p-h-i-l-o-s-o-p-h-y

Over the past few months, I've been so very torn about what direction I wanted to take Healthful Pursuits in.  I love the Health at Every Size movement- but it's not perfect, it has a lot of holes and the community that supports HAES and body love- is truly anything but loving. It had me questioning if I wanted to be associated with a community that promoted love but acted completely opposite.  So I've had to ask myself some truth revealing questions. Bare with me here! 

Although I love the non-diet beliefs, do I truly believe that all weight loss is a bad thing?

No. I just don't. A year ago someone close to me was very heavy, he lost his breath and would sweat when trying to tie his shoes or walk up the stairs to his home. He had sleep apnea and slept with a noisy mask and machine running. He was very uncomfortable- not because of societal pressure or because skinny models were telling him he had to be, but because his body ached. Do I believe his weight caused these things? No, it was the fact that he was a very inactive person. He worked late hours at a stressful job, often times not getting home until dinner time. Stress also contributed, and lack of sleep.

So he decided to start a diet, a very popular one -because he wanted to change the way he was eating and he didn't know where to begin. He didn't know what changes to make, what foods were benefiting him nutritionally and which were benefiting him mentally. Grocery stores just confused him (thanks to all of the marketing and false advertising of "health" food).

Now- most of society would say this is a positive change. But the latter community would say it was the worst thing he could have done. Their opinion is that he should have begun to exercise, not worry about his weight and that his problems would improve whether he lost weight or not.

I agree this would be the first best option I would recommend as well. Except he didn't have time to exercise (remember stressful, long hours + a family he still needs to see) and the little bit of exercise that he would be able to squeeze in would not have been enough to make a difference in what he was experiencing. So he did something he could do in the season of life he was in- change his eating habits and yes- he restricted himself on this diet. He did lose weight, his apnea is gone (no more machine) and he has no issues with stairs or shoe tying. He continued for about a year (lost around 40 lbs- a modest amount, not an extreme diet) and then began to incorporate exercise into his life- he was physically more comfortable and felt more confident being able to complete a workout routine.
Today? He exercises regularly, maintains a weight that classifies his as overweight still but not obese, he is confident in his food decisions. He feels better. He still enjoys his life, social situations and he still enjoys food. If he wants ice cream, he will eat ice cream.  He's happy "hanging out" where he is.

I cannot say that he was wrong. I cannot say that what he did was bad for him. He is active, he can sleep without a machine and tie his shoes. He's confident.  Every person is different, these are all unique situations that need to be taken client by client. What worked for him is not what I would recommend for everyone and this wouldn't be the best for everyone.

But more importantly...

There is biblical guidance for caring for our bodies that this philosophy does not address or support. 

"While nothing in the Bible specifically addresses obesity and weight loss, there is much in God’s Word about the importance of our health and of taking care of our bodies. God warns us against gluttony. In the Old Testament God gave specific instructions about what His people, the Israelites, were to eat (Deuteronomy 14:1–21). Most of these commands were designed to keep the Israelites from eating harmful foods that would negatively impact their health. Some of the commands were also given so God’s people wouldn’t imitate the habits of the idolatrous people around them.

Gluttony, which is overeating or drinking to excess, is condemned in the Bible (Proverbs 23:20–21). Gluttony can lead to health risks and become a drain on one’s finances. Plus, the love of food and drink can all too easily become an idol in our lives. Anything that takes the place of God or becomes our number-one focus is, by definition, an idol and thus a sin against God (Exodus 20:3–6). Proverbs 23:2exhorts us to “put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony”; in other words, we are admonished to restrain our appetites.


Health at Every Size says to eat what you want when you want, how much you want. never restrict. This does not line up with the Bible. Just because I want or feel like eating an entire gallon of coffee ice cream by myself tonight, does not mean I should. We should be exercising self-control and wisdom in all areas of our life- including what we eat.


"While obesity and weight loss are valid concerns, we must be careful not to become obsessed with body image. Again, when something besides God becomes the major focus of life, it is sin. To constantly obsess about exercise, diet, and weight loss means we’ve allowed our bodies to become the center of our lives. Someone with a toned, fit body can be just as idolatrous as a glutton. Also, an obsession with weight loss can tip over into anorexia or bulimia, which also has a negative impact on health."

So what now? 
Everyone has their own definition and beliefs about nutrition.

