CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

HTMA, Blood Panel & Holistic Lifestyle Coaching Testimonial

Covid began March of 2020. My business shut down, not knowing when we would open back up, or how I was going to pay myself or my employees. Shortly after, in the mist off all the Covid mess, I had gotten diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2020, and the love of my life passed away in January 2021. I was a broken soul, not even caring to live anymore and not even understanding the purpose of life. Not even my son could knock me out of the immense pain I was in. 

It was June 2021, I was currently in one of the darkest moments in my life, seeking help from whomever I can. From countless therapists to natural healers for Reiki and acupuncture to being put on numerous prescription drugs to finally reaching out to GOD himself for help. 

Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I felt I was healthy. I worked out 5-6 days per week, and thought I had a good diet. I also did a yearly detox because I had a history of chronic allergies, sinus infections, constipation, and IBS since age 22 along with chronic shoulder pain. My lifestyle at that time was also full of partying and stress from being in a graduate program. 

One day, I met with my colon hydro therapist because I was having a lot of stomach issues, and as we were talking, she highly recommended Nicole. She had said we had many similarities, and that she can really help me. So, as I have been open to any help, I took the recommendation and called Nicole

I never in my life met someone like Nicole. She is a true inspiration, and I did not realize how many things we had in common. In her stories, I found strength that I can as well recover from my pain and trauma. She helped me dig deep inside and realize that even though I thought I was living a healthy lifestyle, I was not. I was a workaholic, working 6 days a week equaling about 45-50 hours. As a business owner, I had immense stress with employees and running the business. I was always stressed out and unhappy. I also was a people pleaser, never saying no to not hurt anyone and make sure they were happy, even though I may have wanted to. As far as exercising, it was not a healthy workout regimen. I basically was working out by lifting and running everyday to numb the pain of my childhood, my issues with my husband, being unhappy with work, and just life in general. I never spoke up or expressed my feelings. I just held them inside. It was Nicole who helped me see all of this with her coaching. She helped me reflect on every detail of myself and forced me to think outside the box and to truly dig inside and reflect on my past and understand why I used certain habits or worked a million hours per week to numb the pain I was feeling. 

She also did a HTMA and blood analysis for me to see where I was deficient, so I can prevent my cancer from coming back. She started me on the root cause protocol by taking whole food supplements. She introduced me to a new way of eating and how to clean up my diet. I ate organic, but she showed me how to add variety in my diet and gave me a recipe book that had whole nutritious foods that I would not think to eat. It took me about 8 months, but I have finally incorporated all the foods she recommends eating, and I no longer need coffee that was full of creamer and sugar to get my day going. I wake up before my alarm clock and full of energy. I no longer crave sugar or sweets, and that was my weakness! I feel better now than I did when I was 20. 

Nicole means business and wants you to succeed. She holds you accountable, ALWAYS!! She helped me and continues to help me to heal from inside out. She is a phenomenal mentor. She always has great advice and keeps me in check when I start to regress with my emotions and grief. She is always here for me when I need her. She helped increase my confidence that I never had. She helped me realize that a lot of my chronic pain since my early 20‘s was from toxins stored in my body from all my emotions and how to start to better manage my feelings.

She changed my life in a positive way. I never thought I would crack a smile again, let alone laugh after the loss of my husband, but I laugh, and often! She helped me to learn boundaries and let go of people who no longer serve me in a positive way and to help alleviate the toxicity in my life so I can be a happier and healthier version of myself. She taught me how to do mind maps to help manifest what I desire in life going forward.  She gave me many tools to help me cope with stress like EFT tapping and even using a rack to hit my pillow just to let the anger out, lol!

With her in my life, she has helped me become more outgoing and I now feel more comfortable in my own body for the first time in my life. I finally saw that I was not living and just surviving for a long time. We both share a loss of a loved one, and her strength and resilience has given me hope! Sometimes the worst pain can be seen as a blessing to grow, I love you Nicole!

CLIENT Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis TESTIMONIAL

I am a 20 year old male. When I was 19, I did e-learning for 10 months at home. I had very limited interactions with people my own age. I fell into the political rabbit hole. Politics and pessimism took control of my mind. By the time summer rolled around, I felt awful. I had Covid in September of 2020 and starting then, my armpits were always sweating. When this was still occurring during summer, I started to freak out. I started to feel generally unwell. I did not understand how I, someone who works out 5 days a week and eats healthy, could feel like this. I had no idea what I had. That was the worst part. I spent close to all day Googling symptoms and convincing myself that I had some thyroid disease. I never truly realized how powerful our minds are until this summer. The symptoms that I googled began to manifest themselves. I woke up with soul-crushing anxiety, I had no energy, I was shedding A LOT of hair, and my mind was polluted with cynicism. I felt like a shell of my former self. I was in a horrible cycle where my stress would worsen my symptoms which in turn would increase my stress. I wanted- no needed an answer. I got a HTMA hair test. I was extremely deficient in everything while excreting large amounts of Sodium due to high stress. In my consultation call, the lady told me I needed to start taking Calcium and Magnesium immediately. I bought the generic CVS brand of those minerals. Worst two weeks of my life. All my symptoms magnified and I started to become sore and achy. At this point, I genuinely thought I was dying. All I wanted was an answer. I wanted to know why I felt so bad. I just wanted to be me again- not whatever this shell of me was.

