About

Clean-Eating Annie

My name is Annie Tyynismaa, and I am a pre-nursing college student. I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years, but when I quit swimming and went to college, I gained the cliche “freshman 15” and then some. I knew I was getting bigger, but it didn’t totally hit me how much bigger I was until I started trying on wedding dresses for my June 2011 wedding — that’s when I started making a conscious effort to lose weight. At that time, my only goal was to get back to my lean and mean competitive swimming weight; I just did cardio, cardio, cardio, in combination with a ~2,000 calorie diet. And the weight did come off, nice and steady.

When I reached my goal weight a few months ago, I still felt “skinny fat.” I had not yet regained the athletic, toned swimmer body I had hoped for — and that is when I started weight training. I picked up a copy of Oxygen magazine on a whim, and it turned out to be my weight-training bible. I also discovered Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet books, which promote eating non-processed foods free of added sugar and saturated fats. In the process of eating clean and weight training, I’ve noticed not just a change in my body, but an increase in my energy level and physical capabilities — carrying 10 grocery bags up 3 flights of stairs, no problem! Also in the process of eating clean, I’ve had to learn to cook. It began as a necessity and grew into a passion.  I started by buying a few healthy cookbooks and just following the recipes word for word. Over time, I developed more and more confidence in the kitchen, and found inspiration on sites like Pinterest. I have a serious sweet-toothe, so I love finding healthy versions of sinful treats.

I love living and sharing this lifestyle, and that’s why I’ve created this blog. I want inspire others and share the fitness and culinary knowledge that I’ve gained on my journey. Join me!