Counting Can Be Fun

Yesterday, a friend and Team Beachbody team member of mine, Jenny, said that she had been counting calories recently and that it was no fun. She "loves eating" and big dinners, etc. Sound like you? It sounds like me, too! I love eating even more now than when I was obese. It's because I eat the most nutritious foods that make my body feel great and that allow me to perform athletically at a high level. Yes, sometimes I do want to eat more than what I should, and from time to time, I do. But when you are used to eating so much more than you are used to, when you are used to eating high-calorie, high-fat, low-nutrition type foods, you get used to this activity like an addiction. Breaking these habits with a structure and format may not be fun initially. But it is fun, however, to look in the mirror and see your abs. It's fun to have to buy new clothes (or wear clothes you've been storing for a few years) because your current ones are too big! It's fun to cut new holes in your belt because you are past the last hole. And it's definitely fun when others respond and tell you how good you look. So keep this in mind if you are in Jenny's boat.

Learning and maintaining proper eating habits is one of the hardest if not the overall hardest aspects of health. But we must learn to eat appropriately. It's not all about eating what you don't like. It is about making the foods you like better. I've been making a killer banana nut bread for the past few weeks. Is it healthy? You bet it is! I use whole wheat flour, whole rye flower, and flax meal instead of boring old all-purpose flour, for starters. Then I sweeten it with agave nectar instead of refined sugar. I use 99% egg white product, a low-fat but tasty vegetable oil based spread instead of butter, and otherwise some of the natural ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla, bananas, pecans, and walnuts. You see, I make banana bread. A better banana bread. And when I eat a piece, I'm not adding it to my daily calories. I would eat a portion with a cup of yogurt as my breakfast, for example, replacing calories in my day. If you want a cookie, replace the carbohydrate and fat calories somewhere in your day with those if you want to instead of eating it in addition, and you should be fine. It's the simple concept of consuming less calories than you are burning to lose weight, or consuming and burning about the same to maintain.

As I have mentioned before, if you want to look like an athlete, you must eat like an athlete and train like an athlete. If you want to look like an obese person that sits on the couch all day, then your activities will also reflect that lifestyle. But it's about health, so the former is more desirable for many reasons, wouldn't you agree? I am here for support, everyone, so please feel free to comment with questions below or contact me directly if you needs some tips, motivation, or guidance, especially in the eating department! Thanks for reading!