As I sit here studying for my upcoming Radiology exam, my mind wanders to different colorful ingredients and unique smells that could be coming out of my tiny kitchen.
This all started on March of 2011, when I finally decided that I needed to lose some weight and I was not going to do it the unhealthy way. I had tried before many times but it never lasted. I even went so far as to take some very dangerous diet pills, when I was only 17!! I guess I just had to be in the right mindset and be mature enough to really be responsible for my own body, health and life. It still amazes me how I lost all this weight by myself, with only a very strong desire to improve my life. To be honest, it wasn't all about being thinner, it was about being healthier. I had started my clinicals for x-ray in a hospital and seeing all those sick people made me realize I didn't want to spend my golden years in a hospital bed with strangers poking me with needles day and night.
I had no clue how to get started but I knew I needed to change how I was doing things. I had heard about Zumba from many people and I decided to buy the DVD set. I knew if I signed up for a gym I would not go, mostly because I was embarrassed by how I looked. I also searched for apps that would help me track my calorie intake, enter: MyFitnessPal. I also saw a show on the Cooking Channel that really intrigued me, it was called Hungry Girl and it was about eating all the foods you like but with substitutions. Sounds perfect right?? So I went through my cluttered desk, found a notebook with some free pages and started my fitness road trip.
I lost 40 pounds in 7 months, without starving myself and having actual FUN while exercising. Impossible, you say? Well, I shall prove you wrong! Many things have changed since then. I don't make as many Hungry Girl recipes as I used to. I do realize her food isn't the healthiest because it uses a lot of processed food, but at the time it was a Godsend. She does have a lot of recipes that use fresh ingredients, and if you don't want to use a certain ingredient you can make your own substitutions. Since I am now able to eat more calories in a day, I mostly use Eating Well. They have some insanely tasty recipes that use real and fresh ingredients, and most of the time are super easy and quick. I have been maintaining my weight for about a year so far and it is NOT a struggle.
Lemon chicken stir-fry & "fried" rice
Apple cinnamon muffins |
| Maple-mustard pork tenderloin |
This blog is here to show that you don't need fancy equipment, or to have gone to culinary school to make easy, healthy and delicious food. No gimmicks, no tricks, just real food made the way it was intended to be eaten.
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