We recently connected with Marta Decarli and have shared our conversation below.

Marta, appreciate you joining us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?

I once started working with a client who trusted me with her fertility journey.
When we started working together she mentioned she was going through IVF, which can be very testing for any couple. If it cannot be done on the NHS it’s an expensive process and one that can place an enormous amount of stress on the couple, especially on the woman.
This client of mine wanted to make sure she was eating healthily and making mindful choices when it came to her lifestyle habits, in order to be prepared for the transfer of the embryo.
We worked together to reduce her processed foods consumption, find a balanced approach to macronutrients, and try to reduce as many stress factors as possible.
We knew that the transfer’s success rate could be tricky, but when it was time to take her pregnancy test, I was so relieved to hear (I was the only other person she told, which was an incredible honour to be trusted with this information) that she was indeed pregnant. Fast forward to 9 months later, my client gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Marta Decarli, an expert nutrition & lifestyle coach, and yoga teacher for busy women who struggle with body confidence. Because I too, used to struggle.
As a former athlete and now a mother, my passion lies in empowering women to embrace their strength and well-being.
I mainly work with women to help them heal their love/hate relationship with their body. Women come to me feeling like they have tried it all – dieting countless times to try and make themselves smaller, putting themselves through strenuous workout routines and limiting their calories to significantly below a healthy range, only to be left feeling like failures.
The reason I initially started on this career path is because I went through this very same journey myself. I remember being there and it was not easy. When life is busy, it’s easier to feel distracted, but when things are quiet and we sit with our thoughts, the self-sabotage talk begins.
The comparisons, to others or to a previous version of ourselves, the sense of inadequacy, the desire to be thinner, the feeling of being out of control around food.
There’s one uncomfortable truth we must face though: this pattern has become hard to get out of because we have become so used to it.
I don’t offer quick fixes or meal plans; my approach is focused on a 12-week program that helps people understand how to improve or change their eating habits, while learning how to nourish their body and work with it, not against it.
I will never suggest to cut out foods completely or to limit calories in any ways, instead, my approach evolves around 3 main pillars: Nutrition, Mind & Movement, helping women to cultivate a balanced approach to eating, breaking free from diets, restrictive patterns, and the emotional burdens associated with food.
The difference between working with any other Nutritional Therapist and me is the coaching element. I remember going to many nutritionists and dietitians when I first started learning about healthy eating habits. The common denominator being a meal plan and perhaps some tailored suggestions to help me lose weight, but that was about it.
No hand-holding, no check-ins (unless if I rebooked another very expensive session), no support.
I made it my mission to add the coaching element to my program in order to let my clients know that I will be there throughout, cheering them, guiding them and helping them get back on track when they’d slip. I know first hand how important it is to have that accountability and support when trying to get out of long-term unhealthy habits or building consistent new ones.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think one of the most important things to succeed in my field is the ability to listen with empathy.
Before starting to work with anyone, I normally offer a free introductory call. The reason behind this call is not only for these prospect clients to get to know me and my services, but viceversa.
I want to know their life story, their experiences with food and exercise from a young age, the language around eating used in their house. The goal is to understand if I can truly be their partner and support in this journey, because that will set the tone from the start to a successful relationship.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

In the beginning of my career I was very hesitant with pricing my services. I think I always saw pricing as a direct relationship to my own value and often times, imposter syndrome crept up.
I read many business books and specifically joined a business training to help me change my beliefs around selling my services and not seeing them as a cost for a client, but as an investment on themselves and their future.
I am aware of the power of healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits because I have seen the huge impact on my life and my clients lives, and I am now focused on the outcome and on working with clients who are prepared to take that leap and invest in their health before it’s too late.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.martadecarli.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martadecarli_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martadecarliyogaandnutrition
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdecarli/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@martadecarliyoga9364

Image Credits

Leah Whitty