It's Just Ice Cream

My friend Heather (Divas Run for Bling) is hosting a FB challenge group that started this week. Most people are doing 21 day fix (another Beachbody program) while right now, I am still working through the last week of Cize. I was planning on starting 21 day fix next week although I am having some issues/doubts as to whether or not I am ready to take on the eating aspect of that program. Next week is a crazy week for me (heck, every week between now and 10/17 is a crazy week) and I am not sure I will be able to commit to the planning and organization I would need to in order to follow the eating part. I don’t know. I may just do the workout part and loosely follow (to the best of my abilities) the eating part. We’ll see.

But I digress, that is not the reason for the post.  On the FB page Heather said (paraphrasing here) that one of the ways to prepare for 21DF is to rid your home of any junk that is not on plan in order to remove temptations. This got me thinking…should I do the same? Should I toss out everything that won’t conform to the eating program?

Personally, I won’t do that for a few reasons but let me first say why I think this would make sense for someone to do.

When I first started off on this weight loss journey I didn’t know portion sizes nor did I understand the term moderation. I had really no control over my eating. I started to make changes, though. Sometimes they were a bit too extreme and I had to reel myself back in. Sometimes they were a bit too lax and I knew I needed more focus, more change. It was a balancing act. But even though I was learning how to portion my food and how to practice moderation I knew I still had to limit the amount of junkie foods I kept in the house. Because back then, when I first started WW I had a daily point allowance of like 40+- I could easily eat multiple snacks a day of junk foods and still be good points-wise (which is a whole different issue I will save for another post) but just because I could do it didn’t necessarily make it something I should do. Does that make sense?

You see, when I was first starting out it took me awhile to find balance, to build good habits, to rely on my instincts (because my instincts were not yet pointing me in the right direction) so I had to maintain focus and work differently and diligently to get to that point. You see, I didn’t start out as a mindful eater, listening to her hunger cues, thoughtfully deciding on food choices and reflecting back on them. Nope, that took time to get there. I started out as someone that had to avoid eating out, someone that couldn’t keep junkie foods in the house (of course, the foods I ate back then I would consider junk food so…take that with a grain of salt), I didn’t drink and I didn’t socialize.

I didn’t do that for long though because that life is boring and unlivable, in my opinion.

So what I started to do was work to find balance. No, I wouldn’t buy ice cream and keep it at the house because I would eat a pint instead of a serving or if I did eat a serving I would eat it every night until I finished it. I would, in turn, make foods I was trying to limit the norm, not the exception. So instead I would go out with my friends for frozen yogurt. I would top mine with fruits and mochi (and sometimes dark chocolate) and it was a treat. I savored it. Especially if we would go walking/hiking first. It was a nice way to cool off and relax and discuss our fun adventures.

Same with eating out, I started to bring it back into my routine but not as a daily or twice daily habit that it had been but as something special. A once in a while treat. Because honestly, it doesn’t matter what you eat or where – eating out is an indulgence, at least that’s how I see it.  What I started to do more often was invite friends over for meals I prepared myself. I would find new recipes and share them with the people I loved. I loved the social aspect associated with dining out but I wanted a better alternative. This was one of the ones I chose to incorporate into my routine.  

My point is this, my relationship with food is different now than it was 4.5 years ago. Today I can keep foods on hand knowing that I will (more than likely) be able to limit my portions and how often I eat it. I have had a pint of cashew milk ice cream in the freezer for at least a month. Which is saying something because that ice cream is amazeballs. But it took me a long time to get here. So I do agree with Heather to the extent of if you are just starting out then maybe don’t keep junk around the house if you aren’t  yet practiced at portioning, moderation or mindfulness. Or too if you are doing the 21 DF and you think you might feel deprived and you want to just grab something and devour it then maybe having a pantry full off items you are trying to avoid is not the answer. That’s your call.

Like I said, I have been both people. The person that couldn’t keep ice cream in the house and the person that can.  And even now, I switch between the two. I am not saying that ice cream is the devil food and we should all avoid it at all costs, not at all. What I am saying is that it’s ok to keep certain food items out of the home while you are working on building habits. Only you can understand your relationship with food. And it is up to you decide what is in your best interest. But know that it is ok at any point in your journey to say ‘I just don’t feel strong enough to not overdo it’ and say no OR to say ‘I feel like ice cream this week’ and treat it like it’s not a big deal.  

