My weight loss tip

A newly vegan girl back in her hometown

I spent last weekend over at my parents' house in Loretteville, a beautiful suburb of Quebec City. As a newly vegan though, I was a bit nervous about going back home and having to deal with questions and concerns about my new way of life.

Everything went really well! My mother showed some sincere interest into what I had to say about veganism. My dad took me to the grocery store so that I could buy food I would want to eat, and I had brought a huge bag full of vegan basics like nutritional yeast and dates and nuts.

I was lucky enough to be there for a really warm and sunny weekend; I got to use the pool and go on bike rides. It felt good to be alive! I also made this little video to show you guys what it's like to live with my new body.



And nooowwww, the noms!

I made this delicious iced chocolate and coffee drink. I simply blended cold coffee, vanilla soy milk and cocoa powder into this smooth, sweet and decadent treat!

The best meal I had over the weekend was definitely my tofu skewers. I marinated the tofu in orange juice, tahini, soy sauce, chili pepper flakes and garlic. I had the tofu with cumin vegan sausages, bell peppers, eggplant, butternut squash and onions.

Mes soeurs se sont bien amusés à mettre leur grain de sel dans mes vidéos ;) Mais à voir leur réaction devant mon hummus de fèves noires, je pense qu'elles ne peuvent pas juger mon végétalisme :P

Letting go of the scale

Over the past year, my scale has been my biggest "friennemy". I was obsessed with the numbers that would show up whenever I would step on it. Often times, I would weigh two times a day to see how my body would react to my daily routines. I know how my weight changes through the week, how the lowest numbers would always show up on Sunday mornings, and the highest on Thursday nights... Don't know exactly why, but it was always like that! I know how my weight goes up right before my period too. (Oh the joy of being a woman!)

I have stopped counting calories a while ago, and I actually completely stopped looking at calories last week when I became vegan. I am ready to look past the numbers in food and just see food as food and not as a bunch of numbers. And I'm also ready to let go of the scale... 

I am not going to judge how I am feeling and how my body is feeling by numbers on a scale anymore. I have learned what I had to learn about food. and I have learned what I had to learn about staying active. I feel good in my body. My appearence matches who I've always been on the inside; I am a strong, confident woman who knows what she wants for her life. 

It is time to move on! I am no longer a loser; I am a maintainer. As long as my current clothes fit and I feel comfortable with the way I live my life, I'll still have reached my "goal weight". The only difference now is that that goal weight is not a number; it's a state of mind, and I've reached it.

Running and Veganism

Happy birthday, new life!

May 14th, 2009. My sisters and I had booked a Walt Disney World vacations for early June. On that day after work, excited about my upcoming trip, I went shopping for summer clothes to wear over there: t-shirts, cute sleeveless tops, shorts and skirts. I headed over to Place Alexis-Nihon, a mall right next to where I work, and went to Zellers and Reitmans, the only two stores there where you can find plus-sizes clothes. Limited choice, but it’s affordable.

I went to Zellers first and bought a couple pieces without trying them on; I knew for a fact that I was a size 24 and that I could just grab a XXXL top and it would fit me. Then, I went to Reitmans and walked to the back of the store where they have their plus-size stuff. I picked a few items: a pair of Bermuda shorts, a sleeveless top, some tank-tops, and I went to a fitting room.

Before trying on the Reitmans picks, I dug into my Zellers bag to try on my first purchases. Top number 1: a beautiful magenta shirt. I put it on: it fit, but I could totally see my fat roll underneath the fabric. “Ok, not too terrible, I’ll just hold my stomach in.” Next, I tried on some beige Capri pants. As I thought, the 24’s fit me just fine, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from my calves. They looked so big… Anyway. I then proceeded to try on the Reitmans items. Jeans bermuda shorts, a sleeveless top, those XXXL cotton tank tops… Everything “fit”, but I couldn’t stop staring at all those “little things” that you hope nobody else sees… My arms looked so big… Those fat rolls that even the biggest size of clothing couldn’t hide anymore… My neck, or should I say lack-there-of; I just had a really big double-chin instead… And I looked at my face. Boy, did I look tired and unhappy.

