Welcome to Belly Laugh Living!!!
Hey there! It's so great to meet you! Our little team consists of a mother-daughter duo, Sue and Amy. We're committed to prioritizing what's really important to us in life. Family is our top priority. Good times and all the things that bring us joy are essential. From our lovable pets to TV shows, sports galore (Go Browns, Go Pats!), sandy beach trips, and a glass of wine (or two), we're living our best lives.
Our philosophy is simple - life is short, so make it count! You'll often find us relaxing outside. We laugh, garden, and talk about our four big dogs. Sometimes we even talk to them. We also enjoy chocolate and, of course, drink our beloved vino. Together, we're on a mission to achieve our weight loss goals while still enjoying all the things we love. Come along for the ride!
New life focus
In January, we collectively made the decision to shed some pounds, Yes even our 4 Big Dogs needed to lose a few pounds (sssshhhhh don't tell them we said that). We were tired of feeling uncomfortable in our winter attire and having our clothes fit tightly like Randy's snowsuit from A Christmas Story. Instead of making a New Year's resolution to lose weight, we opted for a more realistic approach. Let's be honest, how many people actually stick to those resolutions? We often end up breaking them with a massive celebration on National Chocolate Cake Day, which falls on January 27th.
Diets - Gaining more weight
Over the years, we have attempted numerous diets, but could never stick to them for more than a few weeks. In fact, we ended up putting on even more weight. However, this time around, we decided to tackle our weight loss journey in a different way. We are now focusing on the foods we love and finding ways to make them healthier, with fewer calories and more flavor. It's been an enjoyable process so far, and we would like to share our journey with others who also want to lose weight, have a good laugh, and enjoy some delicious, spicy food along the way.
Work change needed
Amy and I previously had extremely stressful corporate jobs, and we often turned to food and wine to unwind. However, we eventually decided it was time for a change and to have some fun in life. We sold our Connecticut home and relocated to the Cincinnati, Ohio area to be closer to family and to figure out where we wanted to settle down.
Although we miss the snow in New England and find the summers quite hot here, we've enjoyed meeting new people in the Cincinnati area. After several months of house hunting in various states, we finally found the perfect home for us and our four dogs (Frank, Oliver, Roscoe, and Elvis) in the snow belt near Cleveland, Ohio. We've lived in many places, and we're sure our neighbors thought we were out of our minds with our combined dog weight of over 400 pounds! But more about our furry friends later.
Since we moved to Cleveland, we have had to say goodbye to our beloved Franky and Oliver. We miss them both every day, and we keep their memory close to our hearts. We have welcomed two new members to our family. Kevin is a funny little dog (he weighs 85 pounds) that loves to bark, but he always manages to make us laugh, and Teddy, who is a black lab that does not understand English or any other language unless we have a treat bag.
Weight Loss Journey
Combined weight loss of 110 pounds
Since February 1, 2017, we have lost a total of 110 pounds through our weight loss journey and are now determined to lose the rest. We have successfully maintained our meal schedule and enjoyed some truly delicious food throughout our journey. To kickstart our "feel good" adventure, we thoroughly assessed our food and drink consumption, including wine and martinis.
We aimed for a lifestyle change instead of a short-term diet. Our blog is here to share our journey and tasty recipes with anyone who wants to lose weight in an enjoyable way. We understand that restricting ourselves from certain foods only increases our cravings for them. Therefore, we transformed our favorite foods into healthier versions to indulge in more while still losing weight.
Reimagined Recipes
Our passion for cooking and indulging in comfort food has inspired us to experiment with new recipes. We refuse to compromise on taste just because we are shifting our focus towards a healthier lifestyle. We find it enjoyable to take traditional recipes and modify them. This makes them more nutritious and compatible with various diets. We achieve all this while preserving their delicious flavors. We have breathed new life into some of Sue's mom's recipes from the 1950s. This was achieved by incorporating fresh herbs, peppers, and innovative substitutes. Our blog's Recipes section showcases some of our recipe makeovers. Ok, to be totally honest, we have to admit that we have had a few mishaps along the way...but who hasn't?
Discover a fun way to lose weight without feeling deprived of anything.
Our goal is to turn comfort foods into healthy options and make healthy foods just as satisfying. We look forward to sharing many laughs with you on this journey.