Either way, it’s just ice cream.

A scoop of sorbet on a hot summer night...hits the spot :) 

 

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

Eat, Move, Love: FOOD

Heather, Thea and I hosted a small group discussion at Fitbloggin’ Denver this year called Eat, Move, Love: Finding Yourself without Losing Your Mind. The session went really well. And although we didn’t necessarily get to discuss all outlined bullet points behind the topic we still had an hour long session filled with great ideas, comments and feedback. I really enjoyed it and you can read a recap of it here.

But because this topic is so meaningful to me I wanted to pull the themes we based it around into a recurring blog post. Today’s theme will be:  food- getting educated about food without falling for the hype.

I should start off by saying that although the session was led by myself, Thea and Heather the opinions shared regarding topics I discuss here are my own. Not saying that Thea and Heather disagree, just saying that I am the only one contributing here.

FOOD

Ahhhh….food. Pretty much my favorite thing. I love eating and I love cooking. I even love growing my own food. Oh and did I mention I love eating.

But do I love food as much now as I did when I weighed nearly 300 pounds? Probably more so and I say that confidently. Why? Because now I understand the value of food. Now I not only eat for enjoyment but I eat for the health factor, too. I get pleasure from the actual eating process AND from how I feel afterwards.  That is one thing I did not have back in the day.

You see, in my previous lifestyle I ate a lot and I ate a lot often and I ate a lot often for many reasons. I loved cooking and would prepare decadent and rich foods that I would eat entirely too much of. I would become consumed by the flavors and the tastes and I could not control myself.  I ate when I was bored, you know mindless snacking in front of the TV hand-to-mouth on autopilot not even recognizing the volume of food I was ingesting or even if it tasted good. I ate to mask my feelings, so much more the larger I got. I ate my sadness and shame and hurt and anger. And then I ate my happiness, too. Every celebration was cause for dinner out and drinks, of course. I honestly don’t know how I didn’t weigh more than I had.

But here I am over four years later and I guess what? I still love food. That is something that losing 130 pounds didn’t change. But like I noted earlier was that what did change was my perception towards food. Now, I am not here to tell you to be like me and follow a plant-based diet. I am not here to tell you what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’. That’s not my place, frankly it isn’t anyone’s place to tell you what you should or should not eat. That is entirely up for you to decide given your access to food, ability to cook vs needing convenient options, and of course the resources you have. Now, I will say that I think it is important to educate yourself about options and alternatives. Make sure you are able to determine some of the better choices available that can meet your dietary needs. Also, become an expert at knowing your body and how it processes the food that you eat. Understand how diet plays a part of your goals and needs and try to make the best choices to support them.

I used to primarily eat for the sensory feelings I had during the process.  I was all about how I felt in the moment and what I could eat that would help heighten or dull. I didn’t ever really think about the aftermath and I don’t just mean weight gain. I never saw food as a drug or as a medicine. I never thought about the damage my choices were doing internally and I never really even considered that the foods I was eating were responsible for my moods, my IBS, or my lethargy (to name a few). I was purely an in the moment kind of gal. And it was literally killing me.

But then as I started to work on losing weight and changing my habits I started to become more concerned with nutrition, health, recovery, sleep, mental health, and through food journaling I started to find some foods that were working against me. I chose to adopt a vegan diet for one week- just as a test, a trial run based off a hunch- but something changed for me in that week. Well, a lot of things changed. And after that week I realized I needed to be more focused on food as my medicine, food as a way to heal my ailing body. But I knew I couldn’t stick with it (not just being a vegan but eating healthily with intention) if I didn’t enjoy the foods I was eating or if I felt deprived. I wanted to press forward in this evolution of my eating habits but I knew that I couldn’t stomach gross or bland foods day in and day out and I knew I couldn’t go very long cutting out foods entirely.

So my diet followed that path, and has for the most part, for four years now. I eat with intention. I recognize foods that make me feel crappy and try to avoid them. I think about the lifestyle I want to support and what I need to consume in order to do so. I also have to balance that with being a FT employee, FT student, planning a wedding and now being a Big Sister (you know Big Brothers/Big Sister) and knowing my time is some days limited. I need to rely on convenience foods but when I do I try to make the best choice I possibly can. Trust me, I like to cook and prefer to eat meals at home but I can only do so much. Sometimes (most times) buying soymilk is easier than making it. I just make sure to grab the unsweetened organic. Sometimes (most times) I want to have a sweet treat at night so I opt to keep dark chocolate on hand and pair it with some herbal tea for a decadent treat.

