I sat staring at the screen, squinting my eyes trying to make out the shape in the photo. It was somewhat round and vaguely resembled a cake, but it clearly wasn’t a birthday cake. Candles were stuck in the top, but that still wasn’t enough of a clue. I had to read the Instagram post to figure it out.

I have a love-hate relationship with social media, but recently I’ve been back on it with a new little project I’m working on here. Come join me and my happy little corner of the online world. I try to avoid doom scrolling, but whenever I go to post something in my account, I can’t resist looking at the home screen post which is how my photo investigation began.

I used to read this particular entrepreneur influencer‘s blog post but unsubscribed when she started posting about her new “healthy lifestyle” and “inadvertent” yet significant weight loss. Her so-called “transformation” was startling, mostly because she...

I sat staring at the screen, squinting my eyes trying to make out the shape in the photo. It was somewhat round and vaguely resembled a cake, but it clearly wasn’t a birthday cake. Candles were stuck in the top, but that still wasn’t enough of a clue. I had to read the Instagram post to figure it out.

I have a love-hate relationship with social media, but recently I’ve been back on it with a new little project I’m working on here. Come join me and my happy little corner of the online world. I try to avoid doom scrolling, but whenever I go to post something in my account, I can’t resist looking at the home screen post which is how my photo investigation began.

I used to read this particular entrepreneur influencer‘s blog post but unsubscribed when she started posting about her new “healthy lifestyle” and “inadvertent” yet significant weight loss. Her so-called “transformation” was startling, mostly because she...

Fat and healthy? No way. 

At least that's what I used to believe. 

Just like you, I had been brainwashed to believe that health came in one size and one size only- thin. 

Over the years, I unlearned this harmful lie and now believe the truth. Health comes in all shapes and sizes. 

One of the best ways to get a visual for this is today, Marathon Monday in Boston. 

Nearly 30,000 people will gather in Hopkinton to start the race from 100 countries, from ages 17-82 years old. They will all have different body sizes, different running styles and will compete with the same goal of finishing a 26.2 mile run. 

Watching all these runners helps us all debunk myths about size, age and gender. 

If you want something, don't let size or age get in your way. 

Get out there and put one foot in front of the other.  

Don't do it because you're trying to manipulate your body size or punish yourself for existing in the size that was intended...

I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry when I saw the enormous crate of bananas on our front porch. 

This was not an April Fool’s Day joke. 

Let me back up…. 

Having 6 kids means we go through A LOT of food. I despise putting away the Costco size food packages, but we need the volume so it becomes a necessary evil. 

Going to Costco ranks up there with the DMV so I always order through instacart. 

In my ordering haste, I hit “add to cart” on the bananas as if I was shopping our local store through instacart. My usual order of  10 bananas did not equal 10 individual bananas, it meant 10 BUNCHES of nine bananas or NINETY BANANAS. 

Yep, I opened the door to find 90 freaking bananas staring me in the face. Maybe the delivery guy thought we had a monkey? Maybe a beach banana party? Maybe a banana bread making business? Either way, I was stuck with my banana crate. 

My kids really thought this was hilarious and one of...

I was a bad bunny. 

I’ll never forget the Easter I was determined to be the virtuous green goddess (aka diet culture) bunny. 

Candy hidden in Easter eggs? No way.

Chocolate bunny in the Easter basket? Not a chance.

Jelly beans in the faux Easter grass? Nope. 

Not for this clean mama and her disciples. 

As our kids dashed around the yard looking for their eggs, suspense to see what was inside was mounting. 

As they gathered on the grass to crack open their eggs, excitement dwindled as quickly as the air leaving a popped balloon. 

“Where’s the candy?”
“Why is there fake sugar cereal in these?”

“At least there’s some money in a couple”.

The comments and discontent were verging on mutiny except they were (thankfully) too young to know how to organize and demand reparations. 

Green goddess wasn’t going down that day though. It would take her some time to unlearn diet culture’s ways and it...

