Hey I’m Monique but my friends and family call me “Mo”. I’m in my 30’s, I’m a modern day mom to two beautiful kids which I had 12 years apart and boy oh boy was the pregnancy, labour, and deliveries a world of a difference between the two. I swear it could have just been my hormones but all I know is that I ended up being my heaviest after the birth of my son where the scale climbed to a whopping 280lbs. It was shocking and devastating all at the same time. I was able to lose a few pounds but kept bouncing around between 220lbs to 250lbs. During that time I had tried the “you-name-it” of all of the popular diets and fads that were out there and none of them were successful, so eventually I would gain all the weight back and quickly too! I felt stuck. I fell into a depression amongst other life factors, and my weight felt like it was stuck with me for good.
I was introduced to the ketogenic diet in early 2018. Once I started the research, I found myself diving deeper and deeper into the topic. I was reading keto articles, going on Youtube binges, and long hours of Pinterest surfing;. To me, it was all eye opening information especially the part that if you eat fat, you can actually lose fat which sounded like a complete oxymoron. I finally made up my mind to commit to a “diet” and June 2018 is where the journey began. I started off with clean keto and being very strict with my eating habits, and I mean strict-strict. Weighing every food item, counting all total carbs and net carbs to stay within my macros, followed up by keeping a log of all calories in and out and zero cheat for 3 months. I set a goal date with a reward (which was my birthday and I wanted to celebrate with cupcakes, yum!) and I made it! I felt so fulfilled because for the first time in my life I had been successful at a “diet” which I felt was not depriving me of the foods I loved or made me feel restricted at all. I lost my first 30lbs in 3 months and to be honest I didn’t even want the cupcakes in the end (funny how life works).
For the first time in my life I had been successful at a “diet” which I felt was not depriving me of the foods I loved or made me feel restricted at all
I felt the need to document my journey for a sense of accountability and because it was working for me. Plus I thought that I could be of some help to others in the same way I had been influenced myself. Journaling my lifestyle through social media really opened my eyes up to the possibilities of making this a mission of mine to help others find their way to health through understanding the diet itself and revamping their relationship with food. In this blog and through my services I really try to zero in on these factors to unveil the layers of the who, what, and why’s and inspire you to turn the corner to glow in your most optimum self.
Fun Facts
I used to model and made it into a documentary about Wilma Rudolph.
My favourite season – Christmas… deck all the halls y’all!
My current eating style – cyclical keto but don’t hold me to it, I like to switch things up every now and then.
If I could meet with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be? Michelle Obama, and my Sasha Fierce spirit twin, Beyonce.
