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

Health + Weight

This morning we trekked to church and enjoyed a stop at our favorite coffee shop afterward (coffee is our favorite thing). We may travel further than most people do for everything but when the view is as beautiful as it is here, we really don't mind. Except for the fact that it takes more effort to actually be on time for everything (ok, to be fair, that is mostly because we have eight kids to get ready as well!).

The kids had hot oats with toppings before church. Mom? Oh ya know, yogurt with berries and an "energy" bite on the way to the car. #wouldnttradeit

Two things: we love pour over/drip coffee (no kuerig or fancy machine here) and who knew that there were disposable pour overs? Genius.

Second: I love these hanging bottles. As we waited for our order I studied how they were hung and I am pretty certain the only thing keeping them afloat is the knot in the rope. Where could I put this in my house?!

Now, I don't have any pretty photos to accompany this next set of info, be warned! A few months back I started reading a blog written by a dietitian not far from me in upstate SC. Frequently I saw her referencing "health at every size" or "HAES" and ditching diets. Assumably dietitians and "diets" go hand in hand, so I started looking more into HAES and ordered the book. I should clarify that dietitian does not = dieting, but DIET in the form of everything that you eat: your daily "diet".  Also that dietitians play a number of roles from working in school settings to working in the NICU to nursing homes, not every dietitian works in a field that involves weight and weight loss.

Book in hand, I was amazed. As someone who has gone through my own season of weight loss, years of my early adult life obese. As someone who aids women through their own periods of weight loss and health basics, the facts and the research behind the harm of purposeful calorie restriction intrigued me.  My entire life I've always "heard" and "known" that fat=unhealthy. With the billion-dollar diet industry and advertising, it is safe to assume that the general population agrees, if you are overweight you are unhealthy.  The HAES organization debunks that myth.

Here are a handful of facts that intrigued me the most while studying this book (which is available for you/anyone to read for yourself and I encourage you to do so!):

-We are not experiencing an "obesity epidemic". As a matter of fact, obesity rates have been the same for women and children since 1999, men since 2003. As a nation, we are all getting larger, not just in weight but in height as well. There is no evidence to support the claim that this weight gain is a crisis, and to quote the book... "our bodies have adjusted to our current lifestyle habits and environmental conditions and are now kicking in to maintain us at a new setpoint, albeit a higher one than our ancestors, who experienced different conditions."

-The idea that weight plays a large causal role in disease is unproven except with sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and a few cancers in morbidly obese individuals. The author has full chapters where she digs into all of the science, the studies, the articles and the evidence that would be impossible for me to relay into a blog post. She digs into obesity and cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis, obesity, and hypertension and more. At the end of the section about cancer she quotes the CDC epidemiologists that there is "little or no association of excess all-cancer mortality with any of the BMI categories".  To sum it up simply for you- there is no evidence or research that actually proves that being obese increases your risk for the above-mentioned diseases. Obesity has been greatly misrepresented and exaggerated as a risk.

-The only way for overweight individuals to improve health is to lose weight, is false. "Most health indicators can be improved through changing health behaviors, regardless of whether weight is lost". 

-Overweight and obese people die sooner than leaner people, also false. "Almost all epidemiologic studies indicate people in the overweight or moderately obese categories live at least as long or longer than people in the normal weight category". 

You guys, there is just so much good information in this book. I could go on and on, but if you have any interest in health, weight, diets, or nutrition snag this book and read it. It is not just chock full of opinions, no. In the back of the book the author has listed 437 references and eight pages of resources. Not to mention that the HAES studies were also government funded.

-Lower body weight and/or BMI does not equal healthy.
-Losing weight does not make you "healthier" (actually, you may be surprised to find out what kind of effects losing weight actually has on the body).
-Health does not equal weight/vice versa.
-When people say "healthy", they usually just mean "thin", assuming that "thin" means they are healthy.


*please note that these studies, research and reference is to the general population of people. Not the tiny percentage of people who are so obese they can barely walk or stand, etc. That is not the majority of our nation.* 

If you have an opinion or question or thought to share about any of the above quoted from HAES with me, reach out! I love talking about this stuff with people. Now, we are off to my nieces 2nd Birthday Party!

Leave a Comment dieting, food, freedom, healthy eating, intuitive eating, weight loss

Part 1: So, what IS intuitive eating?

Over the past week I have been asking questions and taking polls, trying to get a feel for where the ladies in my group are at mentally with weight loss and body image. I have mentioned intuitive eating a handful of times and so now I'm going to begin a blog post series about "what" it is, "why" it's important, and "how" to become an intuitive eater.  Starting with, what IS it exactly?

