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3 steps to stop the yo-yo cycle TODAY
Hey Hey Diva friends!
So this is a pet peeve of mine and I just REALIZED it's a pet peeve...so idk...does it count as a pet peeve if you haven't had it for longer than a few days?! Anyway ;P
As you know, I'm a personal trainer and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner helping people achieve success in their gut health, weight, hormones (and more!) through natural, holistic practices...ones that don't include extreme dieting, counting calories, portion control, or old "diet" mentalities....My greatest desire is to give you FREEDOM. Freedom from the scale, freedom from cravings, excess weight, bloat, and up-down up-down weight cycles.
I especially want to help you navigate the holiday season without THIS as a result:
So here it is...here is my pet peeve: I hate that people gain 20 pounds just because they know if they "diet" a very specific way they can then lose it again. In the body building community it's called bulking and cutting seasons.... But in our world it may simply be yo-yo dieting or, "crash"dieting for specific events or occasions....or even no reason at all except habit.
This tells me two things: 1) The way you normally eat isn't comprised of the right balance for YOU because if it was, you wouldn't pack on the pounds in the first place. Your cravings would diminish, your weight would balance and you would find your perfect homeostasis. I call this #YOUtrition.
2) You're setting yourself up for health concerns down the road if not ignoring them already. (i.e. metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, hormone imbalances, intense cravings, fatigue.....) It's never ok to binge on garbage food...no matter the reason or the end goal! Your body doesn't say "oh she's drinking this coke for this reason, so I'm going to shunt this over to muscle because in a few months she's going on a "cutting" program and we want to see abs...". If it's bad for you on Tuesday it's bad for you on Wednesday. Simple as that.
"If you can't maintain your weight then either it's not a healthy weight
in the first place, or you're choosing the wrong foods for your body."
I even see many health coaches sharing posts on social media that they have "fallen off the wagon" and show pictures of how they have gained weight and need to "get back on track". They will share these pictures when they are advertising a new program, health product, or workout while asking you to join them. They are trying to be relatable and may, in all honesty, be struggling right along with you. But to me that just says they haven't figured out how to really maintain a healthy lifestyle in the day to day...
Here's the truth:
"When you find what works for you then your
before and afters stop because you live your after forever."
Once you Stop Dieting and Live Your Life sure you might fluctuate here and there - hello water, stress, and periods....but anyone that consistently gains and loses 10+lbs or more needs to go back to the drawing board because clearly something isn't working for them it's working AGAINST them.
So instead of keeping it a pet peeve, I'm going to tell you how to fix it in 3 steps:
1) DITCH grains.
Yep I said it. Ditch em....you may find you can indulge occasionally based on your own body chemistry and personal health on things like rice and quinoa, but for now if you haven't stabilized your weight, your blood sugar, and your energy levels... ditch the grains and don't look back. And no you don't need them for fiber ;D, I'll address that in a future blog!
Try this for 30 days and watch the results pour in. If you don't see results, the toaster pastry will be waiting for you on day 31.
2) Fill your plate with vegetables.
AT. EVERY. MEAL. Literally. Make a CRAP ton of vegetables over the weekend if you have to. Heat up organic frozen veggies if that's what works. Make recipes that incorporate them into the main dish. Just MAKE IT HAPPEN. (By the way, there's your fiber!)
3) Move your body and move it frequently.
Now don't freak out, I don't mean become a cross-fitter. NO! In fact, for many with chronic health complaints excessive workouts can exacerbate instead of help the situation! When I say move I mean get that blood flowing in a way that encourages healing. If you have been a chronic dieter then chances are you have some metabolic issues, some underlying health complaints, some achy joints, some fatigue etc..... so I encourage you to move in a way that encourages healing.
By that I mean take long, brisk walks. I love that the fitbit motivates so many people to hit 10,000 tips a day! That's the perfect place to start. If you feel good abut it add some restorative yoga to your week as well and work on some deep breathing practices. You can d intensity from there once you feel energized and balanced!
So there you have it!! Ditch the grains, add more veggies, and walk your brains out for the next month and see what happens!
If you're ready to take YOUR health to the next level and you want some recipes, fun, and accountability along the way, join my Facebook group "Stop Dieting and Live Your Life!" I'm running my FREE Holiday Survival Guide event now through December and you can download that here!
If you really want in-depth support, 1:1 attention and guidance on gut health, balancing your micro biome and restoring your heath from the inside out, check out my new 8 week program "Get Gutsy With Me" Launching January 15, 2018!!!
I'd love to hear YOUR story below! Comment below with any thoughts or questions!
Eating organic for under $15/day
Hey Hey there Diva friends! I'm SUPER excited to bring this blog post to you today. As someone who used to eat the S.A.D. (The aptly named Standard American diet), I too once though that healthy food must be more expensive.