My parents got me into contact with Nicole and right away she told me to stop taking the generic Calcium and Magnesium. I immediately felt better. I filled out the logs that Nicole sent me. Around late July, we had our 2 hour HTMA Zoom call. We did not waste time talking about specific symptoms and their remedies. Nicole helped me find the roots of my problems. Some developed recently, and some I have had for some time now. She helped me learn a lot about myself. I felt like I could be completely honest about myself with Nicole. I do not feel that around most people. She really helped me understand the influence that our mind has over our body. From that day on, I had a shift in perception. Previously, I would forgo the present to either reminict on the past or worry about the future. I was running through the motions but not going anywhere. I was not living. Surviving- yes, but not living. After my call with Nicole, I worked on enjoying the present to the best of my ability. Nicole sent me adocumentary about food and I began eating organic. Once again, I immediately felt better. Nicole recommended supplements from Jigsaw. If I ever had a question, Nicole was quick to respond. Unlike anyone I spoke to in the past about my health, Nicole genuinely cared about me. Any doctor I went to looked at the symptoms I had in a vacuum. We are way too complex of creatures to be seen like that. When Nicole analyzed what my symptoms and their causes were, she took my diet, sleep, stress, purpose, and thoughts into account. I started to become more in tune with my body and mind. The combination of my new diet, the supplements, and shift in perception made a night and day difference. My symptoms went away within 6 weeks. I felt ready to enter my Sophomore year. Today, I am the happiest I have ever been. The anxiety, the hair loss, the pessimism, and even the sweating armpits all went away. I do not know where I would be at if I did not get into contact with Nicole. She helped give me answers when no doctor could. I am so thankful for her guidance. Nicole changed my life. She helped pull me out of what closely resembled a living hell. Do you want to hear the best part? Nicole did not empty my pockets in the process! I can not recommend Nicole highly enough.

~Danny

Client Love.

Since the beginning of 2020, I have seen a variety of doctors regarding numerous symptoms, such as extremely high liver enzymes and sharp pains on my right side. The doctors advised it could possibly be a fatty liver and recommended I lose at least 20 lbs within a year to see if my numbers would go down. This realization was a reality check for me to make some serious lifestyle changes. I implemented some changes on my own, but my test results remained the same. In February 2021, I decided to look for help and began working with Nicole. I told her that I was completely all in since I wanted it to work. I got my bloodwork and hair tissue mineral analysis tests done with Nicole.  After she interpreted my results, I began taking real food supplements and following other lifestyle protocols she had advised. Nicole began to educate me on the benefits of eating real unadulterated foods and not eating foods with GMOs or MSG. I started buying and cooking organic foods and reading nutrition labels. Something I never used to do. Nicole also helped me manage my stress and showed me a variety of ways to cope with stress.  After just 2 months of seeing Nicole, I got my bloodwork done again. I was in shock when I got my bloodwork back because my liver enzymes were completely back to normal. It was the best news I got in a very long time. I had also lost almost 15 lbs by this point. I am so happy that I was able to meet Nicole. I have been able to make drastic changes to my lifestyle and it has made a lasting impact in my life, including my relationships. I no longer have to take medication for my acid reflux, which is huge since all of my family has stomach issues and take meds. Whenever I get a chance, I rave about Nicole because she has been a Godsend to me with all of her knowledge and advice. She has truly changed my life for the better.

Anonymous

I initially hired Nicole because I wanted to have a bikini competition physique. I thought, she ll show me the “moves”. Well, it sure started that way. She did show me the moves. After my third child was born, I was eager to get to my pre baby weight. I also wanted to prove to myself that besides having a full time career, 3 kids, and a full life so to say, I could also compete. I did exactly that. I did very well with my first show after baby number 3. I lost over 20 lbs and was even leaner than prior to baby #3. I thought, piece of cake. I could do this again. I can eat whatever I want in between shows and then do the competition diet and exercise in between … except that formula did not work for me at all!

The next competition prep I did under Nicole’s guidance, I was miserable. Not Nicole’s fault. It was because I was not communicating with my coach. I thought- my coach does not have to know my emotions —That was for me to deal with. I was not open about my inner state of mind. All that mattered was the look. Did I look good enough to step on the stage? I ended up having the look I loved at my next show but my internal state was a “mess”.

After the second show, I gained most of the weight back. Gaining back is normal in most cases, but it was not the weight gain that bothered me. It was my relationship with food and exercise that I had since my teen years that was never really resolved. The binge purge cycle was still present. But now I hid it with “competitions”. I knew deep down I was not doing this fitness thing the healthy way, but it took a good coach who pays attention and really listens to address it with me. The next two shows I prepped for did not go as smooth as the first two. Why? Because I was suddenly dealing with new stressors in my life and I used the old remedy of food binge and then purge cycle via excessive strict eating with extreme exercise to purge. It worked and did not work. Sure, I entered the shows, but I did not have the physique I wanted but more so, I was not doing this fitness thing the healthy way. I was stuffing my emotions and numbing them instead of finding other ways of dealing with life’s up and downs. Nicole noticed this and she started digging. And let me tell you, for awhile, I felt like I suddenly acquired an unwanted parent ???.

She would probe and could smell my BS from far away. Once I was ready to open up with her with my own struggles and how I use food for emotional comfort, she was able to prescribe protocols to help me manage and slowly resolve patterns that no longer served me. It took time and I’m still a work in progress. These unconscious patterns have been ingrained since childhood so I appreciate her patience and empathy in my journey. I am proud to say I have implemented Nicole’s professional recommendations to help manage my physical, mental, environmental and emotional stressors. She tailors individually and she is persistent, caring and straight to the point. She doesn’t sugar coat anything. I need a coach like that. I don’t want niceties. I can easily unconsciously manipulate nice people but with Nicole, I have no chance. She is a straight shooter.

I am a very different bikini competitor and human than I was when I first started training with Nicole many years ago. I have evolved and continue you to. I have formed new habits that are moving me closer to where I want to be in all areas of my life. I am thankful I stuck with Nicole. I trust her. Her work is thorough. She is a true gem.

PS: I am kinda worried that if I write this testimony, she ll get so many new clients, she won’t have time for me

Anonymous client

When I first sat down with Nicole I told her my goal was to feel good about myself; and believed that I could achieve that through exercise and trying to eat “healthy”. During our first meeting we discussed organic food, logging food, and how much food plays a role in our overall health and well-being. I walked out of there overwhelmed and skeptical that by simply changing what I considered to be a healthy diet of normal produce, meat and foods, to a diet consisting of more organic produce, meats, dairy and other new foods that I could not only feel good about myself but notice major improvements in my overall health. Putting my skepticism aside, I went to the grocery store and started looking more closely at labels and asking, is this organic? Is this non-GMO? I found myself going from dreading the weekly task of grocery shopping to enjoying it. After 3 or 4 weeks of switching over to an organic and non GMO diet I noticed significant improvements to my overall health and was really starting to feel good about myself.