God designed us, every single one of us, with an instinct to feed ourselves when we need fed and how much we need fed, and when given choices even what we need fed. Think of a brand new baby. They are born knowing exactly when to eat and how much to eat as needed for their growth. But our culture has disrupted that instinct and it starts at birth as well, when the nurses tell you to feed your baby every three hours. If they are sleeping, wake them up. I remember with my first baby the nurse would even take off my daughters clothing so that she would respond to the coldness- to wake up and eat.  Don't let them fall asleep eating, make sure that they are eating __ amount of ounces or feeding for ___ amount of minutes on eat side. Disrupting from birth their natural instincts to eat intuitively- when and how much their body needs. With my last few babies- I learned to tell the nurses what they wanted to hear and let my babies eat when they were ready, they never starved and they definitely will let you know the second they want to eat. I understand that there are situations where a baby may need to gain weight quickly for health reasons or premature issues or an upcoming surgery etc, and of that I am not referring to. Just an average, healthy baby.

The disruption only continues through our lives. Start solids at ___ months old, even if she shows no interest in them yet. As we get older our portions are given to us and our diets micromanaged by someone else. If we wake up at age 5 and tell our mom we are not hungry, she makes us eat anyway. Disruption. If your child is not hungry for breakfast, they will not starve to death. This pattern continues and worsens with age when the cultures standard of thinness and health begins to influence us and all of sudden, we don't know how to eat anymore. We can't listen to our God given instincts, we've never in our lives been able to. This person eats this way and look how amazing they look, this person raves about this diet or this program. It all begins with that disruption and we are here. Overweight and looking for answers, trying to figure out HOW to eat, HOW to lose weight and keep it off, trying every diet and program available only to gain the weight back.

Intuitive eating is so well described here :

"It means eating until full and satisfied; without the need to envision ‘fullness scales’, ‘hunger charts’ or chewing each mouthful in a slow, meditative trance; stopping at 80% full (whatever that is) and re-evaluating in 20 minutes. It means aiming for complete and utter satisfaction: a stomach that has no desire to eat more. It means relying on your body to gauge fullness signals well, without second-guessing or panicking about getting it ‘right’ down to the exact mouthful: knowing that if you eat too much at one meal, you will be less hungry at the next – and vice versa: that your body will sort it out."

So intuitive eating is getting back to the place where we listen to our bodies cues and trust our bodies instincts to eat when we need to eat, how much and what. Your body wants to be healthy, and if you pay attention to it- you will naturally eat when you are hungry, you will naturally eat foods that are nourishing, you will naturally stop eating when your body is "full" (and that doesn't mean when you feel full/stuffed). 

So how does this work with losing weight? First, you have to throw away any preconceived ideas about how much you should weigh based on any charts from any organization. Throw them away.  Your body will settle you into your natural healthy weight and it is most likely not what the online charts tell you you should weigh, because they continue to lower the standards of the BMI charts. 

In the book "Health at Every Size", the author writes about her time as a PhD candidate at the time the BMI standards were lowered.  Her mentor was on the NIH Obesity Task Force. The author expressed her surprise and concern about the standards being lowered (when I say standards being lowered it means that if the chart currently says you should weigh 145lbs, they are now lowering that weight and saying that now you should be smaller-etc). There was significant evidence in support of raising the standards, not lowering them. She presented her review to her mentor, which was laughed at. In the end, her mentor told her "we were pressured to make the standards conform to those already accepted by the World Health Organization." The decision to lower the standards of the BMI charts and tell you that you need to be even smaller, was made for political reasons. Not because it was supported by science or for the betterment of health.  Stop looking at charts and online weight calculators.  Also in her book she traces back further with the WHO BMI standards and it becomes even more disturbing. I cannot recommend this book enough. 

Second,  you have to accept that what your natural body weight is may not align with what YOU want it to be.  Just because YOU want to be 130 lbs doesn't mean that is what YOUR body should weigh (and is also the reason why if 130 is not your natural body weight, you will have to fight forever to maintain that weight). Often, our expectations are not realistic for our bodies OR genetics. 

If you are eating intuitively, eating when your body tells you and only eating as much as your body tells you, your body will stabilize and maintain at it's natural healthy weight. If you are 160 pounds and begin to intuitively eat, and your natural healthy weight is 150, your body will naturally shed those pounds because you are giving it exactly what it needs to do that. 

