Dylan here from Schoolyard Snacks! If you’re anything like me, all this time at home is probably driving you crazy.
I get it - it’s hard to commit to something and know what to do with yourself when things are so uncertain in the world.
Well, I have a story that might just inspire you today.
This isn’t some random story about a stranger.
It’s about my own mother.
You see...Helen and I just got home to Maryland a few days ago to spend some time with my family.
Our arrival went something like this...
I get out of the Uber and ring the doorbell...
the front door opens..
...and I let out a *HUGE SHRIEK*.
I swear I’m not kidding. This really happened.
Standing in front of me was my mom, at least 60 lbs lighter than the last time I saw her just a few months ago.
Read on to learn about the story of how my mom, Lauren, lost 60 lbs.
Growing up, my mom was always incredibly fit (a super mom if you will).
But after going through a divorce and me and my brother leaving home for college, she completely fell off the bandwagon.
She started eating a lot of sweets (the family candy cupboard became a daily go-to) and kept chips and cookies lying around all over the house.
A shoulder injury soon became her excuse to quit exercising altogether.
A few years later, she was no longer the “fit mom” I had always remembered (even though she’ll always be super).
Every Thanksgiving when I went home, my mom was on a new diet.
Jenny Craig, Atkins, Slimfast. You name it, she’s tried it.
But nothing worked.
She would maybe lose a couple pounds, then fall back off the bandwagon and gain it all back again.
So I sat down with my mom yesterday and asked her…”What was different about this time that allowed you to lose over 60 lbs?!”
Here’s what she had to say…
“I used to eat out a lot...at least 1-2 times a day. I tried to stay healthy at home, but still caved in to sweets and chips.
During this time at home with Covid, not having the option to eat out allowed me to take the first step to really focus on my health.”
“I started watching my calorie intake, focusing on eating a low carb diet with healthy proteins that would fill me up.
I cleared my house of all the unhealthy junk foods I’d find myself craving at night, so no temptations would be lying around.”
“But it wasn’t a walk in the park. I still had cravings all the time.
In the past, this was the achilles heel to my diet attempts.”
“The key was, this time I found a few guilt-free “cheat” snacks that I now swear by. I keep these around the house, in my purse, and in the car.
Here are 3 of my favorites:
1- Yasso ice cream bars (only 100 calories). My favorite is the mint chip flavor. They melt quickly though in this heat and taste weird when refrozen, so make sure you live close to a grocery store that sells them!
2- Biltong (a South African beef jerky). Like Slim Jims, but without any sugar or carbs! These are a little hard to find, but some specialty shops carry them.
3.Schoolyard Snack’s Keto Cheese Puffs (I’ve gone through 4 cases already). It’s my new favorite crunchy snack for movie night.”
I hope my mom’s story inspires some of you.
Whether it’s something you’ve put on hold or something you’ve always wanted to start, there’s no better time than now.
Mom, I’m so proud of you :)
Dylan
