The Power of Balance

“Self-care is how you take your power back.”

– Lalah Delia

Taking the time to take care of myself has really opened up my eyes. If you’ve read A Food Story, you may recall “THAT MOMENT”. It was in that moment, that I decided to invest TIME in myself again.

Ever since I started posting my results I’ve been getting many private messages asking me: “How did you do it?” “Where did you get the motivation?” “Recipes! Please share your recipes?” I know what it feels like to be on that new popular diet just because it “works”, while not even considering the health risks. I’ve done it all my life! I know how it is to feel hopelessly lost in a world full of contradicting information. What to believe? What not to believe. I’m still learning and tweaking my lifestyle all the time.

 

A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish.

There was a time when I accepted the unhealthy version of myself and blamed it on genetics. It wasn’t until “THAT MOMENT” that I changed my point of view. To be healthy both in body and mind I had to erase everything I thought I knew about dieting and exercise. I had to quit believing in these 6 week body makeovers and learn to strive for progress, not the perfection that all these diets always promised; short term that is.

After following so many failed diets in the past, I decided to do a lot of research this time around. The first thing that I came across was the documentary Fed Up. This documentary changed how I saw food. It suddenly just made sense to me. I finally understood that I needed to quit seeing foods in calories because a calorie is unfortunately NOT just a calorie. (watch this video to understand why)

So if a calorie is not just a calorie, then what is it? The answer; Macros. This is how I was able to transform my favorite recipes into tasty well-balanced meals while still losing weight. As my progress continued people kept asking me for recipes but to be honest these recipes took too long to recreate because of all the measuring. There had to be another way!

 

Everything happens for a reason.

After Hurricane Irma, my children and I where evacuated to Bonaire where I stayed with my sister and her family. She too needed help as she also gained a lot of weight after her pregnancy. She did a shakes and soups diet for a couple of month after giving birth, which led her to lose a whopping 20 kg in 2 months. Unfortunately this was not a sustainable diet and she quit before she reached her goal. Being stuck at that same weight for about a year, she lost hope and started to seriously overeat again.

For the next 4 months we did all the grocery shopping together and I was able to guide her through my way of eating and exercising. Because of her busy schedule, we had no time to measure macros every meal and even ended up eating out most days. She really challenged me by being pretty demanding and gave me a list of foods that she simply could not let go of. Luckily I managed to create an easier way to get her on the right track and guarantee that she wouldn’t be deprived of anything she loves.

 

Slow And Steady Wins The Race.

At the time she was not able to do even half as much physical training as I did when I first started, but she was consistent and realistic about her results. She lost a total of 28 lbs in those 4 months. Fast-forward to 2 years later; she has been able to maintain a stable weight for the first time in her life. You see, it’s not about how fast you get there, as long as you actually do. A tiny step in the right direction will always get you closer to your goal.

 

Cooking has always been my biggest passion; I’ve been doing it since I’m 4 years old. I also do not enjoy depriving myself of good food. Luckily I never have to again!

We all come in different shapes and sizes, have our own levels of health and come from different parts of the world. The point is; we are all different, and that’s ok!  If you are like me and have always struggled with balancing your weight, you might be able to find inspiration in my food stories. Soon I will start sharing all the secrets to creating those mouthwatering meals you guys keep seeing on my @petitmomlife Instagram feed and stories.

No, I am not a nutritionist nor am I a doctor. I am simply sharing my knowledge gathered by lots of trial & error of my own personal experiences. I have been big & small many times during my first 31 years of life and for once I am confident that this will be my last transformation to small. I’m only going to get stronger from here on.

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