I think I’d rather stand in line all day at the DMV than get a colonoscopy. 

Apparently 45 is the new 50 in terms of the recommended age for getting a good luck up your buns, and my dad had a history of polyps so I’ve reluctantly scheduled this appointment thanks to my prodding sister.

The procedures book so far out that I don’t have to actually deal with decisions about prep and jugs and extra soft toilet paper for a few months, but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t dreading the poopy prep, the day of main event and recovery. 

I’ve already been reading ahead to find out what the hell you can actually eat for the 3 whole days before the procedure. 

Spoiler alert, it’s not a lot. 

BUT, I’ve read that in the home stretch you can have Ginger Ale, clear Gatorade and yellow and white gummy bears and still keep the colon coast clear. You better believe I’ll be stocking up on those. 

I will not be using this...

Mom, If I drink this whole thing, I only get 5 calories”? My son questioned me incredulously as he twisted the pink can of Spindrift around in his hands.

*Pause here to check ingrained diet culture’s typically excited response when someone seems enthused over a low calorie item.*

”Yeah, if you drink that, it doesn’t give you a lot of energy,” I casually replied. 

“But I’ve had stuff that has like more than 300 calories in it!!” he proudly proclaimed.

”Oh, that must have given you a little more energy. Depending on what kind of food you eat and how much you eat, your body gets energy for shorter or longer periods of time.” 

After all that, I got, “Well I don’t even like how this tastes anyways. Bye.”

Cue child running off, and scene fading to black. 

If you talk about foods neutrally, you keep kids (and yourself) in control of being able to *actually* choose what they want based on their...

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or the shrinking elephant, to be more accurate. 

Semaglutide has now become a household name. It’s primarily used in the treatment for Type 2 Diabetes under the medication name, Ozempic, and now its being hailed as the drug (Wegovy) that can end ob*sity. 

Let’s break this down a little. 

Is Wegovy effective for weight loss? 
So far, studies have shown some success. The results can vary WIDELY. About 50% of study participants have seen anywhere from 5-15% losses in total body weight. Some saw ZERO changes. That’s a lot higher than dieting’s dismall 2-3 % success rate, but it’s still not 100%. 

Are there any side effects? 
Yes, a large percentage of study participants have gastrointestinal side effects including constipation, nausea, diarrhea and cramping. Hair loss, dizziness, fatigue and abdominal pain are also common. 

Is this a pill or injection? 
Weekly...

“Mom, do you know what BFF stands for?”  my son questioned.

”Yeah, of course! It’s best friends forever” I replied in hopes that he might want to ask me to be his new bestie.

“It stands for big, fat friend” he said through giggle fits of laughter. 

”Wait, what?” I questioned. 

“It’s from the penguin movie!” he exclaimed. 

Right, ok. Time to run interference. 

Let me back up.

Nobody does slapstick comedy like Jim Carrey. His spastic style coupled with his stand up comedic roots make for some of the most hilarious movie scenes of our time. 

My son’s class watched Carrey star in the movie, Mr Popper’s Penguins before their class went to see the play*. 

In one scene, one of Carrey’s “kids” is talking about BFF’s and Carrey chimes in saying that it stands for big fat friend. Cue the 6 year old crew in hysterics. 

When I asked why this...

It was as close to Dwight Schrute’s world that I’d ever been. I wove my way through office cubicles downstairs into the break room. It was my first workplace wellness talk and the whole time I was wishing Michael Scott would walk through the door. 

I talked about ways to stay sane during 70-80 hour work weeks during tax season. Hours long mid-day trips to the gym were out of the question, so I started with your favorite topic and mine….dieting. 

I reminded the office crew how hard dieting makes it to stay focused and how much it stresses the body. If you’re looking to be productive, dieting would be a last resort choice. Dieting is about as far from productive as you can get seeing as it boasts a 97% failure rate, costs an enormous amount of time and money and leaves you feeling like a bonafide crazy person around food.

In my experience, people can get behind the idea of foods not being good or bad, but the same question always lingers.