Life and Work with Taryn Shank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taryn Shank.

Taryn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
What started as a hobby after college turned into my passion years later. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or be when I grew up. I went to college and dropped out after three years because I still had not a clue what I wanted to do with my life. I jumped from job to job during this time and in between, I would study things about fitness and nutrition. I slowly started implementing the things I was learning into my life and started to feel better than ever. I discovered I had a love for cooking I never knew about before. I thought I wanted to open my own cafe so I took a job at a local organic cafe. During this time, I also interned with a naturopathic doctor to learn more about nutrition. What I learned was that I have zero interest in opening a cafe but was 100% interested in learning how the body works and learning more about holistic nutrition. So, I went to school to study holistic nutrition and became a Health Coach. Today, I’m a Holistic Health coach with a passion for healing with food. After years of struggling with fad dieting, binge eating, and body image issues I discovered my love for nutrition and now I help women of all ages overcome binge and emotional eating. I help women find a balance that allows them to thrive for the rest of their lives.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It is never a smooth road but you have to keep going. My advice for anyone trying to start a business or change their eating habits is to not give up. Consistency is key along with having the right mindset. You will feel discouraged, you will feel fear and failure but you just have to get back up and keep on going. Nothing will work for you unless you continue to work at it.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a health nerd and I love being in the kitchen, cute cafes and traveling. I’m not paleo or keto and I don’t follow any “diet.”
I still eat sugar, gluten, and dairy and maintain my ideal weight and feel great.
But I didn’t always feel this way.
I used to feel anxious about food.
I used to beat myself up when I had too much.
I was confused when it came to what I should be eating. I didn’t know it was possible to feel good and not feel guilty after eating.

I grew up on sugar and carbs. I had an extremely negative body image for most of my life. At the age of 15, I discovered diets. I was always trying a new one. Cabbage soup diet, The Adkins diet, the egg diet, starvation diet, you name it I’ve probably done it. This fad dieting was a cycle for years. My self-esteem was shot for those years. I would fluctuate weight constantly and could never find that ideal weight. I became obsessed with it, obsessed with looking and feeling good. But I restricted myself in so many ways, I talked negatively to myself in the mirror. I thought that looking good would make others love me. But looking back I didn’t even love myself. How can someone else love me when I treat my body like a dump and don’t love myself?

Fast forward to now, I am a completely different person. Mentally and physically. I have studied what it takes to heal. And I have done it myself. I learned how to love myself and my body in the process and I feel better than ever! I have taken control of my life. I freed myself. I broke the chains of the life-consuming obsession with food and found the perfect balance to a healthy life without restrictions and guilt. And now I am a holistic health coach with a passion for healing others and helping them find the freedom they’ve been looking for. I help women transform their lives and ditch eating their feelings.

Who have you been inspired by?
Hundreds of women have inspired me throughout my life. I think it’s important to not look at one person for inspiration. I also think it’s important to not idolize other women for what they have accomplished but look at them as other women who has accomplished something that you can also accomplish. Realizing these women are just people like you and me has helped me not be jealous of what they have but realize that if they can do it, so can I. I look everywhere for inspiration. From Oprah to my clients who are wanting to be better versions of themselves. I get inspired when I see people bettering their lives. You can tell when someone has that spark in their heart and they believe they are doing something good. Thats what inspires me. Some of my current inspirations – mostly in the health world are Vanessa Fitzgerald, Sophie Jaffe, Brooke McGreg and Angie Lee. These women each stand for something different and are so confident in their message. They are all changing lives in their own different way and I admire each and every one of them for the magic they bring to this world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thoughtfully-thriving.com
• Email: taryn@thoughtfully-thriving.com
• Instagram: @_tarynshank

Image Credit:
@alexlenarphotography

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