I'm not choosing a side. 

I'm taking my clients individually. 

The HAES philosophy may be exactly what someone needs who struggles with anorexia/bulimia or fear of food. 

Helping people learn to eat in a way that nourishes their body and enables them to eat intuitively may be exactly what someone else needs. 

Someone may want to lose weight. What then? I respect that. I have lost weight, and while it's been a while since I've lost any more weight...do I want to be back to where I was before? No. I truly don't and I don't expect everyone else to accept being obese or very overweight and just learn to be happy there. I would present the facts, the science, and together we'd work to make changes in their lives that would result in weight loss. 

My goal and dream has always been to be helpful to my clients. To be encouraging and supportive of their goals. To help them live a healthy lifestyle (no matter their weight) and to help them navigate between all of the very confusing false advertising and new nutrition products thrown at us. and it's time I get back to doing that.

No matter which path we need to take together- I'm here to help you sort through fact vs. fear, and walk with you to meeting your goals. 

Leave a Comment about me, calories, eating, FAQ, intuitive eating, philosophy, weight loss

Balancing Act

   
      One of the first things I do with new clients is to send them a list of questions to reply to, some basic stat-type questions and also things like "what is your favorite food?" to help me get to know them better. I ask them what their goal or purpose is during our time together, whether it be weight loss or establishing healthy eating habits or exercise routines. I am not a personal trainer, so I always leave the client in charge of their exercise by asking them what they love to do, what makes them feel good? And what they plan to do to make the changes they want to see. Some of the most common replies are things like:
"I'm going to start running 5 days a week!" 
"I'm going to go to the gym every day!" 
"I'm going to crossfit (or yoga or zumba or ____) 3 days a week and then run the other days!" 
"I'm going to workout every day except Sunday!" 

They are excited and ready to make changes and see changes, I absolutely understand- culture and Instagram, that friend on her 2-shake-a-day diet and friend who is in the gym 7 days a week tell us that's what we have to do to reach our goals. They tell us that is what is important. That we have to make time for it, for "us". You want to lose weight or be healthy? Exercise and exercise. We openly support those who clearly have exercise addiction or unhealthy relationship with exercise (yes, this is a real, true thing) and cheer them on as they reach their run streak of 1,000 days. I get it. I have been there, and the same applies to diet as well. My reply is always the same: HOLLLLDDDD ON. If you haven't come from a lifestyle of working out that often, you are going to burn yourself out (heck, even if you are used to it, you will burn out). Step back and make realistic goals that you can achieve and accomplish. Not ones that are going to consume you and leave you feeling like a failure if you don't complete it all.

Just last week I was feeling completely guilty. This semester of school is requiring more of my time, resulting in many more super late nights than I'd like.  I was unable to make it to both of our morning run groups that week and quickly fell into the trap of guilt and self-disappointment.
"why can't I get it together"
"plenty of other moms/students function on 4.5 hours of sleep a night- why can't I make myself deal"
"I'm so not going to meet my mile goal this month"

Then I made myself feel better by working out at home those days. Although it didn't really make me feel any better- it just allowed me to cross it off my list. I got my workout in- it's been a productive day.  A perfect example of disordered relations with exercise. 

Yes, ya'll. I am human and I go through all kinds of thoughts and feelings about exercise and food. This is one of the reason's that I can relate to so many women- I have been there and I am not afraid or too prideful to admit that there are seasons of struggle. There just are. So many people think that when someone loses weight, that it's "fixed". That they are "done" and have no more struggles. That all of a sudden, that 30lb loss made them champions of clean eating and that their exercise routine is really and truly only about feeling good (weight control or loss is almost always the ulterior motive). Honestly, I'm here to say that the loss is the easiest part of the journey. Thankfully, I can easily get myself of out these mental traps and don't actually live in them or let it truly control me.

Diet...what you eat (or don't eat) and working out is.not.life. 