The exercise plan Nicole tailored for me was centered around Pilates and weight based training on moving well. When I first saw the Pilates Reformer I thought it resembled a torture machine and wasn’t quite sure what was in store for me. I have deeply enjoyed Pilates and have seen major improvements in my mobility and circulation. Pilates has also lowered my stress, improved my energy levels and overall mood. Looking back to the first week I didn’t think I would like it, but I can now say I love it and look forward to our weekly Pilates sessions. On the second day we meet each week we work with weights and focus around proper form, pain free full range of motion and feeling the muscle contraction. Not only is she patient, helpful and very instructive during our session; she also sends them to me to work on outside of training with the understanding I can ask her the same question and get a quick answer via text or email. Overall my experience with Nicole has been nothing short of exceptional, educational and has changed how I have looked at the question, “how do I feel good about myself?”. I cant wait to see where the rest of my time with her on this road in my journey leads me.
Gail M.

I first started working with Nicole about a year after my mother had passed away. I was dealing with daily stomach issues and although I was eating healthy I didn’t understand why my stomach was hurting daily. Nicole helped me realize how chronic stress had been affecting my body and she helped me develop ways to overcome this. I started to rest more, go to sleep earlier and eat foods to complement my body. The biggest thing she help me realize was that I need to get therapy to deal with the stress of my mothers death. It was a time of learning and surrender, and I am so happy that I went through it.

The second time I worked with Nicole was when I got pregnant with my first child. Although my stomach issues were no longer present, I wanted the support of someone who had gone through pregnancy to make sure I was doing the best I could for my body. Having an accountability partner was also helpful in making sure I was eating healthy for my baby and myself. This time around I had no problem being in bed by 10:30pm. We also worked on the anxiety I had early in my pregnancy in not being control of the future and how is it going to make things work after the baby. Like most things, things worked out just fine! Although it was not easy I am forever grateful for going through this process with the support and help from Nicole.
Liza S.

I began my journey with Nicole in April 2016 and learned a lot about nutrition and supplements. Little did I know that I had a trainer and health coach that was passionate about continuous learning and adding tools to her toolbox. This is a passion of mine as well! I would be getting more than just nutrition advice, personal training and 1-on-1 pilates sessions. The many changes I made to my nutrition have made a huge difference in my health, bloodwork numbers, sleep, vitality and weight. When I veer off course, I feel it – inflammation returns in the form of various joint pain, brain fog and weight gain. Yes, I still need to follow nutrition and cook at home, but understanding my mind and getting to the bottom of past trauma and self sabotaging behavior has been key. I’m still on the journey, but I have more tools to better assist me during those challenges. I have especially appreciated Nicole’s recent CHEK Professional License and the additional focus on the mind-body connection. This addition has been a wonderful complement to the exercise and nutrition piece. I am enjoying the deep dive into many facets of my mind and how it relates to healing from my past, roadblocks, struggles and pain. I love documenting and logging, so the CHEK sleep, food, exercise diary has resonated with me tremendously more than any other generic tracking has. I have noticed a big difference since my CHEK-centered journey began January in 2019. Namely, my overall calm in my parasympathetic nervous system, knowing how to influence it and learning to be my own advocate, supporter and cheerleader versus my own worst critic and judge. Nicole’s recommendations of adding in Tai Chi and sauna time are just a few methodologies that are paying off for me. I am feeling the most empowered and chill I have ever been, my resilience to stress has vastly improved, my mindset and reframing is more the rule than the exception, and while I’m still learning and on the path, I’m grateful and thrilled at these additional tools. I’m looking forward to the addition of Reiki treatments from Nicole and how that is another powerful tool. Now, more than ever, I understand why many functional health & fitness professionals say it starts with the mind. Yes, food and exercise matter, but it begins up here & here. (pointing to the head & heart). And I almost forgot to mention that I lost 13 pounds in the first three months using the CHEK log Nicole provided me with. I am cooking more, sleeping through the night and using all my tools. I changed my approach and really wasn’t focused on losing weight. I focused instead on nourishing my mind and body, practicing stress relieving techniques and the power of morning rituals and setting my intentions — being deliberate with my day and everything I do and feel.
Thank you, Nicole!
Susan J.

Although I have been considered “healthy” most of my life from a western medicine point of view, I have struggled with some ailments such as headaches/migraines, to IBS, joint pain, food allergies/sensitivities & more! Who knew that the so called “healthy” food I was putting in my body was actually causing ALL the problems I was having? I couldn’t believe it myself but, it’s the truth! Food can hurt or heal you! After struggling with my weight which has effected me mentally/physically most of my life I am determined to heal myself. With having the right information & knowledge I know I will reach my goal. I prayed & asked for help. I was guided to Nicole Moneer. For the first time in my life I’m understanding what I really need to do! This is different! Nicole, doesn’t cheat! She’s tough, but, know hers stuff & that what we eat daily DOES matter! I appreciate that she means business & wants you to succeed. She holds you accountable in doing so. She is teaching me to heal my body from the inside out. It’s amazing how much more energy I have. Plus, the natural holistic supplements I’m on are not giving me any side effects, like medicine… they actually make me feel good. From the food she buys & meals she prepares for me, to the cooking I’m being taught, this is serious business! It’s not a DIET! I’m not deprived in any way. It’s a way of life that I can implement! A lifestyle that I’m slowly learning to live and can maintain myself. It’s doable! Because, I feel so good I want to keep going. Nothing tastes as good as feeling this good, I promise! I have NEVER lost 17 pounds in 7 weeks ever! Nicole has taught me how cooking real whole organic unadulterated foods can help me shed weight and increase my energy levels. I have not even added exercise into my new routine yet! How is this possible? Well, I’m here to tell you it is. With the right combinations of food & all that Nicole teaches, I’m doing it! Nicole continues to teach me that some people are too stressed to exercise initially & starting their journey often begins with fueling the body with nourishing foods. I promise to continue to update you all on my progress as I continue to take these steps in becoming the person I know I am reflecting from the love in my heart.
Bone Broth made from scratch by Nicole ??‍?
Meal prep client – Lisa Renee

I’ve worked with Nicole for 9 months, twice a week in one-on-one sessions. I knew of her from just being a member at Lifetime Fitness, where she was a trainer and taught some classes I took. For several years, I admired her posts on social media, in which she emphasized the importance of proper nutrition as a form of preventative medicine, as well as the power it can have in healing chronic disease and illness. The results of some of her clients were really impressive. I saw that she worked with clients on healing their bodies from the inside out, training smarter and not harder. These ladies looked amazing and more importantly, they said how great they felt.

