by Trish Adams | Oct 15, 2014 | Consistency, Intuitive Eating, Nutrition
Many of today’s popular diets share a similar characteristic where you eat from a list of approved foods or food types and when you choose not to, you are cheating. Thankfully, it seems, a few diets are getting away from this notion of cheating such as flexible dieting and IIFYM, however, the practice of eating a cheat meal or having cheat days is still widely followed by those restricting their diets.
If what you eat on the weekend is drastically different from what you eat during the week, you are doing it wrong.
As you know, EM2WL does not endorse any specific diet, but we do make the following basic recommendations:
• Eat sufficient protein
• Eat sufficient fiber
• Eat enough food to meet your level activity
Pretty basic stuff, right? Nothing too scary and probably something most people can get with. Sure, there is more to it like balancing macros, whole vs processed foods, nutrient timing, staying hydrated, etc. but at a basic level, this is what it looks like.
My gripe with having a cheat meal has ZERO to do with the quality of the meal itself, but how the meal is labeled and the potential backlash it can have. The problem with labeling foods as cheats is that we are dangerously close to being right back at the good vs bad food mindset. As we’ve seen in the past, this often leads to putting foods on a restricted list, which can introduce binge eating and other forms of disordered eating.
Cheat: to practice fraud or trickery – Merriam Webster
Think about this – When has cheating ever been associated with something positive? Cheat on a test? Bad. Cheat on your spouse? Bad. Cheating death? Ok, that is a good one, but even that seemingly good cheat has an ominous feel to it, like the grim reaper might be lurking around every corner to settle the debt.
Labeling a meal as cheating implies some form of deceit and has negative overtones. I am a big believer that framing things positively impacts how you feel about it. Are you really “getting away with” eating a cookie, enjoying some pasta or anything that is not on the sanctioned food list? If so, maybe your diet is too restrictive. The reality is that you are just eating food. Period. There are no food police or other authority that you need to outwit or who is waiting to lock you up.
Food is food. Every food has a nutritional profile and you should gauge its value for YOUR diet and then make a determination if it is something that you want to eat often or in moderation. In general, eating foods that are more nutritionally dense AND that you enjoy is a good idea. Sprinkle in the foods that don’t offer as much nutritional value, but you simply enjoy eating. Maybe for you that is a 50/50 balance or an 80/20 balance. Whatever that balance is, it is your call to make, but avoid labeling foods in such a way that it may potentially trigger some guilt about eating it afterward.
by Trish Adams | Sep 30, 2014 | Building Muscle, Life Application: Monthly Calendars
This month’s challenge focuses on meeting our protein goals. You’ve heard us harp on eating sufficient protein enough to know how we feel about it. When it comes to your fitness goals, whether that includes packing on muscle, increasing strength, power or endurance, shedding fat or maybe even a little bit of each, protein plays an important role.
Including enough protein in your diet helps to maintain, build and repair muscle which is important for all goals. When you fall short your progress may also suffer. Of course all macronutrients play an important role, but it seems many struggle specifically with consuming enough protein. So, with that said, here’s what you can expect with this month’s challenge:
Plan
On your planning days you will decide what your protein sources will be for the upcoming week. Don’t worry – you won’t start off planning every meal in your day. We’ll take it slow, starting with breakfast and work our way up from there. The great thing about planning out the week is that you’ll reduce the stress of trying to figure it out as you go. Once you’ve established the habit of consuming protein with each meal, you will be able to wing it a bit more. Until then, we plan!
Shop & Prep
Once you have your protein sources identified, it’s time to hit the store and get stocked up. When possible make things easy by prepping your protein by either cleaning/seasoning it ahead of time or even cooking it and storing in the fridge.
Take Action
This is when the rubber meets the road by putting your plan into action! You’ll be swapping out low protein snacks with ones that offer higher protein, progressively increasing the amount as the month goes by. Set yourself up for success by completing your MFP diary the night before.
Check in with us
This is a fun one! You’ll look over your MFP chart (or Lose It! or whatever meal tracking app you use) midday to see how you’re doing, and then share it with us on one of our social media sites.* Are you on track to meet your overall protein goal for that day? Are you spreading your protein throughout the day? Very often we will leave the bulk of our protein for the end of the day. No bueno! Protein is easier for most ladies to fit in, and better absorbed by the muscles in smaller amounts of 20-30g.
Intuitive Eating
On this day you’ll relax things a bit and see how you manage without tracking. Keep calm! Take note of different serving sizes of proteins so that, in the future, you can eyeball portions. At the end of intuitive eating days evaluate how you fared. Treat these days as a learning experience, not a pass or fail!
