Ali is a coach and the Director of Marketing here at WAG Nutrition. She has a master's in Nutrition and Human Performance and lives in Vermont with her husband and GSP pup, Blue. Get to know a little more about her:

What originally got you interested in nutrition and fitness?

I used to hate working out and didn’t know much about nutrition outside of the myth that 1200 calories a day was enough for my adult body. During my first few years of college, I had pretty serious body image issues and started running too much and not eating enough. Eventually, a friend dragged me into a CrossFit gym, which changed my entire life and health trajectory. I remember walking in and seeing a female coach snatching. I thought, “Woah, I want to do that.” I was lucky that the flip switched quickly, but that doesn’t mean it was easy to retrain so many years of dieting and exercise misinformation. I eventually learned to focus more on what my body could do than what it looked like, which led me to CF coaching, learning more about nutrition, going back to school for Nutrition and Human Performance, and becoming a WAG coach.

What is one thing your most successful nutrition clients have in common?

I find that people who don’t expect perfection are the most successful in reaching their body composition/health goals and maintaining their desired results long-term. It seems counterintuitive, but being perfect all the time usually does more harm than good.

When you put too much pressure on yourself to be SPOT ON all the time, that pressure can really add up. Or, if you don’t necessarily feel like “pressure” and tracking is easy peasy, you can get caught thinking that you have to be perfect to see ANY progress at all (this was me!).

Rougher days happen (let's be honest, we all have ‘em) and things don’t always go perfectly. You’re more likely to give up entirely or think you’ve ruined everything when you hold yourself to an unsustainable and unrealistic standard. People who can cut themselves a little slack and show themselves grace are less likely to give up and, therefore, more likely to be successful.

What’s an essential part of your daily routine?

At the beginning of 2020, I started sleeping with my phone in my living room instead of next to my bed–it is SUCH a game changer for sleep quality. Even with my phone on silent, I always felt a little pull to check to see what I was missing. I also found that scrolling insta before bed left me feeling a little sad 95% of the time. I replaced mindless scrolling with reading an actual (fun!) book, and man, what a huge difference it has made for my mind and body. (Pro tip: Try not to read self-help books before bed, read something that really allows you to relax!)

Get a REAL alarm clock if you use your phone to wake you up. I love my sunrise alarm clock because it wakes me up gradually vs. all at once with an aggressive beep or song.

What is your favorite way to spend a day off?

My hubby and I live in Vermont and love being outside! We’ll spend days off on our paddle boards with our pup in the summer or working on fun house projects. In the winter, we do a lot of snowshoeing. I love to move in some way, shape, or form and then take advantage of the downtime to relax and reset.

Where’s the next place on your travel bucket list, and why?

I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand. It’s probably not happening anytime soon, but it is definitely at the very top of my travel bucket list. It looks absolutely GORGEOUS, and there is so much to do and explore. I wish I had a great reason, but I’ve just always felt the pull to go there, and eventually, I’ll make it happen.

What song always gets you out on the dance floor? | What’s your “dance like nobody’s watching” song?

Unpopular opinion: I love a good line dance. I can always get behind The Wobble, Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, or any other group dance situation. Shake it Off by Taylor Swift or any Blink 182 song are also sure bets. 

Which of your personality traits are you most proud of?

I am reliable. If I say I’m going to do something, you can trust it will happen, or you’ll get a million heads up and overcommunication if something changes 😂. Whether related to work or personal relationships, I am there for the people I love and who count on me. 

What's something you’d like to learn?

Outside of my WAG work, I love photography. I primarily shoot on a mirrorless Sony and LOVE it, but I have always wanted to learn how to shoot film. My dad gave me his old film camera a few months ago, so that is next on my list of things to learn!

What's the most life-changing piece of advice you've ever heard?

You are the environment for the people around you. It is so easy to get caught up in our own heads and problems and forget that the people around us almost always pick up the energy we put off. I’m a big believer in letting yourself feel the feels, but you are also responsible for lifting the people around you up as much as you can, whenever you can. Or, at least not contributing to bringing them down.

I also love the reminder, “be where your feet are” but I can’t say it is “life-changing” yet because it’s something I’m still working on. We don’t have control over the past and only have so much control over the future. All we can do is live right now and make the best decisions possible with the information we have.

What makes you laugh the most?

My sister. You know when you are just SO close with someone, you can communicate just through eye contact? We have the same sense of humor and a trillion inside jokes. Even though we live far away from each other, we’re at it right when we are back together, and we’re usually laughing at something no one else even realized was funny…cause it probably wasn’t. My dad calls it “getting our sillies,” and we’ll laugh at the stupidest stuff so hard we cry. 

Get to know a bit more about coach Ali HERE or listen to her interview on the Inside WAG Nutrition Podcast.