Conversations with Erika Billingslea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Billingslea.

Hi Erika, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’d love to. I’ve been a personal trainer exclusively for women for nearly 20 years. In the beginning of my career I focused on in-home training and for several years had a fitness studio in Monrovia, California. I also ran a women’s “boot camp” group fitness class that was so fun! Very quickly I realized so many of my clients didn’t understand how to properly fuel their bodies and prepare healthy meals…..and I also realized working out with me would only take them so far because you can’t out exercise a bad diet. Most of my clients back then wanted to lose weight – whether it was 5 pounds or 50 pounds – to shed the baby weight, in anticipation of their wedding and honeymoon, a class reunion, or just because. And as good of a trainer as I am and as many calories as I would have them burn, if they didn’t get their eating dialed in, they would struggle to reach their goals. So I studied and became a nutritionist and started writing out meal plans as an additional service for my clients. The stuff in the middle of this story is boring, so fast forward to 2022. I started having all kinds of bizarre health symptoms and really started to feel awful. I had no energy, slept poorly, was bloated all the time, my cycle was changing and not in a good way, I seemed to be gaining body fat…….all while seemingly nothing changed. I still exercised regularly, ate fairly healthy with the occasional treat here and there, but I felt off. My doctor told me this was part of getting older and there wasn’t much I could do except to exercise more and eat less. That didn’t sit right with me so I pushed for her to order some blood work…..which she did, and as you can probably guess, my results came back “normal”. I knew something was off and so I saw a functional medicine doctor but that was wildly expensive. Eventually I hired a functional nutrition health coach and everything changed for me. She ran comprehensive functional tests and I finally had answers to why I felt like a stranger living in my own body. The relief I felt was amazing. I felt hope that I could get back to feeling like my normal energetic self. That was the catalyst that propelled me to dive into holistic nutrition and a ‘food as medicine’ approach. Fast forward a bit, and I’ve founded Balanced Bodies Health Coaching – which is exclusively for women. Women’s health is my passion and joy. I believe there’s a gap between what traditional doctors can help with and what you can do on your own to heal and thrive. Don’t get me wrong – I like doctors…we need doctors! My aim is to empower women so we’re not only relying on what the doctor says. Like my company name states – I strongly believe in balance for all areas of our health. Balanced nutrition and balanced movement. Balanced play and balanced rest. Balanced gut microbiome and balanced hormones. Balance in everything. I offer a listening ear, compassion and evidence-based guidance on all things health. My hope is that each of my clients feel encouraged, inspired and empowered to take ownership of their health.

I’m so honored to walk alongside my clients in their journey. Of course most of my clients want to lose weight – but that usually isn’t their focus when they come to me (no shame if it is!). Their focus is optimizing their health. Figuring out why they have chronic digestive issues. Understanding why their hormones are shifting and finding ways to support them so they can feel better. Navigating autoimmune conditions which sound scary when the only advice they were given was to take a pill for the rest of their life. Managing stress better so they can be a good spouse, mother, friend, boss, co-worker, etc. Figuring out why they can’t sleep soundly through the night. Learning how to eat for their body and wade through all the fad diets and supplements out there. Re-learning movement and exercise in ways that feel good and are hormonally respectful. Tuning into themselves and their intuition and learning to listen to what their body is saying – because the body is always talking and giving us signs.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Since working with clients in the functional nutrition space, things have honestly been great. When looking at someone holistically and as a whole, their results are so much greater than with just diet and exercise alone. Of course diet and exercise are important, but it’s not the whole story. If it was, most everyone would be healthy and fit. I’m able to educate my clients and once they understand and have validation that their symptoms aren’t just in their head, the real transformation happens. It’s beautiful to see it all come together. Many are shocked to see just how quickly they can begin to feel better. That said, healing isn’t linear and there can be many ups and downs. Sometimes healing takes a long time……and if you think about it, you didn’t just wake up bloated, tired, with chronic migraines and insulin resistance out of nowhere. It took years to get where you are……..and sometimes healing takes a while. We live in a world of instant gratification and it’s challenging to walk clients through those longer moments. I wish I was able to wave a magic wand and POOF! my clients would look and feel their best instantaneously. Sadly, I haven’t figured out how to do that yet!