Sharing is Caring
Once again you’ll check in on one of our social sites,* but this time we want to see pics of your food! We want you to move beyond chicken (although chicken is fine, too!) and be a little bit adventurous. Protein can be found in many foods other than the obvious meat, poultry and fish. Go outside your comfort zone and look to other sources such as seeds, nuts, beans and even vegetables. Let us see how you’re mixing things up, and making it work for YOUR lifestyle! The fam is all about paying it forward. Whether you’re struggling to get in the protein, or you’ve made crazy strides with your protein goals, share with the fam. You might even inspire someone or get inspired. #em2wlproteinchallenge
Indulgence with Benefits
On this day you’ll explore treats that also offer a good serving of protein. Ice cream, muffins, brownies are all on the menu! Although they offer protein they are treats so you should still enjoy them in moderation.
Remember, protein is your friend regardless of your fitness goals. It helps you to maintain or increase your muscle mass as well as provide other benefits like increased satiety and slowing the digestion of carbohydrates which helps stabilize blood sugar levels. As a general guide we recommend that 30% of your diet be from a protein source. If you’re new to all of this you may want to start with just hitting 100g/day and increasing from there. You can also evaluate your body type to help you choose a starting point.
As you can imagine trying to choke down 100g or more of protein over a couple of meals would be very hard. So aim to eat some protein with each of your meals. You will make hitting your protein goal much more attainable and will improve the absorption by your muscles. Enjoy the challenge!
*Social Sites for Sharing the challenge: (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or the Forum. Be sure to tag us on your chosen network, and hashtag #em2wlproteinchallenge so that others can get ideas!
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by Trish Adams | Sep 22, 2014 | Consistency, Nutrition
The fall foliage will soon transform leaves to beautiful colors from vibrant yellows to brilliant reds. Favorite fall sweaters and boots are making a reappearance. Parents are doing the fall-sports-hustle, shuttling kids to and fro for their various activities. Before long, the holiday season will be in full swing and with it the usual family-gatherings and seasonal baked goods. As we say good bye to bathing suits in favor of cozy knit sweaters, it’s easy to fall into a comfort level with ourselves. Don’t allow the seasons to dictate the level of commitment you make to being and living healthy.
Maintaining Consistency
By maintaining good healthy habits year round, you won’t have to scramble come spring to drop unwanted inches or pounds in anticipation of bathing suit season. While many of us will be bulking (with which weight gain is expected), don’t let that be an excuse to over indulge. Maintaining healthy habits year-round is the best thing to do for consistency (and your body will thank you for it!). So what are some things you can do to stay on track even as the temperature takes a dip and the clothes pile on?
Find an indoor exercise you love
If outdoor exercise is your thing, you probably already work around the weather from time-to-time. However, when the temp dips for an extended period, having an alternative plan or program is a must. Consider exercise DVDs or online training for more options. The idea here is to banish your excuses before they have a chance to come up!
Have a backup plan
Sometimes Mother Nature wins. No matter how on-top-of-it your city is, snow and ice can result in street and gym closures. String a few big storms together and your training can be sidelined for days or weeks. Have a backup plan in case this happens to keep your training on track. Perhaps you can purchase equipment for home or have access to a nearby friend’s home gym. Get creative!
Stock up on fruits and veggies
While this is a good rule of thumb any time of year, it is most important during months when the sweets are EVERYWHERE. Take full advantage of the season’s bounty and keep washed fruits and cut up vegetables easily accessible. This makes them more appealing and convenient to eat. Next time you reach for a just-baked sugar cookie, perhaps you can satisfy your sweet craving with a flavorful fruit instead.
Seasonal happenings are certainly something special and cause for celebration. Fall flavored coffees, apple crisps and even pumpkin flavored beer are out and Mother Nature is preparing for winter. As with all seasons, enjoy the things you love in moderation and stick with the fitness habits you have worked hard to establish. Don’t fall victim to the cold weather slow down only to be in a frenzy during the spring thaw.
Prepare to succeed and succeed you will!
by Trish Adams | Sep 15, 2014 | Consistency, Fat Loss / Cutting, Motivation
Self-doubt happens to all of us at some point in our lives. On the journey to reaching a specific goal, negative thoughts make us question if we can achieve the very thing that we set out to accomplish. It’s these negative thoughts, when left untamed, which can affect our actions and lead to negative results.
Our patience can be particularly tested when it comes to reaching physique, strength, fitness or health-related goals where results are slow, or we feel we have less control over the outcome. Learning to catch negative thoughts as they happen is key to avoiding the slippery slope of negativity and ensuring you stay on the path you have set out on with a grateful, and optimistic outlook.
Let’s use this scenario as an example. You head to the gym on a Monday and have an awesome lift. You’re feeling good about yourself because you added 10 pounds to your bench and 20 pounds to your deadlift. In short, you feel like a BEAST!!! You wake up the next day, rush to the mirror and promptly start looking for changes, expecting to be rewarded for all your hard work (or…at very least, another glance at those gorgeous muscles you saw poppin yesterday). Instead you feel fluffy — not at all what you expected — and you’re holding water (100% normal following an incredible lift session!). Suddenly your attitude towards the day goes from “I’m ready for you!” to “Why should I even stay on track or hit the gym today?” Negative thoughts start to creep in and you’re convinced you have failed.