I was wondering: is this the woman people see when they look at me? Do they see me as an obese, tired, unhappy woman? I didn’t even look my age; I looked at least 10 years older… And why did I look this way? Yes, I knew I ate a lot but could it really be that bad?

As I stared at myself in the mirror in the store, with tears rolling down my cheeks, I thought: “That’s it… I’ve had enough of this.”. I didn’t want to be this miserable anymore. I bought the clothes and headed home.

When I got home, I sat in front of my computer and Nathalie, my sister, was online. I opened up a chat session with her to tell her that I had just gotten back from the mall and that I had bought new things to wear in Florida for our trip. It sounded exciting, but really, it wasn’t. And I told her that I couldn’t live like this anymore, that I was unhappy, and that I had to change this situation. She was a good listener; she read my messages with interest and compassion, and she asked me what I was going to do. I didn’t know yet.

The following day was a Friday, and it was my usual grocery day. So I went to my grocery store and browsed through the aisles. I didn’t get my usual Haagen Dazs, I didn’t get my usual salt and vinegar chips, I didn’t get my usual Oreos. I got fruits and vegetables and whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta and nuts. I read the nutrition facts for everything I was putting my cart. When I wasn’t sure about an item, I would just not get it. I went back to the basic: I just had to eat better.

I thought that I would be doing this until my trip to Walt Disney World so I could at least feel a little better about myself while I was over there. When I got there with my sisters, I didn’t stop: I didn’t have all the “bad” food I thought I was going to have. When I was not hungry anymore, I would stop eating instead of emptying my plates. We did have one big dinner at Planet Hollywood; I felt so full afterwards that I told my sisters that I would never do that again. When I got back home, I kept going… I went back to the grocery store, got more fruits and vegetables and so on and so on…

July came. By that time, I had started to notice that my clothes seemed to fit a little better. Now, I didn’t have a scale so I couldn’t know for sure that I had lost weight, but I sure felt like I had. I decided to get a scale to see how the way I felt in my clothes reflected in numbers… And I was right. I had lost 20 pounds in two months.

I called my mom. I was ecstatic. I had lost 20 pounds, on my own, with no miracle diet or pill or weird hormone injection. I was doing it the “right” way and it was working! So I kept going. I kept watching my calorie intake. I would get low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie options. The pounds were just melting away.

I was moving a little more too. I would take the steps whenever I could and I would walk to the subway station to get to work instead of taking the bus there. It wasn’t much but it was a big improvement.

On a hot August evening, I was bored at home. I looked outside the window and thought: “It’s such a gorgeous evening… I should go for a walk.” And I did! That was the very first time I had decided to get up and move just because “I felt like it”. From that day on, walking has been a very important part of my life. Whenever I need to get somewhere within a reasonable distance, I walk instead of getting on the bus or taking the subway.

Over time, I’ve added more exercise to my life. I bought a Pilates DVD in November, along with a mat and some free-weights. My parents spoiled me for Christmas and got me a Wii Fit Plus that I’ve quickly added to my routine. I even started jogging back in March, and although I do not run as often as I would like to, all because of Montreal’s super amazing weather, I really love it and I have an immense feeling of satisfaction whenever I think of how better my cardio has gotten.

My diet has changed too. Instead of purely focusing on calories and the amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein in my food, I simply go for whole foods, as unprocessed as possible. Of course, I do treat myself every now and then for special occasion, like for the Holidays (where I bought a bag of chips and actually made a promise to my boyfriend that it would be the last time in my life that I would have chips) or for my birthday, when Sean and I had a glorious feast of Indian cuisine and Deep ‘N Delicious cake. High class stuff, I know…! Except for those special occasions, for the most part, my diet is now mostly plant-based.

With this new life, I’ve found myself a new passion for food, nutrition and well-being. I’ve always loved food, but I have a new perspective on it. I’m always on the lookout for new healthful options I could integrate into my diet. I read books by authors like Michael Pollan. I listen to Podcasts by people like Compasionate Cooks creator Colleen Patrick-Boudreau. I visit websites like VeggieBoards.com and FatFreeVegan.com on a daily basis. I give myself little cooking challenges, like how can I take this recipe I used to love and turn it into something I could love and crave now.

