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🌀 Why one writer is embracing messiness as a form of self-acceptance.
💪 The women-focused challenge giving 75 Hard a run for its money.
When I moved to the U.S. two two years ago, I weighed about 121 lbs (that’s 55 kilos—my usual weight since forever). I was active, cooking fresh meals, and feeling good in my body.
At the time, I had no reason to think that would change.
I was disciplined. Health-conscious. I knew my body and how to care for it.
But within the first six months, I started to feel…off.
The weight crept up slowly. My digestion was weird. I felt bloated most days. My energy dipped. And I wasn’t doing anything dramatically different. If anything, I was even more careful about what I ate—reading labels, avoiding junk, working out when I could.
Still, my body didn’t feel like home anymore. And by this past spring, I had reached 136 lbs. Not a huge number, but for me, it was unfamiliar and layered with frustration and confusion. Because I was trying. I wasn’t letting myself go. But something about my environment, my lifestyle, the culture around food and work and movement—it just wasn’t working for me.
The grocery store became a war zone. I’d walk the aisles squinting at labels, trying to find just one tomato sauce without seed oils or sugar.
🧐 Did You Know?
Nearly 60% of the average American diet comes from ultra-processed foods—loaded with additives, industrial oils, and hidden sugars. In comparison, many countries abroad rely on simpler, locally sourced ingredients with far fewer preservatives. The same “healthy” food can hit your system very differently depending on where you are.
Even when I cooked from scratch, which I love, it felt like a minefield. The “clean” options were either packed with additives or double the price of everything else. Eating out? Nearly impossible. I found maybe two restaurants I could trust with my gut, and even then, I didn’t leave feeling great.
More than anything, I felt disconnected. From my body. From my joy. From people.
I was working from home, raising two kids, trying to juggle everything in isolation. No close friends nearby. No spontaneous meetups.
I didn’t realize how lonely I was—until I went home.
This May, I flew back to my hometown by the Mediterranean for what was supposed to be a two-month visit. No big wellness plan. No transformation agenda. I just needed a break. From the grocery labels. From the rush. From the low-key burnout that had become my baseline.
And something amazing happened almost immediately:
My body exhaled. My spirit exhaled.
I wasn’t trying to lose weight, but within days, the bloating disappeared. I started sleeping better. My digestion improved. My mood stabilized. My skin looked brighter. And without counting a single calorie or restricting a single thing, I started dropping weight slowly, steadily, and effortlessly.
I was eating bread, by the way. And pizza. And pasta.
But it wasn’t hyper-processed. It was food—simple, local, fresh. Olive oil that hadn’t been sitting on a shelf for nine months. Vegetables from the market down the street. Meat from a real butcher. Cheese that didn’t need 15 stabilizers.
In the U.S., common food additives like titanium dioxide, BHA, and azodicarbonamide (yes, the infamous yoga mat chemical) are still widely used—while banned in places like the EU. Even staples like flour and dairy are processed differently. Abroad, my food didn’t just taste better. It treated my body better.
I didn’t snack. Not because I was intermittent fasting, but because my meals were satisfying. I wasn’t looking for something to fill me. I already felt full—in the right way.
It wasn’t just the food.
It was my life that changed.
I spent every day surrounded by people who knew me. My childhood best friends. My aunt, sister and nephews. My kids had cousins to play with. I had friends to grab coffee with. We laughed until our cheeks hurt. We went out dancing. We cooked together, sat around full tables, walked along the beach after dinner.
I moved more, but not in a gym. I walked because we walk everywhere. I danced because the music was on. I cleaned, shopped, and cooked with joy, not obligation.
Countries with the lowest obesity and stress rates often share this in common: daily, joyful movement. Not workouts. Lifestyle. It’s not about steps—it’s about rhythm.
My nervous system finally had room to relax. And the inflammation left my body. I started feeling light again, emotionally and physically. By the time I hit the 6-week mark, I had already dropped over 10 pounds. And by the end of two and a half months, I was down to 116 lbs.
That number matters less than what it represented: I felt at home in myself again.
