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The Surprising Way I Enjoyed Food More While Losing Weight

Molly Zemek
3 min readJul 20, 2020

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Courtesy of Mike Mayer from Unsplash

I was born a food-lover. Meals were the highlight of my day. My Italian father cared deeply about eating well, and my mother diligently prepared home-cooked meals worth savoring. As I grew older I developed a discerning palate. I relished the opportunity to dine out and discover new flavors.

My passion for delicious ingredients and fine dining was insatiable. After college, I abandoned a graduate program to pursue my dream of attending culinary school. To eat well, I needed to refine my culinary prowess. This evolved into a career as a private chef. My job supported a lifestyle of daily cooking and eating well.

I thought that was the key to happiness.

But when I turned 40 I no longer felt satisfied. I remember sitting on my couch one evening, well into my second glass of Cabernet, thinking “is this what mid-life is supposed to feel like?”

I was overweight, sluggish, and did not like the way I looked or felt.

I tried diets in the past and lost some pounds by restricting my food and exercising every day. But I always felt deprived. I was desperate to go back to enjoying the food I loved. Sometimes I even dieted just so I could go back to overindulging.

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Molly Zemek
Molly Zemek

Written by Molly Zemek

I am a chef and life coach who helps people change their relationship with food and alcohol. You can learn more at www.mollyzemek.com

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