You have to find a balance- because both can consume you and you can miss out on so much of real life thinking about what to eat and spending precious time in the gym or hours and hours running and training. Many hours-long weekend morning runs are no longer worth missing out on pancake breakfasts and coffee with my husband and kids. Hours a morning in the gym are no longer worth the time it took away from teaching my kids those mornings. I can't define what is and what is not worth it for you, only you can do that! But unless exercise is your paid career- time with family and friends should always top it! <3

Tips on how I find balance: 

-Be realistic with my schedule. Because I am a Mom and I homeschool my crew as well as go to school myself; my schedule is all over the place and things pop up that are not planned. I don't plan to run at 5am during the week, because more than likely I will be up late studying.
I ditched the gym membership and invested in some home gym equipment. Cheaper in the long run and what is truly the most flexible for us. I can workout at any time I want or need, day- night, evening. I will only commit to long runs on the weekends if I make it to a morning run during the week I consider it a bonus! I'm not setting myself up for disappointment by setting a rigorous workout schedule that I can't live up to in this season of my life. Every family is different, you may not have the resources or room for a home gym, you may love your local gym and need the childcare, you may not be in school and be able to wake up really early to workout! The important thing is to be realistic and flexible, don't let missing a workout bring you down- there is more to life.

-Remember WHY. Always keep a running list of WHY you are doing what you are doing to begin with! You don't want to become obsessed and let it overtake your life, but you don't want to give it up either!

-EAT. Stop dieting and learn how to eat. Eat and lift. Eat and train. Eat and run. Eat and do your thing. Food is not your enemy, nor are carbs and fat. Find a balance, and that doesn't mean you have to track macros to have balance. We all know the basics of nutrition! Eat mostly what comes from the earth! Watch your portion sizes, drink a lot of water and don't cut any one food group out! You really do need them all! Don't get caught up eating fake health food; shop the perimeter of the store and discover the joy of eating! I am so thankful my journey began with health vs weight because when I started this, it was 100% about my health. I didn't track, count, weigh or anything. I chose healthy foods and it started from there, I am thankful for that foundation that I always come back to! Even if you started out for weight-related reasons, it's never to late to ditch diets and focus on fueling your body with the nutrients you need to be the best you can be.

-Unfollow the Extremist. No, really. Go into IG and unfollow all of the people who send you the wrong message about fitness and nutrition. If you struggle with exercise addiction, unfollow the people in your feed who are at the gym or running 24/7. If you struggle finding balance with your diet, unfollow the isagenix ladies. If you struggle with body image and acceptance, unfollow the size 2 models with flawlessly fake bodies.  It is not going to help YOU in your journey to compare yourself to people you don't know- who can live in the gym all day or are showing you a picture of their weight loss shake for every meal or who have amazing bodies as a result of: plastic surgery, exercise obsession and dieting. DO: find the people who have found a balance and live it. Who are real about the ups and downs, the struggles and the victories. Who make you feel good- not guilty or like you are not adding up. My current favorites on IG are :
@jennakutcher
@mamaontherun
@runningonveggies
@thereallife_rd
@hipfoodiemom1

Leave a Comment calories, dieting, eating, healthy eating

finding the true balance

I want to start this off by saying that every single person and every body is different. With that, each person has their own preferences and styles and certain things that work for them. I do not believe that there is any one perfect way to lose weight and keep it off as long as it's a program that is focused on foods that nourish, forming good relationships with food and good habits to sustain you through life. And when you add in all of those qualifications, your list of "programs" becomes very slim. You know my mantra on things like shots, shakes, pills,drops and restrictive food lists and now after three years of being in the dieting world, battling obesity and being able to keep the weight off, I am changing up the game, per say.

I am no longer a macro-tracking advocate.  There. I said it. It's not because tracking macros is bad. It's not because it doesn't work or that it's unhealthy or any of the above. If you are cutting and trying to lean out for something like a body competition, a weight lifting competition, to have six pack abs or be "cut", then I do indeed believe that macros is the best plan you can follow! You can also add in people who have an OCD personality and/or mentally need to meticulous about every aspect of their diet to that list. But for people who are not going for the "cut" look, or trying to bulk up or have no desire to have that bikini competition figure- we do not need to be that detailed and controlling over our diets. 

What do we need? True freedom in our food choices. It's too easy to get caught up in the numbers and rules, obsessing over the weight of a food and forget to trust the instincts God gave us to know what our body needs and when it needs it. Not to mention, I was tired of my face always being in my phone trying to figure out my numbers for the day!  I don't know about you, but in the past two years tracking macros I have encountered many different unhealthy relationships with food and the way we think about it. I have eaten much too many weird combinations of food because it was all that "fit" my numbers that day. I have been so tired of protein, so tired of it. But I couldn't swap meats out for healthier things like beans because I didn't have enough carbs for beans. Did you ever turn anyone down for lunch out or a slice of a friends homemade bread because you couldn't track it correctly or you just didn't have room for it? (raises hand). Totally not ok. Not only is it not ok, but even the Lord thought it was important enough to write about:

“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is provided for you.”

