“I don’t know what happened during Covid, but my body sure has changed!”
“You can’t out exercise a poor diet”
I’ve been a personal trainer for over 27 years and I still get the exact same questions and statements year after year that are sometimes a little like fingernails raking a chalkboard (a very long one)…
“I just want to get rid of my _______. belly fat, flabby arms, love handles, (fill-in-the-blank)”
“I should cut out ________, right? Fat, protein, carbs, alcohol, bread, sweets, (fill-in-the-blank)”
“I’m exercising so much more, why isn’t the weight coming off?”
“I ________, and lost weight, now all of the sudden all of my weight came back (plus some)!” Fasted, dieted, over-exercised (fill-in-the-blank)”
“You’re asking me to eat all of these veggies and legumes, where in the world am I going to get my protein?” [insert facepalm]
And my new favorite from this past year; “I don’t know what happened during Covid, but my body sure has changed!”
I try my very best to keep a smile on my face, take a deep breath, and talk about the importance of a healthy diet. Yet, I have found that the term “healthy diet” has different meanings for different people. For example, a healthy diet to some may be cutting out a food group entirely or trying a pre-packaged diet scheme, or even counting each calorie carefully. A healthy diet can be as simple as eating real food when you get hungry and not overindulging. A healthy diet can include ALL of the foods you love, but uses new small habits and tools so as not to overdo it. There’s no reason not to have that delicious slice of Maxie B’s birthday cake as long as you have the tools to pass on the tri-weekly office party Costco cake.
I certainly don’t claim to have the “perfect” diet and have certainly have had to make some big-time changes through the decades of my life. You can ask anyone from my past how horrendous my diet was as a teenager/college student; not a fresh fruit or veggie in sight.
As a trainer, I care deeply about each individual I work with and take it somewhat personally if I can’t find a way to change habits or help someone make healthier lifestyle choices. I’m constantly looking for new ideas and ways to help change perspective. For me, training in New Orleans was by far the most challenging place you can imagine, there is always an excuse to overindulge. Clients assume that because they are paying you, that they should be losing weight and building a body to rival that of David Beckham or Gisele. Apparently they didn’t think about the 2-3 hours spent with me each week doesn’t compare to the other 100 waking hours of sedentary indulgement.
I recently read the book, Foodist, which was suggested to me by one of my clients from New Orleans and she said when she read it she could hear my voice ;-) It pretty much details everything that I have been preaching about eating for years and written by a neuroscientist, Darya Pino Rose. I’m not a big diet book reader, but I do like to keep up with what is trending at the time to help my clients sift through mountains of information. I have found time and again that ANY diet works (in the short term), but what can you stick to for a lifetime? What can you stick to without yo-yoing? How can you make better habits? We can all find “diets” that we like and work for us at the time, but can you find a way of eating for the rest of your life? Shouldn’t quality matter more than quantity? There shouldn’t be a one-size fits all, because Lord knows we are all different shapes and sizes and should accept ourselves as such.
Why is everyone looking for the magic pill or the easy way out? I’ve never believed in supplements of any kind (unless of course needed for a deficiency). Why? Because I believe in REAL food, not “food” that comes in a package. Why not just learn to gradually eat real foods that help to nourish your body. Forming new habits takes a bit of work as does working on a new mindset, but it’s worth it! Food and exercise are truly medicine and if we could only make a few small habits at a time, most people would not need any type of medication (in pill form). Think about it, if you get outside and move in the sun, you’re getting your vitamin D, helping your heart, your mind and your soul. If you eat your fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes you’re getting your vitamins, minerals, antioxidants (all of your “medications”).
Real food just makes you feel better. Twenty-five ingredient protein bars may give you a jolt of energy or suppress your appetite until the next meal, but what are you actually putting into your body? Why are we trying to suppress our appetites anyway? There’s nothing wrong with eating when you're hungry, if you choose the right fresh, real foods you’ll be super satisfied and feel so much better. There’s really no need to ever “diet” (my forbidden 4-letter word). Rather than teaching people how to eat pre-packaged convenience foods, wouldn’t it be easier and healthier in the long run to have 5 or so go-to easy recipes that were easy to prep, cook and clean that wouldn’t take any longer than running out to get fast food? Wouldn’t it be cheaper in the long run to eat well so that you wouldn’t have to be on a menagerie of pills to control everything as you get older? The answer to all of these questions lies in real, fresh, and nutrient dense food, you just have to give it a try!
A few of my favorite tips from Foodist were…
9 Surefire Ways to Sabotage Your Weight Loss
Rely on willpower
Forget the difference between temporary and permanent
Start a really hard workout regimen
Never learn to eat mindfully
Ignore how much you miss your favorite foods
Assume that what worked for someone else will work for you
Dramatically restrict your eating
Don’t find deeper purpose in what and why you eat
Pick a diet that is super inconvenient
10 Simple Ways to Eat Less Without Noticing
Use smaller plates
Serve yourself 20% less
Use taller glasses
Eat protein for breakfast
Eat three meals a day
Keep unhealthy snacks out of sight or out of the building
Chew thoroughly
Don’t eat from the package
Don’t eat in front of the TV
Don't pay attention to health claims
Tips to Eat More Slowly and Mindfully
Practice
Chew 25 times
Put down your fork
Drink
Feed yourself with your nondominant hand
Eat everything with chopsticks for a week
Take your first bite with your eyes closed
Eat with other slow eaters
Try to identify every ingredient in your meal
Use a plate
Sit at a table
Remove distractions
Eat in silence
Serve small portions
Have a conversation
Don’t eat when your starving
Dim the lights
Play mellow music
5 questions to help you make the right decision before letting loose
What else have you eaten today? This week?
Have you been to the gym?
Will you be drinking later
Are you trying to lose weight?
Is it worth it? Really?
NEAT ideas - nonexercise activity thermogenesis
A few ways to squeeze in the extra mile:
Take the stairs
Park farther away
Clean house
Choose activities, not passivities
Wear a pedometer
Carry all the groceries at once
Visit coworkers instead of emailing
Take the long way
Have walking meetings
10 tips for starting and sticking with exercise
Commit to consistency
Take baby steps
Pick an exercise that’s fun
Bring a friend, make it competitive
Join a sports team
Get a dog
Recharge with caffeine
Get into music, podcasts, and audiobooks
Buy some nice workout clothes, shoes, fitbit
Reward yourself
10 simple substitutions for making restaurant foods healthier
Mixed greens instead of iceberg or romaine lettuce
Fruit instead of toast
Salad instead of potatoes
Avocado instead of mayo
Cheese plate instead of dessert
Brown rice instead of white
Wine instead of cocktail
Beans instead of rice
Olive oil and vinegar instead of sugary dressing
Anything instead of American cheese