Hey there, I’m Ali and I’m the mom behind Champagne and Coffee Stains, a place where I share my Peloton tips, family’s easy recipes, toddler activities, product reviews, running and workout tips.
My Experience
After I graduated from college I struggled with my weight. I was working full-time in retail and my lunch breaks were filled with unhealthy trips to the food court. The tipping point for me was when I went on my first vacation and got home and realized I didn’t take a single photo of myself because of how embarrassed I was about my weight.
Something had to change.
I joined a gym and started working out with a personal trainer, but quickly got discouraged when the scale just wouldn’t budge. After a few months of no progress I complained to my trainer, Josh, and he said the sentence that would change my life.
“You can’t out exercise a bad diet”
I had been so focused on the working out part of being healthy that I completely neglected the nutrition side.
I joined Weight Watchers in 2013 and lost 50lbs within 3 months. I was feeling my best and finally felt like I actually knew how to properly fuel my body and eat the right way. I was able to maintain that weight loss for nearly 5 years until I had my baby in 2018.
After I had my daughter I quickly realized losing weight postpartum was so different than before. I didn’t have the time to go to the gym, meal plan and even the Weight Watchers nutrition plans were all different! It was frustrating but I was determined to make it work.
It took a lot of work (and a few failed attempts) but after 6 months I was able to get back to my postpartum weight. I had to learn new ways of working out and how to fit them in around my daughter’s nap time, as well as new ways to work the ever-changing Weight Watchers program.
Once I had my second daughter, however, things had changed so much on Weight Watchers (and my lifestyle had changed with 2 kids!) that I needed something else. I began counting macros and it completely changed my life.
I no longer felt trapped with Weight Watchers and the ever-changing algorithms but instead I actually understood nutrition and how to properly fuel my body.
This also inspired me to learn more about nutrition so I took Precision Nutrition's PN1 Nutrition Coaching course and became a certified coach.
I created Champagne & Coffee Stains a place where I can share my family’s easy recipes, my workout tips with Peloton, running tips, baby and toddler activities, and more.
Credentials and Certifications
In addition to being a Peloton fan and meal prep lover, I am also certified. I am a certified running coach with a certification through VDOT O2 and am also PN L1 nutrition certified by Precision Nutrition to provide macro coaching and nutrition information.
Featured In
Champagne and Coffee Stains has been featured in the following publications
Social Profiles
You can find Ali Van Straten at the following social media:\
About Me
I’m a Minneapolis based blogger, journalist and mom to 2 kids. In addition to Champagne and Coffee Stains, I also blog about baby showers at EverythingBabyShowers.com
When I’m not blogging, I love running, baking, playing board games, catching up on reality tv, and eating all the s’mores!
Contact
You can contact me by e-mailing me at Ali@champagneandcoffeestains.com
Please note: I am not accepting guest posts at this time
