Dieting is overwhelming

There is a lot of information out there

“Carbs make you fat”

“Everything has cancer causing chemicals”

“Fat is your friend”

“Drink this pink/purple/green/red drink and you’ll never struggle again”

*Cringe*

Girls, there is a better way! Granted, it might take a wee bit of effort on your part, but how does that phrase go? “Good things come to those who WORK”

So what if you took a second to work,  to work on learning about your body, to work on learning about your food, to work on learning about the reasons you struggle and the reasons you feel food has become such a sticking point in your life?

Flexible dieting and macro tracking is an amazing, freeing method to be able to allow for any and all foods to be consumed, nothing is off limits. That’s right, nothing.

It does require some counting, but let’s be honest, we count EVERYTHING  else in life we care about: money, grades, scoring for sports, quantities for jobs, points towards prizes, everything else that we count doesn’t seem to bother us or feel unnecessary. So why do we tell ourselves that counting what we put into the one and only body we get is SOOO overwhelming and SOOO time consuming and SOOO impossible? If you wanted to save up for a house, you’d count your money and pay attention to it. If you wanted to get out of credit card debt, you’d count your money and pay attention to it. If you want to get a promotion at work, you count your contributions to various projects and hours and pay attention to them. If you want to win a sporting event, you count the points earned and pay attention to them.

So, why then, when you want to change your body, your health, your relationship with yourself and you’re asked to count, do we buck so hard?

Answer: cuz we’re lazy!

*Ouch* 

Sorry! I know it and you do too, it IS tedious, it IS frustrating, it IS new and challenging and a lot of times reveals some not so pleasant realities (*ahem* that “serving” of peanut butter turned out to be 3!)

BUT if you know what you’re putting into your body, like really know, you can make change. You can manipulate the amounts of foods you love to be able to enjoy them, you can stop the hamster wheel of “I’ll just do a cleanse, a reset, a detox after I have this” and you’ll stop wasting money on gimmicky products that may work for a minute, but you always end up feeling like you never quite got what you were hoping for…

Ladies, you are capable of more. You’re capable of taking back the reins of self control and being able to LIVE your life without having to have a rigid set of rules or a “name” for the reason you’re eating what you choose other than “it just freaking tastes good”.

What was it that was holding you back again?

*cough*

It’s you.

Let’s do this thing!

 

 

 

 

Let me know if any of this sounds familiar:

• spend all day tending to the needs of others
• feel stressed and tired/anxious/upset
• overeat
• feel guilty for overeating
• feel more stressed for overeating
• tell yourself you’ll “do better” tomorrow
• “white knuckle” a restrictive program for a few days/weeks
• still experience everyday stressors and end up falling off your strict plan
• feel stressed/tired/anxious/upset for “cheating”
• Repeat

 

Mamas, you’re not alone! I like to call this the Mom-Stress-Eating Hamster Wheel. Once you’re in/on it it feels all consuming and like you are getting no where. Your days are filled to the brim, and while you want change, it feels like there is no room to wiggle and that you are stuck on the track you’re on.

Deep breath.

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Let’s break out of the cycle.

Part One: Identify what is happening in those initial overindulgent moments and look for patterns.

• Who are you with?
• What are you feeling?
• What is going on around you?
• What happened a few hours before? What’s happening a few hours later?
• What are you thinking?

Even if it’s just mental notes, focus on being mindful of what is leading you to those moments of uncontrolled, guilt ridden moments.

“It’s that time of the month, I want to eat everything in sight”

“I just left a get together with ________ and now I need to pull through the drive thru for a shake and large fry”

“I didn’t sleep well last night, have to swing through the bagel place on the way to work”

“I just got off the phone with _________ now I need that bar of chocolate I keep in the freezer”

Are just a few examples of scenarios that might pop up.

 

Part Two: Focus on small changes that you can make to redirect your energy to a healthier outlet.

