Stop dieting and start understanding who you are in your nutrition to feel synergy in your mind, body and spirit
I turn 40 this week. Forty! I would be freaking out about it if I didn’t feel so damn good about where I am at this point in my life. After seven years of focusing on my physical and mental health, I have arrived at a place where I don’t just love the way I look, but I love myself completely. By understanding who I am in my nutrition, I’ve found synergy in my mind, body and spirit. And you can too.
We can talk about finding synergy and balance in our life and nutrition and how amazing it is, but the truth is that it takes a lot of work. I’ve spent seven years on this journey. I’ve had limitless highs and devastating downs, but I can honestly say it’s been worth every single second. Because taking the time to get to know myself on a physical and mental level has led me to a place where I am happy with who I am.
I want to show you my nutritional journey and the realizations that I had because choosing to understand yourself on this level not only changes your life right now, but it sets you up to lead the life of your dreams over the next 10, 20, 30 years.
Dieting for looks only gets you so far
Most of the women I help come to me because they aren’t happy with how they look. They want to change that, and mama, I can relate!
When I had my bathtub breakdown almost eight years ago, I knew that I wasn’t happy in my skin. I hated the way I looked. I wanted my old body back - the two-sport college athlete body. Honestly, I just wanted to look good naked.
I started in the same place most women do. I needed to lose weight so I could look at myself in the mirror again.
I want to pause really quickly because sometimes women feel like they don’t deserve to look good. They think it is vain or “bad” to be so focused on how they look, but I want you to know that this is a perfectly acceptable place to start. Sometimes wanting to look good is the exact catalyst you need to get you started in your nutrition.
In my effort to lose weight, I dove headfirst into exercising and dieting. I tried a million diets; I tried HCG, Isagenix, Paleo, cool sculpting, ItWorks. If it said it would help me look good, I did it.
None of them worked. The second I stopped I gained all the weight back, plus more. I got stuck in that yo-yo diet cycle. Then, I found macro tracking. I knew I had hit the sweet spot because I could enjoy food and life and still push my body to get what I wanted from it.
While macro tracking I decided to compete in a body-building competition. I had hit my weight loss goal, but I wanted to prove that I was good enough. I needed to show the world that I was strong. That I was worthy. That I could make it as a nutrition coach. I dropped down to 133 lbs. I was lean and I looked dang good naked.
On paper I was healthy, but it came at a cost.
I had to track everything that went in my mouth. I had to skip out on birthday cake. I couldn’t enjoy my life and still look like I did in my early 20s. Staying that lean wasn’t going to be sustainable forever.
Understanding your nutrition changes you physically and mentally
I slowly reverse dieted - meaning I increased my food intake. And I started to realize that I felt just as strong even as my weight increased. Instead of focusing just on what I was eating and my workouts, I broadened my definition of healthy.
It wasn’t just about the scale anymore. Healthy meant focusing on my physical and mental health.
I woke up early to have time to focus on my mental and spiritual needs.
I went to the gym and pushed myself past my limits, not the person next to me.
I read books that opened my mind and helped me to grow.
I took time to journal and work through my feelings.
I ate food that made me feel good physically
I enjoyed life moments - even the ones with food.
The most important thing I did was keep promises to myself. If I said I was going to wake up at 4:30 so I could fit in my morning routine, I did it. Each promise I kept showed me that not only was I worth the work I was putting in, but I knew I could trust myself.
I learned that I didn’t have to deprive myself just to prove my worth. I gave myself time, energy, space and resources so that I could grow and flourish. I was worth showing up for and investing in.
As I went through this process I gained close to 20 lbs. Sure, I look fluffier than I did at 133 lbs, but I’m not unhealthy. I love where I’m at because I realize that I didn’t have to eat or work out to be accepted by anyone else. I didn’t have to “look” the part anymore because I know who I am.
That’s what understanding who you are in your nutrition means. You not only know how to eat to fuel your body, but you can trust yourself to stick to your boundaries.
Prepare for your future by taking care of yourself now
My goal isn’t to look good naked anymore (although, I’m still happy with how I look) my goal has grown. I want to feel good in my skin and add years to my life.
And I’ve already accomplished it! I have literally added years to my life.
We all understand what physical age is, how long you’ve been on this planet, but there’s also something called biological age.
Your biological age is measured by your physical and mental functions. Biological age looks at lifestyle factors such as
Diet and nutrition
Exercise
Stress levels
Exposure to environmental toxins
Chronic conditions
Sleep
These are important factors because if you looked at two seemingly healthy 25-year-olds and one was a chain smoker who worked a high-stress job and ate McDonald's every day and the second ate a plant-based diet and worked at their dream job those two people would have different life expectancies.
Because I’ve focused on eating food that fuels my body, exercising, lowering my stress, etc. I’ve lowered my biological age to 29. I knocked 11 years off of myself!
That’s 11 more years that I get to enjoy my family. That I get to be around for my kids, my grandkids, my great-grandkids!
I love that focusing on my health and my nutrition pays off now and it continues to pay off year after year. I can look to the future with hope and excitement because I’m doing the work today to become the woman, the wife, the mother, the grandmother of my dreams.
Mama, don’t let time pass you by and rob you of the life of your dreams. Start your journey today so that you can reap the benefits of your health. You have the power to love yourself completely and all it takes is one decision.
Schedule a free discovery call and say yes to yourself today. I promise it will be the best investment that you ever make. You’re worth it.
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