Hey, if you’re here, you’re wondering about me. This website is run by me, myself and I. Lara Fabans. I’m a former nerd who worked in high tech for years. (You can see all about me on my LinkedIn page) I used to be a gym rat and could eat most everything I wanted. Until I hit 41. Then I gained 20 lbs in 3 months. It’s been a battle ever since.
Battle of the Bulge
I love cooking. I hate dieting. I mean, I’ve tried so many. And if you believe the studies, I just made it worse for myself. And of course, I had stopped going to the gym every day. So now I’m overweight by thirty pounds. Ok, if I just wanted to go from “obese” to “overweight” I just need to lose ten pounds. And from “overweight” to “acceptable” is another ten pounds. So technically, I just need to lose twenty pounds of stubborn fat. But I’m quibbling. I want to lose some weight.
I had one of those pictures pop up. You know…you’re at a party and having fun. Then someone sitting on the floor takes a picture of you and you look like you have five chins. And the shirt you’re wearing is not fitted so you look like a beached whale. Ok, I’m being hard on myself. No negative self talk. But it’s a “defining moment” and I knew it was time to get serious about changing what I ate and how I exercised.
These Boots Were Made for Walking
Thankfully, I like going for walks, and do that daily. I need to add back in some weights. I always talk about joining a gym. Or finding a yoga or Pilates studio. But as I get older, I get lazier and need to trick myself. So I’m working on eating clean and walking daily. It’s helping. I mean the weight isn’t dropping off like a Trimspa commercial, but it’s going down.
I am at that age where I’m having a battle with hormones as well. So it will go down three pounds and then leap up five. And I know in a few days, it will go back down four. And then I’ll go down three, up five, down four. I’m trying to find a way of eating so it doesn’t impact my hormones as much.
How to Eat Better
My philosophy is pretty simple – cook things from scratch and watch your portions. And get in some walking every day. When the weather is frightful, I have a mini-trampoline. It’s kind of a pain, though, because one of my cats likes to hop up and demand that I pet her.
The Rules
- Cook as much from scratch as possible
- Avoid processed as much as possible
- Learn to love your fruits and vegetables
- Avoid a lot of sugar
- Avoid a lot of refined carbs
- Get creative
- Challenge yourself
I’ll be turning 50 this year.My goal is to not be overweight by the time I do. I hope my love of cooking will help you achieve your goals as well.
I do put in what are called “affiliate links.” That means if you buy, I’ll get a small percentage. It doesn’t raise your costs, and it helps me pay for the groceries that I use when testing out the recipes that I find. And if it’s a really good month, I can buy a small kitchen appliance or some other fun toy from Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma.
I want you to know that I’m not perfect. That’s why I haven’t lost the weight yet. I struggle with time management to make things from scratch. I do use an Instant Pot pressure cooker and that’s helped a lot when I find I forgot to defrost some chicken breasts.
Who Are You?
You are awesome, that much I know. I write this for women 35-55 who are trying to lose the stubborn pounds by cooking and eating the foods that you love. If you’re not, that’s OK. Everyone is welcome. I’m just writing in a way to the people that I know best. And I’d love to learn from you.
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