Is this really so much to ask??? I mean come on, a day does not pass where I don't get stressed out between "healthy" options and "splurge" options. And I feel that it is pretty safe to say we all feel ourselves entangled in this battle as well. For me the healthy options are split pea soup, grilled chicken breasts, fish and not much else. The only other additives to these meals would be copious amounts of veggies and some fruit for dessert while brown rice, a corn tortilla or any grain that I might enjoy would be a splurge if added. Splurge meals are corn tortillas piled high with seasoned meat and gouda or a tuna fish sandwich on homemade rice bread. Wow when I type that out I see how ridiculous that sounds, that tasty meals like homemade, fresh tacos would be considered a splurge meal.
Well as I am slowly discovering bit by bit is that being fit and healthy is NOT about pretending you like kale or that a salad is a filling meal nor is it about being a slave to a workout routine and forcing yourself to do it even when you'd rather eat your left arm than go run on the treadmill for one godforsaken hour. However, what I am discovering as of late is that being healthy and fit is about living a fun and active lifestyle where working out is fun and not a chore, where fitness comes from activities like swimming, jumping on the trampoline, going for walks with my mom, dancing, climbing trees and whatever it may be. Being healthy is also not about limiting yourself, making rules, and spoiling your own fun. Eating healthy should be about eating food that is tasty TO YOU, not some health guru, but also makes you feel good. Food that is nourishing, energizing and makes you proud of yourself without being deprived. I love tunafish sandwiches more than life itself, Im pretty sure that God created them on the 8th day of creation and said it was good, and there is no reason that I should not enjoy them! Yea mayo probs isn't the healthiest thing but should I really hate myself over a tablespoon now and then? No! Rice bread does have lots of carbs, but guess what your body NEEDS energy!!! Just a reminder, guilt and shame do no favors for anyone. "Heather what if I love Big Macs?" you might ask. You should be able to love your burger, but maybe you should try making your own, think about how much more satisfying that Big Mac would be if you grilled your own grass-fed beef or ground turkey marinated in soy sauce, garlic fault, warcesister sauce, and some brown sugar, topped it with some gouda and whatever else you like and slid it between a whole wheat bun, or even better homemade bread? Way more tasty, fresh and nutritious! "But what about amy Mickey D's fries?!" Alright here is the harder part: I personally use to love fries, but since I have stopped eating deep fried foods I don't miss them the slightest and my body does not either. A burger can be totally nutritious and satisfying to your body when prepared a certain way as opposed to another, but trust me when I say that your body does not want fries. Sure they taste good for that first bit, but try going on a run or dancing after those? Yeah good luck… they don't make you feel good in the way that a lot of equally tasty, but more nutritiously dense foods will. Now don't get me wrong, you should totally splurge on some fries every now and then! Aced that calc exam? Fries! Summer evening at the fair? Fries! Trip to cali? In-n-out fries! But you have got to believe me when I tell you that some time away from fries and you won't be wanting them so much any more.
The moral of my story here I guess is that eat food that is good and makes you feel good and ignore all the bullshit in your head with that the "shoulds, woulds, and coulds" and instead of forcing yourself to do workouts that make you want to vomit just thinking about them go for a hike, play tennis or whatever the hell you like. Remember your body will tell you what it needs, not Cosmo, not Victoria Secret, not Pinterest, not Jillian Michaels, not Jennifer Aniston.
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