Name

The Healthy Hedgehog may seem like a strange name but it makes perfect sense when explained. We will start with the most curious part… the hedgehog. Several years ago while working at a university I would do interviews for prospective residents and faculty. One day while chatting with colleagues we started discussing the best and worst interview questions. We covered everything from the typical “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” to “if you were a kitchen utensil what would you be and why?” One that at the time I had not heard but have heard many times since then is “what is your spirit animal and why?”

We discussed this question briefly then it was asked of me. Fairly quickly, I responded with hedgehog. They are cute and cuddly but if you upset them, they will curl up in a ball and show you their spikes. That said, I am not a violent person but I also do not take other people’s bull. So that spirit animal has become my mascot and has so many more meanings than just that original definition.

As for the Healthy part, that is almost self-explanatory, almost. I have not always been healthy. In college, medical school, and residency I stress ate and found my favorite comfort foods. I have found myself overweight more than once. I could find ways to lose weight but they were not always healthy ways. One way I lost was with over-the-counter diet pills that contained ephedra. This has since been taken off the market due to many issues including heart problems and death. Then there was the ‘eat whatever I wanted as long as the calories were counted’ diet. I could have chocolate cake for dinner but that was all I ate for that meal. This was not the healthiest of ways to lose weight and it was not sustainable.

It took many trials and errors to finally realize that diets were not the answer. Similarly the exercise was hit or miss. When I wanted to lose weight I would get really in to exercise and then it would fizzle out. The balance of eating healthy and getting the physical activity I needed took many years to figure out. I am not always perfect with it but no one is perfect. The key is finding a balance of healthy eating and activities that works for me. What works for me may not work for others.  We are all different but I want to be here to help you with that journey to finding your balance as the Healthy Hedgehog Wellness Coach.