“It all started last November when I was reading an article about sugar and how it's a likely culprit in the weight gaining arena…I knew this, but didn't acknowledge the fact. I was at my heaviest weight ever – 190 pounds, which only reminded me of having my first child at this same weight! I had zero confidence, disliked seeing myself in photos, and figured at my age, I was destined to be overweight.

That's really the first time I started to change my thoughts on what I was eating, and why I could never lose any weight! I figured at my age I was doomed. So I decided to divorce sugar. I kept on reading about sugar and other types of foods that needed to be cut out as well. So then I began to cut out processed and high fat foods. What a game changer for me! The first week I lost 4 pounds, and that was enough motivation to keep going. I also started logging my meals, which is the most important thing I could have done. For me, I didn't want to see the wrong foods on my logs, so I avoided them. Keeping full on fruits and veggies was a game changer! I also found that trading refined sugar sweetness for the natural sweetness of fruit was just as satisfying, but didn't leave me craving more sugar. So instead of saying ‘look at all the foods I can't have anymore’ I said ‘look at all the foods I CAN have’!

Eliminating sugar early on, I also noticed brain fog disappeared and everything was so much clearer. When I lost my first 10 pounds, I was on cloud nine feeling like I'd just won the lottery. So you can imagine how I feel now after losing a total of 46 pounds! I feel fully energized, healthy, vibrant and I look great. I am an inspiration to others, when others would inspire me! I feel good in my clothes and others notice how much better I look.

After being on my weight loss journey for a few months and a trip to the Azores in the summer of 2022, I found a lifestyle of eating and cooking that I could easily embrace. I fell in love with the Mediterranean lifestyle. It doesn't feel like dieting at all, and I am still able to enjoy red wine! I realize now that I can still enjoy indulging occasionally which doesn't make me feel deprived. Or having that icky feeling when I consume too much sugar or highly processed foods making me feel sick, sluggish, and fogging up my brain – I don't miss that at all. I feel that now I eat all the right foods for optimum health, and I intend on keeping it that way. I never thought I would be typing something like this hoping to inspire others, but if one person benefits from my story, then it was all worth it! It's been a little over a year since I started, but I've learned more about myself than ever before. This may sound cliché, but if I can do it, anyone can do it! If it's ‘your time’ and you're fed up with your weight you too will succeed!”