ABOUT Coach Jen

Hi, I’m Jen Kates. 

I’m different than most nutrition and fitness coaches because I used to work in Corporate America for 12 years before coaching full-time. I traveled for work every week. I lived out of airports and hotels, all while also training for mountain bike and other cycling events and races. Let me explain…

Several years ago, I worked in biotech research. I traveled almost every week for work, hopping around the world to visit hospitals and clinics. Sure, I made a high salary, but the “cost” was even higher for my health.

High stress, high blood pressure, high anxiety. 

My sleep was trash. It was rare for me to get more than 5-6 hours of sleep a night because I’d wake up in the middle of the night in a panic, unable to fall back to sleep.

I was moody. My workouts were falling apart. I wasn’t doing enough of the things I loved, like mountain biking and CrossFit.

My body hurt.

I came to the realization that something had to change.

I had to take a step back.

I had to shift the focus to myself.

I made small changes: I prioritized sleep and recovery, sometimes opting to skip a workout if I was exhausted or stress was overwhelming. My priorities changed.

I fueled my body with plenty of food, increasing my protein intake to support my recovery, along with increasing my carb intake to support my energy needs.

I meditated more often. I slept. I recovered.

Wow. So different from the hustle culture mentality of social media influencers with a large Instagram following.

By focusing my attention on myself through these small shifts, I gained more energy to annihilate my goals, podium in races, travel for work, and focus on the other important people in my life. Crazy how that works, right?

I didn’t succeed until I focused on the BASICS. When I focused on the basics and keeping it simple, I built the body and life that I needed in order to succeed in the other parts of my life — and I want to help you do the same thing for yourself.

Now, I work to help you make nutrition and fitness a sustainable lifestyle, not a quick-fix, even for busy people — like you — who feel like they don’t have the time or energy to focus on themselves.

Let’s make sustainable changes to get you to your goals, together.

MY CERTIFICATIONS + PROFESSIONAL TRAINING INCLUDE:

– ~20 credit hours of Master’s graduate coursework in Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

– BA from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro

– Master Health Coach (Level 2, the highest level) from Precision Nutrition

– ACE Certified Health Coach (American Council on Exercise)

– Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) 

– Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification (PPSC) with Dr. John Rusin

– Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification in Programming

– Certified Level 1 Mountain Bike Coach, PMBIA (Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association)

– Certified Mindfulness Instructor, MNDFL

– #Moderation365 Certified from JillFit (focusing on the physical and behavioral approaches to moderation in eating)

– CrossFit Level 2 Trainer since 2016

– CrossFit Level 1 Trainer since 2012

– Spinning Instructor since 2010 (let certification lapse since I no longer teach classes)

– Countless continuing education credits and courses from a variety of educational providers including the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Precision Nutrition, ACE, NASM, and others.

IN PROCESS:

– National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC, in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners)

– Pain-Free Performance Specialist Mobility Certification

CONTACT ME