My name is Jessie DaSilva. I’m a lawyer and a wellness coach using this blog as an outlet for all my kitchen inventions and assorted bits of advice I think everyone could use. I’m a positive thinker and the ultimate hype-(wo)man. You might not think you’re capable, but I know you are. We’re all capable of doing hard things. Let me tell you my story as an example.
I struggled with my body image my entire life. I don’t know where it came from, but I remember worrying about how fat I was as young as 8 years old. I started dieting in the 7th grade and basically tried every fad out there through my late 20s.
- Atkins/Keto,
- South Beach,
- Ultra-metabolism,
- MyFitnessPal,
- Weight Watchers,
- High Protein,
- Low Protein,
- Pescatarian,
- Veganism,
- All-meat,
- Mediterranean,
- 1200 calories a day,
- Low fat,
- High fat, and
- I kid you not, some random-ass diet where I had grapefruit and meat for every meal. I DON’T GET IT EITHER.
None of them worked because as I later realized, restrictions don’t cause permanent change. Instead, you get a lot of temporary progress that unravels when you eat anything NOT on the plan. I’m sorry, but anything that tells me that I won’t be able to occasionally have REAL bacon or a fudgy, gooey, bakery brownie isn’t something I’ll ever be able to live with my entire life.
Anyway, as I got older, I became more active as I found hobbies I liked. And I’ve always loved to cook! So I thought I was doing just fine with a routine of rock climbing, yoga, and jogging with my healthy meal plans.
Until winter rolled around and I realized I couldn’t fit into any of my pants.
That just killed my self-esteem. I’ve always been someone who was body positive, but this body no longer felt like mine. I was slower, more easily winded, and I didn’t like how my clothes looked on me. I’m a self-proclaimed fashionista and I worked really hard to curate a closet that reflects my individuality. The idea of giving that up not only sounded expensive, but depressing.
So, I took a chance. I decided I needed a serious change and reached out to a friend I had watched on her wellness journey for two years and asked for help. And just like that, she had me signed up for Beachbody’s 80 Day Obsession.
I knew I would do everything in my power to stick to it, but I was convinced there was no way it could work as well for me as it did for everyone else. A little over one month in, I realized how wrong I was. It worked so well, that people started asking me how they could get started, too.
I found out that I loved helping people who felt as directionless and helpless as I did. Even more, I loved creating delicious healthy alternatives to meals and foods that I missed. I realized I could still enjoy food that could help me lose weight without feeling deprived. And now I post them here or share others I find on my Pinterest.
And now, I’m so happy to have you on this journey with me, dear reader!