In summer of 2013 I decided to start changing how I was eating. I began to pay more attention to what I was eating, what the labels on my food said and how much exercise I was actually getting during the day. I managed to lose about 20 pounds over the course of six months.
Since then I have further "cleaned up" my daily eating, while still allowing for the occasional treat. Let's be real....life happens and that means a pizza night or a happy hour with girlfriends or your birthday, the holidays....the list goes on!
I have maintained my weight loss while staying in what I call the "5 pound window" where my body seems to like to hang out. I still have days here and there where I want that 5 pound window to be on the lower side but I am really trying to be happy with myself and what I've done already.
Along this journey I have gotten away from processed foods and have begun eating more whole foods. To me, this just means eating foods as they naturally are. One of the best ways to do this is to buy foods without a nutrition label (think most of the items in the produce section!) As a result of this, I began experimenting more with cooking. I have discovered that I love spending time in the kitchen, whether that's making a tried and true meal my husband and I enjoy (taco night) or trying a new vegetable (delicata squash).
I started using my cell phone to take photos of my food to remind myself what I did. I began posting on Facebook and several friends and family members asked for more. I've decided to carve out a small piece of the internet universe as a place to share my food experiments, the good and the bad. Overall I will be making good-for-you recipes to reflect the way I try to eat on a consistent basis. Don't worry! Healthy doesn't mean bland or gross tasting. And I will surely have some recipes that lean more towards the indulgent side as well.
Another trademark of my cooking style is that it needs to be simple. I like using easy to find ingredients. I don't want to spend $5.00 on a spice I'll never use again. I also like to keep the number of ingredients down. Quick is good too. You're not going to find any 5 hour long, 50 ingredients craziness on here!
I will post about my own food creations and will share my experience using other recipes. Plan to see some Rachael Ray on here as she is my favorite celebrity chef. My recipes may not be outlined exactly like others you've used before. That's because I don't really cook with recipes when I'm just messing around in the kitchen, throwing ingredients together. I like to go with the flow and see what happens. Food and cooking don't need to be stressful or uptight.
Speaking of....although for the most part I eat a healthy diet, I do allow for some indulgences. A glass of wine with friends, that pizza night I mentioned above, ice cream, etc. I've found that completely trying to eliminate foods + drinks that I enjoy is just a recipe for disaster. I try my best to live by the 80/20 rule. Good, whole foods 80% of the time with that 20% for wiggle room (pizza and wine!)
Thank you for coming along on this journey with me and, at the least, I hope I can inspire you to try something new in the kitchen and live a happy life. Cheers!
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