you've got to start somewhere...

last year i lost seventy pounds.

yup, seven-oh. it was hard, but easier than everyone makes it out to be. there really isn't any get-thin-quick secret, just getting your heart pumping and watching what you put in your body.

i was, what you could call, a picky eater. i come from a cuban family where vegetables were not the top priority. i also grew up in a tropical climate where being outside and standing was enough to get you sweating, so the thought of going out and "running around the block" was totally insane in my young mind.

when i started to evaluate my health i realized i needed to completely renegotiate my relationship with food. in the past year i've learned that food, to me, can fall into three categories:

one: food that is generally considered "healthy," but that doesn't taste all that great and therefore i have to force myself to eat. and then gets pushed to the back of the pantry/fridge/cabinet until i forget it and it gets old and i get to throw it out.

two: food that is also widely considered healthy, but that actually tastes great, and that i happily eat because i know that it is good for my taste buds and for my body.

three: food that is not good for me, but that i would sacrifice appendages/children/small animals/etc. to eat again because it is just that good. this is a tricky category because of how often i, and maybe you, eat things that are just okay but that have a ton of calories. for example, eating that fake-chocolate that comes in off-brand novelty holiday containers versus having a godiva truffle. it's learning what's worth it - and really enjoying it when you have it - that's the tough part.

so, all that being said, i absolutely love to bake. the problem? and yes, you might already be there, baking is not good for me. cookies and cakes and frosting and chocolate are, generally, the enemy when it comes to being healthy.

i know there are a million baking blogs out there, which contributed to part of why i am hesitant to start another one, but what sets my baking hobby apart is that when i whip up stuff in the kitchen i carefully balance between the aforementioned food categories two & three. i make hearty breakfast muffins and decadent molasses chocolate chip cookies. i calculate the nutrition of everything i bake, so i know what i'm getting myself into calorically, but i also don't skimp on the stuff i think is really worth it - and that's the key.

while everyone is fad-dieting this new year i will be baking & eating responsibly, and i hope you'll tag along for the ride.