Hey there,
I’m Sarah Petty
(she/her)
I’m a late-diagnosed neurospicy oldest child with an internalized duty to save the world! Since that’s not possible I’ve narrowed my focus to helping you find ease and grace with your movement practice as you sustainably improve your overall wellbeing, body image, and sense of purpose.
I’m also:
founder of PowerUP and Nourish + Connect
human who likes dogs, mountains, rainy days, and angsty fanfic
someone who can help you reconnect with your body in order to heal your relationship with food and movement
My story begins when I woke up one day and realized I hated my body.
I was fat. At age 14 I wore size 20-22 pants. So obviously, the solution was to get smaller.
Less fat = more happiness, right?
Wrong.
I spent hours on the elliptical machine. I cut back on my portion sizes, and sometimes “accidentally” skipped meals. I got smaller, and fitter. And I thought I was happier.
But my shame followed me wherever I went.
I was still miserable on the inside. I still hated my body, and tried to cover it up. I never wore shorts or tank tops, and I sucked in my stomach for hours at social gatherings. Somehow, I thought that would make me more likable, more acceptable.
After graduating college, I decided that I wanted to help other people like me. Being fat was the “worst” thing that ever happened to me, and I didn’t want other teens to feel helpless like I did. Secretly, I still felt helpless, and I didn’t understand my own body. So I read nutrition textbooks in my spare time and contemplated getting a certification or degree. I became hyper-focused on nutrition and exercise. In the process, I thought,
“Surely if I have the right information, I’ll finally be thin.”
I got a master’s degree in nutrition science and integrative health, which answered a few of my questions and gave me hundreds of new unanswered ones. I realized that lack of technical knowledge wasn’t the reason I was unhappy. I learned that my internal happiness and value could be independent of my appearance.
I learned that focusing on my appearance more than factors that ACTUALLY affected my health created unhealthy eating, moving, and thinking patterns that affected my mood and relationships.
Very, very slowly, I came to realize that I shouldn’t focus on food quite as much. Other components of health are movement, mindfulness, sleep, spirituality, and connection with others. Each of these works together with food to form healthy bodies, minds, and souls. This idea is based in science, not wishful thinking!
Now, I eat and move to nourish my body.
I don’t punish myself with fasting, calorie restriction, or exercise.
AND I feel more in-tune with my body and my soul than ever before.
I can help you with the same approach. My recommendations are always collaborative and influenced by what you intuitively know about your body.
Food and movement are only part of your health journey. Since they are my specialty, I offer science-based insights into how those key factors can support your health, especially if you have a hormone or mental health condition.
We’ll work together to build a nutrition and movement plan that reflects your goals, stress level, sleep quality, movement preferences, and socials support.
As a nutrition and movement coach, I view humans holistically.
We are all (myself included) so much more than our visible bodies - we are a beautiful mixture of thoughts, feelings, experiences, and actions, living in incredibly adaptable physical forms. We each have unique circumstances that affect how we view and care for our bodies.
With these truths in mind, I serve and support clients and the general public through the body liberation and HAES lenses.
For me and my work, this means:
Autonomy in food, movement, rest, and healthcare choices.
Respectful and thorough health care without judgment.
Acknowledgement that factors such as healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, social support, economic stability, and the surrounding built environment affect an individual’s wellbeing more than intentional food and exercise choices.
Acknowledgement that it’s not realistic or helpful to expect us to constantly love our appearance, the process of self care, or the work it takes to uphold body liberation.
Credentials:
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M.S. Nutrition and Integrative Health
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Board Certified Nutrition Specialist
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NASM-Certified Personal Trainer
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SITA Certified
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Inclusive Kettlebell Coach
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Trauma-Informed Personal Trainer
Acknowlegements
I live in Fort Worth, Texas, on land that was originally populated by the Nʉmʉnʉʉ, the Wichita, the Jumanos, and the Kiikaapoi people.
My personal journey and the growth of my business has depended on the previous and current work of many in the body liberation and HAES communities.
As a straight-sized, able white woman, I’m choosing to use my privileges and platforms to amplify other voices as we collectively make the world better than we found it.