Hi there!

I’m Adrienne, registered dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), MSc in nutrition, and healthy weight and mindset coach.

I have over 7 years of experience as a registered dietitian and have coached thousands of clients. I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a double major in food science and nutrition and completed my Master of Science in human nutrition from McGill University in Montreal. 

I struggled with weight and emotional eating from childhood until my early 20’s.

It all started at 6 years old, when I had my first full day of school. My mom packed me an Asian lunch (thermos with rice, meat, veggies, and seaweed snacks) and I was made fun of every single day by the other kids. They all had a cold sandwich or ‘Lunchables’ kits- my school wasn’t very diverse and this was the 90’s. I was ashamed of eating my lunch, so I begged my mom to for the same lunch the other kids had. She packed me sandwiches. But the thing is, I didn’t like sandwiches at all. So I just never ate my lunch. 

I was starving by the time I got home and I ate non-stop because I was so hungry and food gave me the sense of comfort I needed from not fitting in at school. That’s how my emotional eating began…

There was also pressure from my family to be the definition of an “desirable, thin Asian woman”. This was especially evident when I visited Asia for the first time in grade 6. I remember my Uncle showing me photos of what standards of female beauty is (size 0, tall, slender) and he told me not to eat so much to get to that standard and offered my brother more food. I remember feeling so angry, rejected, and sad that I was so heavily judged for my body. My family and Asian culture show their love through food, so I felt that I was undeserving of being loved like my brother because of my size. This just made me eat through my emotions more, because I didn’t know how to express myself any other way.

I became overweight, have low confidence, and was known as the “chubby” friend. I hid in baggy, dark clothes, stayed quiet, and got good grades. Doing well in school was the only way I could stand out and feel good about myself.  But deep down, I wanted a life where I could be fit, confident, and happy.

In university I hit my peak weight when I gained 20lbs on top of my overweight body. I remember how my jeans wouldn’t fit anymore and when I stepped on the scale, I was paralyzed by the number I saw. 

That was my turning point. I HAD to look for a diet, I HAD to change. The diet that everyone was talking about at that time was Atkins (low carb, high protein diet). I promised myself to succeed with this diet. This was my first diet ever…and you never forget your first.

On my way home from uni, I hopped off the bus and stopped at the Chapters (now Indigo) on West Broadway in Vancouver and picked up the book. I absorbed the entire book that evening. I remember thinking…I can eat as much protein but no carbs- how hard can that be?! 

I followed the most restrictive phase to the T. I lost 10lbs in 1 week. My pants fit again. I continued with the diet and people started telling me how great I Iooked and asked me what my secret was. I was so happy! This has never happened before….

BUT…inside I was dying. I barely ate anything (that’s why Iost weight) because I didn’t like beef, pork, and at that time also fish. So I only ate eggs, skinless chicken, turkey deli meat and boiled veggies. I was always hungry but told myself I couldn’t eat anything else or I’ll gain all the weight back. 

My restrictive diet led me to the ER several times because I would randomly faint. When I was studying to get my Masters in Nutrition in Montreal, I fainted and lost control of my bladder function (ie. I peed myself) . The ER doctor thought I had epilepsy and sent me to get tested.  I was so scared to get the test results. How would having seizures affect my career as a dietitian (which at that time hasn’t even started yet)? This was the biggest health scare I’ve had. The test came back negative, which was a big relief for me.

I found out the reason for my fainting is because I wasn’t getting enough nutrients, particularly iron. 

I battled weight and dieting for years, on and off. And my weight and self-esteem fluctuated up and down, reflecting my dieting and weight. I was ashamed to be a closet dietitian/nutrition student.

A few years ago, I finally struck a balance. I took a deep dive into my mindset and my relationship with food and used my experience and knowledge as a dietitian to create the life I wanted to live. I stopped dieting, I healed my relationship with food, and my weight stabilized. I am not a happy, confident, fit and healthy person- what I wanted from childhood. 

Now, I coach busy professionals to lose weight for GOOD and build a healthy relationship with food. My proven system can help you lose 15-20lbs in 3 months, like it has done for my clients! You will not feel deprived or guilty. You will be in control of your eating and understand how to listen to your body.

With over 7 years of experience as a registered dietitian, I have coached thousands of clients get to their healthy eating and weight loss goals.

You deserve to lose the weight for good, feel confident about your body, and be in control!