Don't worry, this is not a post in which I tell you what to eat and what not to eat. You're big boys and girls, you do not need my nutritional advice! (Unless you ask for it!) This is just me rambling a little bit about what I eat and don't eat.
A little back story...
This was me. Sooooooo me.
Almost two years ago, I revamped my entire approach to food and what it meant to be strong and fit. No more "lite" or "diet". No more two hours of cardio a day. What did I replace all of this with?
- Lots more protein.
- Lots more strength training.
- Carbs at the right time.
- Less running.
- LOTS of food.
I will admit I was pretty strict at first. I liked to stick to a certain number of calories and a certain number of macros. I would drink protein shakes before bed. For a little while, I ate too little carbs.
Over the past year, I have relaxed a bit. I stopped logging calories (gasp!) and upped my carb intake a bit. I started to eat more of what I craved so I get a more variety now. I still eat a lot of protein, I still view food as fuel. I have just evolved to be a little more lax than I was a year ago. It hasn't affected me negatively yet (physically, mentally, performance wise) so I am going to stick with it!
True Story: I eat healthy most of the time.
True Story: I have treats every day.
**When I say "treats", I don't mean Greek yogurt with honey!**
I do not follow a certain diet. I am not paleo. I am not G-free. I am not low carb or low sugar. (I train hard-my body needs sugar and carbs!) I am lucky that I don't have any allergies. Brussel sprouts make me puhp but they do that to everyone, right?
Never juiced!
I'm not into elimination diets, (since I have no medical reason to do so), but I am trying to think whether there is anything that I have absolutely eliminated from my diet....
I can't think of food in which there isn't a single circumstance in which I wouldn't eat it. There are foods I eat very sparingly... like fake sugar or fried foods. So I can't say I don't eat those. I very rarely eat them.
Looking back at this post, I guess the one thing I could never see myself never eating again are Lean Cuisines. Not only are they horrible for you, but they don't even taste good! So I'm on the Lean Cuisine-Free Diet!
Am I forgetting something? Do you think there is something I probably would never, ever dream of touching? Let me know! Because I could be missing something. (I'm not talking about foods in which I simply wouldn't like the taste... I'm talking about things that are bad for you. Like aspartame or black tar heroin.)
Is there anything you have completely eliminated from your diet, no ifs, ands, buts, or special circumstances?
I love this post (spoken from someone who has a 4 yr. degree in Human Nutrition).
ReplyDeleteI used to eat so much processed food and "diet" items. Then I went on a trip to Tulum for a yoga retreat and felt what it was like to eat real food with no restrictions. Changed my life.
My daily food motto: I can eat it as long as it's real food (and yes, this includes bacon + eggs every morning for breakfast).
On the weekends: let loose a little...have fun, go out to eat, have a glass of wine (or 2), AND dessert and then the next day a Coke Zero if it sounds good and you are tried from going out :)
Life is too short to be too restrictive. Be your best, be healthy but remember you only live once and a treat now and again is not gonna kill you.
Thanks for always posting about really awesome topics!!
I totally had to go to Google Maps to find out where Tulum was :) I am glad you enjoy my nutrition posts because while I am NOT a nutritionist, I had to learn a lot about it as I studied for my ACE certification. I am excited to help people with their nutrition when I train them. I am not allowed to PRESCRIBE diets, etc, but I am allowed to give nutritional guidance/answer questions. I have learned a lot about what your body needs to fuel itself during certain exercises and what it needs to repair after exercise. Learning that changed my whole outlook on food. I used to run 5 miles at 6am on an empty stomach and not eat again until 10:30am... when I'd eat an apple. Oh my word how STUPID. I would never dream of doing that now!!
DeleteI love what Michael Pollan says about food "eat real food food, not too much, mostly plants". That is about as real as it gets. I love his approach.
DeleteI did so many stupid things in my past and I can't believe my body put up with it for so long. But making those changes, has not only made me feel better, but look better!