You see, I still eat/drink processed foods. I am not yet at the level of full pioneer hippie woman growing, harvesting and making everything I eat. I doubt I ever will be. I do the best I can with what I have. I have limited time and limited funds-I think most people can relate to that. So I say this to anyone looking to change, tweak, and overhaul their diet or to anyone feeling shitty because they can’t do ‘enough’ or they eat too much ‘crap’. Find what works for you, at a holistic level. Try to make choices that you both enjoy and still help support a healthy lifestyle. But don’t feel guilty for buying store-bought foods or relying on convenience foods when you need to. Just understand the difference between needing to or wanting to. And also know that there are tons of resources out there that will help you eat less processed, more whole foods on the cheap. There are even resources that will tell you which are the healthier options at fast food and sit down restaurants. Educate yourself. But also, make sure you are making food choices for the right reasons. Think about more than the now.  Choose with intention. Let food by thy medicine.

So my advice to you is this...

Try not to get caught up in the hype of new fad diets or food trends. Find foods you enjoy and are good for you and make them the staples of your diet. Try to eat whole foods when you can but if you have to opt for convenience make the best choice out of what's available. And know that every step you make with intention is a step in the right direction.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxo

Food is My Favorite "F" Word

Part two of the Eat. Move, Love series is about getting educated about food without falling for the hype.

As you know, I am a vegan.

People ask me if I chose to be a vegan in order to lose weight. The answer to that- yes and no. I decided to follow a plant based diet after months of food journaling (all while I was losing weight ‘normally’, mind you) showed me that this would be a good switch for my body. I thought it would probably be a temporary thing…more like an experiment. But I listened to my body, found what worked for me, and haven’t looked back.

But just because I opt to follow a plant based diet doesn’t automatically mean I am healthy. I could live off of pancakes and French fries and still be eating a plant-based diet but I would be far from healthy. Vegan doesn’t necessarily equate to healthy. Although it can.

Really, any diet can be healthy. I am not saying how I eat is the way to go.

On the contrary, as much as I love being a vegan and have learned so much since I made the change, rarely will I force my opinion onto others. At least not unless I am asked first.

You see I think there are many ways to eat that support healthy living. My way (when I follow a whole foods, plant-based diet- not an all cupcake all the time diet) is just one of them. What works best for you, your physical and mental wellbeing, well that is for you to determine.

But if you want my advice I would say start big. Pick a few broad food rules that you can live by and start from there. Make it easy on yourself to form healthy and sustainable habits. Don’t deprive yourself. Your body needs food to live. And even more so, good food to thrive.

So maybe start there…

Eat real food. You can’t go wrong with this one. Try to incorporate more whole foods and pair back the processed stuff. Eat some fruit, some veggies, some nuts and seeds. Eat things that give your body the micro (vitamins, minerals, amino acids) and macro nutrients (fat, protein, carbs – yes you need all three) it needs to survive.  

There are so many food fads and trends out there (some would even categorize veganism as one) and I feel that some days it’s all a bit much. But what are these fads doing for your body? Can you sustain that lifestyle? Would you even want to?

I am not saying that all food trends are bad and that you should stay away from them. What I would like to say is this- do some research, talk to a doctor or, even better, an RD or a nutritionist, see what information you can find about food and determine what your body needs. If you choose to cut out certain micros or macros what will your body be missing out on? Will you need to take supplements? Etc….

I am so lucky that this rarely happens to me but the big question most vegans are posed with is ‘where do you get your protein?’ or the usually overly critical statement of ‘you aren’t eating enough protein’. Don’t worry- I am good on protein intake. I’ve got that covered. BUT here is something my nutritionist taught me about a few years ago. I needed to watch my fat intake. Not because it was too high but because it was too low. It is easy for someone following a whole foods plant-based diet to not get enough fat – there is not much, if any, fat in plants. But my body needs fat in order to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K. A low fat intake could lead to vitamin deficiency. These vitamins help to regulate blood pressure, heart rate and the nervous system as well as a whole bunch of vital bodily functions. So, lesson learned. I needed to eat more fats!