Is there something you can replace the stress induced eating with that you know is a healthier choice?

“I know that this week of the month is when I’ll get my period, I’ll be sure to have healthy snacks in the house and keep the tempting foods out”

“Next time I have a get together with __________ I’ll be sure to have a healthy meal beforehand, and go for walk afterwards to unwind.”

“I need to go to bed a little earlier tonight, I know tomorrow is a crazy day.”

“Next time I get off the phone with ________ I’ll go workout to release some tension.”

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Next, let’s look at being consistent with your goals.

“I want to be able to stick with something, and I’ve tried EVERYTHING”

That right there might the problem. There are a LOT of programs out there, and they’re awesome, but they don’t take into consideration your everyday life; the unexpected schedule changes, the trips, the sick kids, etc etc.

Choose a program that holds you accountable, and that recognizes that you live in the real world, and not an uber controlled bubble where your whole world revolves around a diet and workout schedule.

 

Some things to look for in a lasting program:

• It recognizes that you have a real, often hectic, life
• It meets you where you’re at and offers small changes you can make each day
• It holds you accountable-doesn’t just spit a graphic or meal plan at you and wish you good luck
• It can be customized to your lifestyle
• It preaches lasting, like lifelong lasting, change
• It’s fun! You should enjoy doing it
• It’s scalable, meaning that you can grow with the program and as your goals change so does the program
• Offers structure AND flexibility

The big kicker, though:: Make yourself accountable to a real person, who really cares.

It’s one thing to look up workout and diet info on Pinterest or buy into DVD programs that promise a brand new bod in 60 days. But when you have someone you trust in your corner, keeping your head in the game, picking you back up when you fall (because you will), and checking in with you along the way. Social support and accountability from a REAL person can make all the difference. Don’t do it alone! You’ve got a lot going on with being a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, teacher, chauffeur, cook, nurse, maid, etc etc…you don’t need to be your own coach too.

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With all that being said, you CAN get off the wheel. You CAN make the changes you want to make. You CAN get control back and feel amazing.

SPELL Fitness offers customized, sustainable, accountable, affordable and FUN coaching. If you’re ready to make lasting change, contact me today!

 

We see those pictures on the covers of magazines and workout DVD ads, glistening abs, ripped and shredded biceps, nothing jiggles whatsoever.

 

“I want that” we think, as we look at ourselves in the mirror. Stretch marks, cellulite, loose skin all screaming back at us.

 

But do we really?Is is it even real?

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First question first. Do you really want that? I mean, obviously, if we could snap our fingers and instantly be all ripped and shreddy, that’d be awesome! But when you step back and think about what goes into it–the concept doesn’t seem as awesome.

Those lean, ripped, non-jiggling people you see are sacrificing in just about every area of their everyday lives. They are having to avoid a lot of social situations, restrict their food intake to an extreme, their workouts take precedence over spending time with loved ones. Aside from socially restricted, their bodies also take a toll. Rest is often a struggle and fatigue is real, women struggle with hormone imbalances and often lose their monthly cycles once they reach a certain body fat percentage, sex drives plummet, men struggle with low testosterone, the list goes on. BUT they look good in a picture!

Emphasis on IN A PICTURE. Those shots you see on magazine covers are airbrushed and photoshopped to perfection. The bodies in the DVD’s are spritzed with oils and water for a glistening shine. They are flexing and water depleted and are spray tanned and made up to look perfect. It’s not how those people walk around every day, and that’s what you need to keep in mind.

If you’re looking to achieve an extreme level of leanness, you have to be mentally prepared for it to influence all areas of your life. Are you ready to avoid social outings with friends and family for a certain body fat percentage?

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“But you’re a trainer, a coach, a nutrition specialist…why don’t you have ripped abs?”

Because I also am a mom, a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter who enjoys spending time with the people she loves. I like a spontaneous pizza dinner with friends. I have a glass of wine with my husband several nights a week. My kids and I often will swing through the drive thru for a milk shake on a whim. This is what makes up a happy, balanced, life (for me).