I have been a frequent gym-goer for 13 years, working out 5 days a week very consistently. Although my diet was much more healthy than the average person, I definitely wasn’t eating clean consistently and drank wine with friends during our weekly gatherings. After I had my first child, I got back to the gym and my pre-pregnancy body pretty quickly, but I decided it was finally time to take it to the next level with my fitness and lifestyle. Nicole was just coming back from her maternity leave, so we were both new moms. I have to admit, I had thought of hiring her in the past, but was a little intimidated by her since she was an IFBB pro bikini athlete. I wasn’t sure I’d be as strict with the nutrition as she would suggest. After finally signing up for sessions and meeting with her, I quickly realized that my assumptions of her were completely wrong! She explained that everyone comes to her at a different level and she was the furthest thing from being intimidating. She’s easy to talk to, very open and honest, and will be your biggest cheerleader!

Nicole helped me tremendously with cleaning up my diet. Within the first three weeks, I got amazing results following her plan. The fat literally melted off and I lost 2 pant sizes within a month!! And the best part was that I was doing a lot less cardio – only 30 minutes twice a week! I used to avoid lifting weights, except in group fitness classes. She helped give me confidence in the weight room and now I lift weights 5 days a week. I love the variety of her workouts and have never repeated the same workout twice. A few events (vacations, weekend getaways) made me fall off track here and there, but with Nicole’s guidance, I’m always able to get back into my size 2 pants without the extra bulge. She has also taught me not to beat myself up and that it’s okay to let life happen and get off track sometimes. I tend to be very hard on myself and she has worked with me on that in our sessions.

On another note, when I first started working with Nicole, my daughter had been getting sick with colds on and off. She referred me to someone she had worked with in the past that helped me with detoxing my daughter and getting her on some good quality supplements. So not only was I getting healthier with Nicole’s nutrition plan, but so was my daughter. My husband has also slowly been influenced by my healthy lifestyle. He often lacked energy and felt bloated and sluggish during the day. He signed up to work with Nicole on nutrition and she first got him off of gluten and dairy. He noticed immediate improvement.

During our sessions, we talked about many things, not just nutrition and exercise. She’s really knowledgeable on a lot of subjects, especially when it comes to emotions, communication, and relationships. This is important because people often don’t think of their emotional well being as having a connection with being physically and nutritionally fit. However, many times people have underlying issues that hold them back when it comes to starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle – both inside and outside of the gym. Nicole has been such a positive influence in my life and she’s so much more than a trainer to me. She’s been a mentor, given me great advice and referrals, and lifted me up when I was feeling discouraged. She’s a great example of practicing what she preaches and respects that everyone is on a different journey. Hiring Nicole was one of the best things I could have done for myself and my family!
CLIENT -Melissa S.

I first started working with Nicole about a year after my mother had passed away. I was dealing with daily stomach issues and although I was eating healthy I didn’t understand why my stomach was hurting daily. Nicole helped me realize how chronic stress had been affecting my body and she helped me develop ways to overcome this. I started to rest more, go to sleep earlier and eat foods to complement my body. The biggest thing she help me realize was that I need to get therapy to deal with the stress of my mothers death. It was a time of learning and surrender, and I am so happy that I went through it.

The second time I worked with Nicole was when I got pregnant with my first child. Although my stomach issues were no longer present, I wanted the support of someone who had gone through pregnancy to make sure I was doing the best I could for my body. Having an accountability partner was also helpful in making sure I was eating healthy for my baby and myself. This time around I had no problem being in bed by 10:30pm. We also worked on the anxiety I had early in my pregnancy in not being control of the future and how is it going to make things work after the baby. Like most things, things worked out just fine! Although it was not easy I am forever grateful for going through this process with the support and help from Nicole.
Liza S.

Nicole Moneer helped me tremendously by advising me on nutrition and workouts. I lost 25 pounds and 4 inches in my waist as a result of her guidance and insight. Before I started working with Nicole, I struggled for more than 10 years to lose weight. I also struggled with heartburn and a variety of other physical ailments. Her guidance on eating real food and taking proper supplementation have cured my heartburn and restored my energy levels. I went from a 37 inch waist to a 33 inch waist. Today, my whole family eats differently because they have seen the positive changes in me. I will forever be grateful to Nicole for changing the direction of my life by improving my health.
CLIENT- Scott B.

My time with Nicole has been above and beyond my expectations. I thought I would sign up with Nicole, she would show me a lot of different work outs, I’d get her opinions on different foods and supplements and that would be it. She taught me way more than I could’ve imagined!

Nicole is teaching me different work outs every time we meet. Whether it’s lifting weights or doing Pilates reformer. Nicole reminded me about the importance of yoga (I used to do yoga years ago). Next thing I know we’re meeting at a hot yoga studio!

I had been working out 5 days per week. 2 days I would take weight lifting classes and the other 3 I would use resistance bands, yoga balls, body bars, free weights and just do my own work out. I was getting board. I wanted to learn more about what I could do differently with work outs, different ideas for food and what kind of supplements to take. I knew from taking Nicole’s “Strictly Strength” class at lifeTime Fitness that I wanted her as my personal trainer. Nicole would mention things over the microphone during class and I thought “this girl knows what she’s talking about.” I want her as my trainer!

