How I lost 100lbs

I'm strong-willed but when it came to my diet, I was weak. I enjoyed a variety of foods, and flavors, especially bread and pasta dishes. There might be a little Italian in my blood since I had such an addiction to bread and pasta. The addiction I had to food is unhealthy much like the same addiction people have to alcohol, drugs, or gambling. It is the same dopamine hit that sends pleasure through your body when you feed the appetite of the soul.

When my family and I go on shopping trips or weekend adventures, the entire day revolved around where we would eat. It was all I could think about. Where we would eat, when we would eat, what I would order, and whether I would take a meal home.

Food calmed my anxiety. The buildup of anxiety-fueled not only my food addiction but how much I would eat until it felt calming. This mindset is truly unhealthy. I continued this self-sabotaging path for years until one day, I had a new thought. 

What was that thought? I don't remember exactly, but I do remember thinking it was time for a change. And what changes awaited brought twists and turns, uphill battles, and sorrow.

If you think you will never be able to lose weight, or your anxiety/depression enables you to take this step, I am here to tell you that is a lie. A lie straight from the pits of hell.

My journey began when

• fibromyalgia pain was at its highest
• dad's health was declining
• our oldest daughter was getting married
• anxiety and depression darkened my days
• we launched a makeup line
• covid hit
• my father was in hospice care
• our family got covid
• my son has health issues due to covid
• house remodel
• my father passes away

All of this added together would have normally put me over the edge, but I have learned my strength is found in my weakness. You don't know what people are made of until they face heartache, pain, sorrow, slander, and verbal abuse. The thought that forever changed my life months before these events transpired fueled my passion to lose weight and focus on self-care. 

I'm not a quitter and you are not either. I believe you too will find strength in your weakness and an empowering thought will awaken your soul to begin this journey.

The first step to losing weight is to believe in yourself and that you can, and you will do this. 

Second, don't go hog wild in replacing unhealthy foods with healthy foods. If you deal with anxiety like me, this will through you into a tailspin or give you a dopamine hit for a few days until it wears off and you give up. Take this process one step at a time. 

Third, know that you will mess up and that is okay. How else do we gain wisdom if we don't make mistakes? Show yourself grace and verbally tell yourself you will get back on track.

My diet consists of a low-carb, low-fat, low-sugar, high-fiber, and high-protein diet. The first step to take is to take a close look at the foods or meals you prepare and see how many carbohydrates, protein, and grams of sugar a serving has. If it is more than 6-10 grams of carbs and less than 10 grams of protein, then toss it or donate it. Whatever you do, don't keep it in the house because you will be tempted to eat it. 

When you go grocery shopping, take a close look at the label and if it is not low carb and high protein, then don't buy it. Focus on items that are low in carbs like Palmini noodles, marinara sauce, yogurt, almond flour, almond milk, or vegetables. High-protein foods like chicken, eggs, beef, fish, or protein bars. Once you begin noticing how many carbs are in a serving, your eyes will open to why you are not feeling well, why your muscles are inflamed and wonder how your pancreas survived. 

Here is a look into what I eat and when I eat: (make sure you eat at least 10 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up)

• 5:30am protein shake or bar with my coffee (espresso, sugar-free vanilla syrup, and 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk)
• 8:00am protein bar, shake, or two eggs
• 10:30am protein bar or shake
• 1:00pm salad with boiled eggs, ham, low-fat provolone cheese and a sugar-free dressing
• 3:30pm high protein, low carb yogurt
• 6:00pm salmon baked in the air fryer and steamed broccoli
• 8:30pm hot chocolate (12grams of protein and 6 grams of carbs)

*EatWise app reminds you when to eat

During the day I drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water and one Ice Sparkling drink. My goal each day is to eat at least 60-100 grams of protein and a maximum of 30-40 grams of carbs. When you begin eating like this, your body goes into ketosis and burns fat.

I'll be honest when I began taking the steps to eat healthily, my body SCREAMED HELP! It went into a tailspin. I was hungry, angry, and emotional, but I knew how to feel better, this was the only way to do that. So, I had a heart-to-heart with my mind that refused to change and let it know that the new sheriff is in town, and we are doing this no matter how it makes us feel.

I had more than one heart-to-heart in my mind. There were hundreds. Once I refused to bow down to my unhealthy habits and mindset, a new healthy mindset arose.

If you are looking for low-carb meal ideas, visit my Pinterest board. For low-carb products, I eat such bars, yogurt, or noodles, visit my stories page on IG or FB. 

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with or paid to suggest Protein Wise products. Meals on my Pinterest page are meals I have made for me, and my family and I am not affiliated with Optavia or any health coaches. I suggest their meals because it corresponds with my diet plan.