Nona Diaries is a series featuring some inspirational women and their period stories. Today’s feature is about Tiara Soemakno aka @ohheytiara.

Tiara is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and Health Coach  who is passionate about helping women find hope & healing through a non-diet approach. She is a mother of 3 boys whose passion is to empower women to feel their best, find their strength and live their fullest lives. Everyone has a different definition of health. She firmly believes that health goes far beyond our plates and exercise routines. As a culture we’ve neglected the emotional, social, and psychological aspects of health, and focused so much of our attention on eating and exercise, that we’ve now normalized disordered eating and exercise. Tiara  focuses on living intuitively and listening to our bodies to tell us what it needs. Because at the end of the day, stress is going to kill us before eating burger and cookies.

Hi! Let's start with your name

Tiara Soemakno from @ohheytiara

Could you tell us a bit about what you do as a health coach? How is your approach different from other health coaches?

I help women who struggle with disordered eating / eating disorders learn how to enjoy food and movement again through Intuitive Eating. I am the only Intuitive Eating Counselor in Indonesia at the moment. I am against diets but I am not against dieters. I teach chronic dieters to start getting in-tune with their bodies again and focus on health, not size.

What made you start your career in “intuitive eating health coaching”?

I was a weight loss coach and CrossFit trainer for a long time. I finally realized that all diets only worked temporarily. Up to 95% of dieters ended up gaining their weight back so I wanted to find something sustainable while still working to improve people’s health.

Why is your non-diet approach so important?

It is important because most women attach so much of their self worth on how they look. Health is NOT a size. Someone’s weight and size is largely affected by genetics so for many people, their “body goals” are impossible to reach. Instead of blaming themselves, I teach women to focus on health-promoting behaviors that have nothing to do with diets/restrictions.

Do you have a typical day of eating? If so, what are your go to meals?

No I do not. Everyday is different. Depends on my activities or mood on that day! I think “What I Eat in a Day” posts can be harmful because every body is different and that can create unhealthy comparisons.

Do you have any kitchen / pantry food staples?

Beef jerky, greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, protein bars...

Describe your period in 3 emojis.

😠💪🚨

What feelings do you have towards your period?

Moody, irritable, emotional.

Do you get any womanly intuition or signs when your period is coming? 

I will crave more snacks in between my bigger meals.

Are there any habits that you incorporate into your lifestyle to honor your period? 

I drink more water, I honor my cravings, I give myself grace and know it does not last long!

What’s a period myth that you believed as a kid that you now think is ridiculous?

That I have to wash my pads!

If you could give your younger self advice when you first got your period, what would you say?

That one day you will use tampon and it will be life-changing! 

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Read more about other inspirational women in our Nona Diaries series. Want to nominate any other women for this series? Email us or let us know here!