Hello!

​

I'm Stavros Koumbaros, a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach and I'm so happy you found my site. Fitness and health have been a rollercoaster ride through my life. You may look at me and think I must've always been physically inclined, whether that was through sports, or just naturally athletic. You couldn't be more wrong. Growing up, I was a chubby kid with little coordination, and, frankly, no athletic ability (truly, none). I tried sports and hated them. I was never very good at them, and never felt confident enough to really go for it in general.

 

I never felt comfortable in my skin, typically fueled by comments about my size, and the all too familiar feeling of having to go "The Husky Section". This discomfort only grew into disdain for my physical appearance as I entered High School. Eventually I decided to lose weight. However, being young, I only had the information I could find online. This led to aggressively cutting out food to help me lose weight. Unfortunately, the weight loss as we all learn doesn't solve the problem, but, for me, made my body image issues more prevalent.

​

When In college, I began getting interested in fitness. My hope was that by working out, I would provide myself with a way to feel positive about doing something healthy, removing any guilt of food I've had in the past. Again, I shuffled through the jungle of mis-information on working out, leading to increased confusion and feeling unable to determine good from bad information. Adding the gym to my disordered views  of eating didn't necessarily help but, in truth, the body dismorphia I felt only began to be louder in my ear. My physical appearance was a constant source of anxiety, preventing me from doing things, preventing me from wearing certain clothes, and feeling constant shame. I began developing extreme habits, believing I was actually doing the right thing, through excessive workouts fueled by guilt and purging.

​

For my entire life, it has felt like I have never experienced a time where my health, fitness, and diet wasn't commented on. Whether it was during my childhood as a bigger kid, losing weight in high school, working out in college, or coming home after periods away and receiving questions on my eating.

​

However, that is what brings us to here and now. The work has never stopped to create a positive mindset towards my body, as I believe the work should never stop. The goal should always be to feel confident and comfortable in the skin we're in, because it is with us for a lifetime. I celebrate Crop Top Tuesday every week during my time with the national tour of Les Mis. This started as a joke, but slowly turned into a challenge for me. I used it as an opportunity to show my stomach and feel confident in it, or even just comfortable in it. It was an active practice to press through the shame I felt on a daily basis.

 

I have learned, and am still learning to embrace every part of my body, even by getting my certification as a PT and Nutrition Coach. My aim for these was to help people find a positive relationship with their health and fitness. Not through a crash diet, or magic pill, but by building a positive and healthy lifestyle. A life with a positive relationship with food, fitness and our body. A life not fueled by shame, guilt, or insecurities, but by our desire to feel confident, stronger, and care for our body so it can care for us. I want to help you get the right information, find the right way to work, and do it in a way that helps you feel excited! I'm always on your team and ready to help, so whenever you feel ready to take that first step, I'm here!

​