and what it needs. The other day I messaged her that my muscles were feeling weak and my workout really struggled. Instead of a quick response, she wrote me back 3-4 key things I can try and do to see if there's an improvement. Electrolyte imbalance, who even knew .. but again, she was right. And hone in that protein Megs!

If you are teetering like I did, just know that what you will gain will be so much more than a physical transformation. Nutrition is the foundation for how our body + our mind feels. If we feed it well, we feel well. Jess meets you exactly where you are, with no judgments, but rather open ears and a plethora of knowledge to help you succeed!