My Story
Hi! I’m Cindy Newland. I’m a writer, animal lover, vegan, author of Small Bites, Big Results: A Common Sense Guide to Weight Loss, and don’t tell anyone, but I have been known to binge watch Andy Griffith.
Fifteen years ago, I was obese and weighed nearly 300 pounds. After experiencing an excruciating back injury that immobilized me for over a month, I reached a turning point. I started moving more (you’ll notice I don’t like calling it exercise), eating healthier, and praying big time, because I really didn’t want to do either.
One Small Bite at a time, I began losing weight and changing my lifestyle. It took me four long years, but those years transformed me and helped me realize that I had a cruddy relationship with food. I used it and abused it.
My relationship still isn’t perfect, but I recognize a little sooner when I’m turning to food for emotional comfort. Now, I realize the difference between a craving and hunger. Sometimes I crave because I haven’t nourished my body with REAL foods and sometimes it’s because traffic sucked, the house is a mess, and my new recipe flopped.
“And I did it without
pills, surgeries
or crash dieting!”
After all of these years I’ve learned no relationship is perfect and that’s okay. Somedays I will use food and somedays I will nourish myself with solitude, nature, and peace. It all belongs. That’s the balance I have learned. I refuse to mentally flog myself for eating a cookie. Cookies are good and I will eat them, just not the whole box (God willing).
So, that’s what this blog is about, healthy recipes, cookies, moving more, and I’ll share my trials and tribulations that I have gone and continue to go through. Not so I can receive attention, but hopefully so we can share in this life together. Sharing our stories helps us realize we are the same, travelers on the road to Peace.
I am so happy that you are here. Please share your story, offer encouragement and support in the comment section, help a fellow traveler. If you don’t want to join in the conversation, that’s okay, too. Read, cook, move, live. It all belongs.
A few more tidbits – I live in the Midwest with my husband (we were high school sweethearts) and 4 rescue cats, each one uniquely odd. I teach yoga and lead a Wellness retreat every year. I try to choose a different exotic location each time, since I like variety. I love my church, nature, coffee, zombies, baseball, television reruns, and Princess Bride.
You’re probably ready to start cooking, huh? As you wish…