It’s been a year now. My life has completely changed. I feel like my appearance finally reflects who I am on the inside. I have gained confidence, knowledge and faith. I believe in myself. I even feel sexy for the very first time in my life! (Swimsuit season, here I come!).

I keep saying that it wasn’t tough, that I did it on my own. Yes, I did do it on my own, but it wouldn’t have been possible without all the support I’ve gotten. I’d especially like to give my most sincere thanks to the following people:

-          À mon père, Fabien. Mon père est un homme fort et aimant, dévoué au bien-être de sa famille. Il est le premier à dire que ce n’est pas facile de perdre du poids et qu’il a perdu 800 livres dans sa vie! Je pense qu’il est très fier de ce que j’ai accompli et je le remercie pour sa générosité et ses mots d’encouragement. Je t’aime papa! xxx

-          À ma mère, Marjo. Ma mère a souvent pris le temps de me parler pour me dire que je devrais me prendre en main. Elle le faisait avec beaucoup de délicatesse, car elle savait que c’était un sujet tabou pour moi et que je ne voulais pas en entendre parler. Même si je ne voulais pas l’avouer à l’époque, ses mots m’affectaient beaucoup et aujourd’hui, je suis fière de lui dire que je l’ai fait. Ta fille a regagné sa santé, maman! J Je t’aime!

-          À mes sœurs, Nathalie et Isabelle. Les filles, vous êtes les amours de ma vie. Vous le savez en plus; j’ai juste à regarder un de vos vidéos pour me redonner le sourire. Maintenant que j’aime mon apparence et que je n’ai pas honte d’être prise en photo, à quand notre prochain trip à Walt Disney World? J 

-          To my boyfriend, Sean. We started dating when I was already down 50lbs and a changed woman, but your love and attraction to me boosted my self-confidence like nothing else. I’m glad you’re in my life. You are such a big motivator. Thank you for your kindness, your support, but mostly, for putting up with my self-questioning and mood swings :P Ilu.

-          To my buddy Kris. K-guy, you are such a good friend. Thank you for the help throughout this journey. Our friendship is a precious gift.

-          À mes collègues de travail. Vous avez vu ma transformation au quotidien plus que quiconque. Anne-Marie, je suis vraiment contente de pouvoir te compter parmi mes amis. Tu m’en fais voir de toutes les couleurs et dans le fond, j’aime ça! Un merci tout spécial à Katherine, qui partage si gentiment ses fruits avec moi le matin et qui prend le temps d’inscrire les informations nutritionnelles sur les biscuits qu’elle amène. :P

-          To everybody on FatSecret.com. You cannot imagine how many messages I’ve gotten from people who want to lose weight, telling me that I’m an inspiration for them and congratulating me. Honestly, if I can help one person realize how “easy” this is, my work is done. By getting those messages almost on a daily basis, you guys are MY inspiration and you keep me going.

-          To all my Facebook friends. I’m kinda sorry for all the spam about weight loss and nutrition and food you have gotten this past year! :P But most of all, thank you for all the sweet comments I’ve gotten on all the progression pictures I’ve posted. <3 Franchement, un gros merci pour les commentaires! Particulièrement à mes vieux amis et à ma famille; vous me faites chaud au cœur.

There you have it. I thought I was going to last for a couple of weeks only, and here I am, one year later. I am 125 pounds lighter. I am healthier. I am happier.

Happy birthday, new life! It’s good to have you!

Seeing is believing

This post is purely for me.

Vero, whenever you look at yourself in the mirror and are not pleased with what you see, or whenever you "feel fat", take a look at this picture.

 

Look at you. Look at that small waist, those well defined leg muscles, the thin neck! Look at what you have accomplished this past year. You look fantastic and it's all because of the changes you have made to your life. 

You won the most important battle of your life. Be proud!

Rewarding myself with a couple additions to my kitchen!

The thrill of eating real food

Changing my eating habits has been much easier than people think it was. I didn’t go “cold-turkey”. I started out by not buying chips and ice cream anymore and making a conscience effort to eat things that just seemed to be “healthier”.  I opted for “diet” food, “low fat” and “reduced sugar” options. And it was working: I was losing weight.

