06/30/2026
Client Spotlight: Erika Partoza
51 years young. Registered nurse. For most of her adult life, food wasn’t just food for Erika. It was comfort, celebration, and her only coping tool.
She came to us carrying years of chronic knee pain. Specialists said it would only get worse. But the harder thing she carried wasn’t physical.
In her own words:
“Food became my source of comfort during stressful times, a way to celebrate happy moments, and something I relied on whenever I experienced difficult emotions.”
She was skeptical about starting our program, worried that changing how she ate meant giving up the thing that made her feel better.
So we started slow. Not deprivation, but rebuilding her relationship with food from the ground up.
Days in, a new setback hit. Sharp pain on top of her left foot, on top of an aching knee. Most would have waited. Erika didn’t.
By week 2, the bloating was gone and her energy was back.
By week 4, she walked without knee pain for the first time in years.
By week 6, a doctor told her, “Hey Erika, you’re looking good.” Coworkers said she was glowing. Her husband said she’d stopped snoring.
By the end of 12 weeks, the knees specialists said would only get worse were carrying her up and down stairs with barely any pain. She was back to boxing, lifting heavier, sleeping 7 hours a night.
Here’s what actually changed:
“Instead of fearing certain foods or feeling guilty for eating, I now see food as fuel and nourishment. Lasting weight loss isn’t about restriction, it’s about balance, consistency, and choices that support my health.”
This is what we love about this work. It’s never just the scale. For Erika it was learning that food could go back to just being food.
Thank you for trusting the process, Erika. You stayed committed and consistent, and found a blueprint that works for you.
If you’ve used food to cope with stress, or tried every diet and nothing stuck, this is your sign.
Our summer group starts July 20, 3 spots left. 2 one-on-one spots open for July.
Book your complimentary assessment (link in bio).
Big thank you to Marky Mark for referring Erika to MT.