Hola! Welcome to Ciao Cow! My name is Jordan, and I’m a twenty-something law student and the author behind Ciao Cow. I’m incredibly passionate about being a vegetarian and leading a well-balanced, healthy and active lifestyle. Ciao Cow is a platform where I’ll share tasty vegan and vegetarian recipes, encourage (hopefully) others to make more conscious choices about food, reiterate my experiences as an active vegetarian, and divulge occasional musing about my daily life and travels.
Originally from Houston, Texas, I moved to Seattle to attend law school, where eating copious amounts of vegetables and frequent exercise helps me maintain a balance between school and everything else. For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with my weight and maintained a tedious relationship with food. In high school, I was a member of the drill team and enjoyed a very active lifestyle. I was able to maintain a constant weight while eating almost anything I wanted, and this usually included a generous amount of sweets. However, when I stopped dancing and went to college, I quickly gained the Freshman fifteen plus some. The dorm began a breeding ground for binge eating coupled with cycles of under eating accompanied with excessive exercise. Despite my attempts to balance out all of my new unhealthy habits, I continued to gain weight. By the end of my Sophomore year, I reached my heaviest weight, and at 5’6, I weighed almost 170 pounds.
After gaining nearly twenty pounds since high school, I was incredibly self-concious about my appearance and uncomfortable in my own skin. I felt out of place hanging out with my sorority sisters, and I often avoided social situations because I felt embarrassed about my body. I was out of shape and had lost all of my muscle tone from dancing. I could no longer be proud that my body was muscular and athletic. Additionally, I had developed an unhealthy relationship with dessert, and on a daily basis, I was indulging in an unhealthy amount of processed, sugary crap. I wasn’t happy with myself, and this discontent expanded into every aspect of my life. Finally, I realized that I had to make a change. Slowly, I started reducing the amount of sugar I was eating and making dates with the treadmill and free weights. Gradually, I began to see results; I lost a fair amount of weight, my skin tone improved, I got better grades, and I felt more confident and comfortable around my peers.
Over the next couple years, I continued to make small improvements to my diet and developed a more concerted interest in nutrition and running. I’ve developed a deep passion for being healthy and lost nearly forty-five pounds in the process. I’ve learned how a diet full of nutrient dense vegetables and exercise is important to feeling my best mentally, physically, and emotionally. After trying to lose weight for nearly a decade, I’ve finally reached a weight where I’m comfortable and happy. For the first time in my life, I take pride in my body, not because of the number on the scale, but because I treat my body with respect. I’ve fallen in love with running and strength training, and exercise has become a hobby that I feel good about indulging in. I’m truly proud of the steps I’ve taken to turn my health around, and I’ve completely changed the way I look at myself. Health has been the most wonderful gift I could have given myself, and my journey is far from over.
Thank you for reading!
