DIETARY FREEDOM.

Here I am again. Not ready for the contest that is in a few short weeks...but you know what? IGAF (indirect translation: I don't give a hoot...) As I mentioned in my last post, I am totally happy with my body and my diet for maybe the first time in my life.

It is so incredibly freeing to feel like food doesn't control me. Do I have a six-pack? Well, yes...but you can't see it. And I am cool with it...because I feel really healthy. I have energy. I get to enjoy eating with friends and family. I don't feel like I have to say no to treats. I don't schedule my meals to be every two hours...because my life is not scheduled in 2 hour increments. My meals actually feel like meals...which is actually far more satiating, regardless of calories.

Does that mean I eat whatever and whenever I want to? Nope. Sometimes I still say no to treats because I still have goals. I listen to my body better and I know pretty well what foods I should avoid...because, even though I don't think anyone should label foods as 'good' or 'bad' foods...there are foods that are bad FOR ME.

Trigger foods. Foods that are catalysts to bad dietary decisions. Foods that trigger an emotional response (that for me can turn very quickly into binging).  I try to be careful with those foods. I do my best not to indulge in them if I am having a bad day.  They are foods that I probably shouldn't keep in my house (but I am human...and sometimes I fall prey to the temptation...or I shop hungry and I make more unhealthy decisions).  Trigger foods are not the same for everyone.

Food is not the enemy. Food is a thing. Food is food. Sometimes fuel for just living day to day. Sometimes fuel for intense exercise. Sometimes fuel for the soul. 

I work with men and women who somewhere along the line developed a misunderstanding of what food is and what it can do FOR them. Eating has been so demonized in so many ways. 'Too much fat will make you fat'. 'Sugar will give you diabetes'. 'Bread is bad for you'. 'GMO will give you cancer'. 'If you can't pronounce the ingredient, don't eat it'. BLAH BLAH BLAH. It is CONFUSING.

Nutrition does not need to be confusing. YES. There is some validity in many of those statements...but people don't know why or under what circumstances the statements are valid...so starts the pattern of eating no fat, no sugar, no bread, no gmo food, nothing processed, and whatever other stupid thing that is trending. If you cut those things out...what is left? Ah. You have the internet's permission to drink water. ALLLL the water.  And veggies. And grass fed-free range meat. Unless you are 'ethical'. Then no meat...#vegan #whatthehealth (ALSO BULLSHIT). SO veggies and water #ftw.

Good luck ever feeling satisfied...or remotely happy when all you tell yourself you should be eating is cardboard washed down with a glass of water. GUYS YOU CAN'T DO THIS...seriously. What happens on the weekends after you've managed to stick to it all week? You eat every single thing. EVERY. SINGLE. THING. And then you feel guilt. And so you smother the feeling by eating more. RIGHT? But Monday rolls around and you can 'be good' again. THIS IS NOT DIETARY FREEDOM. It is a prison and the guards look a lot like a box of doughnuts.

And you know what? I have fallen for nearly [every. single. one.] of these trends. I have tried them all. And there are things that I have learned from trying them. BUT none of them worked. ZERO of them offered me the balance that I needed to have dietary freedom. I never felt in control of food or my ability to choose, until I let go of the 'rules'.

The only rule I have now is this: I DECIDE TO EAT. I decide to eat fresh veggies. I decide to eat fruit. I decide to drink soda. I decide to eat cookies. I decide to eat ice cream. I decide to have a diet soda. WHATEVER. As long as I am aware of my choices and take two seconds to be mindful about my choices I HAVE THE CONTROL. And I choose better. And sometimes I choose to feel a little extra full because I went out and had a burger and it put my calories up by 500 or whatever. IT WAS MY CHOICE. It might slow down some weight loss...I might even gain a pound (but I will know that before making the decision...and I know that I have nobody and nothing to blame for enjoying myself...and I can always choose to eat half of the burger or get no burger and visit...because I DECIDE).

This is how I approach nutrition with my clients. NO QUICK FIX.  I want my clients to learn how to adjust perspectives and trust that they know themselves better than anyone else ever will.  Dietary guidance is secondary.

If you want to change, you have to believe that you have the ability to change and be empowered to take control of the one thing you can...YOUR CHOICES.


I will do an actual contest prep update sometime...because it's still a goal;) Just not one that I am willing to sacrifice balance and happiness for.

Bikini Prep 2015: Starting Point and Keeping Perspective

I have officially been 'prepping' for my upcoming contest for 4 days, and yesterday was exactly 7 weeks out from stage day. My abs have already started to tighten up and I am feeling really good about this prep:)

These are my 'before' pics:

I know it's not the best lighting and not a full-length progress pic...but I always carry most of my 'excess' weight in my mid-section and lower back, so I am more concerned with how that is changing, anyway. 