One day, over lunch with my dear friend Denise, I was sipping on my Diet Pepsi, which had been a favourite of mine for years. When I got done with my can, I turned it sideways to read the nutrition facts. Nice, very low in calories! That’s perfect for my diet! And then I looked at the ingredients. Caramel color... aspartame... phosphoric acid... potassium benzoate... What? Why would I want to have that stuff in my body? I put the empty can down, looked at Denise and told her that I was done with Pepsi; I had decided that all those chemicals were not worth the thrill of a sparkling sugary drink.

From that day on, I started paying better attention to the ingredients in the food I was buying. I quickly realized that it was tougher than I thought to eat “clean food”. I ended up loading on fresh produce, because pre-packaged food always seemed to have some sort of ingredient which name I couldn’t even pronounce.

To quote Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” It might sound like these words only mean that our diet should be mostly vegetarian, but it goes beyond that. We should eat “food”. Over the years, we seem to have forgotten what real food actually is. We go for fast, convenient, pre-packaged food. We do not control what we put in our bodies anymore. We let the food industry decide that we should ingest chemicals, preservatives, thickening agents, colorants. Doesn’t that seem wrong to you guys?

To me, it just doesn’t make sense. Why would I want to eat all that when I can pick my ingredients and make most of my food from scratch? Of course, I still buy some pre-packaged stuff, but I try to have it in very small amounts. Plus, the thrill of researching ingredients online, picking up recipe ideas from books and TV and the web, going to the market and taking the time to walk around to pick the very best fruits and vegetables to prepare outweighs the convenience of pre-packaged.

And you know what? It’s worth it. I feel better, my hair is shinier than before, my skin is glowing and my boyfriend even says that my eyes are brighter! And I’m still losing the weight. But that’s not it; I’ve rediscovered the passion I used to have for cooking. I thought that cooking was not worth the effort when it’s just for you, but I wholly disagree now. I get to make the food just the way I like it and I make it as visually appealing as if I were serving it to guests. After all, am I not worth the effort?

Over my research for better food, I’ve stumbled upon a great website, WHFoods.com. The World’s Healthiest Foods. Pretty obvious name, but it delivers exactly what it’s advertising. You click on a food item and the website gives you a tremendous amount of information on why you should include it to your diet, the nutrition facts, the health benefits and recipe ideas. I make a point to try out one new food from that list every week. It has turned into a little game for me! What kind of delicious meal can I come up with!

Anyway! What I’m trying to say is that real food is simply better for you then fake food is, and it can be fun too. Do yourself a favour; treat yourself like you would treat a guest, and cook yourself a real meal. You will only be thankful you did.

The biggest victory ever: I am no longer overweight.

I was 280lbs last May, and I am down to 157.6 as of this morning. That means that my BMI is at 24.7. I'm no longer overweight.

I think I have to say it to myself one more time: Vero, you are no longer overweight.

Wow, what a feeling! All the efforts I've made feel like they are more than worth it today. I wanted to thank you guys for all the support you have given me over these last 11 months and also for not telling me to shut up everytime I would talk about my weight loss :P

Un gros, gros, gros merci particulièrement à ma famille. Papa, maman, Nath et Bé, je vous aime tellement. Merci pour tout!

Also a big thank you to my boyfriend Sean: he liked me when we first met back when I weighed 230lbs and his words of support and motivation made me want to keep going so I could feel even more confident about my body and look sexier for him. I love you :)

As for the video, please check out my YouTube channel if you haven't yet: MyHeadMyHeartMyBelly. And don't forget to comment, rate and subscribe if you liked it :)

Here it is!

Welcome to my blog, where you will be able to read more about my weight loss journey, the food that got me where I am today and the exercises I do.

I will describe my evolution. To make it quick, back in May 2009, I was a 280lbs World of Warcraft addict and I am now a 161.6lbs fitter nutrition-passioned girl. Almost a year went by and I don't want to go back to the way I was before.

I also plan on posting pictures of the food that I prepare for myself and my loved ones along with the recipe for what I make. Nutritious food doesn't have to be boring; in fact, it's colorful, tasty and fun to eat. You certainly don't have to give up on taste to eat better. Stay tuned if you are interested in nutrition and what to eat to feel good about yourself!

Mon blogue sera principalement en anglais, mais je compte traduire certaines des informations que j'y posterai en français.