There is so much to explore in this subject and I am excited to be exploring it all alongside my current group! In part II I am going to explore HOW to start this way of life. 

Leave a Comment dieting, food, freedom, healthy eating, intuitive eating, weight loss

what to do next?

We have three weeks left in this challenge!

So many have seen such great results and I am a firm believer that you get out what you put in. Those who put in the most have seen the greatest results! Those who are putting in a portion of effort are only seeing small portions of results, if not even a bit of yo-yo-ing! If your effort yo-yo's, so will your results. If you are off track and on track, off and on, do not expect your results to be anything different. I can't do the work for you, I can't eat and exercise and shop for you, YOU have to put in the work. I hope to see 100% effort these last few weeks, remember why you began this!

My next challenge will begin September 1st, labor day weekend, and it's going to be a scale-LESS challenge! We will weigh in AND take photos ONCE at the very start, weigh in once at the half way point (week 5) and then at the very end weigh in and take the last set of photos! Over the summer I took a big break from weighing in and it was so freeing! I could not tell you my exact weight right now, but I can tell you that if you continue to stay on plan and workout- you WILL have results. There is no reason to be obsessed with the scale, to get upset over ounces and let it consume you. However, weighing IS a great measure of progress and that is why we are not completely giving it up. The goal is to stay on track with our eating and exercise, and to discover that weight loss is possible without weekly weigh ins and that changes in your body CAN and DO happen without loss on the scale. I cannot wait!

A friend recently told me that she was taking a break from dieting (healthy! healthy!) but that after one week she needed to go back on it because she cannot handle NOT being on a diet. Ladies, that is super unhealthy. It is NOT normal and not ok to always be on a diet and to always be dieting. This is the exact mindset that I am passionate about breaking. It's healthy and ok and good to lose weight, but we have to be careful about how we are doing this and to what extent we are letting it consume us!

As always, spots are open FIRST to current ladies in this group! Then as we approach labor day I will open it to everyone! If you are thinking of joining another round, be ready to GIVE IT YOUR ALL!

Details:

Group Dates: September 1st to November 3rd
Rate: $75
-3 weigh ins
-4 challenges with prizes
-weekly 1:1 personal evaluation
+ everything that is normally in the challenge groups: your plan, exercise, motivation, group support, MFP log checking, weekly discussion topics and workout challenges.
Open to 8 ladies!

Leave a Comment counting calories, diet break, FAQ, weight loss

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

self control

Many times throughout the past three years on this "journey" I have gotten weary. I have wanted to stop and "just eat like a normal person",  I would say.  What did I really want? To just eat and not worry or think about how much I was eating or what I was eating, I wanted to be "free" of that but also be able to do that and not gain weight.

So lately I have been thinking about that, especially as I took the majority of my summer off from tracking and weighing and I've been able to examine my eating habits after two and a half years. My thoughts may be all over the place but hopefully you can get an idea of where I'm coming from.

Self control is the key. People who are dieting are successful because they are controlling their intake of food. They have self control. People who do not track or "diet" and just eat (without gaining) also have self control. They do not go crazy and eat everything in sight. They find a balance in their diets and exhibit self control by not over eating, therefore allowing themselves to be able to "just eat" and not gain weight. They have self control.

Therefore, there is no such thing truly, as eating completely freely for anyone. Just because I want to eat 10 oreos with milk every day does not mean I can or should, and this is true for every single person alive whether you are 100 pounds or 500 pounds (unless you are TRYING to gain weight, of course).  We cannot do and eat however we feel, because in doing that it leads to where? Where almost everyone who reads this blog is or has been: overweight, battling food addictions and trying to lose weight.

The same goes for so many other things in life. You cannot do whatever you want because you want to or because you feel like it. Yes, there will come a time when your calories can go up a bit more and you can train a little less and maintain your weight. Will there ever be a time where you can eat anything all day for weeks and expect not to gain? No, most likely not, and this is even MORE true for anyone who has been obese and lost a large amount of weight (another post on that to come). You will always have to live with self control, whether you are tracking and trying to lose or just maintaining your weight.

So get into practice that this, being in control of your food choices, is lifelong. It is TRULY a lifestyle, there is no end. If you do end it and you lose that control you are going to go back to where you were.

Leave a Comment eating, 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.