Moving on...I was in the locker room the other day and I overheard three girls talking about the upcoming show, two of which said they would be competing. These girls were beautiful. Both were already fairly lean and one had put her suit on for posing practice. Initially, it was a little bit discouraging to see that she was already so prepared to hit the stage. I was disappointed and jealous that I am not at that point [yet].

Not comparing myself to other girls is a challenge for me, regardless of it being on stage or just on the streets. Luckily, I don't have too much trouble admitting it (which is a start to just letting it go...hopefully:)). 

I left the gym thinking about her, but I was quick to remind myself that I don't do this to compete with other girls. I do this to compete with myself. It's about the work that I put in for me. It's about enjoying myself on-stage and making connections backstage with other girls who share my passion for fitness. 

I am feeling good about my sprints. I may have to back off of them just a little bit, to avoid shin-splints...but that's cool. I will most likely do some incline intervals or stair master intervals on the days that I am not sprinting. 

I am definitely starting to feel hungry. I have mainly noticed my hunger at night, but I have really been enjoying my meals and don't feel like I will need to change them yet.

Overall, I am still feeling confident about this prep:)

The Golden Rule

I recently came across this image on Facebook.

Yes. It was posted with the intention that the women should be compared to each other (we do it whether we like to or not). Most likely assuming that the fuller, and more muscular woman on the left is 'more attractive'. Because I enjoy fitness and the more muscular look, I would agree with that. However, this is not about which woman is 'better looking'. 

This is about a comment  that was left on the image that REALLY bothered me.

'Sorry, but neither one looks natural. Both represent very self absorbed women'

Miss, I beg to differ. These images simply portray women and a piece of their lifestyle. You do not know these women. Either or both of them could be the most down-to-earth and friendly people. Being a woman, I am 100% positive that each of these women carry their own insecurities with them everywhere they go.

The fit girl is not even posing for the photograph. Someone admired her, and chose to snap a shot. She is at a competition, simply enjoying an activity that she is probably passionate about.

The model, I'm sure, faces some pretty heavy pressure being in a career that targets young girls and is notorious for housing girls with eating disorders. She probably does not enjoy it. She probably worries about being ready for a shoot or a show constantly. How harsh to be one to judge her when she probably spends enough time judging herself. 

Now, I realize this is a bit of a rant, but I relate to this. For my whole life I have been insecure about myself. I am not pretty enough. I am not thin enough. I have ugly stretch marks. My toes are weird. I am not strong enough. I have these irrational thoughts sometimes. And because I am critical of myself, I am concerned with how I look. This does not make me self-absorbed. It makes me HUMAN. 

I believe that it is not our place to judge the character of any person without knowing them personally. I am sure each of the women in the image are beautiful in their own ways. Remember that you have people watching you every day. Would you like to know that they are making an unsupported judgement of your character? I would not.

Treat others as you would like to be treated. It's a rule. Don't forget it, be kind. <3

Peanut Butter-Jelly Time...

Everyone has a favorite food item...well, mostly everyone, right? I have mine. It probably changes sometimes, but for the past few months I have been seriously in love with peanut butter (and other peanut products). I love it. Love, love, love it. I ate a few giant Costco tubs of roasted and salted peanuts last summer (shame on me...). I think maybe the overload came from my previous deprivation. My husband is allergic to peanuts, so I had not eaten much (if any) peanut products for about a year. Obviously, my husband wasn't sneaking them, so I have to take full credit for eating all the peanuts. Unfortunately, eating all those peanuts may very well have been a contributing factor to not reaching my goal of getting as lean as I wanted to.

I think this can happen with any food. When you restrict something you love (or like)too much, it can come back and bite you in the butt. It all comes down to moderation. It probably comes up a lot when referring to nutrition and a balanced diet for a reason. Moderation works. Have the little bit of treat that you need to satisfy your craving, but don't gorge yourself. A little piece of brownie every once in a while wont ruin you; although, a little piece of brownie every day might. Keep realistic portion sizes (and when it comes to brownies...very small...you only need to taste it, really).

Save treats for special occasions. Allow yourself to have it when the occasion arises. Family and close friends' birthday parties. Holidays (careful). Graduation. Passing a big test with an A (assuming you don't have tests every day). This will put your treats into a treats category, rather than putting them in a 'daily dose' category. Little changes like that can make a big difference.

