Wow, guys, Greta has been KILLIN’ it on the blog writing front, am I right? AmIriggghhhttt! I’ve been a little slacky about posting so it’s time for me to step in and lend another sista’s voice over here! I’ve been doing things like getting married, honeymooning and stuff. But I’m back, baby! Let’s get this bloggin’ going!

So, Greta has been posting lately about her new diet lifestyle and I think it’s important for me to write about my diet lifestyle so ya’ll know that we do not follow the same diet lifestyle. I don’t want this blog to become all about diets and lifestyles, but since this is a food blog, it’s important for us to share how we eat (at least once), especially since it’s a little different.

Throughout one’s lifetime, diet  lifestyles change. We learn more about food and the effects it has on our bodies as new scientific evidence comes out…Our bodies change as we age and that makes us have to edit, modify, toss out, and/or incorporate different foods into our bods. I myself have tried multiple ways of eating as the years have gone on. [Clears throat] Let me explain…When I was in my mid-twenties I had never been on a weight-loss diet before. I had an agent who told me I needed to lose 10 lbs (you guys, being an actor can be pretty dumb) so I got hooked on Weight Watchers for a while. I actually did lose 10 lbs and felt really good. It wasn’t too much weight, it was just right. That was also when I was becoming a personal trainer so I was learning about the balance of diet and exercise.  Then for a while I got pretty stupid–I thought the carb was evil and followed the South Beach Diet. That blew up in my face because when I started to eat normal again (aka I went through a break-up and carbs and wine became my BFF’s) I put on nearly 20 pounds  which was 16 pounds more than I initially lost. The diet legends are true! Following diets that cut out entire food groups can be hazardous to your health (and waistline)! I was a guinea pig for all of my clients and all of you Hangry Chicks readers! Doing that diet screwed up my metabolism so I had to go back to square one. Lesson learning! At the time, I kinda knew that doing the South Beach diet was probably a bad decision. I would never tell my clients that cutting carbs is the smart thing to do, especially after becoming a Fitness Nutrition Specialist a couple years ago (here is what I promote to my clients from my personal training blog). I guess I just needed to go through it myself. Aaaaand I was in my mid-twenties and making bad decisions all around! ‘Nuff said!

After South Beach, I had to get back on track so I used food journaling/calorie counting. That helped. I lost about 10 of those LBS I gained and felt much better. But for a while, I was still hanging onto some extra weight and I needed to get back to my happy place. So almost a year ago, I revisited some Weight Watcher’s ideals and instead of grabbing something like a Luna Bar for a snack, I started reaching for whole fruit instead. Meaning, I cut out most processed food (Side Note: Luna Bars are not bad but whole and natural is better). We tossed our microwave out the door (which was huge for me–I was so hooked on that thing for garden burgers and actually cooked my oatmeal in it for the longest time!) and by kicking the processed foods, splenda (South Beach has you living on this toxic crap) and trying to eat only organically, I lost another 9 pounds. Now I feel great. I don’t follow any sort of diet but I just modify. Because a girl likes so share what she eats (and that’s why we started this blog), I shall tell you what my daily diet consists of now: On the reg, I’ll start my day with an awesome bowl of oatmeal NOT COOKED IN A MICROWAVE. It’s cooked on the stove with almond milk, old-fashioned oats, banana, a tbs of natural peanut butter, and chia seeds. Then lunch is usually a fatty-ass shake (similar to the one Greta posted), fruit and/or string cheese for a snack, and then for din-dins, whatever my husband is serving up, sometimes usually with dessert. Yep, he uoosh does the cooking, unless I want to try something for Hangry Chicks!

How I do I feel about my diet  lifestyle you ask? To quote Greta from her most recent blog post, “I don’t feel restricted; ironically, on this…diet, I feel liberated.” I follow more of a moderation plan and, to explain the strike-throughs I’ve been using for the word ‘diet’ throughout this post, it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle. That sounds cheesy, but guys, it’s true. I’m just living my life and eating in moderation.  If I was on Greta’s diet, I would feel restricted as all get out. I followed a diet similar to the one she is using and it wasn’t sustainable for me. Today, I don’t gain weight, I maintain it. If I go on vacation, because I have gotten my body to a place where it’s used to a certain calorie intake, I don’t eat more than what my normal intake is (okay, sometimes, maybe, sometimes, I have more dessert and french fries than usual but you get the idea). I just eat, you guys.

So let’s “moral of the story” this out. Greta found a diet  lifestyle that works for her and that rocks. I don’t think I would want to try that diet lifestyle because I found what works for me. Even though we are sisters, our body chemistry is totally different so we need diets lifestyles that support that difference.

Look at us!! I’m the baby, Greta is the child. Who knew then our body chem’s would be so different!

Here we are today. Yes, I have a cocktail in my hand. Living!

And guess what guys? Guess WHAT. We weigh almost exactly the same while following these different diets lifestyles. We both workout nearly every day and that helps too, but hey! It just goes to show you that it’s all about finding your happy place. And you know what? That’s pretty personal. As long as you’re following a healthy lifestyle, it’s your own bidness as to how you’re gonna work that [weight, energy level, supporting your workouts] maintenance. It’s a tough balance for us ladies because our bodies really want to hold onto fat. Our bodies are like, “what if there’s a famine and you get pregnant? I need to support the baby so just in case there is a nuclear holocaust, I’m NOT letting this extra layer go! I don’t care how much you work out! If you’re healthy, you’ve got some fat! Now go to your room!” But we see on magazine covers that “one girl” who has six pack abs! That looks so good! I want to that too! But let’s be honest ladies, either those abs are photoshopped (which is almost always the case), or that girl is watching her diet so closely that a glass of wine or square of chocolate is NEVER an option in her life. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live my life that way! In fact, in the wise words of Whitney (RIP), I would say to that diet: 

And I don’t think any more needs to be said. DE-HANGER!