I haven’t always been so healthy.  But today I’m going to share my “fashion blogger diet tips” or basically how I became one of those healthy happy people.

While I’ve never been a french-fry-burger-eating kind of girl I do like sweets… and carbs… and vino.  Flashback to high school I was naturally thin, playing tennis and eating pretty healthy.  Then in college I gained what I guess you call the classic Freshman 15.  Partying, pizza, and not hitting the gym caught up with me.  I guess I was never considered overweight I wasn’t healthy.  At the time I thought that girls who were picky eaters and extremely health-conscience were a bit neurotic.  Seemingly too scared to eat a cookie for fear of gaining an ounce?  It didn’t seem like any way to go through life!

Now fast-forward to me being able to say that I LOVE to workout and prefer to eat healthy.  (Seriously!)  But it didn’t happen overnight…

I have no idea how much I gained/lost because I never weigh myself.  I just judge by my jean size.  It may not be a precise method but it works for me.  I would say at my heaviest I was a size 28 and now I’m 25… depending on the brand, of course.  So now if jeans start to get a little tight then I know it’s time to cut some (bad) carbs and add some workout time to my day.

It really is about changing your lifestyle.

There are no secrets to losing weight.  It’s really just burning off more calories than you take in.  And I’m not going lie, I know that I’m lucky because I can lose weight quickly… but I’m also unlucky because I can gain it just as fast.  That being the case, I still had to change everything.  And UP the workouts.

Here’s what I did…

• Sweat more.  Started playing tennis again, then joined Barre3.  Now I’m doing a mix of Tracy Anderson and Body By Simone workouts at home.  Try to do something active EVERY DAY.  I really feel best if I can get 4 hour-long dance cardio sessions along with 2 toning exercise sessions a week.
• Start eating veggies.  (Lots of them!  Roasted veggies are my jam.)  
• No white bread.  We only have sprouted bread and we switched to quinoa pasta.  And I love them both!
• We LOVE Green Chef.  Organic meals delivered to your door, yes please!
• Less sweets… and making healthier treats.  These are my current favorites.
• Lunch Makeover.  (When I worked in an office I started bringing my lunch — now I make it at home.)
• Less alcohol.  (Don’t get me wrong, I love my bubbles but I really don’t drink during the week anymore until Thursday date night.)
• Eat less.  Portion size really is everything.  Fill your plate with veggies, lean protein, and good carbs.

I am NO expert in the field of weight loss.  But this is what is working for ME.

For me, making these slow changes changed my body and even my mind.  I can get really down sometimes but have found that a hard workout really does the trick.  It’s like natural prozac!  So even though it took me years to become one of “those people” I love it and I’ve never felt better.  I’m just sad it took me so long to feel this way.

Since everyone likes a before and after pic, here’s an old outfit pic from 5 or 6 years ago.  Not a drastic change but my arms and legs are definitely much smaller and defined.  (And that ill-fitting jacket certainly didn’t do me any favors either!)  This was not me at my heaviest.  Let’s just say I was hiding from cameras during that time.  

Hopefully reading this might get you motivated to start your own healthier life and I look forward to sharing my favorite exercises, recipes, and tips that have me feeling amazing.  Finally!