About Me

Hi!  Welcome to Cheerfully Planted, and thanks for stopping in.  Let me tell you a little about myself and how Cheerfully Planted came to be.

When I was in my Junior year of college at Washington State University, I had come back from winter break over 10 lbs heavier than I was the month before.  Yikes!  All of the Christmas goodies and home cooking went straight to my gut and hips, not to mention taking a toll on my self esteem and ability to fit into my favorite clothes.

Through most of high school, I had been very active and, although I was never slim, I maintained a normal body weight from all of the activities I did.  Come college with changes in activity levels, eating, and *ahem* drinking, I had put on about 5 lbs a year or so... until this Christmas break that is.  I got on the scale in my studio apartment on January 8th and realized I was the most I have ever weighed!

I scoured Amazon for a diet book to get me back on track to a healthier weight.  I passed up all of the high protein or low carb diets knowing myself well enough that I wouldn't have the budget or cooking skills to add more meat to my diet, nor could I bring myself to never eat bread, potatoes, or rice.  I finally came upon Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat To Live.  The quick premise of the book caught my eye as a solution that wasn't a quick-fix fad diet, but something that I could learn from and adapt my patterns to be healthier for life along with dropping those extra pounds I was carrying.

In a leap of faith, I bought the book on my Kindle and dove right in.  I finished the book within a few short days and started on the 6-Week ETL Aggressive Weight Loss Plan right away.  Within five weeks, I saw over 15 lbs come off with ease along with side effects of sleeping better, and having more energy and clearer skin.  I found that I no longer had digestive issues, nor did I get as bloated or groggy during my lady time of the month.  It's crazy, but I think my hair started even growing faster!

It finally felt like my body was getting the nutrients it needed, and I missed my old diet less and less by the day.  To learn more specifics about the Eat to Live program and more great information about whole food plant based diets in general, please visit my page all about Whole Food Plant Based Diets.

In Fall of 2011, I decided to start my own food blog called Amy's Nutritarian Kitchen after being inspired by many other bloggers I had been following and admired.  My blog started off as a great way to track my favorite recipes and to keep myself accountable, but it has since become a wonderful way to connect and help others that were where I was after Christmas break that year in college: unhappy and ready for a change.

For nearly four years, ANK blog has been baby that I've cared for through some of my biggest life events so far, including college graduation, my wedding, first jobs, moving away from my hometown, etc.  This last spring of 2015, the Husband and I bought our first house.  Obviously, a HUGE life event.  But this, as well as my snowballing obsession with knitting and yarn, I was ready to start a second blog that features more than just my interests in food and health.

While I will still feature plant-based recipes and health related topics, I wanted to give a nod to the many other loves I have in my life, including knitting, crafting, decorating, DIY, and home improvement (now that we have a home).

Thank you to those old fans of Amy's Nutritarian Kitchen that have followed me over to see what comes of my new crazy antics on Cheerfully Planted, and welcome to those of you who found your way here one way or another.  My hope is to share some of my passions so that you have the inspiration to live healthier, if that is what you want, get craftier, if that is what you want, and become a bad-ass DIYer, if that is what you want.

Health and Happiness,

Amy