Nutrition Journey
SOOOOO I am not really sure where to begin... I guess the first question that needs to be answered is, what age did I realize having healthy a relationship with food is important?
28.
The answer is, the age I am today.
BODYBUILDING NUTRITION :
2014-2015
So because my fitness journey started with me doing a figure show in 2014, that is where I am going to begin when explaining my nutritional habits and diet.
Before training for this bodybuilding show, I was a 21 year old that had french fries and chips on the daily. I was young and naive to the fact that I needed to be paying attention to what was going into my body in order to fuel any activity I did, versus food just needing to taste good.
When I hired my first coach for my show, he gave me a whole nutrition plan to follow. There was no macros included at this point, it was just a list of exactly what to eat and when. The average day on this show prep consisted of 4oz of chicken, asparagus, TALAPIA and brown rice, eggs, rice cakes and almonds (YUCK).
The most important thing to relay to you about this part of my life is how I felt during this process. I WAS MISERABLE. I was 21, proud to be committing to a new passion and dedicated to it... BUT I was ABSOLUTLEY MISERABLE. I began to hate meal time because I dreaded the fact that my food tasted like shit.... Mind you, back then around this time was when I was learning to cook as well, soo naturally that did not make the situation better.
POINT IS, I had a horrible relationship with food and my body. I slowly started to secretly binge on things I was not suppose to have and trying to impulsively work it off after.
Don't get me wrong, If there is someone out there reading this that is a fluent bodybuilding competitor, please take no offense. Bodybuilding and strict dieting is extremely difficult and I commend those of you who continue to do it year after year for sport. I, on the other hand do not mentally have what it takes to continue that regime for a long period of time. Not to mention I was still a young 21 year old trying to figure out if my body was beautiful or not. I was trying to validate myself through the scale. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
PREGNANCY DIET... AKA EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING BABY WANTED :2016
I threw the word diet in there to be humorous. This may be a tad bit dramatic but I feel like the moment I found out I was pregnant I was pounding all the chocolate and starchy foods. I was sick my entire pregnancy, so I made sure I always had a snack on hand, and you think I made sure it was a healthy snack? Hell no.
During this season of my life my relationship with food was VERY BAD. I Attributed the fact that my post partum was so bad to the fact that I had no control over my body or diet starting when I pregnant.
Biggest lesson here.. BEING PREGNANT AND FEEDING THE CHILD IS NO REASON TO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE QUALITY OF FOOD GOING IN YOUR BODY PERIODTTTT.
CROSSFIT & MACRO COUNTING: 2017-2019
This part of my life I was ON POINT with my nutrition. well kinda? I went from one extreme to another. I began to track my macros (Proteins,Fats,Carbs etc). I did great with holding myself accountable using my fitness pal and it was helpful to see everything I was putting in my body in front of me. I was very successful in losing baby weight with this method. This method fit my life style at the time and made sense with adapting to single mom life and being "flexible" with my diet.
Even now I would recommend this style of tracking or dieting to people out there that need flexibility and control over what they eat.
You want a rice crispy treat? or a cookie and have fats, and carbs left?
GO AHEAD GINA No SHAME.
IF this method is recommended why didn't I stick with it you ask?
Answer is... LIFE
2020 COVID BLUES/ GALLBLADDER DRAMA:2020
COVID IS NOT AN EXCUSE.... but it is... lol
This time was extremely difficult for so many. In regards to health and nutrition. How are you supposed to have a healthy relationship with food when you are depressed for not having human interaction?
I am not sure about you sis, but for me... I tend to rely on food to make my bad feelings go away.. well at least I used to. Many out there can relate. Many people can say they have gained weight due to COVID, I am not crazy.
I started a bad habit with eating when I was bored and eating whatever was in front of me when I was starving. Because my diet was ridiculous at this point my digestion and gallstones were causing me to have symptoms everyday... Not my gallbladders fault when its keeper pounds lumpia and fried foods on a regular basis.
I was MISERABLE... so what happened? I hated my body and didn't want to workout because I didn't want to see my body.. sad but TRUE.
After my gallbladder was removed in July 2020, I will say this is where the current season of my nutrition and fitness came into place. There was a switch in my brain with the relationship to food. I began to constantly think about the "aftermath" of how foods would effect my body and my moods. Sounds simple but this switch was HUGE.
So your probably thinking,,, okay Soooooo what diet do you follow?
Answer is none.
I have learned over the years through trial and error that the more I tell myself not to have certain things is when I wanted them the most.
INTUITIVE EATING is where I am at with nutrition
I don't write anything down.
I don't track.
Eat things that are bad for me in moderation, and when I am craving something I don't tell myself no.
See you guys the point is not to say ohhhh tommorrow im starting (insert diet here), so today I am going buck wild with Mcdonalds for breakfast Arbys for lunch and pizza for dinner as a last hoooorah......
NOOO I'm not mocking yall, because that used to be me.
What if I told you my nutrition plan is as simple as making mostly healthy options throughout the day, nothing fried and the rest of what I eat is whatever I want.