We meet twice a week. Once for PT (weights, resistance, etc.) and once for Pilates reformer. Nicole started me on supplements a few weeks after I started with her which was in July 2012. I read a lot of info about supplements because I have a desire to reach optimum health. She also suggested I take a saliva test which reveals information about how my adrenal glands are functioning since she said my symptoms were leaning towards and adrenal issue. I took the test & the results told her what supplement would help support my adrenal glands. I am taking the supplements she recommended and following a nutrition plan she devised for me. Both have helped me a lot! She gave me a lot of options for foods & recipes. I was so excited because I was so bored with same foods. Nicole told me about the Andi chart at Whole Foods that lists all the nutrients in vegetables & fruits that they carry. It was amazing! I took pictures of it for my records. She asked me if I have ever eaten kale & I said no. That day after I met her I went straight to Whole Foods & bought kale. Now I love kale & kale chips! This is just one of the many things Nicole has introduced me to.

I had some changes that I knew I had to make. I used to drink a venti Americano (espresso) from Starbucks with a splash of heavy whipping cream NO sugar, NO sweeteners. I would make this stop at Starbucks every morning! When Nicole recommended supplements to me one of them was a greens drink. She gave me a sample of it. To my surprise I loved it! I decided I would ween myself off the espresso and drink the greens drink instead. It took less than two weeks to wane myself of my usual Starbucks. Every night I would make dinner for my family & myself. I would love to have 1 or 2 glasses of Chardonnay with my dinner. I knew I’d have to cut way back on that. I decided to only have wine on Friday & Saturday nights. Now I typically only have 1 or 2 glasses of wine on Saturday night. Some weekends I don’t have any. It’s not a big deal to me any more. Sometimes now since I don’t really drink it that much I get head aches from it by the time I’m about to go to bed. Alcohol can interrupt your sleep which was one of my other issues. Now I don’t have to deal with that. It’s hard on my liver & losing sleep just isn’t worth it. I have more energy from cutting the wine & I don’t need the caffeine from the espresso the next morning. I started feeling better and better as weeks went on.

Eczema, is one condition that I’m still working on. I’ve adjusted my supplements to try & help with this issue. Nicole told me it is internal. She recommended I get a food & allergy test. I am so happy I did this test. It has helped me tremendously with adjusting my diet and gave me relief regarding chronic problems.

Nicole educated me on detoxes that I could do to help prevent illness & get rid of bacteria and fungus. Everyone has an overgrowth of fungus in their body, especially if you drink regularly, eat sugar and starchy processed carbs regularly and have been on antibiotics or other prescription drugs. She taught me the importance of your gut. She introduced me to oil pulling. I do this every morning when I wake up. When she asked me if i had ever heard of it my eyes lit up and I said “What’s that?” with my eagerness to learn all about it. The other detox is the clay which helps clean out your intestines. We bought the clay when we went on a “colonic” date! LOL! Another one of Nicole’s recommendations for living a lifestyle of prevention.

Nicole also asked me if my doctor was a naturopathic doctor. I said no, she’s a primary care physician. I talked to my cousin Shannon about the supplements I was taking. She ended up referring me to her Naturopathic doctor who I have been going to since January 2013. This experience I had with Nicole led me to a huge decision, I decided to go back to college and study integrative health. I will start a masters program in either Naturopathic medicine, Oriental medicine or Acupuncture. I’ll figure it out soon but so happy that I am surrounded by like minded people now and for this new chapter in my life!

Nicole has inspired me to “make my life happen” as she said it. Another thing that always sticks in my mind is Nicole saying “Why not?!” I feel like Nicole has helped me build more confidence to really go for what I want. Before I hired Nicole, I was stuck in my same old routine. Even though people would give me a lot of credit for working out so much, there is so much more to health than “steel and sweat” as Nicole would say. In our first consultation, Nicole pointed out that we need to pay attention to what is happening on the inside of our bodies (our gut), not just the outside. We also talked about how my goal is to reach optimum health and be a role model of health for my 10 year old daughter. It means the world to me to influence my little girl to live a healthy lifestyle. Nicole also taught me how emotions will affect our health. We hold on to toxins in our bodies via emotions, these emotions can show up as chronic pain or disease and pose problems with various organs. I really appreciate Nicole’s lifestyle. I feel like we get each other. Most people would look at us like we’re crazy for carrying food in our purses, so we don’t have to resort to making bad choices by eating out since most places do not serve antibiotic hormone free meats or organic vegetables and fruits.

I told Nicole that it is so refreshing to have her as not only my personal trainer and life coach, but now a great friend in my life. I thought I was going to hire Nicole as my trainer and learn some new workouts, which I did but I got so much more in the end. I found a desire for what I am so passionate about. What goes on inside our bodies, what are we putting in and on our bodies, how can we change and prevent disease. I am so blessed to have Nicole in my life. She has led me to change my life in a positive way (not that it wasn’t positive, I was just in a stand still). Nicole is my angel!
CLIENT- Maureen B.

I had an unhealthy relationship with food going from one extreme to another, starving and binging. I used to work out just so I can eat whatever I wanted. Eventually, I would get too busy or get tired of working out and eating to my heart’s content would catch up with me. I’d gain weight and be unhappy about how I looked and worked out like crazy (sometimes as much as 2-3 hrs/day) to lose the weight. Every 2 to 3 years, my weight would fluctuate from 105 lbs. to 135lbs. After having two children, injuring my knee, suffering from severe migraines, the years of yo-yo dieting finally caught up with me. I reached my heaviest weight at 160lbs. I’ve always been very active but lost interest in doing things that I enjoyed after gaining so much weight . I had my blood work done and my fasting glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol and blood pressure were all elevated. I had a hard time walking up the stairs without shortness of breath and didn’t have the energy to play with my kids. This was a HUGE wake-up call for me. My doctor said I needed to start taking medications to keep my levels normal but I knew I didn’t want to start taking them at such a young age and had to do something about it.

I joined a gym and worked out regularly and completely changed my eating habit. I used to do 2-3 hours of cardio to lose weight but I’ve learned to workout smarter and not spend hours in the gym thanks. I eliminated processed/artificial foods and started eating smaller frequent meals. After working out about an hour a day/6 days a week and eating clean, I was able to lose 42lbs in 24 weeks.

