My Weight Loss Journey- Part 1: My Relationship with Food

 I have struggled with my weight or have been
the chubby kid for as long as I can remember. Actually, the distinct moment I
remember from my childhood where my weight had a direct, negative impact on my
life was when I was in 6th grade. I had just moved to a new city and started at
a new school with new friends and was trying to fit in. The group of friends I
gravitated towards LOVED football. Before moving to this new town, I was a
soccer kid. Being first generation Italian coming from an old Italian neighborhood,
naturally soccer was the go-to. Anyway, my new group of friends were all gearing
up for preseason in 6th grade, and I was soo excited to join them and become
part of the crew. After spending months convincing my parents that it was safe
and I wasn't going to get killed out there, they finally agreed. One thing I
learned quickly was that there was a weight limit in order to qualify for this
team. If I remember correctly, the weight limit was 140 lbs. The rule was that
you could play in pre-season and try to make weight prior to the start of the
regular season. So that summer, I busted my butt to try and make the cut off.
Well, a long story short - it came down to the weigh in and I was overweight. I
was devastated. The options were to be moved up to the higher level (with the
older kids) or not play. So regretfully, I quit. Luckily, when I got to high
school - I was able to play again because there were no weight limits - but
that time in 6th grade was something that had always bothered me. Luckily, I am
a social butterfly and remained friends with that group regardless of the rough
start - in fact, those guys are some of my best friends to this day.  

The funny thing is, my mother always tells me that when I was little, I was
skinny and never ate. And for an Italian mother and grandmother (who lived with
us), - it was unacceptable and potentially life threatening. She tells me
stories now how they would bring me to the doctors all the time to find out why
I wouldn't eat and were worried because they could see my rib cage.... Can you
imagine? the thought of seeing a rib cage? Unimaginable... Although I don't
really remember this time, I have seen pictures of my svelte figure, dashing
cheek bones, bright blue eyes and stunning bowl cut. Looking back on it now,
this is probably when my relationship with food was established. My childhood
memories are filled with smiles, love, hard work and pasta. Every Sunday I
would go down stairs to the first floor apartment to find my grandmother making
little individually rolled pasta by hand. Her famous cavatelli is legendary and
still gives me chills just thinking of watching her weathered hands covered in
flour and semolina creating a slight pinch within each 2 inch piece of dough
with elegance and speed that was ferocious yet effortless. Meanwhile, the sauce
was simmering in the background ever so slightly - just enough to resonate
throughout each level of our three-family home. You didn’t need a calendar app
to know it was Sunday in my house, you just needed a nose and a pulse.

For my entire life, food has been a central figure. Culturally, socially, professionally
- you name it - food is always right in the middle. And I love it. I love food.
There, I said it. I absolutely love food. I love the way it tastes, I love the
way it smells and especially love the way it makes you feel. And I don’t
discriminate either, I am an equal opportunity food lover. Italian, Chinese,
American, Brazilian, BBQ, Thai, Indian, fast food - if you can cook it, I will
eat it (sometimes you don't even have to cook it..... I love sushi too). With
that being said, I know the biggest problem I have at this point is managing my
relationship with food. Our lustful relationship has never fizzled out and
still feels like the first date every time. In fact, I love it so much that I
decided to make a career out of cooking it, smelling it and eating it! Great
right?! You bet.

Which lead to our family business – Toscana Ristorante
& Toscana Bar Italiano. Two Italian restaurants north of Boston that attempts
to bring that same passion, taste, tradition and overwhelming feeling of
comfort to each guest that walks through its doors. Throughout the past 10
years in the restaurant business I have eaten countless dishes of pastas,
thousands of chicken cutlets, hundreds of meatballs and I would argue a full
metric ton of marinara sauce. This difficult job of tasting homemade Italian
food every day has only further embedded my relationship with food into my
soul. Which was fine by me, until I stepped on a scale the day after having my
second child. I filmed a clip of myself that day promising my daughter that I
would not allow myself to continue on this unhealthy spiral, that I would be
there for her through thick and thin and I would not allow my weight to keep me
from being there for her. I have not showed anyone that video. When she is
older, I will show her so she knows her father kept his promise. That was in
June of 2016 weighing in at a whopping 420lbs.

This relationship is one of the inspirations
behind Nutre Meal Plans. Throughout the years, I have tried and ultimately
failed at every single diet plan available today. Think of one right now….…..
Yes, I’ve done that one… that one too, and yes I’ve tried that. I’ve even done
ones that you have never heard of either. Including but not limited to being
hypnotized (three times), visiting a holistic healer that lit incense in the
room while placing some kind of sticker behind my ear while doing what looked
like a rain dance around my chair, chanting to the gods to release the demons
within. Most of them worked in one way or another to lose some weight in the
short term but none of them addressed the relationship
with food and the anxiety of wondering what I was going to eat next. They
all had one common denominator – I was hungry all the time, I felt like I was
missing out on good food, I couldn’t stand eating another piece of grilled
chicken and felt ripped off. The goal is to solve these problems by combining
everything I’ve learned about food, dieting and the human psyche. Our strategy
is simple – provide you with the tools to be successful. Our best hammer is
food. We provide you with fresh, balanced and portion-controlled meals that
satisfy. A new menu each week of restaurant quality meals that taste great and
don’t leave you feeling like you are missing out on anything. Meals that you
are probably familiar with and didn’t realize could be made healthy. Chicken
Marsala, Eggplant Parmesan, Pesto Chicken Pizza, Spaghetti Squash Lasagna –
just to name a few. Familiar tastes made using high quality ingredients without
the junk, butter, flour and all that jazz. By having meals that you know are
formulated perfectly and are sitting in your refrigerator waiting to be heated
and eaten with no shopping, chopping & cleaning helps relieve the anxiety of
wondering where your next meal is going to come from and potentially making a bad
decision with a growling stomach. We know that for most people it is not realistic
to have every meal made for you over the long term (even though I’d love you
to!)… it can get expensive. Our hope is that after a few months of ordering Nutre
you’ve created good habits, have learned how to create some of these dishes on
your own by consuming our content and taking advantage of all we have to offer
so you can continue on your own. Like a bird leaving its nest. And if you are
in a pinch for time, or need some help in the future – we will always be there
for you when you come back. Our ultimate goal is to see you succeed in every
aspect of your life – your health being the most important.  

Check back each week for a new blog post chronically the #roadto250

Tuesdays @ 5PM Facebook & IG LIVE update- weigh-in & Q.A.

Follow my weight loss journey on social media 

Instagram: nutre_meals 

Facebook: Nutre Meal Plans 

My Instagram: angeloperrina 

YouTube: coming soon…