About

Follow me on Instagram @distilledjill

I’m a full-time attorney, part time yoga teacher, fitness instructor, and coach.  I’ve beat obesity and released over 60 pounds without ever stepping foot in a gym.  For real.  So, how did I do it?  What’s my story?

I’ve always struggled with my weight.  I spent a good deal of my life yo-yo dieting, gaining and losing the same 20 pounds over and over and over again.  When I went to college, I gained the Freshman 15… a couple of times.  But I found the Atkins Diet, and lost a lot of weight on that.  However, once I started integrating carbs back into my diet, I slowly started to gain all of the weight back.

best projectIt reached a peak in law school.  Law school was hard. Anyone who’s been through it will tell you that. I did well academically.  I graduated with honors, but I did not treat myself well during this time.  I developed my mind while neglecting my body.  In the 3 years – THREE YEARS – of law school, I gained 50 pounds.  I was trying to maintain the Atkins Diet, but my diet wasn’t clean (bacon is Atkins-friendly, right?!).  I was drinking alcohol to reward myself after long days and nights of studying.  I didn’t sleep much, and I was not exercising.  Actually, every time that I tried to exercise, I’d get SICK and would have to stop for weeks at a time. Between poor nutrition, little restful sleep, and stress from law school, I was abusing my body and mind.

After I graduated from law school, I moved to Washington, DC.  I was looking forward to being a bride, and I refused to walk down the aisle obese.  I started exercising regularly and lost 20 pounds in time for the wedding!  But, alas, after the wedding, I stopped seeing results and even started to notice the weight coming back.

For our 2-year wedding anniversary, I bought an intense at-home fitness bodyweight program called Insanity as an anniversary gift for my husband and me.  I bought it to show my dedication to a long and healthy life together, and we were going to complete this program together.  And we did.  Insanity changed everything.  I started exercising in my living room and fell in love with fitness.  I started treating my body right, learning more about nutrition and the value of a whole food diet, and kissed Atkins goodbye!

Before and AFter

I’ve completed a number of at-home fitness programs since January 2014, including Focus T25, Insanity, Insanity: the Asylum (Volumes 1 and 2), P90X, Insanity Max: 30, the 21-Day Fix Extreme, Body Beast, and many more!

I also took my passion for Insanity to the next level and became a group fitness instructor!  I hold a Certified Group Fitness Instructor certificate from the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), an Insanity Live instructor certificate from Beachbody Live, a Les Mills BodyCombat certificate, and current CPR/AED/First Aid certificates.  Today, I’m also a Registered Yoga Teacher, who specializes in vigorous vinyasa classes and meditative yin yoga classes.

I teach group fitness and yoga classes in Washington, DC and beyond!  Reach out to me to book a class.  You can also view my live fitness and yoga class schedule here.

As someone who struggled with my weight for so much of my life, I bring a unique perspective to teaching.  I remember what it felt like to be a beginner, and continue to challenge myself with the humbling experience of regularly choosing to be a beginner by trying new fitness modalities and yoga practices.

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