A Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Nutrition and struggling with my weight

I wrote a post very similar to this one in April, 2023. 18 months later and my kids are bigger, my office is outside of the home, but so many things remain consistent. Which is ideal, right? Keep the healthy foundation through the shifting of life!

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if anyone cared about a “day in the life post” from me. My life is pretty boring!

Although hearing more about someone and taking a peak into their world helps connect us.

I, too, have a story about being uncomfortable in my body. I’ve cried tears of nothing to wear and feeling fat. I’ve worn hoodies on a warm days because I was too self-conscious to wear anything else.

When I declared Nutrition as my major at Kansas State University, I hoped it would answer my weight struggles as much as a degree option. While learning about metabolism and nutrient absorption, I counted every calorie I ate and hit the gym before class.

But, uhhh, I graduated at my highest weight.

I also had a terrible haircut from my sister right before graduation which did not help my confidence AT ALL. 

It wasn’t until my first job in a bariatric surgery clinic that I re-wrote the script for myself. I will always be grateful to the surgeons and colleagues at WeightWise Bariatric Clinic in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Not only did it start the career path I would fall completely in love with, but it also allowed me to find a way to control my hunger and weight. We counseled patients to focus on lean protein paired with veggies and to fill up. Listen to body cues instead of weighing food or counting calories.

It was scary. I didn’t trust myself or my hunger. I decided I better try if I was going to coach others to do the same. Plus, I was hopeful it could work.

Which brings me to today.

Over a decade later it still works

I’ve maintained a 40-pound weight loss for 14.5 years, including losing baby weight after two pregnancies. My day-to-day schedule is jam-packed and managing food and hunger is KEY to keeping up with it all.

I took pictures throughout a “typical day” in Spring of 2023 and now I’m adding photos of Fall 2024. What I noticed most? It’s so similar. Some things have adapted, but mostly the consistency remains.

Here is a peek of my behind-the-scenes. A glimpse into how I run a bariatric nutrition business, a home, and a family while maintaining my weight.

This is just a snapshot. Some days I am hungrier and eat more to control my hunger. The most important thing for me is staying ON TOP of my hunger! Water and protein-first meals are a must for my appetite control.

Not planned, the similarity between what I was up to 18 months ago is real!

I make it to the gym two days a week, Mondays and Thursdays. On Fridays, I do an at-home workout with my husband, Kevin. Walking is my favorite way to clear my head and now that the kids are both in grade school, I walk right after drop-off.

Once a week I get to the gym at 6 am, but don’t be fooled. On Thursdays, I go over my lunch hour and meet Kevin there. One of the biggest perks of us working close to our gym and the kids being at school!

I have been doing strength training for the last 18 months thanks to my friend and colleague Julie Przybyla RD. She’s a dietitian and a trainer. I took her weight room challenge and never stopped using her workouts in the Trainerize app. If you need help getting in the weight room, you should go find her on Instgram, @vibrantRD!

Ahh, the age-old question: should you eat before a workout?

There are probably different ways to answer, but here is why I DO eat.

My main goal is to stay on top of my hunger. If I skip eating and go straight to the gym, I will be overly hungry by the time I’m done. That matters to me more than any other rabbit trail of fueling a workout. I just did a cheese stick this time.

Back at home, the morning chaos is underway. In between making the kid’s bagels, brushing tangles, and breaking up fights, I make some Parmesan Eggs for myself. These days, Kevin makes the eggs more than me!

In Spring 2023, my son was in preschool 3 days a week. No doubt I miss my extra time with him and his love of Spiderman. Fast forward to today and I work five days a week instead of three, and my office it outside the home so I am packing all my food!

On Mondays, I plan meals and order groceries (unless I get it done on Sunday). My website has an awesome feature for adding my recipes to a Walmart or Aldi order that I can pick up in a few hours!

This is a win for both business and personal life. I share my weekly menu with my email subscribers and my members get the full meal plan with a grocery list. It truly is my menu that I’m sharing because those are the recipes I sent to Walmart or Aldi while I was making the menu!

Most often my lunch is leftovers from the night before. It helps me fill up on protein and clear out my fridge. I made a big batch of Harvest Chicken Stew (Premier Access recipe) and put leftovers directly into my little Crockpot “lunch crock.”

^I don’t measure my portions.

