Strong in Smaller Portions began with a simple realization: eating less did not mean I had to live less.

After bariatric surgery and losing 125 pounds, I stopped focusing only on the number on the scale. I started thinking about strength, energy, confidence, and creating a life I could truly enjoy. This journey has not been perfect—and neither am I—but it has changed my life in ways I never expected.

I Knew I Needed Help

At my highest weight, I weighed 300 pounds and was unhappy. My son was almost two, and I could not keep up with him the way I wanted to. Even getting down on the floor to play with him was difficult, and once I was down there, getting back up was a whole different adventure.

I wanted to run with him, climb with him at the park, and enjoy those little everyday moments without feeling completely exhausted. Instead, I often felt tired before the day had even begun.

I knew something needed to change, and I also knew I needed help making that change.

After considering my options, I decided to have bariatric surgery. GLP-1 medications were still fairly new at the time, and I did not feel comfortable taking one. Even today, they are not the right choice for me. That does not mean my decision is the right decision for everyone. We each have to work with our healthcare providers and choose the path that makes sense for our own bodies, health, and lives.

For me, bariatric surgery became the tool that helped me begin again.

What Losing 125 Pounds Changed—and What It Didn't

Losing 125 pounds changed my physical life in a huge way.

I could play with my son without immediately getting tired. I could take him to the park, run with him, climb with him, and actually participate instead of watching from the sidelines. I could wake up without feeling exhausted before my feet even touched the floor.

I had more energy, more freedom, and more confidence in what my body could do.

But weight loss did not magically fix everything.

Some days, I still feel like the 300-pound version of myself. I can look in the mirror and struggle to recognize how much my body has changed. Losing weight also brought new insecurities that I had never considered before. My body is smaller, but that does not mean I automatically feel confident in it every day.

That is one of the biggest lessons this journey has taught me: physical change can happen much faster than mental and emotional change. The number on the scale may move, but learning to see yourself differently takes time.

My Goal Changed From Smaller to Stronger

At first, my main goal was to lose weight. Over time, though, that goal began to change.

As I researched bariatric surgery—and later learned more about GLP-1 medications—I kept seeing the same concern: when the body loses weight quickly, it can lose muscle along with fat. Because we are eating much less than we did before, it becomes even more important to fuel our bodies intentionally.

That is when protein and strength training became priorities for me.

I no longer wanted to focus only on becoming smaller. I wanted to protect my muscle, rebuild my strength, have more energy, and feel capable in my body. I wanted to be strong enough for everyday life—not just happy with a number on the scale.

That shift in mindset eventually inspired the name Strong in Smaller Portions. My portions may be smaller now, but my goals, my strength, and the life I want to live are not.

When You Cannot Look at Another Protein Shake

Let us talk about protein shakes for a minute.

During the liquid phases before and after surgery, I drank so many protein shakes that the thought of drinking one “just because” now turns my stomach. Every so often, I convince myself that I can handle one again. I buy it, take a sip, and quickly remember that creamy shakes and I are no longer friends.

I am also not a big fan of protein bars or many of the highly processed protein products filling store shelves. That created a challenge: how could I meet my protein needs when I could eat only a small amount of food at one time?

In the beginning, it was hard. My meals were extremely small, so every bite needed to count. I began looking for ways to build meals around protein, make helpful substitutions, and create food that tasted like actual food—not like another product trying to convince me it was a meal.

Now, almost three years after surgery, I can fit a little more food on my plate and pack more protein into my meals. Still, the goal remains the same: make smaller portions satisfying, practical, and worth eating.

The Accidental Runner

I honestly never planned to become a runner. I know—crazy, right?

In May 2025, I signed up for one of those step challenges. There was just one problem: I work from home and sit for most of the day. Getting all those steps in became a challenge, and your girl is not a quitter.

I had purchased a walking pad, and one day I realized that if I turned it up to its fastest speed, I could do a run-walk and knock out my steps much faster. That little shortcut slowly turned into something more.

Before long, the walking pad felt too slow. I bought a pair of running shoes, headed outside to a walking trail, and started running for real.

Then something even crazier happened: I signed up for a 5K.

I loved it so much that I signed up for three more, all only weeks apart. The person who never intended to become a runner had officially become the woman looking for her next race.

Strength training was not completely new to me. Before reaching my highest weight and becoming a mom, I enjoyed going to the gym. But life happens. We get busy, the weight piles on, our energy disappears, and the things we once enjoyed get pushed aside.

Before I began running, I had already returned to the gym and started rebuilding my strength. Running showed me how far I could go. Strength training reminded me how powerful I could feel along the way.

Somewhere along the way, “I’ll try running” turned into “When’s the next race?”

Why I Created Strong in Smaller Portions

In bariatric support groups, I noticed that many of us were asking the same questions again and again:

We are all searching for practical answers—and, if we are being honest, new and exciting foods that fit our new smaller bellies.

I realized that the things I had learned through research, trial and error, workouts, meal planning, and everyday life might help someone else. That is why I began creating high-protein recipes, planners, printables, and other resources designed for the reality of life after bariatric surgery.

I also wanted to create something bigger than a collection of recipes. My hope is for Strong in Smaller Portions to become a welcoming community where we can share our experiences, celebrate our victories, laugh about the awkward moments, and learn from one another.

You Are Welcome Here

This blog is a place to find encouragement, practical ideas, honest conversations, high-protein recipes, fitness motivation, and tools that make everyday life a little easier.

Every bariatric journey is similar in some ways and completely different in others. What works for me may not work for you, and that is okay. Our bodies tolerate different foods. Our progress happens at different speeds. Our goals, schedules, struggles, and victories are our own.

Still, there are plenty of moments that connect us—like trying to hit a protein goal, figuring out what our stomach will tolerate today, or wondering why our stomach suddenly decides to give a full concert during the quietest moment in the room. Please tell me I am not the only one whose stomach gets incredibly loud at the worst possible time!

Whether you are preparing for bariatric surgery, adjusting to life after surgery, or simply trying to build healthier habits, you are welcome here.

We may eat smaller portions, but we are still capable of building strong bodies, confident minds, and full lives.

This is my journey, but Strong in Smaller Portions is a space for all of us—and we are just getting started.