Hi! My name is Lisa but some people call me Veggie Lisa. I am a mom of four kids who loves to dance, cook, exercise, shop, decorate, and enjoy all the beautiful things the state of Utah has to offer. I have had a very long journey to get to the place that I am now, strong and confident but most of all happy. For years, I was the chubby girl by the pool who would hide under her cover up, only to quickly take it off and get as fast into the water as possible. I would envy all of my friends who seemed to be so comfortable with themselves. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong. I went to the gym every day, and I tried not to eat too much junk. I thought maybe my body was meant to be chubby and that I was supposed to be content with that.
At one point in my life, the scale read in the 200s. Yes, I was pregnant at the time, but had spent a lot of my pregnancy eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. And no, that did not include any vegetables. After giving birth to my first child, I expected all of that weight to just come off. And sadly, that did not happen. It took me two years just to get back to my starting point, which was not a place I was happy to begin with. Three pregnancies later, I had come to the conclusion that I looked good “for having 4 kids.” That, was not okay with me. I wanted to look better and feel better and I knew that had to mean eating better and training smarter.
I was introduced and hired an online trainer who helped me see what I was doing wrong, and why my body was carrying an extra 30 pounds of fat. It took me a solid year to lose the weight. Throughout the process, I learned so much about myself, the things I was doing to sabotage my weight loss, and what I needed to be doing when I went to the gym. I changed my eating habits completely (although I never started eating meat again). I am a life long vegetarian and will always keep it that way, so I needed to figure out how I would get enough protein to lose fat and build muscle.
Most people find veggies very, very, very boring. And gross. But not me! I love all things green and the more colorful my plate is, the happier I am. I try to prepare them in a way that is anything but boring. Here are some of my rules when it comes to veggies:
-don’t buy vegetables you don’t like. chances are if you don’t care for eggplant, no matter how many different ways you prepare it, eggplant still tastes like eggplant.
-find the veggies you like to eat raw. this comes in handy when you have 2.5 seconds to figure out what to eat. raw veggies are always quick and easy (not to mention tasty)
-feed your kids vegetables every time YOU eat them. they might resist at first, but slowly they will start eating them. no need to ‘disguise’ them as something else. when they ask what it is, tell them, so that they can develop good habits
That’s it. Eat Veggies. Eat Protein. Drink Water and you will
Feel Good, Eat Good, and LOOK GOOD!
xo,
Veggie Lisa