My name is Catherine Strouse, and I am a 30-year-old certified fitness trainer and sports nutritionist in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2018, my family went through a devastating, life-changing experience when my husband was paralyzed in a hit-and-run car accident. I’d given birth to my daughter two years prior and hadn’t dropped all my baby weight.

During this traumatic time in our lives, I became depressed and started eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I wasn’t into sweets, but I ate big meals without any kind of portion control. I was also drinking alcohol daily. These unhealthy habits caused my weight to spike substantially.

To Learn More About My Smoothie Diet, Click Here

When I first decided to start my weight-loss journey three years ago, I was at my highest weight of 270 pounds. My cousin took a picture of me and posted it on social media, and I did not recognize myself. I knew I had to make a change.

I started my healthy-eating plan by not even acknowledging it was a “diet” because the word has such a negative connotation.

I decided to abstain from the things that I turned to the most and that hindered me from getting back to me. I made lifestyle changes, as opposed to "diet" changes, that included not consuming alcohol or sodas, and not eating rice, breads, and pork. I used healthier recipes as substitutions for less-nutritious food cravings.

I also got really into making healthy fruit and smoothies, and they became a big part of my new healthy lifestyle.

Embrace the journey and understand that it takes time. Weight loss is not a race. There is a lot mentally that you have to process through, but trust the process. Most of us have a goal to lose a certain amount of weight, but don’t focus on the scale. Focus on how you feel. The changes will come, but show up every day and put in the work.