I began training with Nicole January 2013. She helped me to sculpt my body and coached me with nutrition, posing and every aspect of competing including suit selection, hair, make-up, tan etc. She developed a nutrition plan for me to follow and kept tweaking every couple of weeks until the day of the competition. She kept me motivated and inspired me during my transformation journey especially during the times I began doubting myself and wondering what I got myself into. During our first session, I had mentioned to Nicole that I was unhappy about how my abs looked and thought about getting laser treatment/surgery to flatten and smooth out my abs. She strongly advised against it and told me that working out and changing my diet alone will take care of it. Sure enough, after working hard for 10 weeks she was right! After having 2 children, I was able to have flat abs and got into the best shape of my life. At 40, I’m more fit now than in my 20’s. I now have a healthy relationship with food and practice what I preach.

It’s important to make your health a priority and set a good example for your family. During my transformation journey, my husband also lost 30lbs with eating clean and weight training. Not only was this a physical transformation, but a mental one as well. I’ve become more positive, optimistic, confident and a happier person.
CLIENT- Nancy K.

Growing up I was very active; I was a third overall state gymnast, ran track, dove for my high school, played softball and was a Division I soccer player. I have always had an athletic body, but never really focused on building lean, toned muscle. After college, and three knee surgeries, I started my professional career in IT for one of the Big Four consulting firms. I eagerly entertained clients and worked long, stressful days, focusing on doing a good job for my company, completely neglecting my body, health and overall wellbeing. Over the course of 12 years, I have gained weight and yo-yoed between 30-40 pounds, slowly eating away from the confidence I received from my professional life.

My fitness journey began when my husband asked if I would actually go to the gym, if we got a membership to Lifetime Fitness. Knowing that it was three times the cost of our current membership and being conscious of our finances, I said yes, with reservations. After about one month of running on the treadmill for 20 minutes, three times per week… completely avoiding weights and seeing no results, I finally signed up for an assessment with the head of the Personal Training Department. I shamefully stepped on the scale, and then sat down with him to talk about goals. He actually made me commit to doing something about the way I felt, then threw the icing on the cake… that my husband had signed up for personal training, so he could get in better shape than me! I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the kick in the butt that I needed to spark the competitor in me to make a change. We set a goal to lose 20 pounds in five months.

I agreed to sign up for personal training sessions, but under one condition… that I would get a female trainer that knew how to get results, especially for athletes, like me, that didn’t want to bulk up. Little did I know at that moment that my one wish was about to be granted. Nicole Moneer, who is an IFBB bikini pro, Bodybuilding.com athlete, and a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, was available to take on another client! I cannot begin to say enough positive things about Nicole and all that she has taught me. Her best skill is that she truly understands how to read her clients, even when they have no idea what they’re talking about or asking for! I’ll never forget my first session with her, walking dumbbell lunges and pushups on a barbell. I thought I was in decent shape, but she quickly proved to me that I needed to work a lot harder to achieve my goal. I couldn’t walk for four days without several muscles feeling some kind of pain; that was November 22, 2011. Since then Nicole and I have been lifting weights twice per week and training on the Pilates Reformer once per week. I also work out on my own, doing cardio and weights. So far, there have been two big moments that have given me the motivation to continue: First, snow skiing with no knee pain. For those of you who have bad knees, you know the kind of pain I’m talking about… and after five hours of non-stop skiing, I felt no pain. I couldn’t believe that I could ski two days in a row for the first time in 16 years! Second, stepping on the scale and seeing ten less pounds and three less inches on my waist. Yay… finally results! And I don’t feel bulky! In fact, I have actually realized that my fear of weights making me bulky was a bunch of bologna. Another important note that I need to mention is that Nicole had suggested a meal plan from the start in November but I said no. After a month of working out with her and not seeing results though, I decided to give the meal plan a try. Not only did I drop 10 pounds in one month, but also I ended up finding foods that I love so I am able to make it a lifestyle while keeping the weight off. My trainer Nicole knows best, and she would always say, “Nutrition is king. Sweat and steel alone will not help in reaching your fitness and health goals. You must do all three together, consistently.”

I began to notice the biggest changes when I started Nicole’s meal and supplement plan. Nicole meticulously created a personalized plan based on my Stress & Resilience Test and fitness goals, then monitored my progress, offering suggestions and coaching along the way to keep me on track. The Stress & Resilience Test was worth it since it showed that working out later at night was better for me and it also suggested supplements to help balance out my cortisol levels. I had to remove several things from my daily intake, but the results were unbelievable. I finally have more energy and can stay up past 10:30 p.m. on date night! Seems sad for a 32 year old, but previously I was so drained from work that I usually ended up falling asleep in the middle of the movie. The best part is that I don’t feel deprived, even when I’m tempted with my favorite foods…chips and salsa.
As of February 2012, I still had a long way to go but I then decided to add a new goal. I asked Nicole for her professional advice on whether or not she thought I had what it took to compete in a NPC bikini competition like she does. Nicole said, “You can do anything you set your mind to. If you believe it and want it then yes, that is a great goal for you!” So with Nicole’s help, the support of my loving husband and the wonderful staff at Lifetime, I started a new journey of transforming my body to be on stage in a bikini.

With a new goal set, my meal and supplement plans changed as did my time in the gym. I went from four days to six days per week, willingly. So my new outline consisted of working out with Nicole twice per week, and then four days on my own. She always mixed it up, from weights to HIIT to TRX to battle ropes, she always kept my body and mind guessing. I enjoyed how she continually challenged me in so many ways. In fact, since our start in November, we never did a single workout twice! I consistently did at least four days of cardio for 40 minutes, switching between Zone 2 some days to Zone 3 and 4 other days. I also hit the weights at least three of the other days on my own for a total of five times per week. The Pilate’s Reformer class was a great compliment to my program, my workouts were getting more intense so it was great to be able to de-stress and stretch, which really helped with my flexibility and core strength.

