Good morning all!
I feel like this morning has been so productive. It hasn’t, whatsoever, but I did wake up an hour earlier than usual thanks to the clocks going back. So it felt like I was productive, because I had an extra hour to sit in pajamas and make paleo pancakes. It’s a hard life, I know.
Instead of sharing a recipe today, I thought I’d share some of my top tips for getting back on track with your diet after it’s been derailed. I actually just recently went through this. Not because I eat super unhealthy–I’m a salad craver through and through. Actually it’s just because I’ve been newly single and with that came some lifestyle changes. For one, I was going out a lot more (more alcohol, usually red wine or bourbon; more eating out with friends), I was sleeping a lot less, and working out less. I also decided to go on the pill (that was very short lived, and I plan to write about it in upcoming posts. This is my current method of birth control and it’s magical) and for the first time in years, I was experiencing insatiable hunger. As in, could not stop eating, ever. I was eating double what I eat in a day (still healthy, whole foods), but I was freaking famished. While my weight stayed about the same (my pants still buttoned up, and when I went home for Thanksgiving my mom’s scale showed me that I hadn’t actually gained weight) I didn’t feel great. I didn’t feel fit or strong, I felt soft and lethargic.
For example the first photo was taken in August and the second photo was taken in October: I weigh the same in both, but compositionally I didn’t feel the same.
So I needed to get back on track. Sometimes life gets in the way of your health and wellness goals, and I think that’s fine: the whole reason to try to be healthy and fit is so that you can properly adapt to obstacles and challenges and not spin out of control, right? So here’s what I practice whenever it feels like my diet is slipping away from me (this applies especially around the holidays)!
HOW TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH YOUR DIET
1.Love Yourself First.
This is hands down the most important. The first thing I feel when I start to gain weight or feel out of shape or lethargic is shame and guilt and self-loathing. Back in the day, that was enough to spiral me into a cycle of binging and purging, completely giving up on my diet, and wallowing in bed hating my body. I’ve since learnt, that no matter what, self love is key to being okay in your body.
Try to remember that your body is doing what it needs to do, or that it’s simply responding to your lifestyle. This isn’t always easy, and I’ve definitely had days in the last few months where I’ve turned to friends and said “I don’t feel comfortable in my skin” or “I don’t like how I look right now”. But instead of letting it get to me, I remind myself that this is my body–it has carried me this far, and done so much for me. And how I look physically, does NOT define me as a person, or make me lesser than. From there, I can make healthier lifestyle changes that are rooted in my pursuit for feeling my best, not just trying to achieve unrealistic body standards.
2. Cut back on refined carbohydrates.
This for me is a go-to. When I start to feel bloated, lethargic or puffy, I scale back on refined carbohydrates. No sugar, rice, paleo baked goods. For me, this has always been a powerful way to reset. Instead, I up my fat and protein intake and fill up on lots of vegetables. I also try to scale back on nuts, especially almond flour baked goods, or paleo granola, because they are so calorie-dense and it’s easy to over eat them. I aim to eat about 50-150g of carbs a day, and usually it’s in the form of vegetables. I find eating like this for a week always helps me to bounce back!
My Go-To Low-Carb Recipes
Sun-dried Tomato, Kale + Coconut Chicken Thighs
Glowing Antioxidant Shredded Cabbage, Carrot and Blueberry Salad
Note: While I think cutting back on carbs is a pretty quick way to get back to my baseline, I am very much against cutting calories (unless it’s in the form of structured intermittent fasting). You are a human who is moving and thinking and working, and as such your body needs fuel! Don’t be afraid to eat 2000 calories a day. Eat full meals, with fat, protein and fibre, and don’t think that in order to lose weight you need to be eating a side salad with dressing on the side. I promise it doesn’t work.
3. Schedule workouts to be attainable.
I think when you feel unhappy in your body, the knee jerk reaction is to decide to go to the gym every single day for at least an hour. I really dislike that approach. For one, if you’re like me and coming from a history of disordered eating, it’s a very slippery slope to have the mindset “I ate too much now I need to work it off”. Secondly, working out intensely like that actually stresses out your body, and often when your body is stressed it holds onto fat.
Instead, if I haven’t worked out in a few weeks, to get back on track, I’ll schedule two workouts a week. That’s it. It’s more achievable, I’m more likely to be consistent, and if I feel I need more, I can work that in, instead of feeling burnt out and defeated!
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4. Use My Fitness Pal to track what you’re eating.
I don’t use My Fitness Pal all the time, but it really is my favourite when I feel like my eating is all over the place. I’ll use it usually for a week or two, just to track every single thing I put in my mouth. From there I get a good idea of what’s making me feel less than great (this time, it was all of maple spiced nuts I was eating throughout the day! One cup contained 720 calories, 76g of carbs, and 52% of my daily fat! And I was mindlessly eating it throughout the day while I worked. Craziness).
I don’t think you need to track what you eat all the time: again, that can be a dangerous game of obsessing over what you eat, and that’s never the goal. Instead it can be a very useful tool to see what your eating habits actually look like!
5. Drink lots of water.
Whenever I feel like I’m not achieving my health goals, I’m almost always not drinking water. There’s coffee and there’s wine, but good ol’ H2O is often forgotten. Aim to drink 2L a day (8-10 glasses) to stay well hydrated. I like to keep a bottle of water by my bed, so first thing in the morning, I can wake up and drink as much as I can. From there, I find it’s much easier to stay hydrated throughout the day! Also, try swapping your evening night cap for an herbal tea. Small changes like that make a huge difference.
6. Remember that it’s all temporary.
No matter what, your body is always fluctuating. There will be periods in your life when you like how you feel or look, and periods when you don’t. For women, our bodies fluctuate month to month. So if you don’t feel great in your skin today, remember it’s not permanent. You’ll find balance again. Everything will be okay. Just take small steps to work towards caring for yourself and your body. If you eat a slice of cake, that doesn’t mean you’ve messed up and have to throw your whole plan out the window. Remember that it’s just life, cake is delicious, and aim to eat something healthy for your next meal.
I hope these tips help!
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