FOOD: Friend or Foe?
I have been in the fitness industry almost my entire life. I
starting working with a personal trainer when I was 13 years old and fell in
love! It wasn’t until I was 15 that I started to realize the importance of
nutrition and what everyone likes to call a “diet.” I can’t stand this word!
Why would anyone want to incorporate anything into their lives with the word
DIE in it?!? Have you ever met anyone on a diet who says, “I’m on a diet!” with
a huge smile on his or her face? I highly doubt it.
So why is it that everyone is constantly trying different
“diets?” Because they are thinking about the food they eat the wrong way and
diets don’t work. Why don’t they work? Because you are not learning to change
your daily habits to create an overall “Lifestyle Change,” my favorite
nutrition phrase. But before I get off on a huge tangent about how awful diets
are, why don’t we go back to the beginning and figure out what our relationship
to food is and why we are always trying to diet.
Our bodies are these wonderful and amazing machines. We need
to take care of them to keep them running and performing properly. The food we
eat, our fuel, will either have a positive or negative effect on how the body
functions, and whether you want to lose or gain weight. So why is it that we
tend to choose the wrong foods day in and day out? For one thing, our society
has brainwashed us into thinking that FAD diets work, which they don’t. We are
also on information overload about what is and what isn’t healthy. People ask
themselves… Do I eat low fat, sugar free, not at all, only liquids? Here’s a
clue, none of the above!
Where I think we went wrong is how America views food. We
have a horrible relationship with food, which is really unfortunate. You will
hear me say it over and over again, food, ladies and gentlemen, is what keeps
your body healthy. Food is what builds those amazing muscles you’ve been
working so hard to develop. Food is what gives you energy, makes you happy, and
helps you sleep better. Food is also what helps you lose weight and keep the weight
off. Food helps aid in production, as well as regulates cell repair and
hormones, also very important for weight loss. Believe it or not, the more I am
in this field, the more I realize there are just as many people out there “under”
eating as there are over eating. Both will run down this amazing machine very
quickly. Both mean that there is a terrible relationship with food for that
person.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, food is more than just
our friend! So many people who are trying to lose weight are terrified of food!
My first piece of advice, and it will not be an easy task, is change how you
view food. Don’t be scared of it anymore. Love it. Love everything it has to
offer you. Love the vitamins, minerals, protein, smell, and taste. Love the way
it helps your body, moves your body. Love the way you feel when you have
discipline to say no to the wrong choices or yes to the healthy choices. Love
the way it makes you feel alive and full of energy.
You must eat to lose weight. Period. I want you to love
life, eat well, live long and be happy! I promise, if you can really hunker
down and start paying attention to your nutrition -- create a real Lifestyle
Change -- you will feel a world of difference! You will also be one step closer
to losing that weight, fitting into those jeans, running that marathon, getting
through a day with no lower back pain, sleeping through the night, or playing
with your kids and grandkids!
Here are my basic
rules of thumb for eating well:
· Eat
clean real food- no more processed, boxed, or fast food
· High
protein
· Complex
carbs- sweet potato, rice, quinoa, and whole grains
· Veggies,
veggies, veggies- eat in their most natural form
· Deep
colored fruits- blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
· NO
sugar, sodas, sweet tea- only use stevia or honey as a sweetener
· Know
how many calories you should or should not be consuming
· Drink
at least 3 liters of water a day
There is so much
more than these basics, but it is a start! My last piece of advice: seek
professional help. Find a personal trainer, meet with them at least a couple
times to make sure what you are doing is correct. They can help you with your
gym routine and nutrition. Stop dieting and start living!
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who
have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.”
Hebrews 12:11-13
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