About Belinda
Belinda Lazzaro is an award-winning registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and weight loss specialist with 20 years of experience providing nutrition coaching and customized weight loss plans. Since opening her practice in 2012, she has helped thousands of people improve their health and learn to manage their weight. She is known for creating an environment that encourages people to feel comfortable sharing their personal stories and the challenges they face in adopting healthy habits. She uses a down-to-earth approach to lifestyle change because she knows, personally, how hard it is to lose weight, stick to a healthy diet, eat in the real world, and stay motivated to exercise.
She earned a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Health Sciences from Oregon State University, completed the graduate dietetic internship at Oregon Health Sciences University, and earned a Master's degree from Framingham State University.
My Journey with Weight Loss
In 2010, I got divorced and became a single parent of my three kids. We had just moved to New England from Oregon, I was working as a clinical manager, and enrolled as a full-time graduate student at the time. Trying to keep up with the demands of parenting, career, school, and household responsibilities was overwhelming and exhausting. I was surrounded by mountains of laundry, homework, and bills. Finding time to spend on me and my health seemed impossible. To make matters worse, the years prior to my divorce were so difficult that I went into survival mode. I stopped caring about my diet, stopped exercising, stopped taking care of myself. And I gained a lot of weight, which had a terrible impact on my self-esteem. Every time I tried to do something about it I felt knocked back by something unexpected. I couldn't stick with anything. It felt hopeless.
And then one day I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Belinda, you are strong enough to change your situation." I started with my weight. I knew how to lose it. I just had to commit to my plan, no matter what. And be patient. I did not follow a diet. I did not spend hours everyday at the gym. I used a healthy, balanced approach -- I limited my sweets, cut back on my portion sizes, and increased my steps. In the first 6 months, I lost half of the weight. Then I started going to the gym for an hour 4 days a week, and by the end of the second 6 months I had met my goal. The weight loss did not happen overnight, but it happened, and 13 years later I can say that I've kept most of it off. I am at a healthy weight that I can live with and maintain for the rest of my life. And, yes, I still eat pizza, chocolate, and pasta.
Sticking to my plan and achieving my weight loss goal gave me confidence, which led to choices in other areas of my life that I feel good about, and as a result I'm happier and healthier.
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If any part of my story feels familiar to you please reach out to me. I know how hard it is to ask for help. If there is anyone who understands, though, it is me. If you're ready to make the move then I am here for you.
~Belinda