About

I’ve never been skinny, nor have I wanted to be. But I did grow up very active and playing sports, and I enjoyed that healthy feeling I got from a game well played, from sweating (yes!), feeling in shape, and having muscles. When I lived in California, all that sunshine (and gyms on every corner) just made it so easy.

After living in Italy for 8 years and enjoying this lovely food with too-rare spurts of exercise, the pounds gradually built up and I fell out of shape terribly. In the first few months of 2011, I was sick with worry about (what I believed to be) impending obesity, diabetes, and all sorts of ailments, so I decided it was time for a change. I just stopped making excuses. I decided to get back to a healthy state, one full of exercise, eating right, and also enjoying myself.

I believe you can enjoy food while respecting your body at the same time. This is my journey. The journey is going very well.

Someday I’ll post progress pictures here. Someday 🙂 Looking for progress pictures?

About the Food Blogger on a Diet:

Sara Rosso is a marketer and digital strategist, and writes about food and travel at Ms. Adventures in Italy, and about technology, websites, and gadgets at When I Have Time.

Want to contact me? Head over to my Contact page.

Some of my fluid-ever-changing eating better guidelines**:

• 80 / 20 rule. It doesn’t apply only in business. I will focus on eating consistently well 80% of the time, and enjoying deliberate “not great” choices occasionally 20% of the time. Complete deprivation I don’t think is the way to go, and some premeditated choices for the 20% will be better than getting out of control. There is no “No” list.
• Portion control. Following on what’s “bad,” all things in moderation. Stop eating when you feel full, even if it means leaving stuff on the plate or saying no and even if it’s healthy food you’re leaving behind.
• Planning ahead. Knowing in the back of your mind which quick snacks are available or what meal is planned for the evening or next few days will make it easier to make good choices and not let hunger take control at the decision point.
• Real food. That means less processed food, and no substitutes made just-for-dieting (fat-free feta cheese? Ick). Full fat & real food is ok! (see: portion control).
• High in protein and fiber. Not focusing on calories at the moment or fat count; I’m trying to choose foods that fill me up, so I won’t be hungry and make bad choices. Would rather a tablespoon of nut butter than some “diet” crackers or cookies I’ll have to follow up quickly.
• Real sugar is ok, but less of it. This is also a big focus – trying to stop eating so many sweet things, from breakfast cookies to afternoon “sweet” snacks to straight candy and sugar.
• Good carbs vs. bad carbs. I don’t think a no-carb diet is the way for me to go – so I’m loving legumes, eating fresh, whole fruit (1-2 pieces a day), and whole grains & bran where possible. A few “bad carbs” come into play in my 20%, like pizza. I can’t quit you.

**These guidelines are personal choices and are not intended to serve as dietetic advice. I am not a dietician nor nutritionist; anything on this site is shared as personal experience and not as nutritional counseling or advice.

Photo credit: Teymur Madjderey

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