Pay attention to where your cravings are really coming from. How much water have you been drinking? You might only be thirsty (3 L every day...at least!!!). Are you a woman? Is it your time of month (seriously, men. You have no idea how much that can really make a difference.)? How many carbs have you eaten already during the day (because sugar tends to be the biggest problem...lack of carbs = sugar cravings)? Are you experiencing more stress than usual? Keep a broad perspective. Ask yourself why you really want to eat. Make sure it is because you are hungry. Taking time to plan your meals and eating meals every few hours will help to prevent cravings (and encourage weight loss).

I'm going to continue to have my peanut butter (in moderation and with planning), but I have made the choices necessary to keep from eating the entire tub in one sitting (that is not an exaggeration). If you mess up, keep trying. eventually you will get it!

Motivation

I often find myself wondering why there are so many people who struggle to do the things necessary to be healthy. I am passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and being the best I can be, so it can be hard for me to remember that not everyone has the same mentality that I do. Everybody is in a different situation. Different schedules, different stresses, different means to their goals. This means that motivation will also vary from person to person. I cannot tell anyone where to find their motivation, but I can share some places where I find motivation, and hope that it might inspire someone else to find theirs.

I am motivated by my appearance. It is not necessarily something that I like to admit to, either, but from a realistic perspective, people care about appearance. Also, I am a female..so naturally, I want to look good. I have had personal experience with having a low self-esteem. I am my own worst critic. I have not always thought that I am pretty...in fact I thought myself quite plain throughout most of my teenage years. This motivates me because when I like the way I look, or when I feel like other people like the way I look, I feel confident and more comfortable. It helps me free up my mind for more important things that worrying about how my shirt fits, or making sure the waist of my pants covers my love handles, or who is going to see that giant (but, probably tiny) zit on my face. 

GOALS. Making goals motivates me. Setting specific goals, creating a timeline, logging my progress, seeing results, and repeating the process again. For example, I have a fitness competition coming up in March. I know when it is, I know what I want to do by then. I am keeping track of everything that I am doing to prepare for that event (food, exercise, sleep, body composition). I am paying attention to the details, so when I set my next goal, I will know what, where, and how I need to change. Never stop making goals. You wont end up where you want to if you haven't identified your destination.

Picking someone to look up to, or multiple people is also something that helps me to determine what my goals are. I have strengths and weaknesses. I use role models to motivate me to turn my weaknesses into strengths. I find people who have those strengths to lead me to achieve my goals. I find people I can read about, look at images of, and if I am lucky I find people who I can actually get advice from!

My health motivates me. When I have been at my most healthy state (so far...I'm not done yet :)), I don't get sick nearly as often, or I recover more quickly. I have more energy. I notice that my health shows through my skin, hair, and nails (this is not weird...trust me). My aches go away (my knees in particular...). I don't feel like I am going to pass out at the top of a flight of stairs. I feel good. 

Living a long and full life motivates me. I want to be active and able to take care of myself as I age. I want to be able to do fun things into my old age. I don't want to live my life being sick or tired. I want to prevent the potential aches and pains of old age. My grandmother would say, "it's better to wear out than to rust out".  I want to make the most of every minute of my life...and make my life the most minutes.

I have found that motivation cannot simply be external. Yes, it is motivating to want to look good. Yes, other people can encourage me and motivate me. Yes, it is motivating to feel my pants fitting better (or beginning to fall off...on some days). But, ultimately, I have to want it for myself.  I need the motivation to come from within.  For health, for happiness, for longevity. 

I am motivated by my desire to love myself. I want to love my heart, my kidneys, my brain, my skin, my feet, my blood, my personality and everything that I am. I want to be able to smile at myself in the mirror every morning because I know that I am valuable. When my body feels good, I can take better care of my mind and my attitudes. I can wake up and say, you are beautiful and today is going to be a very good day. I am not perfect at this. I can be very hard on myself (I am human...) and sometimes I ruin my own days. But, I have noticed that the more I love my body (by living a healthy lifestyle), the happier I am and the less critical I am of myself. 

These are a few things that motivate me. There are days (or weeks, or months) when I find it hard to pay attention to these motives, and on those days I will usually bribe myself ;) If I eat clean for a week, I can get a new color of nail polish (one of my many small obsessions...). If I go to the gym every day for a month I can get a new pair of tennis shoes (mostly thanks to my sweet husband). If I get all of my cardio in during the week, I can spend more time at the climbing gym (and this is my weakness...).

What motivates you? FIND YOUR MOTIVATION. Be healthy, be happy. Be happy, be healthy.