I also think there’s this unspoken underlying pressure for leaders in the health and wellness space to have perfect wellness routines, have perfect health and have all the answers all the time. Like because we are in a more holistic space, we must not have any health issues and have picture-perfect days. Add to that the unrealistic space of social media which is so convoluted with tons of supplements, really complicated protocols, unrealistic goals, images of women that are unhealthy and with potential AI filters, bad information that leads to disordered eating and just a lot of outdated, unscientific advice…..and it’s wild. It can be a bit of a struggle to help my clients wade through all the misinformation, clickbait and complete nonsense that’s out there.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a functional nutritionist and personal trainer and I combine all of my knowledge and experience along with lifestyle recommendations when I work with my clients. I call this “health coaching” since I don’t just focus on exercise….and I don’t just focus on nutrition. I help women improve their health utilizing nutrition strategies, holistic healing modalities, lifestyle recommendations, mindset work and supplements – all while taking into account who she is as an individual, where she’s been, where she wants to go, etc. I work with my clients in-person (when feasible) and via Zoom. We meet up to 4 times per month – those sessions are full of education, trouble shooting, check-ins, accountability, guidance, advice, pep-talks, mindset work and are really truly customized to each woman. We chat about what is going well for them, where there’s room for improvement, check-in on their feedback markers and set a plan to continue forward movement in feeling well and reaching their goals.

I specialize in working with women in perimenopause and menopause navigate inflammation, hormone changes, gut discomfort/issues, adrenal fatigue, cortisol imbalances, thyroid conditions, PCOS, diabetes, hypertension, anxiety, blood sugar regulation, stress levels, etc. Of course I work with women of all ages and on a variety of issues including weight/fat loss, autoimmune conditions, transitioning on and off GLP-1s, sleep disturbances, etc. Much of what I do is mindset work……I believe your mind and your daily habits truly hold the key to your success.

My passion and favorite issue to tackle is gut dysbiosis because this was a personal struggle for me. Same with hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s. Being a woman in my 40s, I deeply understand the frustrations my clients face with their health, being dismissed by doctors and the endless “noise” in the health and wellness space. It’s hard to decipher what will work and what won’t….what’s total BS and what will actually propel you forward to feeling great.

I think what sets me apart is that I’m relatable. I am right there alongside my clients watching my body change. I’ve experienced so many of their same health struggles so I have true empathy for how lonely, confusing and scary changes can be. I also know what it’s like to have a doctor say “You’re fine” when you know something is off. It’s at this boiling point of frustration and helplessness that a potential client reaches out because she’s looking for someone who can dig for answers and point her in the right direction. I have the academic education, but I also know what it feels like to have SIBO, Hashimoto’s, cortisol issues, estrogen dominance, etc. When I first meet with a new client, I usually begin with a really thorough health history assessment and take the time to truly listen to what’s going on. From there I build out my recommendations for lifestyle adjustments, meal plans, supplement suggestions, exercise and functional lab testing (stool test, blood test, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, etc.) if needed. When I’m able to open up to my clients and relate to them and share with them that I too have gone through a similar issue and have days when I’m not feeling my best – I’m able to better connect with them and show that not only do I care and understand, I’m also right there with them. From personal experience I now know that whenever anything pops up for me personally with my health, that there is a reason and I’m better able to lean into it and use my experience with the symptoms and solutions to better relate to and help others.

I am most proud of making sure my functional nutrition health coaching program is affordable. Many others in my position charge at least 3x more. I don’t think only the wealthy should be able to receive help and feel seen and heard when it feels like their body is failing them. Feeling understood and receiving answers should be accessible to all and it should be accessible to everyone without a high price tag, confusing contracts that are tough to get out of, and over-priced functional testing. You deserve to feel good!

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Connecting with clients. It’s definitely an art to connect with clients and meet them where they are at while nudging them toward a path of feeling better, eliminating symptoms and gaining energy. I regularly thank my clients for trusting me – as I know some of the recommendations I make may seem counterintuitive or not what’s popular and trending now. So many of my clients are direct referrals from other clients, and while that speaks volumes in and of itself, I never take for granted that they come to me for help, trust me with their intimate and personal health symptoms and are open to try new things – and have success with them. I’ve learned the more open, honest and vulnerable a client can be with me, the greater her success in my program. Yes, there’s sometimes tears and I often hear that sessions with me are similar to therapy but it’s in this space of vulnerability that growth happens and true change can occur.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.balancedbodies.net