— Luke 10:8

When you are going to enjoy food with someone, you do not want the conversation to be about your diet. You also do not want your host or friend or family to worry about offering something that you "can" or "cannot" eat.  Let's not make it all about us and our diet- enjoy the time and eat what is provided. That doesn't mean that you cannot make wise choices- moderation and portions are key to being able to live in balance. They offer you a slice of pie, that doesn't mean that you need to eat 3 and 4 slices, it doesn't even mean you have to eat one entire slice. It's totally appropriate that you could have a few bites and leave some on your plate. Listen to your body.  No whipping out your phone or asking for recipes to track your macros. No worrying about how much that pie weighed. Eat and move on. 

Tracking macros can be a very slippery slope into obsession, especially if you do it for a long period of time. If you cannot imagine your day without tracking your food, something needs to change. 

So what do I do now? 

Eat intuitively. Eat what you want. Bare with me here, I know most of my readers are actively trying to lose weight, bare.with.me. 

There are different types of "intuitive eaters". Ones who chug soda and binge on cake all day and do gain weight, and ones who eat healthy but allow themselves the freedom to have really whatever they feel like having. If you tune into your body and really ask yourself every day what you truly feel that your body needs that day, rarely ever will you end up eating 2 rows of Oreos because you know how icky that is going to make you feel afterwards. However, if you fill your body with foods that nourish you and make you feel good all day and then a friend ask's you to get ice cream- you have the freedom to grab a small ice cream completely guilt free/track free/macro free. If you want a banana before a long run, you do not need to think twice about your carb allotment that day, eat the banana. Now- there is a little more to it than this which I will cover in other posts like "binging", fear of not being able to trust yourself, and how will I know if I'm eating too much? 

Really, this is how everyone should be living. There shouldn't be a term that names balanced eating because it should be natural to us like walking and talking (and actually, it IS natural to us but we've strayed so far from that). I am excited to begin helping women get back to eating. To get back to health. To get away from the numbers and tracking mentality and get back to having a healthy relationship with food. The Lord gave us food for nourishment and also for enjoyment, open up your bible and you will find that it is full of eating and sharing in meals together. Food was never meant to be bondage, it was never meant to be obsessed over and tracked meticulously. Let's get back to eating the way we were intended to eat- let's get back to the JOY of eating and how you can do this and still meet your weight loss goals because weight does play a role in your health and wellness! 

Leave a Comment calories, dieting, FAQ, freedom, healthy eating, intuitive eating

why do i need to eat all of my calories?

There can be such confusing information about "under eating" or, not eating all of your calories. Some say it's good- the less you eat the more weight you will lose. They are right, to an extent.  But not eating enough also leads to other success dampers.  The main one being binging.

This is one of my biggest reasons for telling my clients to please, eat all the calories you are given in a day! If you can eat 1500 calories, eat them! They are set to 1500 for a reason. Eventually, you are going to get hungry. Your body needs those 1500 calories- that is already a deficit for you and your body is in stress eating just that 1500- it's using every single calorie! So when you are eating even less than you are told, you are putting more stress on your body. You will eventually get hungry and it will lead to you binging one day and completely ruining your entire week in ONE day! OR you may not do it all in one day, you may be a snacker and ruin your deficit over days by going over a little each day to create one big deficit by the end of the week. Even when I don't "feel" hungry I always try to make sure I get at least 50 calories within my goal because I know that if I let myself get to the point of feeling that hunger- I am putting myself at major risk of over eating and making poor food choices.

There is also an issue with under eating when it comes to plateaus.

If I tell you to eat at 1500 calories, when you hit a wall, and you will, I need to lower your numbers. So the next level down let's just say would be 1400. But wait, you've already been eating at 1400 because you haven't been following your numbers. So 1400 wont get you moving again, I have to put you even lower than that. And it's a cycle- you end up eating LESS and LOSING LESS. You quickly go from losing at 1500 calories to not being able to lose at 1250.