And that really is the point of all this. Don’t take anything at face value. Do some research. Educate yourself. Find what works best for your body but also be ok with tweaking and changing as needed. I eat more avocado now. Flax seeds (and oil) and nuts are my friends. I track my macros because I want to make sure the diet I am choosing for my body is giving it what it needs. Am I perfect about this? No. Am I aware and educated about this? I certainly try to be.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxox

I've Got Denver On My Mind

I’m so excited to be heading off to Denver tomorrow for Fitbloggin’!!! This will be my third year attending. This conference is always a big highlight of my year. It is a time to see my people, most of which I only see once a year at this conference, try new things, and to spend a long weekend really getting to know myself better. Fitbloggin’ is a very introspective experience for me. And yes, believe it or not, I can always use more time to be introspective. I always come away from this conference slightly changed and super motivated about my life and the path I am on. I don’t expect this year to be any different, either.

A few of my favorite memories from Fitbloggin' 2013 and 2014

In addition to the conference sessions and events I am planning on doing some fun things around Denver while I am there. Here is a quick rundown.

BEER

You know I will be hitting up some breweries while I am there. Portland (FB 2013) was a great city for breweries and I am thinking Denver will be just as good for me. My plan is one a day: Thursday - Great Divide, Friday – Breckenridge, and Saturday – Renegade Brewing for their 4^th anniversary block party. Knowing all that I have planned and the time it will take me to acclimate to life above sea level, I am trying to stay conservative with my beer consumption. I am planning on hitting these breweries with friends, friends that will share flights and beers with me so I can try new stuff and at the same time not get wasted.

FOOD

If you know me in real life then you know that when I travel I come prepared with a list of restaurants and markets in the area I am staying where I can grab some really good vegan eats.  The tops of my list of must eats: Native Foods Café (which I have dined at in LA and cannot wait to go back!), Watercourse Foods (I am hoping to dine here Friday night) and Beet Box Bakery because….vegan doughnuts. You know that is a must for me!

ACTIVITY

Now Fitbloggin’ itself is like half workouts - half sessions and I have plans to participate in some during the conference like Zumba, Glider Yoga, Yoga on the Roof, Posture Fit and Jump Fitness (my favorite from 2013). But I am also planning on including some additional activity as well. Heather and I (whom are leading the small group discussion with Thea) are going to a Friday morning Empowerment Vinyasa class at Sol Shine Yoga Studio and then a Sound Healing & Restorative Yoga workshop at the Body Mind Energy Center on Saturday. When I lived in San Antonio I used to go to sound healing workshops and LOVED them. I haven’t found anything comparable in Pensacola so I jumped at the chance to do this while in Denver. Also, the empowerment yoga class and the studio itself had great descriptions posted - I was hooked….

About the studio: At Sol Shine you are encouraged to AUTHENTICALLY be yourself. We offer up this urban sanctuary for YOU to mold your mind and body into your ideal vessel for RADICAL SELF-LOVE. Our mission is to provide a non-judgmental, supportive and inspiring community for students of all levels to flourish in.

About the class: This high-vibrational power vinyasa class will leave you feeling strong and empowered in mind, body and spirit. You will build heat as you flow breath to movement. Modifications will be cued so everyone has the opportunity to explore their edge. Some yoga experience is recommended.

See, amazing right? I cannot wait!

In addition to all of these conference and non-conference activities and outings there is something else I am super excited and nervous about but I am not going to spill the beans just yet….you’ll have to wait and see what happens in Denver that takes me COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone!

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

My Favorite March 17th Recipe

Although I won't be able to make this recipe until the weekend I still wanted to share with you my favorite St. Patrick's Day recipe- Colcannon.

According to Wikipedia Colcannon is "a traditional Irish dish mainly consisting of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage" 

My friend V bought me the Happy Herbivore Abroad cookbook just over two years ago (I remember exactly when because she gave it to me on my last trip to Austin before I moved to Pensacola) and it has become one of my favorites. In it is a vegan recipe for Colcannon that is both super easy and super delicious. I have made it with cabbage and with kale and I am honestly not sure which I prefer...maybe the kale. Either way, this dish is fantastic. 

If you don't have anything on your St. Patrick's Day menu I suggest you try this one out!

