I'm a 48 year old woman. I went through menopause early; at 38. I was always tall and thin. Suddenly I was gaining weight, and became 30 lbs overweight. I was uncomfortable, and didn't feel like myself. I went to a gym and worked out with machines and weights for an hour 3 times a week for a year. I wasn't able to lose any weight. That's when I found Karen. I was convinced my metabolism was so slow that I'd never lose weight. Karen helped me become more mindful of my eating, and empowered me to decide what changes I could make that would help me eat better more consistently. I decided to limit: my wine intake, eating out and bread (a weakness). Instead of defaulting to eating out, I made time to do food prep most weekends, having chicken and green beans ready for dinner meals. I armed myself with unsalted nuts for office snacks, and I made sure to keep my water bottle filled and near me. Slowly over a year, I lost about 20 lbs. I was shocked! Over the past year between vacations, holidays and stressful times at work, as I'd be less mindful of my eating and my weight would creep up a couple of pounds, I'd check back in with Karen. She'd help me to look at my behaviors and see what's working and what wasn't working. She supported me in setting realistic, specific goals that made a difference in my health behaviors and how I feel about myself. Everyone thinks when you see a dietitian/nutritionist that they are going to hand you a meal plan. Our sessions are more conversations; we process behaviors and set goals. I always leave the session feeling empowered. L.W.