About Me

Hello and welcome!

My name is Natalie and I am the author of this space, Cancel the Carbs.  I am a 35-year old Houstonian, wife and accountant.  I began blogging when I got engaged in 2010, and wanted to share my wedding planning experience with my friends and family.  I had such a fun time with it and I treasure being able to look back and remember all my thoughts and feelings during that hectic time in my life.  I had found a true love in my soon to be husband, along with a true love of writing and sharing my story.

I started this blog with intentions to document the weight loss story I was hoping to have.  I was a chubby child, turned overweight teen, to now morbidly obese adult.  At my heaviest weight at the beginning of 2017, I was 7 pounds shy of 300 pounds - and I am a mere 5 foot 3 inches sized gal.  A normal weight for someone my size is somewhere between 110 and 140 pounds, so I have my work cut out for me.  

Chubby Child

My thinnest days, back in 8th grade - but by the end of high school, I was pretty big

 College, then into my 20's - still getting bigger

December 2016/ My heaviest weight

Losing the weight has been a life long struggle for me, but I don't think that is unique to most people my size.  I love food, I love indulging myself, and I like sitting more than I should.  Throughout my life, my weight never seemed to hold me back in any real way and I feel that is why I never succeeded in conquering this goal.  I had great friends, and boyfriends, and didn't care that I could only buy clothes my size at certain stores.  I always thought life would be easier and better if I were smaller, but life is already pretty alright and I get to eat whatever I want!

Boy, does it catch up.  I married the love of my life in January of 2012, and we are four months from our 6th anniversary and haven't had any children yet.  I know my weight is largely responsible due to a PCOS condition that is exacerbated by poor eating habits and lack of exercise.  I am 35 years old, so the window of opportunity for having our own children is shrinking quickly, and that is certainly lighting a fire under me to get this weight off.

Another fun thing (not really) to deal with, a diabetes diagnosis.  I have been seeing an endocrinologist for hypothyroidism since I was around 28 years old and she monitored my blood sugar and a1c levels as well due to my weight.  Slowly but surely more poor eating and sedentary lifestyle took its toll on my system, and around 2 years ago, I passed the threshold into having diabetes.  It runs in my family and I have seen the destruction this disease can have on a body, and I don't want the same fate for myself.

Mid-way through 2017, I tried a lazy version of the keto diet and thought it was a total game changer.  I found it fairly easy to stick with, and I really loved how I felt when eating that way.  I've gone astray during times of celebration or vacations, but always manage to come back around.  I have come to believe this is truly the best way to eat for my body and its conditions, and have seen great and *fast* progress when I stick with it.  Therefore, this space, Cancel the Carbs, is to be a weight loss and low carb lifestyle journal, along with helpful thoughts, tips, and recipes that may help others who are drinking the sugar-free kool-aid along with me.  I sincerely appreciate your stopping in and reading!