Daily Food Log

I get asked a lot about what “a day of food” looks like for me. Yes, I bake a lot of yummy treats to have on hand when cravings arise, but the majority of my meals are pretty basic. I’m one of those people that thrive on routine - even in my nutritional life. Not to mention, eating things I know I can digest/tolerate well just make me feel better on a daily basis - which is what a healthy lifestyle is all about, right?

I’ve shared a few food diary posts on Instagram (and one on here previously - many moons ago), but here’s another complete day of eating for y’all!

BREAKFAST (~7:30-8am):

• 2 slices Canyon Bakehouse honey oat toast - one topped with 1/2 a mini avocado + diced strawberries and the other topped with 1/2 Tbsp RX Bar Vanilla AB (sooo good!)

• 2 cups Bulletproof brand coffee mixed with 2 scoops Vital Proteins collagen peptides, a splash of unsweetened almond milk, and 1 tsp Bulletproof Brain Octane

MID-MORNING (~9:30-10am):

• grande iced coffee from Starbucks, unsweetened with coconut milk

LUNCH (~11:30-12pm)

• 4 oz extra lean ground chicken seasoned with Fresh Jax smokey southwest spice (code FITNCLEAN for a discount)

• 1/2 C cooked jasmine rice

• 1 C steamed green beans

• Trader Joe’s green dragon sauce (obsesssssed)

AFTERNOON (~3:30-4pm):

• protein shake with just Nuzest Clean Lean vanilla pea protein (code FITNCLEAN for a discount) + water

• 2 Alyssa’s vegan bites with 1 Tbsp Georgia Grinders cashew butter

DINNER (~6:30-7pm):

• 4 oz shrimp seasoned with Fresh Jax fresh bay seasoning

• 1/2 C cooked Banza chickpea pasta

• large handful of organic baby spinach (mixed with the cooked pasta/shrimp)

• few organic grape tomatoes (also mixed with the pasta/shrimp)

• hot organic tea or Four Sigmatics mushroom + cocoa mix

That’s it! Nothing fancy, but super yummy and nutritious. Some days I’ll eat more or less carbs, depending on what muscle group I’m training or if I’m working at the hospital (I get HANGRY on those days!). But just like with everything else, take this food diary with a grain of salt. You have to find what works for YOUR body and what makes you feel your best.

Till next time…

XO

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!

1. 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!

2. 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!!

3. 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!

4. 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!

5. 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.

6. 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

It's Okay to NOT Be Okay

There. I said it.

Not every day in motherhood (or adulthood in general) is all rainbows and butterflies, you guys. I know everyone sees the highlights reels of giggles, baking with the kids, perfect vacays, + fun times on social media, but remember: those are just HIGHLIGHTS. I guarantee those same people have rough days, too. I just wish more people would admit it so we could save ourselves the effects it has on our mental health!

So I’m opening up to y’all. I, too, have days where I honestly don’t want to hear the word “mama” one more time - especially during the summer when I’m with the kids almost 24/7. Where I just want to stay in my jammies all day and binge watch KUWTK. Where I feel like I could cry or scream - at. the. same. time. It happens. It’s normal. And it’s OKAY.

You know why?

Because those bad days lead into the good ones. The ones where you laugh till your stomach hurts, get the sweetest compliment from your littles (and/or significant other), and feel like a magical unicorn. Those are the days that make the bad days seem null and void. Like a blip in time.

So if you’re having a rough day, week, or heck - maybe even month! - remember that you’re not alone. That it’s ok to be frustrated, cry, take some time for YOU, or take time off social media to get your mental health in check. That your bad days will lead into those good days. And that you’re freaking AWESOME.

XO