About Me

Welcome to Fitness & Feta!

Growing up in a Greek family where gyros and baklava are thought to be next in line to water and shelter hasn’t always made it easy to make the healthiest decisions.  Food, and lots of it, is often the focal point of every Greek gathering.  Turning down seconds, never mind thirds or fourths, is usually received with a blank look (think My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s “What do you mean you eat no meat?!”) and then another helping of spanakopita and moussaka heaped high on your plate.

Despite my background, I was never [that] overweight.  In fact, I have always been very active.  Growing up I played soccer, field hockey, and t-ball.  I took dance lessons since the age of four and ran track in high school. I continued dancing in college as part of the Providence College Dance Company; however that just didn’t cut it as enough exercise when combined with the college lifestyle of beer, late night pizza fests, and the cafeteria food selection.  I started noticing the “freshman fifteen” catching up with me and decided I needed to do something about it.  I began taking advantage of the Friar Fitness program, and I even went to Jazzercise over breaks with my best friend and our moms.  It was then I discovered my love for fitness classes, and my obsession grew.

During my sophomore year, I noticed signs around school advertising for fitness instructor tryouts.  Several of the current instructors were graduating and needed replacements, so I thought “Why not?”  I put together an audition and was selected.  That summer I got certified through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and began teaching the following fall.  Between that and still dancing, I felt better about my body.  Plus, what a perfect on campus job that was, getting paid to work out!

That was in September 2005, and I’ve been an instructor ever since.  After college I started teaching part time with the Greater Boston YMCA as a side to my full time job.  However, my love for “healthy living” keeps growing.  Since then I have also certified in personal training through the American College of Sports Medicine, made a full-time career switch (at the same company) into an HR role that will allow me to create and implement a worksite wellness program for my company’s 4000+ employees, took on the role of Group Exercise Coordinator at the Y, and am currently working toward my wellness coaching certification through Wellcoaches.  Needless to say, I’m a pretty busy gal, but somehow I find the time for my friends, family, boyfriend, and blogging amongst it all.

By no means am I perfect (I still can’t turn down a mozzarella stick after a night out with my girlfriends), but I strive for a sense of balance and know that with moderation I can still indulge every now and then – and actually feel good about it!  My family and friends often ask “How do you do it?” and that’s why I have created this little home for myself in the healthy living blog community.  This blog is where I enjoy spreading my passion for wellness to all of you by sharing workout advice, recipes, and other random musings and tidbits to help others achieve a healthy lifestyle.  I can do it, but so can you!

I hope you enjoy Fitness & Feta!  I’m no expert or medical professional and therefore write about what works for me, but I hope my writing can help motivate you to stay happy and healthy in your own individual ways.

If you have any questions, comments, ideas, post requests, or would like to work together, please feel free to email me at fitnessandfeta@gmail.com.