ABOUT MEL WELL
My Story
Hi there! I am Marissa, the founder of MEL Well. As a fitness enthusiast and healthy food addict, I have a desire to show that being "healthy" is a lifestyle, one that is sustainable and feels great.
My story begins back in high school. I was a rower on a crew team, with a pear-shaped body--thick thighs, a butt, and broad shoulders and arms. Although I had a great deal of muscle, I was not happy with my body. I would spend countless hours starring at myself in the mirror, when I wore any tight dress or skirt that revealed my thunder thighs and curves. I would get nervous about any pool parties or trips to the beach with friends because of the thought of me in a bikini.
When I vented to my friends and family about feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable with my body, they would say “You are just big boned.” “You are naturally more heavy set”. “You need to accept that this is your body.” But in my constant state of hating my body, I was determined to change. I tried every diet under the sun. And while I shed a few pounds here and there, the weight would always come back and would never stay off. I was so upset with my body, and I wanted a new one. Nothing was working.
My lack of body confidence escalated during the summer before my freshman year of college, when the fear of gaining the “freshman 15” set in. I became so preoccupied with not knowing how much to eat, what foods were healthy and which were not, and what exercise was appropriate for the body I wanted. This all culminated into an eating disorder followed by a difficult multiyear recovery.
Ever since, I have developed healthy, sustainable habits to staying lean while staying nourished. I have always had a passion for health and fitness and a love for business. But the source of inspiration for starting Mel Well was a function of listening to the women at my college. People constantly ask me how I have the body that I have, how I choose to eat the foods that I do, and how I know what exercise to do, all while attending an academically rigorous university. I decided to turn this demand for weight loss secrets and nutrition advice into something bigger. And that’s when Mel Well came to be.
I have made it my mission to share my insights with as many college women struggling to manage their weight. It’s time to stop accepting the way we are, and start changing our bodies for the better.
Everyone told me to accept my body for what it was. It's what most people think, and so that's what we convince ourselves. But this convincing is merely rationalization. Change is hard. But, change didn't stop me from getting the body of my dreams. And it shouldn't stop you either.
Since I got started as a health and wellness coach, I have found such a sense of fulfillment in my own life. I turn struggles and challenges that college women are having and give them actionable plans to tackle weight loss and get the body of their dreams. Nothing motivates me more than seeing my coaching translate into weight loss success stories of girls who thought they could ever have the beautiful bodies that they do today.