Elizabeth Anastasopoulos’ drive to understand the true function of food/nutrition in the body began in 2011. For two years, she participated as a figure competitor in the OCB. While she was successful on the stage both years, she found that the style of prep her coach used left her feeling weak, fatigued, and overly moody. She also experienced a shocking thirty-pound rebound shortly after her first set of shows. As a result, not only did she struggle to get lean the following year, her coach used more extreme methods to get her stage ready.
It was after this second difficult prep that Elizabeth felt there had to be a better way to get ready for the stage. She decided she needed to take her health into her own hands and truly understand how food fueled the body by pursuing her certification as a NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist (FNS). What she learned during her studies disturbed her, as she discovered the way she had been fed during the two years of prep could have had detrimental affects to her metabolism.
Determined to prove one could get lean without using the extreme measures once practiced on her, Elizabeth hired Kim Porterfield, CN of The Institute of Eating Management (IEM) in Houston, Texas. Her husband had discovered Kim after having read and used the methods outlined in the book Get Lean by Lee Labrada and Keith Klein, CN, CCN (owner of IEM). His results with Kim were nothing less than outstanding, so Elizabeth decided to place her faith in Kim as well…she was not disappointed. For her final figure competition, Elizabeth stepped on stage looking and feeling her best.
Elizabeth was impressed and inspired by Kim’s knowledge and genuine concern for the health of her clients so much so she was determined to thank Kim in person. She and her husband flew to Houston to meet Kim and Keith and it was from that first meeting with them that Elizabeth knew what path she wanted her career to take: she wanted to become a nutritionist, too.
Encouraged by Kim and Keith, Elizabeth began pursuing her Diploma in Comprehensive Nutrition (DipCN) from Huntington College of Health Sciences. It was during her studies that she also took on a position as a nutritional adviser with Center Stage Figures and Physiques. Here, Elizabeth had the opportunity to put into practice what she had learned through Kim, through her NASM FNS, and her DipCN coursework. However, it wasn’t her passion to work strictly with competitors. Elizabeth knew she wanted to work with people who simply wanted to live healthier, more productive lives. Food, she learned, was medicine, and it was through food and proper nutritional education that she wanted to make a difference. She reached out to Keith and it was then he proposed to her the possibility of her becoming a Lean Body Coach.
Elizabeth currently holds her CPT and FNS certifications from NASM and her DipCN from Huntington College of Health Sciences. However, she intends to continue her studies in order to become a Certified Sports Nutritionist.