Wait. Wait, wait!
This is when you have to practice stopping those negative thoughts in their tracks. Try using the following tactics to keep your mind focused on the positive and stay headed in the right direction.
Remember how far you’ve come – On days where you’re struggling with the person in the mirror, or worse, the number on the scale, remember all that you have accomplished. Are you a reformed VLCD eater who now nourishes their body with the nutrients it needs? Are you a recovering binge-eater who no longer feels out of control when eating trigger foods? Have you overcome any physical challenges like being able to play with your kids without getting winded or, heck, maybe you can push a car! These are all victories that don’t reflect back to us when we are looking in the mirror or standing on the scale. Each and every one, no matter how big or small, should be acknowledged (often), celebrated, and used as fuel to push on.
Try something new – If you do the same routines week in and week out, it might be time for a change. Scratch that, i
t most definitely is time for a change! Consider adding phases to your routine to be sure that you are getting the most out of your efforts. At a minimum, try a new exercise class, take your workout outside or invite a friend to the gym. Change it up. You will be amazed by your body’s ability to adapt to something new.
Be grateful for what you have – There are people who don’t have the health that allows them to get up every day and work out. Understand you are blessed to have this opportunity. View exercise as a way to thank your body for all it is capable of. Every day that you are able to push harder and get stronger is a gift.
Doubt can creep up at any time, not just during our weakest moments. Next time you feel a negative thought coming on, counter it with a positive one. Instead of thinking “my stomach looks puffy today,” try saying something like “I have strong, muscular legs.” Don’t let negative thoughts take you off the course you have set for yourself. Win these small battles one at a time. Your mind believes what you tell it, whether it is fact or fiction. Be sure you are feeding it positive thoughts.
by Trish Adams | Sep 9, 2014 | Nutrition
There are many reasons you might want to make changes to your diet. You might want to overcome a health problem, improve body composition or just increase the amount of nutrients you’re eating each day. Figuring out where to start can often be a stumbling block. Should you do a complete kitchen overhaul and wipeout the pantry? Should you swear off fast food and cook every meal?
Before overwhelming yourself with too many questions, you first need to determine where you are in order to know what you need to do next. Determining your readiness for change can help you determine your path.
I like what I eat. I don’t want to change.
Sometimes we know that making changes to our diet, like eating sufficient fiber everyday, might be something that’s good for us. You might want to lose weight or change your physique in some other way, but you don’t really want to make the changes to your diet that will help you to reach your goal. If this sounds like you, you’re in the “pre-contemplation” stage, which just means that you’re not yet ready to make changes in your eating.
What you should do Jumping into changes right now is probably not the best idea. Rather, focus on getting your mind used to the idea of making a change first. Likewise, to get better prepared, consider educating yourself about food, the role nutrients play in your body or what changes might help get you closer to your goal.
Change? I’m still thinking about it.
If you find yourself giving some serious thought to making diet changes, but you haven’t pulled the trigger, you’re in the “contemplation” stage. In this stage you see the value in the change, but you may not know how to go about implementing it.
What you should do Start by identifying anything that might be standing in the way of you implementing diet changes. Write down these limiting factors and, for each obstacle, list a solution. Set a goal for yourself on how you will overcome each item listed. Perhaps you want to include protein smoothies, but don’t own a blender or you want to eat more homemade meals, but don’t think you have the time. A solution might be to cook and freeze meals or set your slow cooker before work. Remember to be specific with your solutions.
I’m ready for diet change. Let’s do this!
Finding solutions to your limiting factors is a good sign that you are ready to move forward with your diet changes. In the “preparation” stage, you know what you need to do to make changes and you’re ready to put a plan in place to make it happen!
What you should do Having a detailed plan will help you stay focused when you’re preparing for diet changes. Start by identifying the dietary habits that you want to adopt. For each habit decide if it is realistic or if it needs to be broken down into a smaller habit. Remember, doing a diet overhaul is not a good place to start. Instead, focus on just one or two small, but powerful habits to implement at a time.
Write down your plan, noting what action you will take each day. If you want to increase the protein in your diet, you might start by identifying a protein to include each day at breakfast. Perhaps you’ll eat yogurt, eggs, cheese or a protein shake? Remember to be specific!
Changes that last
Making changes to your diet can be challenging, but it is most certainly doable. Give yourself time to adopt each new habit and always congratulate yourself for any improvement you make, no matter how small. Regardless of which stage you are starting at, there’s always a way to take it to the next level.
Rather than rushing into something that will overwhelm you, figure out where you are right now and put yourself on a path to success, moving through each phase as you’re ready. By allowing yourself the time and patience that big changes need, you’ll be healthier, more fit and ultimately with changes that last.
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Think about this – When has cheating ever been associated with something positive? Cheat on a test? Bad. Cheat on your spouse? Bad. Cheating death? Ok, that is a good one, but even that seemingly good cheat has an ominous feel to it, like the grim reaper might be lurking around every corner to settle the debt.
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