From the day I was born and up through the end of kindergarten, I was a skinny lil' thing. But around age 6 or so, I began to fill out. And then some. I was never morbidly obese, but throughout my tweens, teens, and early 20's, I was definitely overweight. It started so young and lasted so long that I completely forgot about my underlying bone-structure and thought I was just a bigger girl through and through. By the time I delivered my son in 2003, I was tipping the scales at 213lbs on my 5'6" frame. My doctor expressed concern about monitoring my cholesterol. I was in my early 20's for goodness sake! When my husband left on his second deployment in 2005, I decided to take action and make changes. I started with water aerobics and cleaner eating. I already loved to cook, but for the first time I really began to educate myself about food and nutrition. I wanted to stop "dieting" and eat in a balanced way - healthy food with room for indulgence. Over the course of that 12 month deployment, I slimmed down 6 dress sizes. Over the course of the next few years, I maintained the weight and continued to slim down little by little. In 2010 I gave birth to my daughter, and that pregnancy brought with it 50lbs. Over the course of 2 years, through balanced eating and exercise, I was able to get all the weight off, and I've kept it off since then. Even after so many years now of being fit, it still surprises me when people refer to me as skinny, and it's only recently that I've come to own my new self. It's a journey... on which my family eats extremely well - nutritious and delicious foods that keep all of us healthy. Every week is an opportunity to explore new recipes that will help keep me on this track. I've recently discovered the ketogenic lifestyle, and my body is loving it!
My husband and I in 2013.
I enjoy cooking more everyday, and I'm excited to share my cooking with you.
- Jessica
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