BTW, thank you for being a trainer who actually follows the rule of not prescribing diets. Too often, when I was doing counseling, I had clients who had gotten "diets" from their trainers. Drove me crazy (thus, I got out of the field and went into high tech).
ACE drills into your head that it would be outside my scope of practice (duh!) to prescribe. I feel like I am very educated on the fuel/recover aspect of nutrition but that is more specifically for athletes, you know? Which I do think is very important for a trainer to know. Because most people don't hire a trainer AND a nutritionist.
DeleteA long time ago (uh, 10 years) I was on an actual "lean cuisine diet" and it sucked. I gained 10lbs. That shit is bad for you.
ReplyDeleteI get far too much sugar from alcohol (which we already knew) but am not terribly concerned with that.
You know I tried to do the bikini competition diet (sans EVER wanting to put my ass on a stage in a bikini) and it was hell. It worked. But it was hell. I looked great, felt great, glowed, etc. but I cannot eat that much chicken. I hated the food. Hated it. And I have to admit, I snorted at "not greek yogurt with honey" because if one more person tells me that a mug cake that is made almost solely with protein powder is a treat . . . I'm gonna have to throat punch them.
More importantly that all of this is that I'm learning (slowly) how to be ok with my body. Good grief are we ever trained to hate it and constantly want to change it. Getting rid of a lot of negative media has helped. And hey, I'm totally wearing "booty shorts" on my run today. Because they are comfy. I make no apologies. Cue Nirvana as I walk away.
I know, when people tell me they have a "dessert" like that I just want to roll my eyes. It's one thing if they don't ACT like it's a treat. But when they act like it is all naughty and treaty I just want to be like.... really? I am glad you are learning to be okay with your body. We don't need to constantly change it. I am happy with the way I look now but I certainly don't look perfect or like a fitness model. Sure, it would be fun to look like that, but at what expense??? No more cheese? No more bread? No more wine?? I already eat all the chicken I can handle!
DeleteI know this isn't really what your post is about, but that juice picture hit a nerve! I CANNOT STAND all the people who are like "omg I did this juice cleanse and lost 5lbs in 3 days! Ask me how!" It makes me want to stick a fork in my eyes!
ReplyDeleteMe too, girl. There is nooooooooo reason to do that, I don't care what ANYONE says!
DeleteI would pass out if I had to only have juice! I like this post. I've seen better results when I've ate real food as compared to the days when I thought lean cuisines were the way to go...,lol, (university)!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I lived off those in college and when I lived alone!
DeleteWell, I certainly hope you'd completely avoid black tar heroin. That would probably negatively affect your fitness. :) The only food I completely avoid is donuts. Everyone assumes it's because I'm a health nut, but I actually just really hate them. :) I agree that unless you have an allergy, there's no reason to completely eliminate a certain food.
ReplyDeleteYou hate donuts!!!!!!!!!!???? It's okay, we're still friends. :)
DeleteGive me your thoughts on whole milk vs. 1% or 2%. I've started to avoid lite foods and am she finitely eating more "whole" foods and less prepackaged stuff, but I never seem to get enough protein...mostly because I'm not a huge fan of meat.
ReplyDeleteAlso I love every single one of those ecards...and the only things I don't eat are things that will affect my Celiac.
DeleteI think whole milk has more fat in it, right? So I guess if you are trying to get some more fat in your diet, it would be a YUMMY way to do so!
DeleteGuarantee I will never eat a lean cuisine either again! Also diet drinks and sugar substitutes are out for good as well. I guess basically any crap diet/processed junk will be out forever. That stuff tasted like sh*t anyway.
ReplyDeleteLots of processed stuff like LQs taste horrible. I mean, i know it is fast to make the frozen meals, but they don't even taste good so it's not worth it to me anymore. I have become picky about my junk food, too. Sometimes I just CRAVE french fries, but I don't want them from Wendy's cause they are so soggy. I'd rather get them from a restaurant in which I know they have really good crispy fries. I guess my point is, if I eat junk once in awhile, I want it to a least taste good!
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