There were small rituals I brought back without even thinking:
Drinking warm lemon water before big meals. Eating with my feet flat on the floor and no phone in my hand. Cooking in my clay tagine, just like my mom did. Sitting down to eat, not rushing through bites while standing or scrolling. Swapping supplements for garlic, herbs, greens, fermented foods. Drinking room temperature water instead of iced everything. Getting outside. Letting my body feel the rhythm of the day instead of stuffing it into schedules and hacks.
Now I’m heading back to the States. I fly out Friday.
And I won’t lie—I’m a little nervous. But I’m not afraid.
Because this time, I’m bringing the version of me that knows what she needs. The one who remembers that weight isn’t always about calories; it’s about connection. Nervous system safety. Digestive rhythm. Joy.
I’m not going back to survival mode.
I’m going back with a blueprint for how I want to eat, move, feel, connect, and live.
And if you’re reading this feeling tired, puffy, inflamed, confused, I want to tell you this:
You’re not broken. You’re just overwhelmed.
Start small. Sit down when you eat. Cook one real meal this week. Call someone who knows your laugh. Light a candle. Breathe.
Your body remembers what it feels like to be well.
You just have to give it the chance to come home again.
Real Habits That Helped (And Might Help You, Too)
Kristel (TA Marketing)
If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly starting over, you’re not alone.
In a recent reader poll, we asked what makes it most challenging to stick with healthy habits.
Here’s what came up:
Noom was designed for exactly that. It’s a science-backed program rooted in helping you build lasting habits by shifting your mindset, not your meal plan.
Instead of telling you what not to do, Noom gives you practical tools, daily support, and personalized guidance that flexes with your real life.
Why it works:
You’ll get:
Healthy doesn’t have to mean hard. With Noom, it’s doable, and you can feel good about it.
👉 Take the 5-minute quiz to get your personalized plan.
Disclaimers: ¹U.S: Based on a sample of 4,272 Noomers); ²US: Based on a sample of 4,602 Noomers); ³US: Average based on first time users who remained active in the program for a full 16 weeks)
When your phone buzzes, do you instantly think, What crisis am I solving now? At work, home, or with friends, are you the one everyone calls to organize, mediate, or give advice?
If so, you might have what’s called “eldest daughter syndrome”. And no, it’s not about birth order — it’s about being the person everyone expects to carry the load, all the time.
What It Looks Like
Eldest daughter syndrome describes that all-too-familiar experience of feeling responsible for everyone else’s well-being. Signs include constant people-pleasing, chronic worry, difficulty setting boundaries, and perfectionism that leaves you drained.
Often it stems from parentification: when someone ends up taking on adult responsibilities or emotional caregiving roles earlier than they should have. These patterns don’t stay in childhood; they follow us into careers, friendships, and relationships.
How to Push Back
The Reality of Changing These Patterns When you start setting boundaries, some people won’t like it. They’ve gotten used to you handling everything. They might push back or make you feel guilty. This doesn’t mean you should stop, it means your boundaries are working.
Remember: you’re not responsible for everyone else’s happiness, your needs matter just as much as everyone else’s!
Shoulders tight. Inbox feels heavier than it should. Every ping chips away at your focus.
When your “support system” creates more friction than flow, the stress doesn’t just hit your team, it hits you.
Here’s how to turn your help desk into something that actually works:
1. Don’t treat every ping like a fire drill.
Skip this: Manually sorting every single request.
Do this instead: Zendesk automates triage by priority, category, or team so you don’t start the day already drained.
2. Give IT a clear line of sight.
Skip this: Sticky notes and spreadsheets that get lost in the shuffle.
Do this instead: ManageEngine tracks, assigns, and resolves issues quickly, with asset management built in.
3. Let your data show the bottlenecks.
Skip this: Guessing where requests are stalling.
Do this instead: Zoho Desk highlights patterns with reporting, sentiment analysis, and workflow automation.
4. Keep it clean and scalable.
Skip this: Complex setups that create more confusion.
Do this instead: Freshdesk makes omnichannel support simple, fast to set up, and easy for teams to adopt.
Bottom line: Burnout often comes from how we work, not just how much.
The right tools protect your energy and help your team move without constant friction.
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👕 A basic women’s tee that’s perfect for lounging or layering.
Toggl is hiring for a Talent Acquisition Specialist (Remote).
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Cata-Kor is hiring for a Social Media Specialist (Miami, FL).
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