Why I ditched the supplements and started LOVING food

This is out of the box for my usual blog… but I wanted to take a moment and talk about food.  Eating.  Calories.  Those building blocks of energy that we all go in and out of understanding. Everyone diets…. fasts…binges… eats healthy..unhealthy..too little…too much and at the end of it all we are left with about 1000 different theories on what we should eat and why.  Everyone has a favorite supplement… drink…bar…vitamin…. or a favorite eating theory….Attkins..south beach..eat for your blood type…paleo…vegan…there are dietitians, heath coaches, nutritionists…. eating disorders ranging from too little to to much food consumption… and at the end of all of this…. no one really knows what to do and we bounce around trying to get it right.  THIS is what i have learned from it ALL.

Calories = Energy=Performace

broken down more

healthy calories = clean energy = optimal performance = a great, healthy, happy body.

When you learn to eat food to fuel your body…. to use the calories as a means to provide your body with what it needs to get through your day… whatever that is….. everything becomes so simple.  Forget about numbers and this in and this out and theories and anything other than how your body feels.

You eat healthy balanced protein and carbs before your work outs…. you nosh on fruits and veggies and drink water and sometimes you eat ice cream because ice cream is awesome…. and sometimes empty calories are OK…..

I am not giving up all of my protein shakes and quest bars…. but I am no longer limiting myself to all protein and clean lean food that comes in a container and promises results. I am building my body on whole foods…. meat, cheese, yogurt, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, fruits, veggies… and well…. anything I want to eat…. but before I make it and consume it…. I know what I want to get from my food and what I need to eat to achieve that…. Like this:

***have a long run today…. oatmeal, banana, apple, water… clean easy to digest long sustaining fuel
just got back from a long run ….yogurt and a nectarine and some cherries…. replenish and rebuild
lifting heavy today…..eggs and multi grain toast… clean fast burning and sustainable power energy
just back from lifting heavy……peaches, almonds, omelette or protein shake…. repair muscle fibers with protein***

I am not perfect, but I have learned what works for my body…. and what works is FOOD.

I would be lying if I didn't say, this is an area where i can really struggle.  Part of my no scale regimen was to re establish a healthy relationship with eating and my body…. paying attention to how I feel not what i weigh…. being healthy but not rigid…. wanting a strong powerful body……but being realistic.  Starving myself for abs isn't going to make me a better runner…. but being a better runner might give me better abs… and I am not giving up ice cream.  No way.

So what I have learned…amidst all of the theories, supplements, professionals, fit bits, calorie tracking apps….. is this  Know what you need to eat and why… put some thought into it and keep it clean… have fun… enjoy your food.  Don't eat to discomfort and don't starve to discomfort….Eat cheesecake….eat frosting…. but know why you are eating it and be realistic about how often you can eat those foods before it starts to effect your bodies performance… NOT weight…. performance…. we need clean food…LOTS of clean food to thrive….. experimenting with food is as fun as experimenting in the weight room!  It works if you work it!  Take it from some one who can "coin" that phrase because I know…… I have had a lot of experience in trying to make this food thing work.  If you have a healthy, realistic relationship with food…. your body will let you know and you will love what that looks like and more importantly… what that feels like!