Leave a Comment calories, fluctuation, healthy eating, plateau, weight loss

About Me: My Journey through Weight Loss & Wellness

I cannot tell you how many times I tried to make a video for this post today. Between my voice being hoarse and coughing (recovering from the flu), my phone cutting me off because I didn't have enough memory for a 10 minute long video (haha!) and my kids walking in the room talking- I finally decided the video was a no-go and to share my heart on here.

I am a wife to a network engineer (computer nerd!) and a stay at home, homeschooling mom  to 8 children. Nutrition coach, weight lifter, runner, and occasional crossfitter. My husband and I have planted our roots in a tiny Carolina town but have the love of cities deep in our hearts (we love visiting cities!)

My passion and desire is to help women change their lives from the inside out- and it began with my own journey of losing 110 pounds naturally.  After five pregnancies and two adoptions within a seven year span, I found myself 80 pounds heavier and never able to lose enough of that weight before welcoming a new child! I set out to pursue a healthier me after discovering that I had high grade pre cancerous cells that had to be removed after my last pregnancy. This was my wake up call, I was only 25/26 and a slight cell grade below stage 1 cancer. I knew that it wasn't just about the weight that had to change, but my relationship with food and what I was putting into my body had to change if I was going make a lasting difference in my life.

(circa 2009, love that hair flip too, bahaha!)

From there I began reading and researching. Books, articles, blogs, studies all helped me make the decision that I was going to do this by eating real foods and exercising. No shakes, shots, pills, drops, wraps or crash dieting. I began running and doing at-home workouts with hand weights. I ran a few races and joined my local crossfit box. There I learned so much more about my body and proper nutrition to fuel your workouts than I knew existed.  I love to challenge myself and push my limits, so I am always in search of new ways to train and new sports to pursue. After a year of crossfit I dedicated myself more to running and this spring I completed a 31 mile ultra marathon. It is amazing what our bodies can do! There have absolutely been days that I truly want to give in, to sign up for a 2-shake-a-day program or to run to the nearest clinic for phentermine and b12 shots. Looking back on those days and those options, it is so empowering to know that I did this all the right way, the wasting way and changed my entire life.

My journey is long but shows that patience pays off. My health and my weight effected so much of my life that I never realized. I was insecure and self conscious and that spilled over into my marriage, my parenting and my friendships. I am a completely different person than I was just 3 years ago in greater ways than just being leaner. 

250ish- 225ish- 185ish

Healthful pursuits came alive in the very start. The more I learned, the more I wanted to get this information out to everyone. The desire for women to know more about their health and their bodies was embedded in me as I was journeying through it myself. When I did share bits and pieces- emails and messages would flood my inbox from women feeling defeated and confused, unsure of what to do and where to begin to regain their health and bodies back.  So I began to study for my fitness nutrition certificate and began taking on women to coach and help meet their goals. I am not a coach that is going to put you on a diet of eating nothing just to see numbers on the scale drop- but give you the tools, the information and the motivation you need to regain total body health.  I have been there, and some days I am there- I am not free from struggles and poor eating habits but have learned that this is truly a journey and a lifestyle.

165ish 

Leave a Comment about me, transformation, weight loss

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

Vacation & Your Diet

Summer is just weeks away and many people are gearing up for summer vacation! Whether you go all out and travel, go to the next town over or do a stay-cation, the purpose is the same: to relax and create memories with your loved ones. So where does your diet fit into this?

What I tell people is that it is truly an individual and personal decision whether or not you should try to stick to your diet on vacation. You really have to consider and weigh out the pros and cons and choose which one you want to do.

Will you be able to relax, have fun and enjoy this short amount of time that you have to the fullest if you have to say no to the ice cream shops on the beach and order a salad when everyone is going out for burgers? I can't answer that for you, and there is no right or wrong choice. Some people would feel deprived if they had to sit and watch their family enjoy big ice cream cones, and others would be perfectly ok with it.

Is it going to be hard to track your foods or have access to healthy options? Will you be at a place that is full of restaurants and fast food (think theme parks) where healthy options are scarce or will you be somewhere that you will have more freedom and be able to even cook some meals yourself (think renting a beach house or cabin).

Is it going to be stressful tracking your food while exploring a city or will the lack of control and not tracking create anxiety for you?

Do you have a competition or a bet coming up that you have to be a certain body weight or body fat percent by? Or is your goal self set and flexible?

These are all things to ask yourself if you are having a hard time choosing what to do on vacation. My personal thought is:
Vacation is a really special time and for most families, it is not often that you take them. If you don't have a bikini competition or challenge deadline coming up, then I always vote to take the time off of your diet and enjoy these days food-worry free. Memories and fun for me, are worth more than losing my 1-2 pounds that week.

