Laurie Louthain Lundgren

Hi, and welcome to “Tasty Freedom!” I’m Laurie. I have two adult daughters whom I’ve raised as a single mom. They are the best! I live a creative life as a designer near Madison, Wisconsin. I could share more about my life as an artist, or about my hobby of swing dance and all forms of partner dance, but I'm sure you'd rather hear about the parts of my life that relate to food and recipes instead, so I'll get on with it! I LOVE food. But I have had a history of yo-yo dieting. The old adage “everything in moderation” never worked for me. Sugar and flour had a hold on me. If I had one bite, I’d be off the rails for weeks, driven to get my fix of sweets, chips, fast food, etc. OFF THE RAILS! I was either battling cravings while trying to diet, or I was giving in to the cravings and helplessly watching my weight climb higher and higher. Occasionally I’d go on a bender and travel between multiple fast-food drive-thru’s in secret. I felt powerless against food. But today, as I write this to you, that is a thing of the past. Nearly two years ago, I realized and accepted the fact that I am someone who does best to put boundaries around my food quantities and to abstain from sugar and flour altogether. Sugar and flour have an addictive effect on me, and I am also gluten intolerant, so for me to find peace, I realized I had to break up with them once and for all! I needed to find a way to eat which respected these new boundaries. But I LOVE FOOD and didn’t want to lose that enjoyment of eating. So, I began creating compliant recipes to replace the foods that I knew I’d miss. I kept a visual diary of my creations by sharing them on my Facebook blog called My GF SF Kitchen (My gluten-free sugar-free kitchen.) My goal in each recipe creation was to eliminate any risk of feeling deprived, by making them so delicious that I’d have no reason to go back to my old ways of eating. Sugar and flour brought me nothing but misery and weight gain, and I was dang sick of it! My recipes have allowed me to keep enjoying all the foods I love like breads, muffins, cakes, casseroles, bar food, and more… but without using any sugar, flour, gluten, or any artificial sweeteners. I finally have freedom from the old unrelenting cravings and can enjoy life at a healthy weight. I lost 63 pounds in nine months (without working out.) Giving up sugar and flour has been a game changer. I went cold turkey. The first five days were rough with withdrawal symptoms, but I didn’t give in. Once the sugar and flour were out of my system, the cravings were GONE! Whew! From then on, it became easy to stay away from it because I no longer had the cravings tormenting me. I know that I am someone who cannot “dabble” in sugar and flour without it taking a grip on me. Some people can manage it, but I cannot, so I choose abstinence. Today, nearly two years later, I still don’t eat sugar or flour…and thanks to my recipes, I don’t miss it one bit! The weight loss is amazing, but it pales in comparison to the benefits of the freedom I feel and the consistency of being in charge of what and how much I eat, without having to battle my willpower or be a slave to cravings anymore. The simple and satisfying meals you’ll find in “Tasty Freedom” will make you realize that breaking up with sugar and flour never tasted so good! With much love and encouragement, ~ Laurie www.MyGFSFKitchen.com