Former Oklahoma City professional fitness competitor, Sarah Van Ahn, launches meal prep business to help women look and feel their best
Like many women, Sarah Van Ahn had mixed emotions about turning the often dreaded big 4-0. The year after Van Ahn turned 39, she suffered through the sting of a divorce while watching her slowing metabolism take hostage of her energy and emotions.
Her fortieth birthday was turning point for Van Ahn, a former dental assistant and mother of three who had sacrificed career for family for over a decade. Van Ahn’s divorce left her questioning how she would take care of her family’s finances, health and wellbeing and somehow not lose herself in the process or surrender to what seemed like the threshold for middle age despair.
“I developed a huge heart for women in their 40’s,” Van Ahn said. “If the struggle isn’t real for women before they turn 40, it’s undeniable after. Women in their 40’s are dealing with so much – our children growing up causes us to reexamine our identities while our metabolism takes a
nosedive and our hormones go on hiatus.”
Van Ahn saw her fortieth birthday as a defining moment of sink or swim, fight or flight. Equipped with her faith, family and a passion for fitness, Van Ahn decided to fight.
Determined to not “surrender to simply buying bigger jeans after 40,” Van Ahn began training for, and eventually competing in, fitness competitions. She learned the art of clean eating and meal prepping while focusing on self love like never before.
Last year Van Ahn launched her meal prepping and life coaching business, F[RE]SH, standing for [re]imagining, [re]newinig and [re]loving the [re]al you.
Because proper nutrition accounts for 70 percent of weight loss, Van Ahn said proper meal prepping alone can help her clients shed pounds in addition to improving their overall health.
For under $200 a week, Van Ahn’s clients receive three meals a day made and delivered by her, along with individualized fitness coaching and meal prepping instructions.
While meal prepping is not a new practice, Van Ahn pointed out it is relatively new to the Sooner State and is sweeping down the plains, swooping up fans along the way.
“It hasn’t always been easy for me to be this vulnerable about my life,” Van Ahn said. “If I thought other women couldn’t relate, I think it would be harder for me to be so open. I know there are a lot of women out there like me, and I want to inspire them to believe that 40 is not the beginning of the end but rather a chance to renew.
To learn more about F{RE}SH visit www.sarahvanahn.com
