I got tired of being confused about my own health. So I learned the science.
Thirty years of programs, trends, and feelings of failure. Then a career in medical coding changed everything — I went back to school to figure out what actually works.
Jen Stanley — Wellness Coach, Podcast Host
For most of my adult life, I did what a lot of women do.
I tried the diets. I followed the trends. I starved my way through plans that worked for three weeks and fell apart by week five. Then I’d blame myself, regroup, and start the whole cycle over again.
I did that for over thirty years.
Not because I was lazy or didn’t care. I cared a lot. I just didn’t have the right information. I had slogans. “Eat clean.” “Move more.” “Be consistent.” That’s technically true, but it’s not actually helpful when you don’t understand what’s happening inside your body or why nothing seems to stick.
What I needed wasn’t more motivation. I needed the actual science.
The Chart That Changed Everything
After more than twenty years as a stay-at-home mom, my youngest graduated college and I finally had the space to build a career. I became a certified medical coder — and that job rewired how I think about health.
Every day, I read medical charts. Chronic disease. Preventable complications. Declining quality of life. Not dramatic, made-for-TV stuff — just quiet deterioration that built up over years because nobody intervened early enough.
“At some point, it stopped being abstract. I looked at those charts and thought: if I keep going the way I’m going, I could become one of these charts. That’s when it stopped being about weight and started being about understanding.”
That shift — from wanting to look a certain way to genuinely wanting to understand how my body works — changed everything about how I approached health from that point forward.
I Went Back to School
I earned my Associate of Science in Health Science (summa cum laude, because apparently I’m an overachiever when I actually care about the subject). I earned NASM Certified Nutrition Coach credential, Certified Wellness Coach credential and Weight Loss Specialist. And I’m currently finishing my Bachelor of Science in Health Science, studying anatomy, physiology, research methods, and behavioral health.
Not because I want to be an academic. Because I got angry about how much bad information is out there, and I wanted to be able to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s marketing.
A.S. Health Science
Summa Cum Laude — Vol State Community College
B.S. Health Science
In progress — anatomy, pathophysiology, research methods, health psychology, public health
NASM Nutrition Coach
Evidence-based guidance to those seeking to improve body composition, athletic performance, and health
NASM Wellness Coach
Understand the importance of restorative sleep, mental well-being, intentional movement, a healthy diet, recovery, and stress management
NASM Weight Loss Specialist
Restructure Habits for Better Results
Certified Medical Coder
Years reading clinical charts gave me a front-row seat to preventable health decline
Turns out, the foundational science of health isn’t that mysterious. Balanced nutrition. Consistent movement. Sleep. Stress management. Repeatable habits. The research is not hiding. What’s hiding is clarity. That’s the gap Wellness AF Club exists to close.
That’s Why I Started the Podcast
The Wellness AF Club podcast is where I take the science I’m learning and translate it into something you can actually use. Not dumbed down. Not oversimplified. Just explained like a real person talking to another real person.
Every episode digs into a topic that matters — weight loss physiology, bone health, strength training, hormones, nutrition — and I walk you through what the research actually says, what it means for your daily life, and what to do with it starting today.
I cite the studies. I explain the biology. And I tell you when something is well-established versus when it’s still emerging. Because you deserve to know the difference.
What This Is Really About
Health is not a moral issue. It’s not a character test. It’s not a willpower contest. And it’s not solved by finding the next perfect plan.
The Wellness AF Club is not about being thin. It’s not about perfection. And it’s definitely not about another 30-day challenge.
It’s about understanding your body well enough that your daily choices start to make sense. Why protein matters. Why your bones need heavy loads. Why a 500-calorie deficit works and a 1,200-calorie crash diet doesn’t. Why sleep isn’t optional. Why your metabolism probably isn’t broken.
When you understand the why, you’re so much more likely to stick with the how.
What guides this work
These are the principles behind every episode, every article, every recommendation.
Evidence over trends. Decisions here are guided by peer-reviewed research — not marketing, not influencers, not whatever’s going viral this week.
Sustainable over rapid. Slow, consistent progress outperforms every crash approach. The research is clear on this. So is thirty years of personal experience.
Behavior change over willpower. Willpower is a finite resource. Habits, environment, and systems are what actually move the needle long-term.
Context over simplicity. Health is shaped by habits, stress, sleep, environment, and access — not just food choices. People don’t fail because they’re lazy.
The goal here is clarity. Clarity about how the body works. Clarity about what actually moves the needle long-term. Clarity about how to build a lifestyle that supports your health without consuming it.
If fewer people end up as sad charts because they finally understood how to build a life that supports their health — that’s the whole point.
“You don’t need extreme. You need repeatable.”— Jen Stanley, Wellness AF Club
Is This for You?
Let’s keep it simple.
Welcome — this is your spot if…
- You’re a woman tired of feeling confused about your own health
- You’ve done the yo-yo thing and you’re ready for something that actually makes sense
- You want the science without the condescension
- You want motivation without the cringe
- You’re done guessing and ready to understand
I’m probably not your girl if…
- You’re looking for a magic pill or a 7-day detox
- You want someone to tell you carbs are the enemy
- You’re after quick fixes, not sustainable change
- You want extremes over repeatable habits
- You’d rather be told what to do than understand why
“You don’t need extreme. You need repeatable.”
— Jen
Ready to stop guessing?
Start with the podcast, join the newsletter, or use the free macro calculator — all free, all grounded in evidence.