Keep in mind when you go that you have freedom, but don't go crazy and have 5 cheeseburgers and 3 dole whips a day. Also that you will typically see a rise in the scale when you return but if you get back on your plan right away, drink your water and be strict, any extra you gained can typically come off in a week because unless you do go absolutely crazy- it will be water retention.

Enjoy your vacations! Enjoy your family and friends and food! We want weight loss and we want our bodies to change but lets remember what really matters in the big picture.

Leave a Comment Dining out, healthy eating, vacation, weight loss

Starvation Mode & Dieting

I am sure we've all heard the theory of starvation mode, no? If not, basically it is when people think/assume that if they don't eat enough their body will go into "starvation mode" and you won't lose weight because your body thinks it's starving and needs to hold on to everything.

What does this actually even mean? Is it real?

Yes and No. It is named wrong, because what happens during "starvation" mode is not your body starving. If you truly do not eat enough your body will lose and you will starve to death, so that portion is incorrect.

What actually happens is that while dieting (eating in a significant caloric deficit) everything slows down, including your NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis: the amount of energy you use living and doing your day to day routine). Your body slows everything down in order to maintain homeostasis.  Typically, the stress of dieting and hunger will increase the cortisol levels in your body which will cause muscle loss and water retention...which will mask fat loss.

Sometimes there are people who are not losing weight despite their strict food intake on very low calories and exercise.  The reason for this is that the very low calorie intake is actually their current maintenance level (the amount you need to eat to maintain your weight) because of the decrease of their NEAT and the INCREASE of their cortisol levels. When you increase your calories you are less stressed (eating in a caloric deficit is a stressor on your body) and you have more energy. You will be able to do more and have more energy which will raise your NEAT and restore some of your cortisol levels and you will lose again. This is why some people can lose weight "eating more" than they previously were.

Here is an example of this situation I found from a nutrition coach group I am in:


Molly is eating 1400 cals a day. She is tired and not as active, her NEAT is decreased which means her total daily energy expenditure is low. She is no longer losing weight at this. 

Her coach bumped her up to eating 1800 cals a day. She has more energy and is less stressed and is moving more during the day. Her NEAT and TDEE has risen and she is losing again. 

I hope this helps not only explain "starving" (if you don't enough you will starve to death, period) and what happens when you diet and stall in general. I really love reading new information like this!

Leave a Comment diet break, eating, FAQ, fluctuation, macros, plateau, weight loss

WEIGHT FLUCTUATION

"Yesterday I weighed 160 pounds, but today I weighed 162! What am I doing wrong? Do I need to cut back on my carbs?! How did I gain two pounds?!"

This is a common, yet frustrating scenario. I'm sure most of us have been there, I know I have! It's really important for women to understand weight fluctuations when they begin a dieting program so that they do not get frustrated, discouraged and worried they are doing something wrong if the scale is up a little bit one day. 

There are so many things that come into play when you weigh yourself. You are not just weighing fat- you are weighing everything! Where you are in your menstrual cycle, salt intake, water retention, hormones, stress all have a play in weight fluctuating day to day. 

If you are eating in a caloric deficit (staying on plan- not binging, not sneaking in snacks etc) then there is no scientific way for you to gain FAT. You actually have to eat a decent amount of food to start gaining fat, and my guess is that if you are eating that amount you will not be surprised that the scale is up, you will expect it. 

So rest assured that even if the scale is up a little bit while you are on plan, it is OK and it is NOT fat! Typically what I do after this happens is have the person be really strict on their plan for the next few days and drink every ounce of their water then weigh again. Every single time their weight had returned to normal, and mine as well when this happens to me. 

Another "problem"/factor is weighing in the day after a really hard/intense workout. For instance last weekend I ran 12 miles and the next day I was UP 5pounds. You would think I would be down! But it was water- my muscles were sore and swollen from the intensity and strain which causes them to retain water. Even more so if you are lifting weights (causing tears in your muscle that fill with water). A day or so after my long run my weight was back to normal. 

We will also not be weighing in daily, but weekly. This way, you may not ever see your weight fluctuate! You may just see consistent loss the entire time! Our weigh days are Monday's because knowing that you have a weigh in Monday helps keep you accountable over the weekend! 

Leave a Comment FAQ, fluctuation, weight loss

WEIGHING VS MEASURING

Welcome to the world of WEIGHING food! Why do we weigh? Why can't we use measuring cups and spoons? This has a really short explanation: because measuring can be extremely inaccurate and you could be eating much more than you think you are actually eating.

