Hello everyone,

I recently worked with the lovely Tanuja from Food For Thin as she prepared for the Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Expo a couple months ago. For the expo, we created some branding signs, some recipe cards and some packaging labels for her miracle brownies (see below). I wanted to share a little bit about Food For Thin with all of you so here is my interview with Tanuja.

1/Hello Tanuja, tell us a little bit about your company and the services and products that you offer.

Hi Regine, thanks for taking the time to interview me.  Food for Thin is what I like to call a “Lifestyle” company.  We focus primarily on health, wellness, and nutrition.  We offer both weight-loss and wellness consulting as well as food for purchase.

Food for Thin’s approach to weight-loss consulting is unique in that we treat the whole person.  Weight-loss is never the primary objective, but rather a very positive “side effect” of adopting a healthier lifestyle.  Anyone can lose weight short-term, but keeping it off takes a full lifestyle makeover.

My favorite products that Food for Thin sells are the desserts.  Each one of them is made with real, whole foods and is they are not only delicious, but also rich in protein, vitamins, fiber, and low on the glycemic index which makes them safe for diabetics.  I also don’t use any preservatives or artificial sweeteners.  The best thing about all of Food for Thin’s dessert products is that they are all dairy-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free.

2/What made you decide to start this company?

The reason I started this company was personal.  I was overweight and had issues with low energy.  One day, I was just tired of feeling fat and tired.  I started by working out, but even that wasn’t changing my weight.  Then I realized the main thing I had to change was my diet.  I started reading everything I could get my hands on from medical journals to magazine articles to books and I watched numerous exercise videos and food documentaries.  Of course, I am still learning, but after all of that, I altered my own diet and got spectacular results!  I lost weight the healthy way and I lost 40 pounds in about 6 months.  I went from a size 10 to a size 0.  I reached my goal of 125 in early 2009.  I’ve successfully kept it off for more than 2 years now and I am actually down to 117.  I still have my problem areas, but continuing to learn about nutrition and help my clients lose weight and improve their nutrition gives me great motivation to continue bettering myself.

A typical day for me begins with me drinking lots of water.  Then I exercise for about an hour.  Then I enjoy a delicious and nutritious smoothie that gives me lots of energy to move through my day.  Then the creative process starts.  I usually go to the grocery store, get the stuff on my list and then walk around aimlessly for a while.  Finally, a brilliant idea strikes!  I get all the ingredients and head home.  Then I make sure my kitchen is in order and clean and then the cooking starts!  Next I clean up and then I have to find some friends to share my experiments with .  Then I work for a while to ensure my websites are updated.  I Tweet, post statuses on Facebook and work on my Newsletter or Blog.  This a very typical weekend day for me when most of my business takes place.

On the weekdays, I actually have a full-time consulting job.  I typically work out in the mornings for about an hour and then I go off to work and I get back around 6p.  Usually, I stop at the grocery store to pick up some fruits and veggies for the next workday.  Then I come home and cook something simple, eat, and then experiment with a dessert recipe.  If I’m not in the mood to cook, I work on my research by reading wellness related books or watching health documentaries.  Then it’s off to bed!

4/What’s been your biggest challenge so far and what advice you would have for anyone else who is thinking of starting their own business?

Starting a business is a very humbling process.  You can have the best product ever, but you still have to hustle to actually sell it to people.  It is fairly time consuming, but I personally think every second is worth it.  It’s definitely not easy, but at the same time, you’re doing something you love, so it doesn’t really feel like “work”.  I think my biggest challenge so far has been keeping track of the “business” side of the business.  I’m horrible with organization and taxes and I should have hired an accountant last year around tax time, but I tried to do it myself.  And, I am just not an accountant, so I’m lost a lot in taxes.  I would say, keep track of your receipts and expenses and make sure you’re actually turning a profit and don’t get cheated out of your money by not hiring an accountant.  This might be difficult in the beginning, but eventually, you have to pay yourself!

5/What aspect of your business do you enjoy the most?

My most favorite thing about my business is the weight-loss/nutrition consulting I do.  It is so rewarding to see my clients week after week and they are more energized, have more positive attitudes and of course, they are dropping weight.  They are so excited to see what they can achieve with the right knowledge.  I love that I can pass on all the knowledge I’ve gained after reading hundreds of books, papers, articles, journals, and watching several documentaries and trying a lot of different programs myself.  Many of them have been on a journey similar to mine, and I’m just happy to see them end up with great results, just like me.

Thanks Tanuja! You can also learn more about Food For Thin by visiting her new site Miracle Mixes or her main site Food For Thin. You can also keep in touch with Tanuja via Facebook or Twiiter.

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