Now if you know me, you know I've been working in the Health + Fitness space for 10+ years now. To admit that I didn't practice what I preached until a few years ago is a little more than embarasing...
Here's the thing though, it's hard to rewrite the constant narratives that we hear and see about food and our bodies in social media, movies, and magazines (I'm aging myself with that last one and I love it LOL)
Learning how to fuel your body with food is an important step towards a healthy and happy life. It's not just about what you eat, but also about understanding the role of different foods in your diet and how to balance them according to your individual needs. Understanding what your body really does with food, and what it really needs creates so much freedom in food.
Food is not the enemy
Sugar won't kill you
You can eat things other than protein
You won't gain weight if you eat at night
+ Yes, your body needs more calories when you're on an 8 hr hike.
To name a few of the food fears I used to have...
Macronutrients are the utility bills of our bodies. Try and think about Carbs, Fats and Proteins as the Water, Power, and Gas bills you pay monthly. You can cut out fats, or carbs - but it's kind of like when you turn your furnace off in the summer time. It will work for a short period of time, but eventually winter comes and it's time to turn the furnace back on.
We see so many '4 week transformations' etc. etc. but heres the reality - 98% of weight loss is regained within 2 years. I want to see that person in 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years. I'm a firm believer nothing is worth doing, if it can't be managably maintained and sustained.
I could use clients as examples, but I'm going to use myself here. Roughly 5 years ago I lost 40 lbs and I've kept it off. I've had periods I've been a bit leaner and that 40 lbs has stretched to 50+ lbs, but I've kept 40 lbs off sustainably for 5 years now. This has kept me at a really healthy weight window, and allows me the flexability I enjoy to eat out with friends, go to family dinners, and have drinks when I feel like it without worry or guilt.
I eat more candy than most, and enjoy a sweet treat everynight before bed. No, not because I'm a sugar addict waiting for my next fix - but becuase I enjoy it and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the foods we like in moderation. When we take those 'bad foods' off the pedestal we place them on, we stop over glorifying them.
It's a piece of cheesecake..
It's not going to make you gain 10 lbs,
it's not going to ruin your life,
just like it's not going to give you a new life.
Orgasms will feel the same before and after those bites,
you will have the same job,
and live in the same place.
Eating that treat doesn't change your worth or value to the world,
and its even more important that it doesn't change your worth or value to yourself.
Once we can start viewing food for what it is, we create space to let food fuel our bodies in our daily lives. We suddenly have enough energy to crush that workout, or climb that mountain.
Achieving your goals doesn't have to mean chicken and rice for the rest of your life.
xoxo,
Maddison Noel