Introducing.... ME.

Ok - so I was slightly nudged by an old friend of mine to get on the blog-bandwagon and share my knowledge. I'm certainly no expert in the food/diet world, but figured if anything, I can help those like myself, who've been challenged & lured by food for their entire lives. As an Italian, my world has always revolved around food. My family has always empasized the importance/excitement about a good meal & conversations often revolve around food. That's not a bad thing - however, as I've gotten older, I've learned the importance of staying aware and in control when it comes to food. Sounds simple right??? Well - little did I know, it was going to become my passion to not only conquer the battle for me, but to help others along the way.

Who am I?
I should tell you a little about me & my own challenge/struggle with weight. I suppose my challenges/awareness started when I was back in college (about 10+ years ago). I had heard of the "freshman 15" in terms of weight-gain, but I probably gained about 40 pounds in my first year of college. (Buffet lines in the dining hall were not my waist-line friend). I didn't even care back then ... I ate loads of pasta, french fries and poptarts - and I wasn't really "active" either. Upon graduation, I started to realize what I'd done. When I got my first real-job - and was married at the ripe age of 23, my food challenges began. As a young wife, I tried to cook for my husband & do all of the right things - but I had no idea what I was doing. Again, not active, I ate a lot of processed, pre-packaged foods, indulged in plenty of desserts and found having MONEY allowed me to eat out more frequently - (I ballooned in my first year of marriage).

After being married for a little over a year, I opted to join Weight Watchers (on my own) - my husband didn't really care either way. He never called me fat or suggested I needed it, but I decided to do it on my own. After nearly 9-months, I lost about 40-pounds. I attributed the loss to the small support group I had in Davidson, NC (Weight-Watchers) - and my next challenge began shortly after making "lifetime".... My husband left me. That's a long, irrelevant story, but he woke up one Monday morning and decided he didn't love me anymore. Little did I know, this was going to be the BEST thing that ever happened to me. Through my separation/divorce year - I dropped about 20-more pounds and plummeted to an alltime low. I used to be what I considered to be an "emotional eater" - but clearly, not during a life changing situation like divorce. I had a group of girlfriends at the time that swooped in to 'rescue' me from myself - and I found that my stress, anxiety, etc. allowed me to be able to eat or do anything - I didn't even realize I'd lost that much weight until my size 12 pants were literally falling off of me.

I was regularly reminded that I didn't look healthy anymore - and needed to gain some back or stay aware of what I was eating/doing. Over time, I did get back on my feet and some of the weight started to come back. Shortly after my divorce was final, I met an incredible guy and found myself going back to my old eating habits... I realized after a few years with him that I need to take the reigns and as I was getting older, I wanted to really do it for health-reasons. Who isnt' discouraged by news reports talking about how FAT Americans are getting? I really loved this new man in my life - and wanted to spend a LONG time with him - without having health issues for either of us to worry about.

Now - this being said, I feel the need to share with you that I'm not, nor have I ever been morbidly obese. I have no desire to be a toothpick supermodel, I don't (nor have I ever) had an eating disorder, but I really find myself relating whole-heartedly to people that have. I've joked that I never had the "willpower" to be anorexic - and I can absolutely understand every contestant on "Biggest Loser"!

So why blog?
Because I know there are more like me out there. I know there are hundreds of thousands of solutions, tips, blogs-to-follow, ideas, diets, etc. out there - and I've read many of them..... I feel that even with that - I can offer some highlights, tips & tricks that have worked for me. In addition to the support I can offer others through sharing ... I'm going to continue to stay focused on my own goal to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I'm happy to say the guy that I met shortly after my divorce has been a remarkable companion for me - and we're getting married this year. (After spending nearly 5-years together, I'm confident that I've found my Mr. Right this time)! So - while he's been in-it with me these past 12-months, I figure I can share our secrets. Feel free to contribute your own thoughts/tricks/tips, etc. as we're all in this TOGETHER!