Stace: "The Diet Religion...."

........where the almighty lean body is worshipped, fat is banished to the depths of hell, exercise is holy time, carbs are demons, and protein is an angel sent from Heaven. Amen.

The 10 Commandments:
1. Thou shall not eat after 7pm.
2. Thou shall stay away from carbs.
3. Thou shall count every fat gram consumed.
4. Thou shall not eat brownies/cookies/cake.
5. Thou shall feel extremely after consuming the above mentioned food items.
6. Thou shall exercise until you drop.
7. Thou shall step on a scale daily.
8. Thou shall covet the body of every lean person who walks by.
9. Thou shall buy every fitness product on the market.
10. Thou shall start your diet, for real this time, tomorrow.

Sound crazy? I guess when it's worded in this way it does, but think about it for a second: have you ever been on a diet, followed one (or all) of the "Commandments" above, but just couldn't stay on the bandwagon or keep the weight off? Welcome to the world of dieting. It sucks.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of leading a healthy lifestyle, but not so much of the fad diets that consist of deprivation and eventually lead to failure. I never quite knew how to express my views about dieting in words, but knew I never liked how I felt on them.

I recently read a book entitled "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. This book was incredibly enlightening, as it explains human phsycology as it relates to dieting, how our biological make-up prevents us from "successfully" carrying out restrictive diets, and finally, how to become an Intuitive Eater who learns how to seperate emotions from food, and make food choices based on biological hunger cues. I highly suggest this book to anyone who is on a diet, considering a diet, has an unhealthy relationship with food, or someone who just wants to learn more about human biology as it relates to dieting. If you read it, please let me know what you think!!

<3,
Stace
LifestyleFitnessConcepts@gmail.com

Stacy: "Health vs. Appearance"

Happy Thursday!

Hope everyone is having a good one :)

I'm doing the "blogging at work while on lunch break" thing right now. Today seems to be dragging a bit (4pm, where art thou?) The upside? I like the outfit I have on today, so that automatically makes for a good day in my book ;)

Cute flats thanks to Mr. UPS man, who delivered them yesterday:



One of my favorite sweaters a la outlet price, and black dress pants from NY&Company. Holler ;)

Breakfast was Kashi Cereal with almond milk, a banana, and some coffee for di-zombifying purposes. Anybody else have to wake up for work at 5 in the morning? It seems I'll never get used it, but a warm drink like coffee or tea helps a bit. It's even harder now that it's getting so cold outside! There needs to be a law against having to wake up while it's still dark and freezing outside. Yeah, Congress? Get on that, ASAP! Thanks ;)

Anyway, while flipping through a magazine I purchased at the newsstand this morning, I realized the countless articles regarding weight loss, and diets that guarantee you'll "Lose 5 pounds in 10 Days!" It got me thinking about the stress many women put on their appearance vs. the mainstream, lackadaisical approach many seem to take with their health.

Health vs. Appearance

*Always consult a physician before making any kind of dietary changes. Also,
if you have any condition that may cause sensitivity to information regarding this topic, I would suggest stopping here. I would never want to influence anybody negatively, only share my experiences in the hopes that it may help someone else.*

Who doesn’t want a toned, fit, and strong body, clear skin, healthy hair, and to be about 5 or so inches taller?! Okay, maybe that last one is only a dream of mine- but you'd say the same thing if you were standing in this hole next to me! Moving right along...

I've tried every diet under the sun. In my experience, I've always felt so restricted, and while some may have led to short-term weight loss, they also led to disordered eating habits and negative body image. I couldn't maintain the results when I returned to "eating normally" and regardless of how much weight I would lose, I was never happy with it.

I decided something had to give. I had to take a different approach, because obviously what I was doing wasn't working. The constant pressure I put on myself, the inability to truly enjoy eating, the vicious cycle of guilt I'd feel when I consumed a "bad" food, etc. Why couldn't I just enjoy food and be healthy at the same time? What was I doing wrong?! Well:

1. My focus was in the wrong place- I put so much emphasis on calories, and "good vs. bad" foods, that I forgot rule number one: my health! Yes calories matter. Overeating will surely result in weight gain, but, the type of calories you consume matter just as much, if not, more! This hit me one day as I was looking for a snack in the pantry, and my dad offered me raw cashews. "Do you know how much fat is in that, dad?!" So I grabbed a 100 calorie pack of cookies instead :) Obviously the nuts were less processed, contained healthy fats, and were the overall better choice. Needless to say, I was still not satisfied when I finished the third bag. Problem? I'd say so.

2. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not supposed to be the stick thin vision of myself that I had in mind. I'd get there and was still unsatisfied! Happiness will never come with the number on a scale. It's about living life, forming relationships, and not overthinking every last morsel of food you consume (this is coming from a reformed nutritional data tracking monster).

