Until she was 19 years old, Lizzie Ens’ entire world existed within a Swartzentruber Amish community in Ohio. Raised alongside 18 siblings, she grew up in a deeply traditional environment where technology, modern conveniences, and mainstream culture were strictly avoided. Life revolved around hard physical work, obedience, and values that had remained unchanged for generations.
Leaving that world was never simple.
Lizzie’s first attempt to break away came when she was just 17. She left with her twin sister, but fear and familiarity pulled them back. Her sister chose to return to the Amish way of life, and Lizzie followed—at least for a while. Two years later, however, she tried again. This time, she left alone, determined to start a life beyond the boundaries she had always known.
The High Cost of Freedom
Between her first and second attempts to leave, Lizzie had been baptized into the Amish church. That decision carried heavy consequences. Once baptized, leaving meant being shunned—cut off entirely from family and community. Despite knowing she would lose contact with her loved ones, Lizzie made the choice to leave anyway.
She slipped away quietly in the middle of the night, carrying less than $20 and no identification—not even the documents needed to apply for a Social Security number. With only an eighth-grade education and no exposure to the modern world, she had to figure out how to survive on her own.
A Culture Shock Like No Other
Looking back now at age 40, Lizzie describes the transition as overwhelming.
“When you leave the Amish community, even if you want to leave, it’s the biggest culture shock imaginable,” she explains. “You don’t even realize what you don’t know.”
Everyday tasks—using technology, navigating social systems, understanding basic life logistics—felt foreign. It took years of effort, persistence, and courage to feel even remotely comfortable. Along the way, Lizzie wasn’t just learning new skills; she was also unlearning deeply ingrained beliefs that no longer aligned with who she wanted to be.
Yet, despite the challenges, she remembers those early years with a sense of optimism.
The Beauty of Naivety
Lizzie reflects on her early experiences with a surprising sense of gratitude.
“There’s a kind of innocence that comes with it,” she says. “It’s almost beautiful—like a child who hasn’t been taught to fear things that don’t actually deserve fear.”
That same mindset shaped her approach to education. Without a foundation beyond middle school, Lizzie earned her GED by tackling subjects she had never encountered before. Rather than feeling defeated, she saw endless possibility: books to read, ideas to explore, and opportunities to pursue.
Discovering Choice for the First Time
As a child, Lizzie was never asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. Personal ambition simply wasn’t part of Amish life. That changed when, at around 20 years old, a GED advisor asked her a life-altering question: What do you want to do?
For the first time, someone told her she could choose any path—college, nursing, or something entirely different. The question itself was emotional and transformative.
“It got my brain thinking,” Lizzie recalls. “That alone was powerful.”
Falling in Love With Science and Health
Once she began exploring her interests, Lizzie found herself drawn to the human body and health sciences—subjects completely absent from her Amish education. Even basic biological processes had never been explained to her. She remembers experiencing her first menstrual cycle without any understanding of what was happening.
“I thought I was dying,” she admits.
While studying for her GED, Lizzie worked as a nursing home aide. Seeing illness up close sparked something deeper. She realized that many health issues could be prevented, and she became fascinated by science—something she had never been allowed to study before.
“That was the moment it clicked,” she says. “I fell in love with it.”
Building a Life on Her Own Terms
Lizzie continued her education well beyond her GED. She trained as a personal trainer, later studied holistic health and nutrition, and is now pursuing a PhD in functional medicine. Alongside her studies, she runs her wellness business, UnDiet You, and shares her journey with hundreds of thousands of followers across social media.
Her work is deeply personal. Growing up, she struggled with disordered eating, and after leaving the Amish, she became entangled in toxic diet culture trends. Studying holistic nutrition exposed her to countless dietary theories—and ultimately taught her that no single approach works for everyone.
“We’re all bio-individuals,” Lizzie explains. “What works best is different for each person.”
Today, her mission reflects everything she has lived through: freedom of choice, education, and learning to trust one’s own body. From leaving the Amish with nothing but courage to building a life rooted in knowledge and purpose, Lizzie Ens’ story is one of resilience, reinvention, and self-discovery.
