It All Started In Nicaragua

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My health journey began years ago, in Nicaragua, but I didn't know it then. My family went on a humanitarian trip with https://colormyworldkids.org/ that landed us in a small fishing village in Jiquilillo, Nicaragua. There, we enjoyed life with the locals, un-airconditioned huts, and nothing but whole foods to eat. We worked hard, and played hard, in the summer heat of Central America.


Two days after we returned home, I took the kids for donuts and chocolate milk after a visit to the dentist. Within an hour of sugar loading, my kids passed out, at 10 a.m.!!! We talked about how good we felt, and how much energy we had in Nica. It was obvious that our diet impacted our stamina. Fast forward a few years. I put on some unwanted weight. My daughter came to me and told me that she was tired of feeling tired all of the time. We knew it was time to get serious about making health changes.

I began looking into weight loss options. There were many programs available. Most involved some sort of product (packaged meals, bars, drinks, mixes, etc.) and they were expensive. I'd done the extreme cut with supplemental pills before. It was a miserable, temporary loss. One friend (thanks, Alicia!) mentioned that she was counting macros. When I came up with my own criteria for how I wanted to go about getting healthy, counting macros best aligned with my goals:

  1. I wanted to eat real food, not chemical ridden products.
  2. I didn't want anything to do with a plan that prohibited fruits or vegetables.
  3. I didn't want a plan that eliminated carbs - I exercise too much to forgo carbs.
  4. I wanted to shop at Costco and Kroger, and feed my whole family the same healthy food.
  5. I wanted to learn how to eat healthy for the rest of my life - I wanted a sustainable plan.
     
HERE'S WHAT I DID: 

  1. I downloaded the https://cleansimpleeats.com/ app to quickly calculate what my caloric intake should be. Then I researched what my balance of Macros (fats/proteins/carbs) should be. I purchased a meal plan from CSE to learn how to cook clean meals. My calorie count ended up being 1750 calories per day with 58 fats, 175 carbs, and 131 protein. 
  2. Then I downloaded https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ on my phone. I paid for the premium plan so that I could track by macros. I began TRACKING EVERYTHING I ate. This was crucial for me; it was my greatest education in terms of what I was putting into my body. 
  3. I exercise 5-6 days a week. My advice here is to find what you enjoy doing, whether is walking, group fitness, weights, swimming, biking, or pickle ball. Do what you LOVE; anything that gets your body moving! I love all of the aforementioned activities, and I cycle through them each week.
With these steps, including a stressful couple of weeks where I ran like crazy, I lost 30 pounds. I'm running my fastest mile ever, my acne prone skin is clearer, and I just feel better overall. 

**I am not a licensed professional. I'm simply sharing what worked for me on this blog because so many have asked for tips.



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