I'm a Jersey girl at heart and moved to South Carolina a few years ago, just as I turned 20. I consider myself a "foodie" and living in the South has opened up a whole new world of food to me.
Although always active in sports growing up, I started becoming overweight when I was 6 years old, thanks to a fat laden diet from my parents who enjoyed a little vegetable with their French cream sauces, if you get my drift. Around the age of 12 it occurred to me, "I'm fat", and so the journey began.
My initial focus was on getting thin. I didn't care how. I started exercising and some pathetic eating habits I'd rather not admit. The only thing I still adhere to since those days is a diet void of red meat. By the time I was 17, I had lost 70 pounds and looked very thin. Although I was happy with my body, I was doing a lot of damage to it at the same time. Among my unhealthy eating and starvation habits, I smoked cigarettes and lived on fat free cappuccinos.
Once I got into my twenties I realized things needed to change. I could see that my habits weren't going to get me anything except for wrinkles and a myriad of diseases. Three years ago this November will mark my anniversary of finally ditching the cigarettes, which I had been smoking since I was 14. Although I've gained a few (about 8) pounds since I quit smoking, the health benefits I've already received are immeasurable. (No more panting climbing a flight of stairs!)
Through many hours of reading and research, I have learned a lot about diet and exercise that has helped me change not only the way that I eat, but the way I view food. Food is my fuel for a great workout and to keep me going to through my busy days as a legal secretary and an online adult college student aspiring to become a registered dietitian.
Lindsay and I have talked for countless hours about nutrition and exercise, it's certainly our favorite topic, and have come to learn that what it all boils down to is finding what's right for your body and lifestyle. I hope we are able to give you a little of the knowledge (and yummy recipes) that we have picked up along the way.