Hi reader,
In today's internet world of short, sweet, and entertaining videos, I'm doing the opposite. I'm getting very personal with you today and it's important to me to not sugarcoat it or leave out important details.
So grab a cup of coffee and let me tell you a story.
For most of my life, I have struggled with being overweight. Growing up in the 90s left a distorted impression that living with a dieting mindset and chasing underweight body goals was normal. Slimfast, Weight Watchers, the Special K Diet, ephedra, Herbalife, and the elliptical machine characterized my 20s.
In my 30s I moved away from processed food and towards real food, but when the weight wouldn't come off I realized that "eating clean" wasn't enough. I cut out entire food groups, incorporated the latest superfoods and supplements, and tried intermittent fasting in various attempts to lose excess weight. In the end, I felt resentful, hopeless, and resigned to living a life of being overweight - that "this is just the way it is when you turn 40."
A shift started at the beginning of 2024 when this realization hit me like a ton of bricks - I don't remember a time in my life when I was NOT dieting.
Yes, I've been eating real food for well over a decade. And I've been teaching you how to do the same! But I was eating more than my body needed. Too much food - of any kind - will cause weight gain.
I made myself a promise:
- No more dieting mindset.
- No more trying to be my smallest self.
- No more letting the scale dictate how I felt about myself and whether or not I was doing a good job.
But here's the catch… I'm 44 and perimenopause is knocking at my door. I feel the fatigue. I feel the sleepless nights. I feel the hormones shifting each month and if I'm not careful, I'm going to fall into the 43% of women who gain weight during their perimenopause and menopause years.
How then, do you reconcile NOT gaining weight with NOT being on a diet?
It started with tracking my food. I didn't change what I ate or how much I ate - I just recorded everything I ate and drank for 4 weeks with zero judgment.
Then at the end of February, I went into a deficit. I committed to a start date, an end date, and guardrails to keep me on track and prevent me from jumping in too far too fast.
By the end of May, I had lost 11 pounds and 12 inches. This is a big deal when you're only 5'1"!
My current goal is to keep the weight off while fueling my body to maintain a healthy metabolism.
Here's the thing: It wasn't until I stopped focusing on short-term fixes for fat loss and instead committed to a lifelong goal of being my strongest self that I found success. Through exercise and a macro nutrition philosophy, I've gone from being overweight to the healthiest version of myself.
After coaching thousands of families in finance and food for over twelve years, I'm becoming a certified macro and nutrition coach. I hope to inspire and educate women on how to create sustainable healthy lifestyle changes so that they too can become their best selves. My mission is to help women unlearn what dieting fads and warped "societal norms" have taught them and instead, achieve real body goals by eating the foods they love.
What does that mean for Crumbs?
First… I still have a deep passion for helping families eat real food on a budget - and I'll still send out newsletters every Tuesday with my latest blog posts and strategies to help you keep your grocery budget lean.
But soon I'll also be able to create personalized nutrition plans to help you reach your fitness and body goals effectively AND sustainably.
No more dieting. No more fear around food. No more "good foods" or "bad foods."
Just the pursuit of the strongest, healthiest version of you with accountability and guidance in the daily work it takes to get there.
Second… I'm sending emails with nutrition-specific information (i.e. meal prep hacks, high-protein recipes, the role and importance of fiber, reaching goals amidst holiday parties, etc.) every other Friday.
If you want to receive them, just click here and sign up to download my free guide Your Fitness Journey: A Guide to Getting Started.
Lastly… if you have any questions, hit "reply" and send them my way. My team and I are here to serve you, whether that's in budgeting, food, fitness, finance, or any combination of the above.
| | | | How we can work together: • Grocery Budget Mastermind •
$5 membership making healthy food affordable in just FIVE MINUTES per week. Each week saves you $5, making the membership more than free.
> Grocery Budget Mastermind • 30 Minute Dinners •
Over 250 done-for-you meal plans for as low as 35¢/week, customizable to your family size, dietary preferences and busy schedules.
> 30 Minute Dinners | | | | • Grocery Budget Bootcamp •
The only course teaching you exactly how to eat real food on a budget. Learn a proven grocery budgeting system that outsmarts the grocery stores and lets you save money, time, and energy. Graduates from 24+ countries have saved over $20 million - and counting!
> Grocery Budget Bootcamp • Meal Planning Bootcamp •
Simple course teaching EVERYTHING you need to master meal planning, without the stuff that doesn't really matter (i.e. Pinterest boards) so you can easily decide what's for dinner and be done with it in just 15 minutes.
> Meal Planning Bootcamp | | | | | If you enjoy a recipe, be sure to give it a 5-star rating! (You can also tell us why you love it so much in the comments ♥) | | | | | | | | | | | | Here's your Fall Dinner Ideas for October! Feed your family real food on a budget AND eat seasonal produce with this complete four week meal plan. Read More Here | | | | | | | | | | | | This butternut squash and pasta bake combines roasted squash, crispy bacon, seasonal greens, and a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce for an elevated version of a classic mac and cheese dinner. Read More Here | | | | | | | | | | | | Make this easy homemade pumpkin pie spice mix for all your autumn baking needs! Warm and cozy, with just a hint of a kick, it's the perfect flavor for fall! Read More Here | | | | | | | | | | | | Super easy Instant Pot vegetarian chili has sweet potatoes & is just a bit spicy. Slow cooker option included; serve over quinoa, potatoes or cornbread!
Read More Here | | | | | | | | | | | | These are the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that are so easy to make! Soft, chewy, and super peanut buttery. Healthier than most traditional recipes! You'll also love my healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookies and peanut butter chocolate chip muffins.
Read More Here | | | | |
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