Whole30 | Pittsburgh Lifestyle Photographer

As soon as I heard about Whole30 plan from Holly, one of my oldest friends, I decided I needed to try it! I began in May because I needed to "push the reset button" on my health and my habbits. 

Benefits

Honestly, I just wanted to lose weight but Whole30 did so much more! Not only did I lose over 20 pounds in 2 months, but I also increased my quality of life! I sleep more soundly and am more rested while needing 2 hours less sleep a night! My nails, hair and skin are stronger and healthier. I feel younger because I no longer have aches in my joints. The dark circles under my eyes have decreased. I think my favorite benefit is having more defined muscle tone (this is without exercising). I could go on and on. I am overall healthier today!

Rules

There are 8 rules. Five of the rules are as follows: No added sugars, No alchol, No grains, No legumes, No dairy.

To complete the Whole30 you need to commit to 30 days of following the rules. If you break one rule you need to begin again. It's as simple as following a few rules! But can you image? You can't really eat out. There is sugar in everything, even bacon!

Food/Meals

About three times a month I cook several pounds of ground beef and boneless skinless chicken breasts. I keep a couple pounds in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. That way I can cook a healthy meal in around 30 minutes (because I precooked the meat). We've been eating taco salad, chicken salad, chicken curry with riced cauliflower,  inside out egg rolls, shepherd's pie with baked potatoes, ground beef with riced cauliflower, zucchini pasta with tuscano marinara sauce, ratatouille, lettuce wraps, omelettes and egg bakes. New staples in our kitchen include,

• Coconut aminos (a soy sauce alternative)
• Sugarless ketchup
• Homemade mayonnaise 
• RXBAR and Lara Bars (I've found Target has the best prices)
• Guacamole
• Sugarless salsa
• Sugarless bacon
• Cashew and almond butter
• Organic coconut milk
• Ghee
• Homemade kale chips

Family

My family has been very supportive of my journey and I'm thrilled I don't have to cook a separate meal for my husband or children! Although my family isn't officially eating a whole30 diet, everyone eats what I prepare. However, they will add whatever they'd like to the meal, maybe a glass of milk, a slice of cheese or add a dessert at the end of the meal, etc.

Conclusion

It was not always easy. Holly and I texted often in the beginning. I needed advice and encouragement. It's really helpful to have a mentor. There are Facebook groups like Keep Calm and Whole30 On. I feel so good that I want to continue, but I don't want the stress of never making a mistake so I've continued after 30 days of an 80% Whole30 diet. I continue to avoid all dairy, I didn't know I was lactose intolarant (how is that even possible?) until now! Most days I still avoid grains and added sugars. It's empowering to overcome food/sugar addictions. If you decide to try the Whole30, I reccomend buying the book "The Whole30." I bought it on Amazon. 

Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Why Lifestyle Sessions? | Pittsburgh Family Photographer

When my children are grown, I want us to remember what our life was like. I want to show them photos of us intereacting and having fun! I love that lifestyle sessions capture the beauty of a regular day.

All too often we lose focus on what is important. Think about what is truly important to you. What does your family love doing together? Let's capture the real you during your photo session! I think when our children grow up they will appreciate having these types of photos and memories of a great day with their family.

Lifestyle sessions are relaxed, authentic and natural. These sessions provide an oppertunity for you and your family to slow down and enjoy your time together as a family. It's about seizing the day, creating new memories to be able to look back at and remember your life.

I recently had the opportunity to photograph my friend, an amazing photographer, and her two amazing boys. They enjoy cooking, wrestling, playing board games and building legos together. So that's exactly what we did! We followed the boys lead and had a fun morning!

I may make occasional posing suggestions like, could you put your hands on your lap or could you switch places to have more light on your face.

The children enjoy playing and often think of ideas of what we should do next! I love that!! 

Please watch a 70 second video from our two hour mom and me lifestyle session below.

I want to slow down and treasure the simple moments in my day with my children and family. I'd love to capture the everyday beauty of your family too! Please contact me about booking a lifestyle session.

Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Outdoor Sunset Newborn Portrait Session | Pittsburgh Newborn Photographer

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Flourish Academy's Camera Club. The Camera Club is open to photographers of all skill and experience levels from around Pittsburgh. It was a wonderful time of photographing a beautiful newborn baby girl and her loving mother while meeting other Pittsburgh photographers. Heather hosts the Camera Club on her gorgeous property. She is extremely knowledgable, welcoming and friendly. 

When I first began my photography journey I felt isolated from other creative spirits. After I graduated from college, I didn't know of any organizations to meet like-minded, creative individuals, which is difficult when you enjoy working with others! 

Today, Pittsburgh has become such a welcoming community for photographers, creatives and small business owners! In addition to the Camera Club, the local chapter of the Rising Tide Society, TuesdaysTogether - Pittsburgh PA is another organization for creative entrepreneurs to network, share ideas and learn from each other. The current movement is community over competition. Tuesdays Together occurs around the Pittsburgh area, often in different locations, the 2nd Tuesday of every month. It is free and open to all creative entrepreneurs from business coaches to graphic designers, and of course photographers too!

It's really fun to match a face to the names of people you've seen photos from on the web and Instagram.

Another perk about the camera club was having the opportunity to have my first experience photographing a newborn outside. I'd love to begin offering outdoor newborn sessions during the summer. 

It was a new experience to see other photographers photographing the same subjects but from different angles and perspectives. It was such a unique and enjoyable opportunity to watch other photographers at work.

The Flourish Academy's Camera Club is the 3rd Tuesday of every month! It is free and open to all photographers, professional and hobbyist.

If you are pregnant and would like to book an outdoor sunset newborn session, please call or email to book a session! We'd need to schedule for a dry and warm evening.

Laura Mares is an experienced photographer specializing in capturing timeless family keepsakes. Laura works on location and in her fully equipped home studio, located in Mt. Lebanon, eight miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Laura’s style is creative, natural, and timeless. Would you like beautiful portraits of your newborn baby, to update your child and family portraits or to document a milestone in your life such as a wedding, graduation, birthday or reunion? If you are interested in high quality, timeless photographs, book your session today, call (412) 654-3367 or email [email protected]. To view a wide range of gorgeous portraits and to get great tips, advice and beautiful inspiration follow us on Instagram and Facebook.