Something came up today that struck me a little bit and I wanted to share my feelings here. As a woman who has been obese her whole life, and dealt with binge eating as a child it hit me kind of hard. I realize my relationship with food in the last 15 years has really changed a lot. Thankfully I no longer, and haven't for a really long time, deal with binge eating. Food guilt is another thing though. One thing that has helped me get through that feeling is honestly tracking my macros. I do track to be accountable now but I also track so I know where I am and so I can reflect on how food makes me feel. That is a bigger part of it for me right now. Everyone does it for different reasons. I wouldn’t get my protein goals, and honestly I don’t think I would even hit any sort of calorie goals at all if I didn't have this in my routine. It’s about being accountable to myself. Another huge benefit of tracking is if I encounter road blocks along the way in my progress Raynor and I can sit down together and try to figure out why. Thankfully I have been pretty consistent and things have been going well but I am grateful for that accountability to. We all need some accountability sometimes. I used to also think of working out as punishment for not eating well or something. That was totally unhealthy for me in about every way imaginable. Working out is a gift. Being able to move your body is a gift. Training hard is a gift. I cherish that my body allows me to do it. I will admit it’s only been recently that I have had this mindset and it’s sticking like glue. I love to work hard, i love to sweat, i love to give it all I got and im loving the results for my metabolism and long term health. I am finding I can push harder than I ever imagined and im sure i can push even harder. Because I want to push hard and not be so sore I cant do my job or activities of daily living I must eat well. I must fuel my body for success. I must choose Whole Foods. I must meal prep. I know there will be social gatherings and hiccups along the way so take the day and enjoy that party or that meal and move the fuck on. One meal wont derail you when you are on your game the rest of the week. It gets easier over time when you are not bloated, you can run without pain, you don’t have afternoon slumps and you just feel really good most of the time. In the beginning I recognize its hard though. Find an accountability buddy that you trust, share food diaries (mines open to the public on MFP) and be honest with it. Another thing that has helped me is not drinking alcohol about 95% of the time. My body feels monumentally better without it. Im not saying I won’t ever have a drink but it’s going to be good and it’s going to be a fun occasion a few times a year to be honest.

Nutrition is a challenge we all face. Here’s a tip, gradually start to make improvements in your daily consumption. Replace foods that do not help you achieve your goal. Make small changes, eventually you start to enjoy it and your body adapts. With determination, discipline and a goal set in place, it helps to keep you from deviating and to stay the course. The nutrition you choose will impact you positively or negatively. Healthy nutrition will make you feel good, look good, and energize you more. Easy to say, challenging to do, but doable. It is your choice.

I like to spend my sundays to plan for the week. I use today to set me up for success in areas I need for myself, my non negotiables, my Routine. This has helped me establish a routine to keep me on track with all areas, mainly my health and fitness. This is a strategy that has helped me establish good habits and a sustainable routine that has purpose. Your health and fitness, make it a non negotiable. Turn that into a routine for yourself, all to benefit you for the long run. Ask yourself, am I in a healthy state to be able to take care of my loved ones? It’s your choice and it lies within your hands.

If anyone struggles with gluten or has Celiacs, I have a Pinterest Board full of recipes I am more willing to share on here! Nutrition is Key!

Ok! I know Raynor always tells us to eat simple but I get bored and like to cook. What are some of your go to meals when preparing for success? Recipes, ideas, whatever. I’ll start first. Especially in the winter I make egg roll in a bowl. I brown hamburger or any ground meat you like with onion and garlic Add a bag of coleslaw Mushrooms if you like them Sliced water chestnuts Chinese 5 spice, Sriracha sauce, and ginger (ground is fine) and soy sauce for seasoning Cook all together and eat! So good