3. I learned to put myself first. Surely my health is more important than my appearance. What good is a hot bod that feels crappy all the time? Ironically, in putting my health first by choosing whole foods, my body started changing, and I (dare I say it?) started to like it! It was a win win all around (Score. 1 point for Stace).

THE BEST DIET?

Ready for the greatest answer to the question I get asked the most...................................?

"The one that makes you feel good." Cop out? Not quite. I am not a Registered Dietitian, so I won't tell you what to eat, instead I'll say this: learn to listen to your body. Eat slowly, and stop when you're satisfied, not when you are full and waddling when you walk (I was infamous for this! lol). Try your best to incorporate less processed, packaged food items, and more fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean protein, nuts, seeds (unless, of course, you have a medical condition or allergy that doesn't allow for that). It's a process. A very gratifying process.

All in all?

Stop restricting yourself- it'll only make you cranky- and no one will want to be your friend. (Kidding!! Kind of...)

Stop underfeeding yourself- there's only so much your body can take, and ready for the kicker? You'll gain it all back, plus more.

Stop over thinking- while it can be an emotional journey, the concept of losing weight is actually pretty simple! Many fail because they go on fad diets rather than change their lifestyle in a way they can maintain. If it seems to good to be true, it is.

Start making smart choices: replacing white starches with whole grains, eliminating trans fats from your diet, saying no to sugary soft drinks, etc.

Start now! Move slowly as any true change takes time. But do yourself a favor and don't "start tomorrow" or on "the first of the month." If this is something you truly want for yourself, right now is the time.

Start educating yourself! Read as much material as you can, ask questions (to fitness professionals, nutritionists, those who have lost weight without going on a fad diet). The more you know, the better equipped you are. Knowledge is power, yo ;)

Questions? Feel free to ask me!
LifestyleFitnessConcepts@gmail.com

<3,

Stace

Stacy: "Let Them Eat Bananas!"

I eat a banana (or 3... kidding, kind of) everyday, usually with almond butter smeared all over it. That's just how I roll. So now you can imagine my reaction when my friend Sarah (name changed, obvi) told me her diet didn't allow her to eat bananas (or apples, or grapes) because of the sugar content. Blasphemy. To that I say give me bananas with almond butter, or give me death :) This scenario played itself out as I stuffed my face with a fruit bowl and oatmeal at the local diner, while she ordered bacon and eggs- but "hold the bread. I'm on a diet."............... QUE?!

All jokes aside, it made me sad. Not because she was eating bacon and eggs (because even as a vegetarian, I'll admit bacon is yummy) and not because she turned her back on bananas (lol), but because of the all of the easily accessible, mainstream, false information available out there. Sarah is encouraged to eat all kinds of food laden with saturated fat, but has to limit her fruit intake... As a trainer, I've been asked more times than I care to count if fruit is "okay to eat." I also recall an encounter in the staff room at the gym where another trainer (while scarfing down beef jerky) questioned me eating a bowl a fruit, "considering it's high sugar content. That kind of sugar turns directly into fat!" What a numnut :) Fruit contains the most natural, easily recognizable and digestible sugar out there. Sugar content aside, fruit also contains vitamins and enzymes that are essential to your body! Doesn't it make sense to fuel your body with natural food sources instead of chemically processed ones? Don't believe me? That's fine. I'd say definitely do some research, and always consider who your resources are. Also, I suggest reading opposing arguments, and deciding what works best for you. Once you find what works for you- roll with it ;)

Clearly this post is not about bananas nor is it about whether fruit is "okay" to eat or not. Rather, its about educating yourself before you allow yourself to start any kind of diet (a word that makes me cringe, by the way, but that's a completely different kind of post!) I really and truly encourage you to research how things work, and pay close attention to how it affects your body. Ask yourself if it's something that you can healthily maintain for a lifetime. Also, consider if what your doing seems natural and healthy for you. After all, you only get one body and only you can decide what you feed it, right? Make that decision an informed one! I, too, tried almost every diet under the sun. Want to know the one that worked best for me? I believe it was the "I did tons of research on nutrition, stopped focusing so much on the nutrition facts, focused more on the ingredients list, and decided I wanted to fuel my body with wholesome foods" diet. I'm sure your nearest Barnes & Noble carries it ;) hahah

Let's talk about: changing food habits. It can be an extremely difficult process (process is clearly the operative word here people)! Often times, it's an emotional journey as well. Some people can go cold turkey and turn bad habits into good ones. That's cool, but for the rest of us, it's a gradual learning process. Take your time, don't try to be a superhero. Make small changes. Those small changes add up, and when they do, you'll have an easier time maintaining a lifestyle conducive to your goals. Plus, if you take it one decision as a time (each meal, each workout, each resting period) the final goal will not seem so far away. Those seemingly "small decisions" eventually result in some mayjah progress, and who doesn't want that?!

Questions? Feel free to ask me!
LifestyleFitnessConcepts@gmail.com

<3,

Stace