Stronger With Stacie

About me & my why

Being a teenager is hard. Growing up in front of the world on an iconic Canadian series had its own set of challenges including insecurities about my appearance, feeling exploited by the people I trusted most and just trying to ‘fit in’. Whereas I had always been naturally slim as a kid, I was suddenly gaining weight in front of the entire world – and believe me, people weren’t shy about commenting on it (thank goodness this was pre-social media).
I thought, if I can’t control anything else going on in my life, surely I can control my own body! I started binge eating, vomiting, taking diuretics, popping 8-10 laxatives a day, and over-exercising. I was abusing my body and completely out of control – not to mention paranoid, tired and suicidal.
After the show ended, I felt type-cast and moved to my birth city of Los Angeles where I took numerous jobs between acting gigs. A trainer at Gold’s Gym directed me to the late Michael Thurmond of Body Makeover Systems (and later ABC’s "Extreme Makeover") with whom I studied and ultimately worked for. Getting certified as a fitness trainer was the best thing I could have done – for my own well-being and because I found great satisfaction in educating and helping others change their story.
A few years after moving back to Canada, my younger brother lost his own struggle with anxiety. His death shattered me and for a while, I couldn’t function. I was diagnosed with PCOD and told it would be difficult to get pregnant which depressed me even more. After getting the psychological help I needed, I decided to get re-certified as a fitness trainer so that I could start training in Canada – only to learn that I was pregnant! Two children later, I was diagnosed with PMDD meaning my hormones go out of whack for about two weeks out of every month – so now I exercise primarily to manage my anxiety and stress levels.
So many of us struggle with hormone irregularities that affect our metabolism and cause imbalances in our bodies – which can lead to weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression. I’ve learned that what we put into our bodies is just as important as exercising. Both have a direct effect on our hormones; by eating the right foods at the right times, in the right amounts while working out and stretching consistently, I feel better.
My promise to you: if you’re stuck in a rut, have lost your way or just need help getting started, let me help you get on the right track and find both your inner and outer strength. Working out should feel good and you deserve to feel better.