I don’t count my grams or my ounces. I have no idea how many calories were in my lunch. My approach is what I call the 2:1 Protein Method. You can read more here but essentially, fill up on 2 bites protein to 1 bite veggies and listen to your natural fullness cues.

After lunch, I have to do some serious heavy lifting to get things done before picking up the kids. I ask my team for a lot of help, clear out my inbox and task list. I connect with my members in the community and schedule emails like my weekly newsletter!

Time is up and I have to run out the door to school pickup and spend time with kids, do chores and start dinner before dance or soccer!

My 2023 pictures was my Aldi order being delivered to my porch. I needed that extra help when my son was in Pre-K three days a week. Nowadays, I order Aldi pickup through the InstaCart app (also connected to my website) and save the delivery fee and tip.

Dinner time prep is easiest when the weather is nice and my kids are happy outside for a bit. When it’s colder, I try to engage them in helping or at least have them do some coloring or kinetic sand to give me space!

For my 2023 post I made Morrocan Chicken Thighs (one of my favorites) with steamed carrots. The next night I made BBQ Chicken Foil packs on the grill. I don’t use thigh meat often but when I do, Morrocan is where it is at!

My 2024 version features 5 Ingredient Chili using ground turkey, and the next night was Balsamic Garlic Pork Tenderloin with green beans.

Family dinner time is simple and yet super hard

This section is so interesting to me. I’m shared real insights into dinner 18 months ago. I want to leave it and preserve what it was like then, but I will add in bold what is similar or different now.

Okay, breathe. Dinner time with the family is hard. Mostly saying this to myself.

Last Summer I read “The Picky Eater Project” and did my best to implement it in my home.

We do a “one family, one meal” approach which means I will put out several bowls and options of food, but this is what we are having. You can pick what you’d like to put on your plate, as will Mom and Dad.

I sit closest to the meats and veggies because I want to fill up on those. Mostly I’m not tempted by the starchy foods on the table which wreck havoc on my hunger levels.

Some nights I will say it’s “kids’ choice” and let them have the chicken nuggets or quesadillas they want. I don’t feel guilty when I do this because it is such a big treat for them! I only pull that card when I need to.

This part is still true. I put tons of food out and everyone picks what they put on their plate. I incorporate foods they will eat but if they try something new like the entree, they get to put it on their “try new foods list.”

When they fill their list, they get to pick the family movie. 

Something else that is new in October 2024, we draw for clean up duties after dinner. I use the “wheel of names” on my phone and put tasks like “put away food, load dishwasher, wipe tables” and we each spin for a job. I’m shocked to say they have done great with it! 

This is a story for 2023 that I have to keep in here! Hey, I said this would be behind the scenes! This particular night there was a big argument about who sat at the head of the table. It was an ORDEAL. I was tired of the shouting and told them I was eating outside.

They followed me. We ate outside on the sidewalk. At least there was less fighting.

In October 2024, our weeknights have activities. We tend to eat early anyway so it has mostly worked to eat before dance or soccer. Some soccer nights I make a salad so my husband can eat it easily when we get to the fields. 

Some nights I am hungry in the evenings because dinner is so early. Lately I’ve been having dried edamame or plain Greek yogurt with flax seeds and cinnamon. In the winter I do Protein Hot Chocolate. Protein-focused snacks to curb my hunger in the evening to set me up well the next day.

Weight management is so boooring

There you have it! I warned you it was a little boring… but that’s really what hunger control and weight maintenance are. There are SO many things in my daily life that look the same as 18 months ago. I hope in another 18 months the same is true!

Leave me a comment if you can relate to the boring alert for managing weight!

But also….

It’s not that your food life has to be boring. NOT AT ALL. I love creating new recipes, adding flavors, and keeping crunch in my life.

But when it comes to the behind-the-scenes of day-to-day healthy habits, it’s just as exciting as staying on a budget, brushing your teeth twice a day, or emptying the dishwasher.

The more you do it, the more second nature it becomes…but feeling tired, bored, stressed or not having time to plan is always in the mix.

That’s why community is so important to stay motivated and consistent. I’m so grateful for the BFC Members cheering one another on. It’s contagious to myself and my team too!

Stay tuned! I’m working on a free coaching lab to help post-op patients find their next best step on their journey!

Hop on the waitlist and be the first to know when dates are announced!