The nutritional information on a label is almost always based on the weight of the product. The measurement is just an estimate. By weighing your food, you know exactly how much you are eating. I found this photo example below from active.com : 

Using a measuring cup VS weighing your foods can be throwing you off by hundreds of calories a day. The serving size of oatmeal is 40g or 1/2 cup for 140 calories. If you weigh out 40g, you actually get a bit less than a 1/2 cup but you know you are getting 150 calories. 

On the right, they filled the half cup up and then measured it. It came out to be much more than 40g AND almost 50 calories more as well when you think that you are only having 150 calories. 

If you do not have a food scale, I cannot recommend you get one soon enough! You can get one for around $10 online or in any big box store. If you have been dieting and using measuring cups and spoons, try weighing and see what a difference it makes! 

What should I weigh? 

Everything you can! The only things I do not weigh are eggs, breads, and spices. 

Example:

 Breakfast is two eggs, a slice of toast and half of an avocado. Well, how much is a half? Avocado's can vary in size from fairly small to large. Half of a large avocado is not going to be the same as half of a small one. To accurately track this, you will take the skin off of the portion you want to eat. Weigh it (grams is the most accurate but use whichever unit is best for you) and then log that weight for your serving size. So your log will say "60 grams of avocado" or "2 oz" of avocado. Not just "half" because half can be a large difference of calories depending on the size! 

Also, weigh as much as you can RAW/Uncooked! If the package SAYS that the serving size is for a cooked product, then cook it and weigh it. Otherwise the package is stating the serving size for the product AS IS in the package. 

Leave a Comment eating, FAQ, food, plateau, weighing food, weight loss

New Routine and Adjustments

Today marks two full weeks since my crew has been in school during the days, although we have loved it all, it has come with a lot of change and adjustments for myself and my three littles at home. My three favorite positives are that I get to spend a lot more one on one time with my little guys and have been able to really soak them up and enjoy them! Second, all of my kids IN school have loved every single day! They are learning a plethora of different things and are all so excited about it. Also, (naturally, ha!) I am able to work out a lot more. Each morning we drop the kids off at school then head to the gym. The little kids love the preschool/nursery care and I get to spend a full 2 hours in the gym. Now, I use about 30 minutes of that time showering and blow drying my hair (😱🙌🏼) before I pick the kids up. But that is still much more time than  I was getting before. I would do Crossfit 3x a week for about 45 minutes total by the time that we actually got going and started working out.

Here is my current workout schedule:

Mondays: Lifting Plan
Tuesdays: Circuit Class
Wednesdays: 3 Mile Run OR Crossfit
Thursdays: Lifting Plan
Fridays: Lifting Plan
Saturdays: 5-6 mile run OR Crossfit
Sundays: Rest

This seems to really be working well for me, I am following a Katy Hearn plan right now for those who are interested.

With my change in training I've also changed my diet and my goals. In February of course, forget the big plans I had at New Years! I have decided to go back to eating a mostly ketogenic diet, this has been the one way of eating that I have had the absolute greatest success with and which I truly enjoy! I love being able to have peanut butter (a lot of it!) and bacon and whole eggs and avocado and basically all of  the fat. My body responds so well to high fat, low carb.

But what about Macros?! I still have macro numbers to meet! My carb limit is just very low. For me, when I let carbs into my diet, not only do I not lose but I've found that I crave more and more of them. Very quickly does 130g become not enough and I am binging. I am constantly thinking about what kind of carbs I can fit in. I will fit in lets say, 2 oreo thin cookies but find myself wanting to eat even more of them afterwards and often times I would! Completely destroying the deficit I had worked so hard that week to make which resulted in no loss. I spent an entire year following macros with decent carbs and never did the scale drop that year. If I want this year to be different, I can't do what didn't work and expect it to work this time. My self control is just really lacking when it comes to this area.

Don't you want carbs when you can't have them?! No, not really. I'd say the first week is the hardest as it is with any change in your diet. If there is a holiday, birthday, special occasion coming up that I may want to eat more carbs at I do. As long as I hop back on board the next day I have always been good to go and always still saw results that week.

Don't you feel weak?? Honestly when I started keto in November 2016 I was so nervous I would feel lethargic and not be able to make my lifts and PR's, lose my gainz. But honestly it never happened! I never felt weak. I continue to PR my lifts and go up! Your body will learn to begin using your FAT for fuel vs carbs. Ketogenic diets have a slew of health benefits to them!

