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...

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...

By 8pm, I was searching for a way out. FAST. 

Last Saturday, I found myself bumper to bumper in a sea of people all vying for a view of the Rockefeller Tree and the Sax Fifth Avenue light and music show. 

There’s nothing like New York during the holidays and because it was a balmy 55 degrees, everyone and their mother, brother and sister were out trying to absorb some of the city’s magic. 

Thankfully, our stroller was a small buffer between us and the next person, otherwise it was body to body weaving through a narrow passageway bordered by metal barricades until you got your chance to take your picture and move on. Normally, I would balk at such a massive crowd, but It was warm and the three kids with me and my mom were willing to slog it out to experience some special holiday cheer. 

After a while, though, we were all done and needed to. Get. Out. We could only withstand that scene for so long before needing to find a less crowded street so our...

I screamed so loudly that the guy wallpapering my house opened the front door to see what happened. 

I ran with my shaking dog over to where he was standing on my front porch and together we inspected her for blood. Turns out retired fire fighters turned wallpaper installers are good for emergencies. 

One minute earlier, the neighbor's dog came out of their yard into the street and attacked our dog. 

After we spotted a wound, I called the vet. 

Two minutes later, we loaded the still shaking dog into the car. 

Twenty-five minutes later we arrived at the vet's office. 

As I held our shaking puppy and paced the waiting room, I noticed a sign. 

In big bold letters, it said "Did you know that 50% of dogs are OVERWEIGHT?"

Ugh. Even the dogs aren't immune to the constant bombardment of weight loss. Thank god dogs can't read, use social media, read magazines or watch TV, but too bad their owners can. I'm all for taking great care of dogs, but I think...

I had an epiphany this week. 

I was listening to, On Our Best Behavior, by Elise Loehnen, on Audible and in her chapter about gluttony, she talks about diet culture and the impossible standards to which women are held (cue America Ferrera’s speech in the Barbie movie). 

Out of the whole chapter, one key word stood out: satisfied. 

I got to thinking and wondered, do you ever feel really satisfied? Or do you spend more time thinking about how much you feel unsatisfied in your life? Whether it’s your relationships, your kids, your career, the things you own or don’t own, your house, your car, the things you did or didn’t do, how your time is spent or how your body looks, there’s always something that could be better. 

Americans thrive on the idea that their value and worth can be achieved just around the corner. We’re all baked into a culture of strivers. What’s next? How can I better myself? There’s nothing wrong with...

Sometimes you get news that makes time stand still and feels like someone has pulled the rug out from underneath you.

This past week our family received terrible news that my 49 year old cousin passed away after battling cancer for four long years. Even though we knew she wouldn't be with us forever, we were shattered to learn she was gone. She was one of my first best friends and remained close to me for over four decades. 

We bonded throughout our childhood over dance recitals, fancy parties at the Italian Community Center, hair styles (so jealous my Aunt was a hair stylist and could cut her hair!) and countless bad 80's fashion mishaps. 

Hands down, what bonded us the most was food. Every Sunday night we'd meet at my Nana's house for her famous pasta, every holiday we shared meals together, every birthday we cut cake together while our Uncles cut the cheese and we worked our grandparent's food booth at Festa Italiana. We ate food together, made food together...

A friend of mine just celebrated the Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur.  A lengthy fast (usually 24 hours) followed by a big meal. She commented that she loved the holiday, but hated all those foods that made her "puffy". 

Breaking news, the holidays are here, and you just might get a little puffy and it's no big deal. 

And, it's good to remind yourself that one meal or snack or holiday isn't going to drastically or permanently change your size. 

Eat the bagels, the candy, the pie, the casserole that Aunt Linda has made since you were seven years old and the cookies from your Grandma. There's a reason it's affectionately called comfort food. Having foods to feel good or give you a sense of nostalgia is completely normal. 

Your body is smart and knows that not every day is a holiday. It will tell you when you need a little more or a little less food. It's a remarkably fine tuned engine that doesn't need help from the loud voices of diet culture, your...

We managed to escape Hurricane Lee's path on the East Coast this weekend, but I haven't been able to escape the proverbial hurricane called back to school. I'm up to my eyeballs in parent meetings, room mom meetings, TPA meetings, coffees and back to school nights. While I love being back in the swing of things, schools are often a place where diet culture lurks. 

Leaving one in person meeting this past week, I hopped on a zoom for my daughter's school. They happened to be soliciting help for their "snack shack" which is a little spot on campus where kids can buy all sorts of food after school. 

The presenter said, "Now we really need your help and know that you can just pretend that everything being sold to your kids isn't all garbage". Her comment was met with a round of laughter that sounded like it was piped in for a game show. Hello, diet culture. It's these subtle, yet not so subtle, comments that perpetuate anti-fat bias. 

The messaging that you...

Drumroll, please……

Today is my book birthday! Raising Anti-Diet Kids: A Parent’s Actionable Guide To Ditch Diets and Cultivate Body Respect is out in the world!!

Cue the confetti, streamers and dance music, but no gifts, please!***

Friends and Family who preordered their books sent me texts and photos with my book having a party in their very own homes! It’s wild this idea I had years ago actually turned into a real live book that people are reading. Like any author, I worry. Will people like it? Will it make a difference in their lives? Will only my mom and dad buy the book? I do know that I poured my heart and soul into this book and tried to make it a valuable tool that completely changes the way you think about food and your body not only for yourself, but for your whole family. I can't wait to hear what you think! 

If you still haven't bought the book, what are you waiting for?
For two lucky readers, the book...