Trust your coach. Eat what you are told! That's why you hired someone, to tell you what you need to do to be successful, so listen! If you are not losing weight and following your plan 100%, there are SO MANY reasons and factors for this! Your coach would be the best person to evaluate and help you figure out the WHY and get you back on something  that will work. Sometimes, you have to go UP in calories to get your body moving again.

Happy Monday, ladies!

Leave a Comment calories, counting calories, diet break, healthy eating, macros, plateau, snacking, weight loss

Losing Weight is Hard Work

It's a big deal when people lose weight. And the more weight and bigger transformation in a person the more praise and recognition for it they get. In part because yes, they may look better, but also because losing weight is hard work. People know that, it's a huge accomplishment because it takes so much dedication, focus and commitment.

There are hundreds and hundreds of weight loss products, systems and plans to help people lose weight- because it is not easy and these products and systems are trying to make it a bit easier for people. We have support groups, there are live-in rehab type programs for weight loss. Doctors. Clinics. Studies. All trying to combat and figure out the same thing. When someone sets out to lose weight, they are committing to discipline, to focus, to self control, to consistency and to hard work for as long as it takes.

Why then, do so many of us expect this journey to be easier? Less frustrating, Faster. We are not happy when the scale doesn't move enough. When our body does what it is suppose to do and fluctuates our weight and water we get mad and often give up. We set a goal of 2-3lbs a week and are dissatisfied when we lose 1lb a week. When we diet for 8 weeks and don't see a huge change. Our clothes become loser and people notice that you are slimmer and YOU are the only one who is upset because you only lost a few ounces this morning vs the 2 you were hoping for.

We are setting out to do one of the hardest things that people ever do- and we expect it to be easier and faster. It's like climbing a mountain and getting upset with weather conditions, alternative routes, run ins with animals, injuries, physical exhaustion and everything else you encounter when climbing a mountain. Mountain climbers mentally prepare themselves for the challenges they will face on their journey and do not quit when it begins to rain and they are set back days.

So can I just lovingly say: stop it. Stop. Expect to work your behind off. Expect to have to give up a lot of foods. Expect to not see all of the changes on the scale that you had hoped every single week. Expect for your weight and water retention to fluctuate. Expect for it to take longer than you planned. This is not a race, you want to accomplish something and you want it to last. Adjust your expectations now and enjoy the journey, because it's not just about weight loss. SO much more of you changes through this than just the scale number!

And most importantly, don't give up.

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Snacking: is it worth it?

I want to chat a little about something that is a problem area for me personally, and something that I have also seen a little bit of in other's logs and food pictures: snacking!

Let me start by saying that there is nothing wrong with having a snack. There is not even anything wrong with "snacking" as long as you are tracking how much you are having. This is an example of me on a bad day, total calorie allowance of 1675.

Breakfast: 2 eggs, toast, coffee = 315 calories

+ the handful of life cereal I snagged while pouring my kids = 400 calories. 

Snack 1: Protein shake, banana: 260 calories

+ 10 pretzels, again, serving my kids = 325 calories 

Lunch: Tuna, mayo, relish, tomatoes, wheat wrap, string cheese = 350 calories

Snack 2: Apple, 1tbsp of PB =195

+ one tablespoon? Yea right- i know I can't handle myself with PB, add another TBS. = 290

**it's right before dinner time. everyone is coming in from swimming and playing and they all want ice cream. I can't have any because I chose to have 295 calories in a handful of life cereal, a few pretzels and 1tbs of peanut butter. None of which filled me up- it was just habit. For 295 calories I could have enjoyed AN ENTIRE PINT of Halo Top Ice Cream with my kids 0R a skinny cow ice cream OR a cup of regular ice cream.** 

Dinner: Mexican Chicken (and all the toppings) = 300 calories


Daily total: 1,665

This was actually the perfect timing to do this evaluation on myself! It doesn't have to be ice cream, it could have been anything. A change of dinner plans leaving everyone going out for dinner, I would have had much more calories to use out had a I not snacked  them away.

Again, it's not that snacking is bad, if that is how you want to spend your calories that is totally fine! For me, it's a struggle area because it's habit for me and NOT the way I want to spend mine. I would much rather have a pint of ice cream over a few pretzels and some life cereal.  Next time you are tempted to take a handful of goldfish, think first about your day and whether or not those snacking calories will be worth it!

Leave a Comment calories, counting calories, eating, macros, snacking, weight loss