From February through May my weight continued to drop. I bought new workout clothes since everything was falling off me and I was now able to fit into pants I hadn’t worn in years. No complaints from me! In May, my husband and I spent two weeks in Europe, and I was concerned I would gain my weight back and fall off track while away. But guess what? Nicole is an expert when it comes to traveling the world and staying on track with your workouts and eating as well. She made several suggestions for foods to pack while traveling and what to order when eating out. She even wrote up hotel room workouts, in case I didn’t have access to a gym. I think I only gained about 4-5lbs while on this trip. When I returned in late May, we set a date for July 6th to compete in The NPC Chicago Pro-Am. My goal with this show was to transform and push my body to a whole new level. I did that and more. I took third place! In the end, I was down 29 pounds and lost eight inches on my waist and six inches on my hips. The only thing I gained was a healthy new way of life!

In the seven-and-a-half months I worked with Nicole there were many times I mentioned a goal for starting a family with my husband. My husband was not wanting to have any more children, which upset me greatly. Nicole told me not to give up on my husband or my marriage and to seek counseling with her therapist, Glory. It helped me to really take a look at myself so I could better communicate my needs to my husband and to better understand his needs. The counseling proved to be a success! They say timing is everything… a few weeks after I competed in July my husband and I found out I was pregnant. We were both so happy with this news! I met with Nicole on occasion during my first trimester to help keep me on the right track while pregnant and to continue to add to my workout program. I am due any day now!

I am really proud of my progress, especially when I think back to when I couldn’t even do one push up! I give all the credit to Nicole, who stuck by me since the beginning. She wouldn’t let me give up and always knew exactly what I needed to hear to re-focus and stay positive. She truly is an inspiration to me in every sense of the word! Training with Nicole was absolutely the single most critical component of achieving my original goal of losing weight, not bulking up, and adopting a healthier lifestyle. Not only is her knowledge of the body and nutrition second to none, but also her ability to understand how my body was progressing, when I struggled to see results, helped to keep me motivated and focused on continuing to work hard and eventually get results. The support and variety of fitness programs offered at Lifetime make up a well-rounded package that can help anybody achieve any goal. I love the way that the weight lifting combined with reformer Pilates has shaped my figure and helped me move and feel better overall! Thanks to Nicole, for her consistent encouragement, coaching, and constant reminders that I can do anything that I set my mind to.
CLIENT- Stacie K.

I met Nicole Moneer when she first became a trainer with Lifetime Fitness in  Chicago roughly 8/9 years ago.  I remember when I first sat down with her when I was in my early 20’s.  She talked about meal planning, proper training, and how ideal health goes far beyond the 1-2 hours a day you spend in the gym.  She reviewed expectations and spent a good amount of time going over things with me, but I didn’t end up signing up at the time and, looking back, I just wasn’t ready.  I never cooked and didn’t have any sense of urgency or motivation to learn how to. I ate fast food (McDonalds, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut) 5 or more times a week, and I truly believed that in order to get in shape I needed to work harder and longer.  I would do hours of cardio a week without seeing results, and I just felt stuck in a rut.

I struggled with sinus infections, frequent colds and sicknesses since my early teens and well into my mid 20’s.  My immune system was never strong enough to fight colds on its own so I was frequently taking prescription medication.  I began to pick up on patterns with my body and notice that whenever the seasons changed, I’d end up with an upper respiratory infection – not fun.

At 25,  I began to experiment with  natural medicine and an acupuncturist who studied both ancient French and Chinese acupuncture.  Over time with numerous treatments my immune system got stronger and I no longer need Rx.  I would drink plenty of fluids, get 8 plus hours of sleep a night, and drink hot tea.  Again, I still didn’t change the way I ate, so I would still get sick; however, my body was getting strong enough to fight off infections on it’s own for the first time in my life!

Mid to later 20s I worked with several different trainers, but I never seemed to “gel” with them.  Some recommended fat burners and excessive cardio, and it was just getting tiresome.  My workouts continued to get more intense, but each year I was gaining a little bit of weight and my body wasn’t changing in the way I’d hoped.  To say I was frustrated is an understatement.  I started to learn how to cook, and it probably took me 3-4 years to really finesse a fresh, hot off the grill, yummy chicken breast!  I can now say, with confidence, I’ve mastered it!

It took some blood, sweat, and tears to become the good cook I am.  I’m a picky eater to begin with, so if I was going to adapt a healthier lifestyle, I knew it was imperative for me to learn how to make food taste good.

Shortly after learning how to cook, I started following Nicole on Facebook and various social media sites.  I truly believed in the postings and comments she would write on finding balance, proper nutrition, well-being, and happiness in life.  I knew in my heart she was someone I wanted to work with.  She is far beyond a “personal trainer.”  Nicole is a genuine soul that takes pride in her work and each and every person that she touches.  She is a life coach who has taught me how to find balance in my life with work, health, and relationships, and has helped me through many ups and downs in the time that we’ve worked together.  I feel that she has given me the knowledge and tools to know how to properly fuel my body for life.  I love her holistic approach to coaching, which has taught me how to benefit from foods that heal the body from inside out.  When I first started following one of the meal plans she custom designed for me, I was working out less than I had in the past, and yet my body was responding positively – It was mind blowing.  I started dropping weight, my abs had more definition than I’ve ever seen, I was healthy, and I felt more stable.  I didn’t experience up and down moodiness because I was eating good quality wholesome foods.  I never felt deprived and I had more energy.

Nicole also helped me achieve a long time goal of competing in a figure competition. This was something I’ve wanted to do for almost 10 years, but I never thought I would be capable of accomplishing.  The best part about working with her was she had both a plan A, plan B, and C.  What I mean is that she administered plans in stages to help me better prepare.  Once the competition was over she had a new custom meal plan ready for me to launch immediately to help reintroduce my body to foods I had not had in a while.  The competition was a great experience and I think my biggest take away was how important it is to properly reintroduce foods back into your system.  When you train for months eating organic, hormone free meats, low grains, healthy fats, and you over indulge in junk, you’re body is going to talk back to you…it may be very upset with you!  Nicole has taught me and anyone she works with, that food can help heal or destroy you.