I workout regularly, I train 20+ clients a month on average-coaching them in fitness and nutrition and changing their lifestyle. But I never preach restriction or abandonment of living life to the fullest. Abs would probably be fun, but the cost doesn’t outweigh the benefits for me.

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Moral of the story, abs can be painted on for a photoshoot. They can be flexed and edited with software on a computer. For the majority of us, they are HARD to achieve, let alone maintain just walking around. To reach a level of body fat to have them visible requires quite a bit of restriction and sacrifice. If you’re up for that challenge, GREAT! If you’re not, AWESOME! Health can be achieved, you can look good in a bathing suit, you can feel great–without a six pack.

It is a busy time of year.

Christmas parties, gingerbread houses, sugar cookies, egg nog, etc…nothing seems to fit your macros and you are stressing!! 

Pro tip:: STOP!
It is perfectly acceptable to eat off your nutrition plan and to skip workouts over the holidays. 

A few things to remember though-

1. You’re not exempt from the consequences of your off plan choices::chances are you will gain a few pounds, and experience some reduced progress. Don’t freak out, it’s not ALL fat and it will come off. 
2. Think moderate thoughts. There is a theme of either restriction or going rogue over the holidays. And you need to meet in the middle. Enjoy a celebratory meal, the occasional cocktail, etc. Balance it out, however, with plenty of water, some clean lean protein and a sweat session here and there to keep your head in the game. 
3. Relax! It’s only food! No one is shoving it down your throats, and chances are you’ll be able to have it again in the future. So you don’t need to eat it ALL. 

Merry Christmas! 

I’ve touched on in the past, the importance of protein intake in ones diet. But increasing the amount of protein you consume in a day can be challenging, especially if you’re not used to thinking about it.

Protein is vital for overall health. It works to build up hair, skin and nails. And functions to rebuild damaged tissues and promote healing. In addition, it is crucial for increasing lean mass and building muscle. Protein also has thermogenic effects, meaning that it requires energy (calories) to digest, and therefore can boost your metabolism during the digestion process.

Contrary to popular belief, protein powder on its own will not “bulk you up” as a woman. Females don’t have the hormonal makeup like men do to drastically increase their muscle mass, that and eating more protein on it’s own doesn’t cause your muscles to grow–that requires a lot of conditioning and focused weight training, with a lot of patience 😉

Please note that I’m not saying that you should ONLY consume protein in your diet, the body needs a balanced intake of all three macronutrients (see previous post) . Consuming a diet that is too low in carbohydrates can result in what’s caused ketosis, which can be dangerous long term. But increasing your overall intake of protein can provide plenty of health benefits. Protein is more satiating and therefore can help with appetite control, it helps with immunity and recovery from exercise.

So now the big question is how or what does one do to increase your protein intake?

Whey protein is a great place to start. Drinking a protein shake is an easy, and can be extremely delicious way, to increase your protein intake. And whey protein provides a host of benefits besides just the protein. Finding a delicious, high quality whey powder can boost daily intake quickly and easily (this is one of my favorite brands, minimal ingredients, great macronutrient profile, and excellent flavor and mixability.)

Whey provides health benefits like boosting immunity, supporting bone health, and overall wellbeing (studies have shown that protein can boost serotonin levels).

Women especially need all the help they can get to keep their bones strong and supportive. Plus overall health is not a bad thing either. Whey protein also is full of amino acids, because amino acids are ‘building blocks’ for the human body they are sometimes used speed up the healing of wounds or burns.

Other high protein food sources include chicken breast, tuna, egg whites, lean beef, wild game, bison, turkey and cottage cheese.

There are a lot of varying opinions out there on just how much protein is enough, for me personally I like to aim for 1g/lb of bodyweight (if you are overweight, aim for 1g per pound of your goal/ideal bodyweight).