Coach Ellyn

My story

Hello and Welcome to Top Down Nutrition! My name is Ellyn and I’m your coach! 

I started TDN in 2020 after experiencing a bit of a personal awakening. In the years before, I was living a life where I was exhausted, miserable and completely unhappy. My health, both physical and mental, was a wreck and I was lost. I knew something had to change, but I just didn’t know how to do it. After some serious soul-searching, I decided to take back control of my life. After countless hours of initial research, I knew I needed a career change.   

I think it’s important for you to know my journey, so you understand how I reached this point.   I know what it feels like to struggle with weight, depression, poor gut health, the hormone roller coaster and slow metabolism. I fought against these challenges now for 12 years of my life. I hope my story inspires you, because I know together, we can find the same success for you.

In 2009, I found myself laying in a hospital bed in a foreign country.

No joke.

My digestive track was completely destroyed. I was sick, overweight, ate too much, drank too much, and I barely did any movement besides some minimal walking.

I spent a week in that hospital and once I got home, I immediately tried to lose weight. I was following these crazy diets.  For a week I would have only salads, then the next I couldn’t stop eating McDonald’s. With that constant back and forth, driven by the feeling of failure, I really started on a path of binge and purge disordered eating. I also continued to severely over-drink which certainly wasn’t helping. Despite this, I still managed to get into a law enforcement academy. While there, my drive to be skinny was so strongly disordered that I took pride in barely eating and the weight just kept dropping off. Energy levels dropped, sleep was terrible, my period stopped for the entire year I was there. These were some pretty bad signs my body was screaming for me to hear. 

After the academy, I stopped taking hormonal birth control to try to get my period back to normal. Then my mental state crashed. I sank into a pretty deep depression, putting weight back on, and over exercising as a coping method. I thought I could out exercise a bad diet.  I dove head-first into Crossfit, working out practically non-stop for 2 years, I started to feel aches and pains, under-fueled, and approaching burnout.  I tried the Paleo diet, no-sugar challenges, Shakeology, 1200 calorie diet, The Zone diet and more. I was still riding that diet rollercoaster. 

I was experiencing an energy crisis. I was exhausted all the time, but couldn't sleep. I didn't ever want to get out of bed. I hated my job and that just drove me into the ground. I was also in the middle of a divorce from a mentally abusive relationship. My life was a complete mess. I really felt like I lost my identity. I didn’t know who I was anymore.

Something had to change. I’ve had appointments with doctors, therapists, other specialists, and gastroenterologists. I was diagnosed with IBS, anxiety, depression and ADD. I tried various medications, prescription and homeopathic, but really nothing helped. I was wasting so much money and I was incredibly frustrated. So I decided to make MY OWN changes. 

I started researching. I began to realize how important a role nutrition plays in not just fitness but in overall health; and then I realized how much I actually didn’t know about nutrition.  I spent countless hours looking at different diets, weight loss concepts and exercises. I read books on shaping your mindset and psychology.. I quit my law enforcement job and went back to school to study nutrition. I learned everything I could about food, nutrition, metabolism, hormone imbalances, and even sleep. I stopped all my starvation/elimination diets. I reduced my stress. I actually changed my training routine, recovery, and sleep. And guess what? I started feeling better.

Gradually my life changed in  ways I never could have imagined. I was finally able to live my life and I feel amazing. I still have bad days where I get stressed or anxious. And every once and a while still single-handedly demolish an entire box of Cheez Itz. But through my experience and research, I realized that there are core, foundational aspects/habits to losing weight and keeping it off. The key factor is to go right back to those foundational pillars no matter what. By learning these pillars, and applying them with personal compassion and grace, you will become consistent in your habits and change your life too.

Today, I focus on teaching women how to lose weight, how to do it enjoyably and in a way that's sustainable, so that you can keep it off for good. It has become my passion to not only provide coaching in fitness and nutrition, but to educate and provide a life-long, applicable nutrition plan for health-minded individuals.

I never wanted to relive 2009 to 2015. I was beaten down. I was frustrated. I nearly gave up hope. I wouldn't want to wish it on my worst enemy. But without that experience, I wouldn't be here with you today, sharing my journey and knowledge that put me into this program. 

I know a good coach is one who has been there, who has experienced the road you’re on, and who can relate to what you’re feeling. As we start this journey together, I promise to be honest and transparent as you learn how to face these challenges yourself - with success. All my challenges led me to where I am now. If you're feeling the same way, believe me, I understand.

We’re so much stronger together and I am incredibly excited to help you. 

I will teach  you simple weight loss habits that are going to change your life. Forever. 

Qualifications

Testimonials

"Hey! I just wanted to share a little progress pic I took today! A little over a year difference! I feel like I don't even think about eating right, it just comes naturally to always be aware of my macro and caloric intake. Honestly couldn't have done it without you! My relationship with food is so much healthier than it was before! I don't feel guilty anymore and knowing what my body needs as far a macros and calories go has just become second nature." -Sara D

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