Warning… this video had lots of internet disruptions because #countryWiFi annnnd it’s a little lengthy, but I was determined to finish! I promise it’s worth the watch.
Before you start tearing through this post and video thinking there are some magical fat-loss foods, you will be disappointed!
What I consider to be my “fat loss” foods are, well…a bit unusual. Yes, I eat a ton of veggies. Yes, I consume a decent amount of protein. YES, I love healthy fat (peanut butter and I have a serious relationship).
BUT, my view on fat-loss foods has dramatically changed over the years. You see, I’ve grown accustomed to my ‘healthy’ foods and I love the way they taste. So, in reality, I never feel like I’m on a diet.
However, to think that I can ONLY consume those ‘healthy’ things and that anything outside of that list is ‘evil’, makes me feel like I’m being deprived.
The worst thing to do is deprive yourself. When you start to feel deprived you instantly crave those foods that you have taken off your list of accepted diet foods.
Listen, I am not saying that you should fill your diet with a bunch of sugar, fat, and gluten. I realize that those things in excess (key point here) will lead to health problems.
But, when you eat your treats/cheats (hate that word) in moderation AND you also have a diet plentiful of greens, a broad spectrum of macronutrients and micronutrients, sometimes all you need to stick to a healthy diet is a little bit of ice cream every night. 🙂
Like I mentioned in my video, this takes practice and time. I went from extreme-strict-hardcore-dieter to binge eater, to now settled into my current eating lifestyle which I freaking love.
The best part? The stress relief, because always worrying about what I ‘couldn’t have’ put too much mental strain on my life. No six-pack abs are worth that, I promise.
Now, there may be a point when I want to go into a little more rigorous fat loss (I love the way my body looks and feels now, so who knows if and when that will happen lol).
Should I choose to do that, I know exactly how to do. I’d keep my eating relatively the same, maybe add a few sweat sessions in my week and slow and steady is the name of the game. No fad diets, extreme deprivation or quick fixes.
So with that, I thought I’d share a grocery haul and give you a sneak peek into my fridge and freezer. You’ll get to meet my “sanity drawer” in my freezer as well what makes up the bulk of my diet.
Like I mentioned in the video, I don’t fall under one camp for strict diet rules per se.
If I had to give you a general idea of what kind of ‘diet’ I stick to, here’s how it would go…
I guess I’m a clean eater because I love veggies and whole foods and stay away from overly processed packaged foods (except chocolate, wine, and ice cream).
I’m sorta paleo-ish because I tend to stick to lean meats, veggies, and carbs from sweet potatoes.
I minimize dairy because of it’s inflammatory properties but I’ll have cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and whey protein.
I’m a flexible dieter with If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM). I usually like to base my day's worth of eating around what sorts of nutritional compromises (goodies in my sanity drawer) I want to have so I don’t feel like I’m dieting.
You could say I do intermittent fasting because most days I don’t eat until afternoon. I also started experimenting with doing a 24-hour fasts weekly (gasp, I know right. I love it). NOTE- I don’t do this to “un-do” binges like I used to. I fast now to give my body a break from digestion and also for the mental clarity.
So there you have it. I abide by a clean eating, paleo-ish, dairy-free-ish, flexible dieting, intermittent/fasting diet.
Most diets have extreme rules that you have to follow or you are committing diet “sin”. Hence why I won’t claim to follow anything 100%. I’ve found a blend of a lot of things that works for me.
How do I know my diet is working for me??
The data (least important measure of progress by my standards these days):
I currently weigh between 149-153 pounds.
I have maintained body fat percentage between 14-16%.
My pant size is usually between a 4-6.
The internal compass (most important way that I measure my progress):
I don’t do the scale ‘freak-out game’ anymore.
I don’t judge every perceived flaw like I used to…cellulite, stretch mark or lack of 6 pack abs
I feel strong as f*ck, agile and quick in my workouts.
My energy is off the charts and I’m sleeping like a rock.
I can keep up with my kids.
My food enhances my lifestyle…as does my fitness.
I’m not bingeing on food or exercising for hours a day to punish myself for bingeing
I’m over that shit. For real. Because if you don’t like the way you eat and move every day, you can’t stick to that forever. Now if you aren’t used to eating greens, lean protein and healthy fats it can feel like a diet at first. I’m not going to lie.The process and journey into actually enjoying these things takes time if you aren’t used to it.
You have to experiment with finding the right recipes and balance of good food versus perceived “bad” food (no food is bad, it’s just how much you decide to put into your body). In this video, I also go over some of the things that I include (not daily, but often) into my diet or else I feel like I want to scratch my face off… AKA dieting. These are the key dieting foods I have to have in my life so that I continue to be successful. Sound weird? Well, it works for me!
Hope you found some nuggets of info to help you on your journey. To date this has been the most fun and relaxing way for me to continue to pursue my fitness goals and still feel fit, sexy, and confident. If this sounds like much more fun than #diethell then you’ll love all the juicy girl talk over in my private FB group The Goddess Body Project. Go check it out here!