Stated simply, eating whole food, natural, organic, unprocessed foods is NOT more expensive and doesn't have to be. When we originally began our pantry transformation our first step was to take all the wheat filled gluten foods we normally ate and replace them with gluten free processed foods that mimicked the familiar treats. In that instance YES we would spend more money if we continued to purchase gluten free oreos instead of regular oreos. The bills would also remain high as long as I continued to buy a lot of junky snacks, chips, ice cream in ADDITION to the healthier foods on the list....
What I noticed as we progressed in our thinking and continued to tweak our diets however, was that if you really focus on eliminating processed foods (gluten free and all) it is highly probable that you with either break even or SAVE when changing your diets. The KEY is to focus on real foods. The bulk of my grocery cart is almost always from the produce section (fruits, veggies, herbs...) with a little meat (grass-fed organic) and a few canned/boxed/bagged items here and there like flax seed, non-dairy milk, and canned tomatoes or beans.
As I became more aware, it's become a habit for me to listen for the persons total in front of me at the check out in curiosity. What I have discovered is that people who use coupons, shop the sales, and stock up on chips, canned goods, frozen goods, cheap bread, snack items and soda, almost always pay over $200 for their cart. When I check out my total ranges somewhere from $130-200 for the week depending on how thorough my list was ( aka if I have to go back later in the week), if I included any splurge/treat items, and if we needed any household items that week (those always add up).
It's very frustrating to me when people say they cannot afford to be healthy and eat clean foods. Fruit and vegetables are some of the most inexpensive things at the grocery store! Even if you do something "expensive" like juicing or blending your veggies which uses quite a few at a time, it's still way more affordable than going to out to eat for most of your meals or grabbing that daily coffee habit. Not to mention you are substituting incredible nutrition for harmful toxicity that can shorten your lifespan at worst and at best make the life you have less enjoyable.
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To illustrate this point, I created an example meal plan, went to Krogers new Click List feature, input the items needed, calculated the serving size portion you would need per meal, and added up the total for one person in a day. I made sure the ingredients I chose were the ones I would personally use - organic, grass-fed when applicable etc...
With my ONE example ( which included a few more "expensive" items like juicing, Shakeology, and grass-fed beef) I found you could eat high quality, nutrient dense foods that will reverse disease and nourish your body for under $15 a day!
Here's the menu:
Breakfast:
- 2 pasture raised eggs = .81c
- Homemade green juice ( 1/2 bunch organic kale + 1 honey crisp organic apple + 1 organic lemon ) = $1.87
- Chia Seed Pudding ( 1 can full fat coconut milk from a can + 1/4 cup grand chia seeds + 2TBS honey) = .95...estimated over 6 servings
Breakfast TOTAL: $3.63
Snack:*
Many people balk at the concept of a $4.00 superfoods shake when I talk about incorporating Shakeology into their day. But when it includes superfoods from around the world, high quality adaptogens to help the body deal with stress, probiotics and digestive enzymes to help your gut health, not to mention the help it provides in curbing your cravings, I'd say it's worth it. Just replace the sodas or Starbucks with this instead.
*Replace this with some veggies, fruit, or a salad and while you won't get the nutritional variety, you will still spend the same or less and be getting quality foods in your day.
Lunch:
- Microwaveable Sweet Potato = $1.29
- Applegate organic, grass-fed hotdog = .75
- Whole bag of frozen veggies like peas ($10/10) ... may add some spices and/or grass-fed butter
Lunch Total: $3.04
Snack:
Organic honeycrip apple = .62c
1TBS peanut butter = .13c
Snack Total: $.75
Dinner:
Betty Crocker Crockpot Chili = $3.47 when having 4 servings
Dinner Total: $3.47
Total for the day $14.89
Of course your days will fluctuate, but this is approximately 1625 calories for $15.
Conversely you could always choose to have a day like this:
- Breakfast: McDonald's bacon egg an cheese biscuit (450 cal)
- Lunch: Subway 6 inch tuna sandwich ( 480 cal)
- Dinner: Chipotle burrito bowl with chicken, white rice, black beans ,mild salsa, cheese, guac and lettuce (890 cal)
For a grand total of: $13.94 and 1820 calories. This is all assuming of course that no beverages, chips, snacks, or extras were consumed.
You only have one body to live in.
Studies have shown that your gut health is directly correlated to your brain health. This means if you suffer from depression, anxiety, moodiness, or if you are prone to demential, Alzheimer's and brain fog in your family...these are things that can be prevented, and even reversed by the health of your gut. Processed foods not only provide lackluster nutritional value at best, but can cause inflammation to the gut as well as hindering the absorption of any nutrients you are actually consuming.
You won't be perfect over night. There is a learning curve. But the extra time and effort is ALWAYS worth it. Spending a few extra minutes looking at labels, making a meal plan, and cooking up some fresh veggies may give you an extra 15 YEARS in health, longevity, and LIFE.
I don't know about you, but I want the last 20 years of my life to be living not dying.
Change the mind, change the body.
Change the body, change the mind.
What are YOUR cost saving tips? I know there are many of you who are more budget conscious, and better at looking for cost saving tips that I am! I'd love to hear your tips below!!
To your health,
