Mia Oramous (rhymes with “famous”)

Fitness has always been a part of my life. I was on the swim team in high school, and continued exercising after that – running, lifting weights, biking, hiking, swimming. At one point, I was doing some serious bodybuilding. I never had a problem with my weight until, you guessed it, I moved to New Orleans.

The free-wheeling lifestyle of “live to eat” got the best of me because the food was so different and good! A far cry from the meat and potatoes I had growing up. To make matters worse, my then-husband was an awesome cook. I ate lunch out and cleaned my plate; I had wonderful home-cooked dinners and cleaned my plate; I drank my dessert. So I ate and drank, and ate and drank... until lo and behold, I had gained 50 (that’s no typo) pounds. And that, folks, is before I got pregnant!

I made some fairly big lifestyle changes to get rid of the really big me. I drank only water, no booze (a wise decision when pregnant); I didn’t eat lunch out; I ate more fruits and vegetables; stayed active by walking and doing pool exercise. I also took up yoga and Pilates which worked my core in a way I never had before.

I am currently 10 pounds heavier than when I moved to New Orleans, but that weight is all muscle. I feel stronger than I did in my 20s and certainly feel better. I love helping people to achieve that sense of accomplishment. Being a part of someone’s effort to change is extremely rewarding – I look forward to helping you in your transformation.

Some other facts about me:

• I’m a military brat: I went to three different junior highs and three different high schools; not exactly sure how many elementary schools.
• I have a young son and together we have a dog and are considering adding a betta fish to our family.
• I am terrified of baby stores, cosmetics counters and malls.

Education / Seminars
B.A. English, 1983 – University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
Yoga Fundamental II Specialty Certificate, 2005 – SCW Fitness Education
Pilates Matwork Specialty Certificate, 2005 – SCW Fitness Education
ACE Personal Trainer Certification, 2006 – American Council on Exercise
Rolf Gates Teacher Training, 2008 & 2010 – 200-RYT Yoga Alliance
Bodybugg Certified Trainer, 2008 – Apex
TRX Suspension Training System, Certified Trainer, 2009 – Fitness Anywhere
Balance Walking Coach, 2010 -- Foot Solutions
TRX Suspension Training System, Sports Medicine Course – Fitness Anywhere
Rolf Gates Teacher Training, 2011 – 500-RYT Yoga Alliance

Attended yoga workshops by Erich Schiffmann, Rolf Gates, Stephanie Keach, Baron Baptiste, Bryan Kest, Rodney Yee, Beryl Bender Birch, Seane Corn, Cyndi Lee, Theresa Murphy and others. Assisted Rolf Gates at Yoga & Recovery Conference at Esalen (Big Sur, CA) in 2010 and 2011.