Hear my heart when I say this

Hey friend!

I'm about to really be real with you. I don't want to start off our time together on the wrong foot, so hear my heart in this. Can I tell you how grieved I am over my social media feeds right now? No, I'm not talking about all the angry political talk. I can scroll right past all those opinions, because while I do have a political opinion of my own, ultimately I know that God is sovereign and in control. No matter what's to come, as a believer in Jesus Christ, I know He will take care of His children. I don't need to fight with my friends or get mad that they don't see things like I see them. 😉

What does make me sad is seeing friends (women who I value, love and respect) promoting weight loss programs that I believe are leading more women unintentionally into diet bondage and/or tightening the grip on the ones who are already there. I don't believe they are meaning to do this or that they realize they are doing this because they are in the grip of it themselves. I've been in the women's fitness industry for over 15 years and it seems like we're regressing more than we're progressing in our efforts for good health. A spoonful of this or pre-made meals of that do not teach you how to get permanent results.You can't melt away fat. Fat is excess energy stored on your body. When we eat more energy (calories) than our body needs, it stores it for later. To release your body of that stored energy (in super simplified terms) you have to create a deficit by consuming less and expending more energy than it has on hand. Like when you don't have enough money in your checking account to pay a bill so you have to pull from your savings account to cover the difference. You also can't eat pre-packaged meals, follow a certain menu, or avoid carbs for the rest of your life. I mean I guess you could, but that sounds terrible. What happens when you stop these plans? (Rhetorical. We all know the answer.)

There is no "one right way" for anyone to reach their healthy weight range (range, there is not one "perfect weight" number). While I am no where near perfect and absolutely do not have all the answers, here are some basic tips from my own life that I want to share with you to help you break free from the bondage of dieting. In no particular order of importance, here's what I do:

I drink this shake for breakfast most mornings. I do not believe you should drink all of your meals, but it's a mad dash out the door in the morning around here and this keeps me from skipping breakfast (don't skip meals!) or grabbing a donut. Plus, it starts my macro map balanced with one carb and one protein choice.

I wake up early to work out. If I don't get it done first thing, life will always get in the way. I exercise 5 days a week, for 35-45 minutes each time.

I take these daily vitamins. These help fill nutritional gaps in my eating, give me energy and help with appetite. They are my foundational help.

I take my lunch to work. Usually it's leftovers (see next) but sometimes it's a "snack pack" style lunch with a combination of things like string cheese, turkey pepperoni, cottage cheese, fruit, veggie straws, olives, etc. Get creative. If I'm really in a hurry, my fall back is a baked potato. You can pop it in the microwave at work to cook then cover it with non-fat greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, even bacon bits. I just grab a potato and the containers of those ingredients, throw them in my bag and rush out the door!

We eat dinner at home most nights. I am not a great cook but I make sure I have a meal for our family (or at least those who can be there) usually 5 nights a week (TJ usually takes a night or two). With sports and activity schedules, that might mean eating at 4:30 - so be it. I use my crock pot A LOT. My fallback dinner is breakfast. Nothing has to be defrosted and my kids gobble down eggs, bacon, pancakes and fruit. I like to make these cottage cheese pancakes for myself.

I eat two 200 calorie snacks per day. One is mid-morning, one is mid-afternoon. They put just a little fuel in my energy tank to keep going. This is usually something like dry roasted peanuts, fruit, turkey pepperoni, cashews or veggies with greek yogurt dip (nonfat greek yogurt mixed with ranch seasoning). Just keep these simple.

I learned how to read and understand nutrition labels. I really want to create a lesson on this for you soon. My 6 & 9 year olds are even learning how to do this, the labels aren't really as complicated as they look.

Bottom line, you do not have to make drastic changes to see results. Small changes add up and become habit. As a matter of fact, rapid weight loss and drastic change almost always keep you on the roller-coaster of results (up, down, up higher than before, etc.). Real results take time. If you will take time to learn what lasts, and implement it, you won't have to re-start over and over again. Permanent behavior change is the key.

I hope this takes some pressure off you and gives you some helpful ideas. What else could I share with you that would be helpful? Send me your thoughts! 💛

Your Friend (who will always speak truth in love),

P.S. - Click here to check out the group of products that I use as a regular part of my life to help me stay on track.