This is the first in a series of reader stories that I’ll be sharing this month, and maybe even beyond, depending on how much you guys like them! Today’s story is by Emily Allen with That’s What I Eat. Thank you, Emily, for sharing your inspiring story with us! If you’d like to submit your story, you can do so here.
I didn’t recognize myself.
I’ll never forget the day I looked in the mirror and realized that I didn’t recognize the person who was looking back at me. It was about a year after my youngest was born, I was clinically obese, felt sick all the time, and was simply miserable in my body. As I looked at my reflection, I was shocked and horrified that I had let it get to this point. At that moment, I decided that I didn’t want to feel that way anymore.
I had tried to lose weight several times throughout the years, trying every different diet plan out there. The problem was that nothing ever stuck. For some reason, this day in the mirror was different, and it changed everything. I decided that I wanted to do this right.
I wanted to actually nourish my body and focus on health rather than calories and the size of my jeans. So I started researching what I should feed my body, and the more I learned, the more I realized that what I needed to do was cut out processed food.
My study naturally led me to Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, and to Lisa and 100 Days of Real Food. I started cooking more from scratch and found lots of great recipes, and without even really trying, 70 pounds simply slipped off my body.
70 pounds! Gone!
What Helped Me
Cutting processed food was definitely not an easy process, but here are a few things that helped my family along the way:
- Baby Steps
First and foremost, we had to cut ourselves some slack. If we had thrown away all processed foods from the beginning, we would have failed, big time! Instead, we took baby steps, replacing one thing at a time. I started with cereal, making granola as a replacement. Any little improvement is still a success!
– - Lots of Produce
The easiest way to eat real food for us is to reach for fruits and vegetables. We always have tons of apples, oranges, carrot sticks, etc. on hand for those times when we want to eat but don’t want to do any prep work.
– - Planning Ahead
Meal planning has been essential! I put our meal plan in my Google calendar so I can see the family’s weekly activities as I plan. For example, I know that on Wednesdays I need to have a crock pot meal planned because that night we have dance class and otherwise would be hitting a drive-through.
– - Making My Own Convenience Food
Batch cooking and stocking the freezer helps so much! Everyone has days where they simply don’t want to cook. I love knowing that when I have one of those days, I can grab a lasagna from the freezer because the last time I made lasagna, I made three of them and froze the extras.
It has now been more than five years since we started the process of cutting processed food, and my weight loss has been very easy to maintain. I have had such an incredible change in the way I feel that I had to share that feeling. So I went to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Holistic Health Coach. I love teaching other people how to nourish their bodies with real food! I share my journey and my recipes on my site, www.thatswhatieat.com.
Eating real food has changed my life in so many ways. Most importantly, it has completely changed the way I feel. I’ve never felt healthier, happier, or more capable of handling whatever life throws at me. Everyone should get to feel this good!
Emily Allen is a former obese girl turned Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She lost 70 pounds by cutting processed food, an experience she documented on her site, www.thatswhatieat.com. Emily now teaches families how to cut processed foods and live their healthiest lives. She teaches cooking classes, does public speaking about healthy living, and has even appeared on local news programs featuring her recipes. Emily believes that anyone can live a healthier life, no matter their schedule or budget.
That was a very encouraging story, thank you for sharing. I too have to change my eating habits and can’t afford to fail again. I have literally tried so many diets and am at my heaviest right now than ever. I have been at the point of giving up, last week I actually had 3 small strokes-I should have seen it coming. I weighed in at 217 pounds at my doctor’s visit. I do feel best on no processed foods, I just don’t know enough to know what to do. This a.m. I saw the article about signing up to get rid of processed foods and felt it was exactly what I need. I hate to fail again. I hope it will show me the “how to” of making different menus. I usually get so bored with my eating plan that I slip back into my old ways. And please I hope it will be with foods that aren’t too exotic or hard to find or are too expensive. I don’t mind cooking more, I like to cook just need training on what and how. I too am an emotional eater.
I recently finished reading the book she mentioned “in the defense of food” and it is amazing! It really drives home why we need to stop restricting certain types of food and focus on just eating real food. I haven’t eaten as much butter as I do now ( which don’t get me wrong is not a lot) but I’m losing weight easily! All I am doing is keeping it real!
I did a similar diet to the 100 days of real food –
EXCEPT
I only ate foods that I raised on my farm.
It was CRAZY to see how much my body & health changed by eating only foods I raised. Weightloss, energy, better sleep.
I never expected to see the changes I did. Thanks for the inspiration.
XO,
Candi
i would rather see these types of posts, along with the way your blog first started out, instead of all the sponsor posts. these types of posts are really why people liked your blog from the beginning. these offer inspiration, the other sponsor posts-not so much. those are a turn off.
We get that but Lisa is very careful about who she works with regarding sponsors and companies. Without them, she would be unable to continue to bring you this blog.
Agree! I am weighing in at 230 lbs these days! I did weigh 240lbs a few months ago taking care of a seriously sick child . I eat when I am emotional; and getting through each day was my goal. My child is still recovering but better overall. We are out A LOT plus hot dogs a lot. Many trips to hospital for my child plus 3 emergency visits for me for exhaustion and such. Now that we are not in crisis mode anymore , I am trying too cook real food for dinner 5;times a week. My husband does not like change but he even are my real food chocolate balls for dessert! He even said they were Good! (He loves country-fried steak and mashed potatoes and gravy.) He has since stopped commenting on the “adult food” I serve to our kids, meaning healthy. I grew up eating produce, broiled fish, baked chicken, green salads, no sweet desserts except during Easter and Valentine’s Day. I didn’t eat peanut butter and French fries until after we married. My husband is starting to come around to appreciate real home-cooked meals that are also healthy.
Loved hearing your story! And your tips are great. We’re doing our best to take baby steps too. Burn out is too easy when you just jump all in. Thank you and congrats!
Congratulations! It takes courage to do it but it’s so worth it…and all that hard work actually tastes great with whole foods!