“I love chocolate. I love butter. I love fresh, soft, warm focaccia dipped in good olive oil with a cheese topped plate of pasta and a good glass of wine. I love food with taste. Real food. I love to make these foods as much as I love to share them with people I’d like to share them with. I’ve always loved food in these ways but I’ve never really understood food. By that I mean, I knew what I enjoyed, I knew how to make it, knew what was sinful but never really understood what certain foods did to the body once you ate it. I came to Balance with an interest in better understanding nutrition and extra few pounds that I didn’t mind shedding. Before working with Julie Hiller I was working out 3 days a week and eating what I thought was a pretty healthy diet. I wasn’t interested in juice cleanses,  meal replacement bars or kale shakes. I wanted to better understand how foods effect the body and what I could do to adjust my diet to take advantage of that information. These new additions into my diet also needed to work with my lifestyle and my family’s ever changing schedule. Despite drawing the line on a few things before even listening to Julie, the new editions and subtractions to my diet required being willing and open minded to change. With Julies expert direction and encouragement I started seeing see the numbers on my scale drop weekly. Typically 3-4 pounds a week. I started to see the structure of my face in the mirror and less Sta-Puff Marshmellow man. Lacing up tennis shoes didn’t require a deep breathe to prevent passing out before for the shoe was tied. Workouts seem more productive. I started approaching meals with more consideration. I didn’t want to count calories or sacrifice the foods I really loved and with Julies guidance and suggestions I was able to accomplish both by better understanding food and food options. With the knowledge I gained I was able to lose 25lbs. That success came from what I learned. That knowledge is a great tool for me should the figures on the scale start going up again. If they do, I know how to fix that problem because of Julie.” -B.W.