What do you eat?! A lot of food! I am never hungry. I eat a lot of dairy. A lot of meat. A lot of nuts and oils and seeds. A lot of low carb/low sugar veggies and fruits. A typical day in food for me looks like this:

Breakfast: 6 scrambled egg whites with 4 slices of thick cut bacon, 1/2 avocado and cheese or a little salsa with my eggs. Heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 with coffee.

Lunch: Tuna with mayo and relish on top of lettuce, a side of olives and pickles and string cheese. Dressing of oil and vinegar.

Snack: Nuts or nut butter, cheese, jello with some reddi whip, lunch meat and cheese roll ups, protein shake, etc

Dinner: Meatloaf and veggies, Chicken-crust pizza with all the toppings, mexican chicken bowls, etc

I definitely do not starve. And I only eat keto when I am trying to cut weight, if I want to maintain I add back in carbs and do my regular flexible dieting macros (because I do like to enjoy things with my family when I am not focused on leaning out). No, I have never gained back any of the weight when I added carbs back in.

This is just what truly works for me and my body from 2.5 years of trial and error. This is not what will work for everyone, and I put all of my clients on regular flexible dieting macros with good amounts carbs and they always see fantastic results!

Losing weight comes down to ONE thing: eating in a caloric deficit. Nothing else matters. All of these different diets and plans and trends are all just different ways you can eat to create that deficit for loss. Finding which way works best for you is a journey of trial and error and excitement once you've found "the one"!

Leave a Comment eating, FAQ, healthy eating, keto, low carb, macros, weight loss

DIET BREAKS

My challenge group is starting their 5th week on plan this week, and they have really been killing it! Some ladies have lost up to 13lbs these first few weeks, and everyone has at least lost a pound a week! Keep in mind that some ladies are not giving their plan 100% and openly admit to that.

So a few have asked me what they should do AFTER the 12 weeks is over, what then? My answer? Take a diet break for a week or two before starting the next phase of your cut. Diet break? What is that? I don't have time for a break! So, I thought I would share about exactly what a diet break is and why it is important!

A diet break is, in short, a period of time (7-14 days) when explicit dieting is stopped. Your daily calorie intake will be raised to about 10% under your maintenance numbers to account for any metabolic slow down that may have occurred over your cutting period. So you eat all the food within your much higher numbers and enjoy it!


WHY?

There are many benefits to diet breaking. When you diet/lose weight/fat your body kicks your metabolic rate down, meaning, your metabolism adapts and slows down. A lot of it is due to simply the fact that you now weigh less. Smaller bodies burn less. But there are also things like leptin, insulin, thyroid, and hormones that all play a role in this slow down.

BUT: when you diet break you are giving your body a chance to recover. Your hormones, leptin, insulin etc all have time to raise back up and starting working and moving at a faster, normal pace for you.

Let's also talk about those who have a lot of weight to lose. Let's say you have 50 pounds to lose (or more), and you are losing at a good 1.5 pounds a week. That is still 33 weeks of dieting.

1. You will not be able to lose 1.5 pounds a week for a year without metabolic damage. Breaks will be very important.

2. Think about what dieting for that long does to you mentally. The mental stress of knowing that you are going to be eating like this for a year or more? It feels defeating. It feel impossible. And who would want to do that, anyway? Now, if you break it down and add some diet breaks in there, it is much more appealing and do-able for the long haul. 12 weeks on, 2-4 weeks off. 12 weeks on, 2-4 weeks off. Knowing that you have cycles to complete. Knowing that after this short 12 week cycle you can take a break and eat a little more for a while is refreshing and motivating.


I know that most people want to LOSE WEIGHT NOW! And most people want QUICK and FAST results. Keep in mind that "most people" and over 90% of dieters who get those fast and instant results GAIN IT BACK. If you are not a body builder or training for a competition, what is the hurry?

Leave a Comment diet break, eating, FAQ, food, healthy eating, macros, plateau, weight loss

RISKS OF UNDER EATING

One of the hardest things that I've come to deal with in coaching and helping women lose fat and weight is that they do not eat enough. Meaning, I give them numbers: let's say 1600 for the first cut. I check their logs and they actually only eat 1200 or 1300. Typically- pairing it with a lot of cardio as well. I call this "my moms diet", because it's the same mindset that women had about fat loss when I was growing up. Cardio your way to thin.