Here is a link to an adaptation of the HHA recipe: LINK

Feel free to go the kale route or you can add in some browned cabbage and onions in lieu of the kale OR you can go really crazy and do a kale and cabbage mix. Why not?

P.S. - a quick Pinterest search will not only find you a billion traditional colcannon recipes you can also find an assortment of non-traditional ones like some using cauliflower instead of potatoes

P.P.S.- leftover colcannon makes great potato pancakes :)


Happy eatings!

Love and hugs,
Dacia
xoxoxox

Post Number Two: Breaking Up with Ben & Jerry

A few weeks back I wrote a post about motivation as part of a series of posts I intend to write all about healthy habits. When I initially posed the question on the blog FB page about this series I received some feedback with topic ideas. One was motivation. Another one was geared around food- primarily junk food- and how to change eating habits. The idea of emotional eating was also brought up but that might need to be a whole post just on its own. We’ll see.

So for today’s post I want to write about breaking up with Ben & Jerry. ..

First off I should start with this- I never broke up with Ben & Jerry, we just changed our relationship status. I would like to be clever here and say “it’s complicated” but it’s really not…

It’s true. I eat junk. Maybe I don’t literally eat Ben & Jerry’s since I am vegan but I have been known to grab a container of So Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl coconut milk ‘ice cream’ every now and again and trust me- it’s far from health food. Yes folks, being a vegan does not automatically make me a healthy person. It is something I work at day in and day out, just like everyone else.

And you know that.

And for the most part you know where I am now, how and what I eat regularly, and that information may be helpful. But I am guessing you would want to know how to make a similar transition on your own. To start weaning yourself off of eating convenience and junk foods daily, how to start finding what foods work for your body and starting to make more healthy choices. Not all the time but most of the time.

So hopefully by telling parts of my story I may inspire you to find new ways to try and eat a bit better. Less processed junk, more real foods. That’s kind of my mantra and maybe it can be yours too.

I found my way to a plant-based diet through food journaling and I am a big proponent of not only tracking what you eat but also how those foods make you feel, any underlying emotions behind the food choices, and what cues were telling you to eat/stop eating. Food journaling is like tracking but on crack. For me it was the key to understanding my body, my eating patterns and learning how to eat mindfully. Remember- the goal of eating, first and foremost, is to keep us alive. I’m not saying to deprive yourself completely of the pleasure that you can receive from eating and only focus on intaking enough calories to survive but I am saying eating has to be about balance- eat yummy foods that bring you pleasure AND are nutritionally good for you, most of the time. Don’t let your body’s addiction to that fat/salt/sugar combo be the main driving force behind every food choice. It’s ok once in a while to eat foods just because they taste so damn yummy but not all the time, and not in excessive amounts.

Food journaling is also a great way to understand your eating habits in order to change them. Your mind needs to associate good feelings with good foods and bad feeling with bad foods so you can start to make better decisions naturally, because that is what your body will want. Plus, how can you know what foods are good for you and bad for you if you have no record of what you are actually eating? I mean we all know that eating carrots and celery is probably better for you than eating Ben & Jerry’s (on so many levels) but what about everything in between? What about grains, beans, poultry, white flour, wheat flour, potatoes, dark chocolate, wine, pasta, lean cuisine frozen dinners, peanut butter, etc? What about all the foods that we eat day to day? How are they affecting our bodies? It’s not all about eating 2 slices of pizza instead of a whole pizza or even opting for salad instead of pizza. We also need to be focusing on our ‘every day’ foods and seeing how they affect our body. And for this food journaling really comes in handy.

Anywho, I can go on and on about food journaling and mindful eating. If you want to know more, just ask. I can definitely elaborate. But for now, I think I have said enough that you get my point. Tracking is good. Food journaling is better. At least when you are starting out.

My next bit of advice is- moderation…everything in life (not just food) in moderation. For example, Paul loves homemade calzones. They are definitely not the best food choice we can make. Eating one is basically the equivalent of eating a half of a pizza, give or take. Is it good? YES. Do I try to make it better by adding a lot of nutrient dense foods? OF COURSE. Is it still junk food- I’d say probably. But I still eat it. Just not every day. Or every week for that matter. Calzones, just like pizza, are maybe a once a month/once every other month food. Yep, there are probably times where we eat calzones/pizza more frequently and times when we eat them less frequently. Same goes for pancakes. I love pancakes. I could probably eat an entire batch of pancakes on my own. I haven’t had pancakes since April (yes, I actually remember the last time I made pancakes) but not because I am depriving myself of them. I just haven’t had the time, craving or justification to make them.

