Q + A
Hey, hey!
I’m switching things up today and answering some questions you guys had for me (both on Instagram + via email). Ready? Here we go!
Q: How do you find a good, healthy balance without getting bored?
A: I usually try to change up our proteins (chicken, ground chicken, ground turkey, turkey burgers, fish, shrimp, and occasionally red meat), grains (brown rice, jasmine or basmati rice, or quinoa), and veggies (green beans, broccoli, carrots, beans, and peas are some of our faves) every week or so. I’ll make things like burrito bowls (meat, rice, beans, cheese, and salsa for my hubby and the kids and then have mine over a bed of lettuce (and sans cheese). Other times we’ll eat things like turkey spaghetti over a mix of gluten-free noodles and zucchini noodles. Adding in little things like that really helps to sneak nutrients into your family/yourself without getting bored. Trust me, you don’t have to eat salads, grilled chicken, and scrambled egg whites every single day!
Q: Since you’ve had 2 c-sections, how do you keep your scar from creating a "ridge” or “pooch”?
A: After my first (before I changed my diet and started lifting weights), I definitely had more of a “pooch”. Once I cut out gluten and dairy, it DRASTICALLY changed! This was due to both water weight and inflammation associated with those foods. After my son, it went down immediately because I kept to my usual “clean” diet and strength training. From time to time, I’ll notice more inflammation or a ridge above my scar, but usually tightening up my diet a bit more (ie: limit alcohol, not as many meals out, salty foods, etc.) helps the inflammation go down. As for the ridge, I massage my scar with lotion or coconut oil, making sure to really press deep and use both hands going in opposite directions. This helps to break up the scar tissue and smooth it out. Granted, it may not make it 100% better, but it can help!!
Q: How the heck do you get rid of cellulite?!
A: Oh man. We ALL have cellulite - even me!! It’s totally normal to have some dimpling in places - the back and side of the legs being the most common. While you can’t pinpoint fat loss in these areas (or any areas, for that matter), you CAN increase muscle tone/burn more fat overall with strength training. I swear by it for changing my body!! Now, I don’t mean you have to be a powerlifter or anything. But even using moderate dumbbells and resistance bands can help create lean muscle, burn fat, and tone things up. I have lots of programs that can help with that (here), and I’m also just an email away if you have any other questions about what workouts would be a good fit for you!
Q: How did you develop a healthy relationship with food after your eating disorder?
A: The most important thing when recovering from an eating disorder is to remember that it is a life long battle. You’ve likely heard the saying “healing is not linear” on social media, and I couldn’t agree more. Every day may not be the same. You may have days where you feel those binge feelings sneaking up on you or you feel guilty for eating something more indulgent. That’s OK! What matters the most is that you recognize these altered thought patterns and DON’T GIVE INTO THEM. Feeling bingey? So for a walk or do something else active to keep your mind off of food. Ask yourself WHY you’re wanting to eat - is it due to anxiety, stress, fatigue, etc.? Feeling guilty after indulging in something? Write your thoughts down in a journal and then close it. In other words, feel the feelings and then push them aside. It takes time to develop a more consistent relationship and healthy balance with food, but you’ve got this, friend. You can do hard things!
Q: How do you explain tracking macros to your kids? I don’t want them to feel like they have to track everything they put in their mouth later in life.
A: I couldn’t agree more! The way I explain my food scale (and prepping tupperware with food) is that I want to make sure that I’m getting enough “brain food” (as we call it in my house) to fuel my body and build my muscles. I don’t ever mention the words “diet” or “bad foods”, because I want them to continue to have a healthy relationship with food later in the life.
Q: How do you know what nutritional lifestyle/workouts are good for you? There are so many out there that it’s overwhelming!
A: This is such a good question - and one that I want to dive into deeper in a later post. But the short answer: try things out and see what makes you feel your best! Whatever you can adhere to and stay consistent with for the longterm is your winner. Can’t do without carbs? Don’t do a low carb diet! Have joint problems? Maybe Crossfit isn’t for you. Try different things, allowing a couple of weeks to let your body adjust. Trust me, it’ll tell you what it likes and doesn’t like. What matters is that you choose a diet/workouts that you’re able to make into a habit - a lifestyle. Me, personally? My body thrives off of moderate/heavy strength training, LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio (such as walking), and a diet consisting of high protein, moderate to high carbs, and moderate fat. But again, I’ll go into that more (and the things I’ve tried) in another post!
I hope you guys were able to take away some good info from this Q + A! Let me know if you have any other questions about these - or if you’d like to see another blog like this in the future!
XO