Leadership and empowerment coach Anza Goodbar has always fretted over her weight, a journey she describes as a roller coaster of weight loss and weight gain. "Being thin was always related to being beautiful, so I would strive to take of just ten more pounds," she said."It created a love-hate relationship with my body. I tried calorie counting, fad diets, exercise and diet pills -- you name it." Even though her doctor warned the constant zig-zag of her weight could cause heart issues in her 30s, it wasn't until she fell in love with competitive ballroom dancing in her 40s that her mindset changed.

"My goal wasn't to be thin, but to be healthy and strong. Once I decided I wanted to fuel by body for performance, my desire to give in to cravings and unhealthy eating habits diminished," she explained. "I began to notice how different types of eating affected my body, how I felt and my energy levels. Through trial and error, I discovered that high protein, lots of green veggies and limited processed carbs make me feel at my best and my weight fell in line. I don't have the body type to be a thin Barbie Doll physique -- never have, never will. I do, however, have a positive body image and love myself inside and out and I think that is where real beauty resides."

Image via Anza Goodbar

A few years ago, independent design and brand consultant Brianna Brailey developed a habit of tracking calories. She started with the app MyFitnessPal and then decided to take on the challenge of Whole30, a month-long clean-eating program that restricts the consumption of certain foods. Her goals was to lose ten pounds, but in the process, she says she lost her grip, too.

"When my husband and I did Whole30, my thoughts were entirely consumed by food. The food I could eat, things I was craving, worrying about whether or not there would be something for me to eat at an event. It was endless. I couldn't talk about anything else. I was annoying myself and driving my coworkers and friends crazy too. Now I realize this was because I was starving myself," she said. When a nasty strep infection sent her to the emergency room, she realized that her health was too important to risk. "I had been a casual runner before going on the diet, but while I was on, it was hard to work out because I had no energy. Since that time, I amped up the running and ran several half marathons and a 76-mile relay race. I've also accepted that your body changes when you get older. I'm not going to be as skinny as I was in high school or early college, and that is OK. If I'm healthy, that's what's most important," she added.

Image via Brianna Brailey

Lifestyle coach Mary Black's earliest memory of going on a diet was in the seventh grade. At a size seven, she thought she was overweight. Throughout her early 20s, she survived off of Diet Coke and cigarettes, chasing the illusive vision of a perfect body. Though she said she almost died from an overactive thyroid due to Graves' Disease, an auto-immune disorder that was complicated by poor eating and health habits, it wasn't until she quit smoking in her mid-40s that she made a big shift in her approach.

"I didn't want to gain weight, so I joined the gym, grabbed a magazine and learned about clean eating. From that point on, I quit stressing about what I ate all the time and turned my health around," said Black. "I now help other women easily adopt a healthy lifestyle balance with one simple principle: Be more concerned with the quality of food than the quantity. When you are, the quantity will take care of itself."

Image via Mary Black