You see, I know what foods are good for my body. I know what I need to eat to be able to live an active and healthy lifestyle and I stick with them 80% of the time (that’s my goal at least) and leave the other 20% for beer festivals, homemade calzones, desserts, or late night veggie burgers- or whatever else my normal ‘social life’ brings with it.  I love the 80/20 rule and have had much success with it. It brings me balance. It brings me to a point where I don’t feel deprived and I need that. For me, it’s much easier to make the healthier choices 80% of the time when I know I have full freedom to have whatever the other 20% of the time.

But I can only manage that 80/20 split when I meal plan. When I grocery shop. When I make a conscious effort to prep healthy snacks, keep the pantry stocked with basic staples, and put forth the effort to spend a bit more time in the kitchen and a little less time on the couch – which is ultimately a win-win even though it never sounds like fun.

It’s not always easy. Yes, there are days when I really feel like I would prefer a life filled with convenience foods and eating out. When I don’t want to scour the interwebs for fast AND easy AND non-processed AND vegan recipes. Sundays when I don’t want to have to shop AND cook AND clean AND do schoolwork AND prep BUT my mind knows that it’s really not that bad, it’s really not that time consuming and that yes, it will always be worth it. Every time. Like I’ve said countless times- I am always in a struggle against lazy. But over time I have gotten better about planning, more efficient with shopping, and have gotten smarter about picking out recipes that make cooking and food prep much easier. You know what else helps- asking for and receiving help from others.  Maybe you don’t have a spouse or partner you can guilt trip kindly ask to lend a hand in the kitchen or send to the store with a grocery list but maybe you have a parent or child or friend that could lend a hand. Maybe you have resources available to help you come up with new ideas for meals. Or lend a pair of hands to clean up some produce. Or even throw some oats in a crockpot for you overnight. I know a big key to my success in terms of eating comes from my ability to ask for help.

And also because the main stars of my life recognize the importance of healthy eating and want to work with me, not against me.

And lastly, for now since this is turning into quite the novel, monitor your hunger scale. This is the most basic of my conditionings when it comes to food and it has helped tremendously. Think of your  feelings/levels of hunger on a sliding scale from 1 to 5; 1 being full, no hunger at all and 5 being stark-raving ravenous hungry. Don’t eat when you are a 1-2, don’t let yourself get to a 5 before you eat. Eat when you are at a 3, just starting to pick up on the beginning hunger cues. Train yourself to recognize the potential dangers of eating at 1-2 (mindless snacking, empty calories, probably emotional eating or just eating out of boredom- try not to do either) and the danger of eating at level 5 (overeating, eating too quickly, not allowing your body time to send of signals of fullness, making bad food choices because you need something, anything, at that moment) and how to work around them. Eating when bored- DO SOMETHING ELSE- anything! Clean, go for a walk, call a friend, read a book. Emotional eating- this one is trickier but my biggest piece of advice is reach out to someone (anyone) and talk it out, or even take to social media/blog and write about it. Bring the emotions to the surface and try to work through them. Eating will not fix any problem.

The other end, getting to level 5 hunger scale, pack snacks. Lots of them. Keep extras in your purse. I pack two snacks for work every day. Plus I always have a protein bar or some sort or snack bar in my purse. If I can't get to my snacks at work I know what vending machine options will work.  I have no qualms with eating roasted almonds out of a vending machine or a gas station banana if need be. That banana will probably prevent me from going home and eating a whole pizza- which is what happens when I get to level 5.

So, to make a very long story short

·         Tracking/food journaling is your friend

·         Everything in moderation (or 80/20 if you are like me)

·         Investing a little bit more of your time planning and shopping will yield great benefits and set you up for success

·         Listen to your hunger cues

·         If you need help, ask for it

·         Don’t break up with Ben & Jerry, maybe just start seeing them less and less

I hope this helps get you started. If you want any additional information or have any questions just let me know!

What advice would you give to someone starting out/over? What has worked for you?

Disclaimer: I am no doctor or expert, just a girl who lost a lot of weight by changing what/how she eats and being more active. Find what works for you and do it J