First let's talk about dieting in general. When you diet- everything slows down. Fat loss slows, metabolism slows, BMR slows, hormones go crazy, hunger goes up, your body is in a high stress mode and your leptin levels rise as well as cortisol. Women especially can end up holding onto 10-15 pounds of just water from these stressors to their bodies.

Will low calories help you lose quicker? Yes of course! The bigger the deficit the more you will lose.

Then what's the problem? The problem is that you are going to hit a plateau eventually. Your body is going to get use to eating that amount, lets say 1200 calories, and it will adjust itself to that amount and you will stop seeing loss.

Well, what do you do when you that happens? Normally, we would go in and change your numbers and knock your calories down a little to get you moving again. So now you are going to be eating at 1100 (example only). You lose a few more pounds and hit another wall, and the cycle continues. How low are you willing to go? 900 calories? Then what? 500? When you begin cutting at such low numbers there is just nowhere to go when you stop losing. Not to mention it puts you at risk for nutrient deficiencies and eating disorders. Aids in hunger pains, deprivation, and a HIGH long-term failure rate. Because we can or wants to sustain 1000 calories a day long term? Increase in cortisol from the stress you are putting on your body from an extreme diet, and cortisol actually makes you gain a bit. In order to get moving again, you will then need to reverse diet for a while and then start all over which brings a lot of psychological stresses up.

And then there is what eating very low calories will do to your gym performance, strength, muscle and all around energy in general.

Now let's pretend that you eat the macros you've been given, hitting your 1600 a day. Eventually you plateau and need a change. Your new numbers are now in the 1500's. Then in the 1400s and then all of a sudden you're done with this cut cycle! You never had to go below 1400 calories, you're metabolism is not damaged and adjusted to super low calories so now reversing to eating in maintenance is going to be so much easier for you and without gain. You were never hungry and not deprived. You enjoyed meals and treats with your loved ones and have a lifestyle you can maintain- which means you have a high chance of being able to keep your weight off.

Listen to your coach. Follow the numbers and advice they are giving you. They want you to succeed as much as YOU want to succeed! You do not have to eat 1200 calories a day and no carbs to lose your weight and get to your goals!

Leave a Comment eating, macros, plateau, weight loss

plateau's & brick walls

Plateau's are extremely common when you are trying to cut weight, because your body is so amazing at adapting! Before you decide that you've hit a brick wall and  that what you were doing isn't working anymore, I'd fist tell you to think back really hard on the past two weeks. 

-Did you honestly log every single thing that you ate? Or did you forget that you had that cup of ice cream that your husband brought you in bed after you had already completed your log for the day? Did you snack on things here and there through the day and not log them? Were you 100% on your diet plan? Did you drink your water daily? Many times we (because myself included!) think that we've hit a plateau because we didn't see a loss this week, when really there was no loss because I was not 100% on my plan and slacked off a bit here and there. 

-Did you cut back on your exercising? Your customized macros are based around the amount and intensity of your workouts. If you have macros set for you working out an hour a day, 6 days a week and then you cut that back to 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week, that can effect your loss. Go back to to what you were doing when you started your numbers OR have your macros re-done for you using your new workout routine, because your TDEE will now be a bit different. 

If indeed you have been 100% with your macros and food, and you have not decreased your exercise amount and are not seeing a change, you have options! Get in touch with your macros coach/nutrition coach, I would do one of the following depending on your situation: 

1. Increase your fats (by a lot!) and decrease your carbs. Some people respond better to high fat diets- I have found this true for myself. 

2. Add in a few days of HIIT training to your schedule and decrease your carbs slightly. 

3. Carb cycle. 

4. Move onto your next set of cutting/losing macro numbers. 

Whatever you do, do not give up! So many people get on the scale and don't see movement. They automatically feel defeated and give up all together. DON'T! You just need a tweak in your plan and a little adjusting to get you going again! 

Do not resort to low calorie dieting! Will you see results? Sure! Like I said above, you will just need a little change and you will see results. But low calorie dieting is going to ruin your metabolism (I'm a prime example of this) as well as...why be miserable and hungry? Why eat only 1100 calories a day for a pound a week, when you can lose a pound a week eating 1500 and 1600 calories? And one of the biggest things that I ask my clients: So you dropped to 1100-1200 calories because you stalled. What happens when you stall at 1100-1200? What do you do then? Cut to 1000? And when you stall at 1000, what then? Hiring someone to help you figure out a plan is your best option! 

Leave a Comment macros, plateau, weight loss