Healthy Chicks

During my days as a chronic, obsessive dieter, I knew my relationship with food was not normal, but I just couldn’t stop. It was like being in a toxic relationship — you know the dude’s not right for you but for some reason you stay. Meanwhile, all your friends are like get the eff out of that. Then years later, you look back and say “What the hell was I thinking?”

That was me with food!

When I was in college, I so envied my friends who could eat normal. They’d nonchalantly order a pizza after a long night out, get a salad whenever they felt like eating salad, and be able to have a bagel on a Sunday (with all the fixings!) without guilt. I wanted that. But instead, I sat there drooling over their meals, as I anxiously counted calories, picked apart my sandwich and ordered what I thought was “healthy.”

Years later when I decided to quit dieting once and for all — cold turkey — I subconsciously began to develop the mindset of what I referred to as a “normal eater.” I realized right then and there that it wasn’t about what or how … Read More!

My journey with dieting started when I was 16 years old with the South Beach Diet. I started it right after a family vacation, when it became apparent to me that my thighs were ‘huge’ and I was ‘fat.’ So I scoured the internet in search for a solution, and of course going on a diet was the number one answer from Google.

I still vividly remember sitting through English class, counting out my celery sticks and 30-calorie cheese wedges. I started the diet right around my sister’s birthday, where I avoided nearly all the food and quietly ate my ricotta ‘pudding’ in the corner as everyone else devoured the cake. I had egg beaters every morning for breakfast, turkey roll-ups at lunch and grilled chicken or fish with veggies for dinner. I avoided most fruit, all grains and bread like the plague. After all, they were ‘off limits.’

Throughout the whole diet process, it was the first time in my life I became obsessed with the scale, counting calories and losing weight. Even though I was in fact dropping pounds (mostly water weight in the beginning), I was more self-conscious than ever and literally consumed with how I looked.… Read More!

As a child, I absolutely adored food. I was lucky to grow up in a household that valued good food, and sitting down for family dinners. My mom’s chicken parmesan, shepherd’s pie and chicken devan were absolutely to-die-for, and I cherished each and every bite.

I have fond memories walking into my grandmother’s house to the comforting aroma of a fresh pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. I loved helping my grandma cook, plopping celery and carrots into the boiling water ever so carefully to assure I wouldn’t get burnt. She taught me how to make pierogies (making sure to pinch the dough juuuust right), and that there’s nothing sweeter than a tomato picked fresh from the garden with just a pinch of salt.

Food was love. And we all loved to eat.

Somewhere along the way, that all changed. I learned that food was “bad” and would in turn make me fat. And so the self-depricating, fat-shaming deprivation began. Food consumed me for a solid 6+ years of my life. It was always on my mind, and I completely let it dictate my life. I’d skip out on dates, dinner with friends, and fabulous opportunities all because of my … Read More!

Good afternoon, babes! Hope you’re having an amazing week, and soaking up some sunshine. Hubby & I just moved into our new place in the ‘burbs yesterday, and we’re already loving the simplicity and quiet. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Boston, but I’m definitely a country gal at heart 😉

Anyway, I wanted to let you in on a little secret over here: I used to absolutely hate my body, in particular my “fat thighs.” I was super self-conscious to the extent that I wouldn’t wear jeans or shorts, let alone be caught dead exposed in a bathing suit. Trust me, I had the worst tan lines!

By focusing on what I hated about my body, my mind was filled with negative thoughts like “I am not good enough,” “If only I could have her body” and “Once I lose some weight and that thigh jiggle, maybe then I’ll be happy.”

Newsflash: those thoughts got me no where.

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of negative bod talk stemming from the whole “bikini body” goals. It’s all over the place on social media, tabloids, magazines, and blog posts shouting at us ladies that THIS IS WHAT … Read More!

Hello beautiful ladies! Hope you’re off to one heck of a summer; I know I am. I left my full-time job, celebrated my 29th birthday, camped with some of my faves, chilled by the ocean, took an incredible calligraphy class, and have been eating all the food. Um, hello wine + cheese.

One of my favorite parts about summer is being outdoors and staying active — be it hiking, long walks on the beach collecting sea glass, morning runs or standup paddleboarding.

Fitbit makes it easier than ever to track all of your activities in a stylish, simple way. With the latest and greatest member of their active line — the Fitbit Blaze — they’ve totally pumped it up a notch. I absolutely love the plum wristband on the one I was given (my fave color!) but it also comes in blue and black if purple’s not your thing.

Check out these sleek features to see why I’m lovin’ the Blaze:

This past Monday officially marked the first day of summer, and I was lucky enough to ring it in with a few other bloggers for a night of fitness, shopping & dining in Chestnut Hill Square.

We started the night off with a sweaty spin sesh at SoulCycle, followed by some shopping at Athleta (where I just had to buy these crops in Tahitian Teal, don’t they just scream summer?!?) After some shopping, it was time for dinner at Seasons52, where we were wined + dined galore.

We started off with a Peach Bourbon Smash cocktail (a sneak peek from their new summer menu!), and our lovely waitress brought us a couple different flatbreads to try: Blacked Steak & Blue Cheese and Lobster & Fresh Mozzarella. Both were absolutely delicious, but the lobster one was the favorite; I think it was the lobster sour cream that really put me over the edge 😉

After the flatbreads, we moved onto a watermelon feta & heirloom tomato salad, which was oh so refreshing! Our waitress then brought out another strawberry cocktail to try, with fresh strawberries that were infused in vodka…oh my! (Time to start pacing myself!)

For my … Read More!

Summer is in the air and on my mind lately, as it’s my absolute favorite season. These past few weeks I’ve been spending lots of time with nature including a 3-day camping trip, a couple hikes, and the first beach trip of the season! To me, that feeling of freedom and playfulness is what summer is all about.

But unfortunately, year after year right around this time we get bombarded by the “bikini body” ads and diet scare tactics. While I am so not a fan of diets, quick fixes and making women feel bad about their bodies, I do think we all want to feel our best selves during the summer (but going on a diet is not the answer).

Instead, it’s about the little things we do every day that help us feel good in our body, mind and soul — and having fun! In partnership with O.N.E. Coconut Water, I wanted to share with you my go-to summer health hacks — including a refreshing way to spruce up your margarita 😉

1. Move more. Find a workout that lights you up, and do that. Don’t think too much about the calories burned or your time; … Read More!

Note: This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and True Runner, but as always all opinions are my own.

It’s been in the high 80s in Boston this week, and summer is on my mind: roof-top bars, crop-tops, BBQing, beach days, and all the good stuff that comes with my favorite season. As the weather starts to warm up — along with my mood — I also begin thinking about fitness and how I move my body.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that running has always been one of those exercises that makes me shine. Unfortunately, these past few months have got the best of me and I’ve been kind o’ putting my weekly fitness on the back burner. However, a mind-clearing run last week up Summit Avenue hill (for those of you who don’t know, it’s a monster hill in the heart of Brookline) got running back on my mind.

And what better way to inspire a gal to keep it going than new workout clothes + gear? (If you know me, my wardrobe is like 90% fitness, 10% regular person!) That’s why I was delighted when I got the opportunity from the lovely … Read More!