Hidden Gems: Meet Pam Moore of Intuitive Eating Coach

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Pam Moore.

Hi Pam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I went to graduate school for occupational therapy immediately after college, thinking I’d spend my entire career in healthcare. But twelve years and two maternity leaves later, burnt out on healthcare and overwhelmed by the cost of childcare, I made a major pivot and went after my secret, embarrassing dream of becoming a writer.

By the time my second child was in kindergarten, I was a regular contributor to the Washington Post’s Wellness section and was covering health and fitness for many of the media outlets of my dreams, including Runner’s World, Outside, and others. As a 2x Ironman finisher, 6x marathoner, and longtime indoor cycling instructor, covering everything from micro workouts to mind wandering, I was thrilled for the chance to write about the topics I was passionate about.

But as I was establishing myself as an “expert” in the health and wellness world, I began to see how unwell I was. Starting in my teens, I’d developed disordered eating and exercise habits. By 40, I knew I needed to set a better example for my daughters and stop relying on rules, plans, and apps to tell me what, when, and how much to eat, give up on my pursuit of the “perfect body,” and trust myself instead.

I discovered the Intuitive Eating philosophy, and it changed my life. I learned to stop stressing about food and exercise, which allowed me the chance to show up to meals, parties, bike rides, vacations, and more with more ease and joy. I also found that trusting myself to make my own decisions at mealtimes emboldened me to honor my intuition in other arenas as well.

Wanting to help other women experience that same ease and put my OT skills to use, I earned my certification as an Intuitive Eating counselor. Currently, I work with clients 1:1 over Zoom and am planning to launch a group program in the fall.

Meanwhile, this fall, I began to explore another secret, embarrassing dream—standup comedy. After taking a class this fall with the fabulous Zoe Rogers, I’ve been performing regularly on stages up and down the Front Range. Writing jokes helps me find the humor in the absurdities of everyday life, which is excellent for my mental health. But what happens when co-create a hilarious experience with an audience—that is pure magic. There’s no other way I can describe it.

At this point, I wear many hats, including writer, intuitive eating coach, standup comic, and mom. And while they might sound like totally disparate roles, they’re all expressions of my core values: connection, creativity, and curiosity.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve struggled a lot with impostor syndrome, especially as I was starting to establish myself as a writer. Where I’d gotten my master’s degree in occupational therapy and started my healthcare career as an employee, now I was self-employed, a first for me, and trying to break into an industry in which I had no formal education.

For years, I didn’t think I was “allowed” to call myself a writer. I hadn’t written a book. I hadn’t been published anywhere most people had heard of. I had a lot of self-consciousness at the time. Like, who was I to call myself a writer?

At times, some of the same feelings come up for me as an intuitive eating professional. My own issues are by no means totally resolved. I still struggle with body image and food guilt or anxiety occasionally, and my inner critic can be quick to tell me I’m in no position to help others.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As an intuitive eating coach with a background as an occupational therapist journalist, I have a deep understanding of human motivation, what it takes to make sustainable behavior change, and, most importantly, how to ask the right questions and listen deeply to the answers.

Many coaches use the “it worked for me, so it should work for you!” approach, but as a healthcare professional, I understand that we are each an experiment with an n of one.

I’m not here to be the expert or the guru. I’m here to be a co-conspirator, asking you the questions that will uncover the path forward that works for YOU. I get what it’s like to have a complicated relationship with exercise, and I get what it’s like to reject diet culture in a city that’s obsessed with health.

As a coach, I pledge to always show up as my real, messy self so that you can feel free to do the same. I will celebrate your wins, ask you hard questions about your challenges, and root for you as you explore a new way of engaging with food, exercise, and your body.

Contact Info:

• Website: pam-moore.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/pammoore303
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PamMoore303
• Others: https://real-funny.beehiiv.com/ and https://realfit.buzzsprout.com/

Image Credits
Brianna Noonan and Jeff Stonic