Experts disagree on whether or not it is possible to be addicted to sugar. Back in 2007 there was a study done on rats. They were offered both cocaine and sugar water. These rats were already cocaine users and what was surprising is they all preferred sugar water over cocaine. This study makes one wonder if, for some people, sugar can be as addicting as habit forming drugs. Whether or not we use the word addicted, most would agree that the average American eats way too much sugar, especially our children.

I always thought I was good about reading food labels. I always checked calories, I always checked fat content. Most of the time I glanced at the ingredients but to be honest I never recognized most of them. I assumed if calories and fat were low the rest was good. Calories and fat…that is what we were taught to avoid. I did those things and I still didn’t feel great. I have learned a lot in the last 6 years!

I am so excited about my new group program Better Together. This is not a short term challenge or a quick weight loss program. It is a program designed to show you that you can achieve life long lasting results by creating a new relationship with food. Learn to use real food to nourish your body. Create new habits. I want to show you that you can lose the constant cravings and feelings of deprivation. Are you ready to ditch dieting?

From my experience, yes, one hundred percent it will. When I first started my low carb journey I focused on tracking my healthy fat intake and of course lowering my carbs. I didn’t think too much about how many grams of protein I was eating. I just made sure the protein I was consuming was high quality. And in the beginning I lost weight. By lowering my carb intake and increasing my fats I was eating less. I wasn’t craving sugar all the time but I still snacked, usually on cheese and nuts. This wasn’t a bad way to start my weight loss journey as it helped me kick my sugar addiction and I did lose a good amount of weight, but eventually the pounds stopped coming off and I wasn’t sure why. After doing some research, I decided I had to start tracking my protein intake.

Most people when they hear about the way I eat respond by saying they could never do it. They wouldn’t want to. They could never give up pasta, bread, etc. It is too restrictive. They don’t want to feel deprived. They prefer everything in moderation. To be honest, before I adopted this lifestyle I would have said the same thing.

You want to change the way you eat. Maybe you were just diagnosed with a medical condition, maybe the doctor told you you need to lose weight, maybe you are tired of being tired all the time or maybe you just don’t fit into your clothes anymore. So you decide to embark on a new eating plan. It goes pretty well at the beginning but inevitably after a few weeks you fall off the wagon. Why? Others can do it, why can’t you? Why can’t you stay motivated? From my experience, sometimes you expect too much too fast. Often your motivators are purely extrinsic, meaning they come from others (purely how you look), instead of intrinsic (how it will make you feel). Sometimes you go into it with a negative mindset. It is too hard, you will have to give up too many things you love and you won’t be able to do it. Maybe you don’t do it the right way for your body. There are many reasons why, but let’s change that today!

One of the questions I get asked the most is how do you stay on track and eat healthy when you are traveling. To be honest, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.

Sometimes the hardest part of making a positive change is getting started. Nothing rings truer than when it comes to changing the way you eat. I was so scared to do it. I guess deep down I didn’t think I could do it. It seemed easier to try a “diet”. That way if I quit it was because that diet doesn’t really work. But failing at so many did not help with my confidence level. When my son was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and I learned about how inflammatory most of our food is I was determined to do better. Now it wasn’t just about looking better in a pair of jeans. I wanted my son to feel better. What I didn’t realize at the time was that our whole family would start to feel better (and we didn’t know we didn’t feel good already).

Diets don’t work, I’ve tried so many of them! They are about deprivation and you always crave more. Keep it simple, eat real food. You don’t have to be a chef or even know much about cooking. It doesn’t take a lot of time. Try a better more sustainable way to lose weight and feel great.

I’ve never written a blog before. In truth, I don’t feel like I am a good writer and the idea of writing a blog terrifies me! But, I have a desire to help others, to share what I have learned over the past several years. I am so grateful for this knowledge because putting it into practice in my own life has changed my world. I feel better. I have lost weight. I am sleeping better and have more energy to tackle my day. Most importantly, I have found a new sense of purpose. Here is my story.