Over this last year I’ve changed my lifestyle and have adapted a new mindset in how  I view food due to Nicole’s teachings.  I like to compare it to when I think of our cars,  we wouldn’t put crap fuel in our car .. why? Because it would run terribly and likely break down over time.  Similarly, why would we put crap food in our bodies?  I know what eating healthy feels like and how it feels when I don’t, so I choose the first option.  Fueling your body with proper food, lots of water, plenty of sleep, and healthy relationships can truly turn back the clock.  Once you can find balance with food & exercise you can let the food work in your favor.  In another words, I’ve always had to “train” with intensity all the time, cardio with every session because my eating was excessive and I would over indulge.  My joints ached and it was hard at times to find motivation.  One of the first things I told Nicole when we began to meet in November 2012 was “I want to life & leave.”  I can now say after working with her for almost 2 years, and 2 small shows under my belt, and lots of great cooking recipes from her that I generally do 1-2, 30 minute cardio sessions weekly, 3-4 lifting session, not more than an hour a day in the gym, 5 days per week and I’m maintaining my current weight and feel great!  This is the first time in my 13 years of exercising that I am not killing myself with hours and hours of cardio.

I’m grateful and blessed to have met Nicole and to have had the opportunity to work with her.  As I turned 30 in June, I look forward to a healthier lifestyle, and to continue to learn and grow from the best!  Love you booty by Nicky! Thank you from all my heart on everything you’ve taught me and your continued support.
CLIENT- Emilie A.

I met Nicole around December of 2011, when joining lifetime fitness In Schaumburg. I had been working out for about four years previous to working with her. Was I in shape yes, did I eat healthy, no I thought I did but it wasn’t healthy for me. So prior to training with Nicole I was introduced to fitness by a boyfriend. All he showed me was lifting weight in the gym. Due to the fact he started my journey I trusted him. It wasn’t until I met Nicole that I Started variety in the gym as well as the kitchen. I ate your typical egg whites, chicken breast, broccoli same old typical cookie cutter diet. Little did I know I was growing allergies from constantly eating the same food. And on top of that I have food sensitivities that run in the family. Nicole taught me how to rotate my fats and protein and keep variety so that my body made constant progress. She also taught me the importance of eating whole natural food. Antibiotic/hormone free and organic. She helped me to understand that paying the farmers not the doctors was key. I was introduced to Nicole by another lifetime employee that ranted and raved about her expertise for mainstream health/fitness as well as competition prep. As far as diet goes I was a wonderful client listened well and followed all her advice. With her knowledge I made huge changes and improvements in my body I had never seen before. As we all know diet is 80% of how we look. We can workout till we’re blue in the face and still struggle to see the results we want. Now as far as training goes I had a lot of variety with Nicole she taught me and guided me the way I needed to be taught. I will admit I was hard headed and was so stuck on training heavy, because it was all I had known previous to working with Nicole. Now she was preparing me for bikini for the NPC federation. Bikini has a very specific look. Lean, tight , curvy, tiny, long muscles. especially at my size seeing I’m very short. When I started with Nicole I had huge legs and a lot of muscle. I didn’t quite understand at first what the judges were looking for. Nicole only tried Guiding me in the right direction to get me the look i was suppose to have. Now it took me several shows to understand and learn my body. Finally after letting go of my ego and stubborn side I listened to all she ever told me and stopped lifting weights period. I also run every other day now, I even had to stop working my lower half period for months to get this bulk off. Took lots of hard work to lose muscle. So I threw myself in for a major loop. In addition to all of this Nicole not only has done all of the above, but has also been a stepping stone to helping me gain a lot more confidence with myself as a whole. When you have a personal trainer you need to only listen to them and be open about everything to be able to make changes and improvement. You cannot let outsiders that have no knowledge ruin that! Keep all your eggs in one basket. So I finally became independent, i am now solo meaning single, and have finally found myself and confidence. People don’t realize the importance of learning to be alone and finding themselves. I have been in and out of toxic relationships throughout my life. And by finally taking that chance, and letting go of people that weren’t adding positivity to my life. I am a very routine person, and have a huge heart, very hard for me to let go of a relationship I’ve been in for a long time. But by finally letting go and flying away like a bird I have learned to spread my wings. As Nicole always told me you have to have a relationship with yourself first before anyone else!! So true!! How can we focus on us and our dreams, challenges we face in life and goals when we put so much energy in to a relationship? Nicole opened up my eyes to a lot, I just needed to apply her advice. Throughout my journey with Nicole I was so focused on winning my pro card in the beginning and she would always tell me it’s not about that. Now I understand why she told me that. Fighting, and having the thick skin that it takes to compete is alone a blessing. Most of all the journey I have been through and what I have learned through the sport has helped me and guided me to who I am today. I’ve learned how to love the journey, and am happy to be able to add to my story. I feel that I was brought in this world to inspire. I came from a very over weight, miserable, irresponsible, lazy person. But I have blossomed in to a butterfly and learned to love myself from the inside out. No matter what size woman are or situation there in, they need to have faith and keep pushing to reach there goals and dreams!! woman It hasn’t been all peaches and cream for me. I have a very deep journey and have struggled through my past 28 years. My story only continues to grow. I finally get it it all makes sense now. As Nicole tried helping me and explaining this whole time. I have Nicole to thank for giving me a very special gift & leading me to an amazing life. Love you Nicole!
CLIENT-Samantha S.

I initially reached out to Nicole for competition prep. After our first meeting, I knew working with her was going to be different. At that time, I had no idea of the impact she would have on my life both inside and outside of the gym.

My husband and I of 8 years were going through a very rough time. Although it was difficult, I shared our story with Nicole. Immediately her heart opened up and she was able to empathize with me. I instantly felt that she understood me as she shared her life experiences with me and gave me advice. This was exactly what I needed to hear at a really dark and difficult period in my life.

We discussed relationships and the importance of taking care of a marriage. She also recommended a really compassionate relationship therapist in my area. The best choice I made was that first appointment with the therapist. I learned a great deal about myself, as an individual, and as a wife. I will never forget the words Nicole told me, “love is a choice.” She couldn’t have been more correct. I made the choice to work on my marriage and it is now better than ever. A great deal of this success was due to her encouragement and advice.

Nicole is the most genuine and compassionate person you can hope to cross paths with. She truly cares about her clients inside and outside of the gym. She has been a leader and an inspiration for me in many facets of life. I am truly blessed to be able to call her my “coach”.
CLIENT- Heather M.