Welcome back!

Yesterday I began my review of Fitmixer’s Bootcamp, and talked about the positive changes for my body overall. Today, I am going to discuss how it changed my view of food. If you missed part 1, you can catch up here.

But now, without further ado, her’s part 2!

2) My view of food

I have always loved chocolate. And sugar. I blame my genetics for that one entirely, because then I don’t have to take responsibility for my sugar addiction…right?

WRONG!

Well at least now, after the fact, but before Bootcamp I would have used genetics and a host of other excuses. Probably the most valuable part of Fitmixer’s Bootcamp for me was getting my eating habits on track. They gave me all the tools to succeed, and all I needed to do was use them.

I honestly don’t know where to begin other than to say that planning all of my meals was key to my success. When I first got my meal plan I was a little shocked. They had me down for a 1400 calorie a day meal plan which included their two shakes, plus fruits and veggies and lean proteins and whole grains. No processed foods. Also, they had my meals broken down into 3 meals at around 200-400 calories for breakfast and lunch, and around 500 for dinner, plus 3 100-200 calorie snacks. 6 times eating total.

Then there was the water intake. Holy smokes it was a lot of water. I peed a lot. The ocean was jealous of me. At first I made excuses in my head, which is an old habit with me. I told myself things like, “how am I supposed to keep my Invisalign trays in for enough hours if I’m eating 6 meals. Can’t I just do 3 bigger healthy ones?” or “How am I supposed to have enough energy to work out every day if I’m only eating 1400 calories…isn’t that too few?”

But then something inside me clicked. I told myself, it’s only eight weeks. What have I got to lose by just following the plan the way it was created? The only way to go was to simply embrace everything. That was key. Letting go of everything I knew or thought I knew, and just following the plan. I kept track of my calories on Myfitnesspal for the first 4-5 weeks of Bootcamp pretty religiously. I needed to see how my meal choices stacked up both calorie-wise, and nutrient-wise. How ‘wise’ of me. LOL.

I learned a couple important things:

1)      You don’t need as many calories as you think to feel full.

2)      Quality over quantity is the key to both satiety and health.

3)      Most of us underestimate how many calories we eat, because everything adds up.

4)      It’s amazing how many fruits and veggies and protein you can eat for the same amount of calories as starchy carbs or fats.

5)      It’s easier than you think to stay within your calorie goals, even when eating out, if you plan ahead.

6)      Necessity truly is the mother of invention. I got to be very creative with my meal choices!

As I made it through the first week, and realized I wasn’t starving to death, and that I was staying on track with my calories, it became clear to me that I had been eating too much, and too much of the wrong things before. I hadn’t been a terrible eater per say, just a terrible snacker, and had also been eating too much of the good things. It was simply more than my 5’3” frame needed!

Fitmixer’s meal plan had proven that to me. Around mid-week two I began to realize that I could be a little more creative with my calories. I played around with different combinations of fruits and veggies and lean proteins. By staying clear of processed foods, dressings, etc, I could actually still have a bowl of popcorn and some fresh berries with a drizzle of chocolate “sauce” made by combining almond milk with chocolate protein powder.

I began to realize that I could actually live like this, with the occasional treat thrown in here and there and be totally happy. Totally satisfied and more healthy! Totally not gag myself with a spoon. Yep, just put my age out there. That just happened. My terrible puns I actually CAN blame on genetics. I get it from my Papa’s side of the family.

By week 4, I realized that my shopping cart was full of mostly fruits and veggies, plus lean proteins and some unprocessed carbs. I did it without barely blinking. So I started to wean myself off of Myfitnesspal.

Now, this is not to say that la dee da, life is perfect and I just clicked right into gear without issue. I definitely had some road blocks, but the attitude I had overall continued to be “I can do this” and that is what made the difference. My friends and loved ones questioned my choices and got irritated with my meals…especially ones they had to share. I had a tough time at restaurants and movie theaters, and got weird reactions from others, and even some scoldings. My husband kept forgetting, and offering me all kinds of treats. I slipped up a little on Valentines day and my birthday. Also, Girl Scouts are evil. They truly are the spawn of the devil. Stupid cookies. Argh!

But each event taught me better how to manage a my new healthy lifestyle and the choices that correspond with it in a real life setting. I brought apples and peanut butter to the movies. I got steak with sauce on the side and salad with dressing on the side on Valentines day. I overindulged on my birthday, yes, but I did it with permission from myself. I learned to ask myself, “Will I be able to have this treat again soon? Is it worth the indulgence?” And my birthday qualified for the indulgence, whereas going to the movies did not.

I kept my healthy habits up so that I could choose my indulgences. I made it work in real life, and learned to plan ahead. The thing is, it got easier as time went on. I learned where I could have treats and where I should skip them. Without even trying, I have found that most of my meals are vegan or vegetarian, with only  a handful of meals a week being meat-based. I didn’t do that on purpose, it just worked out that way. And I feel better for it! I feel like my choices are making a difference! I feel that by letting go of control, I gained control. I learned the lessons I had never bothered to before, because I was able to let go and try something new.

So far this first week out of Bootcamp I am doing well with my new eating habits, and I know that I will be able to keep up these habits because I have made them work for me, and my lifestyle.

So there you have it. My view of food has changed for the better. And I feel better for it!

And, on that note, I feel like I have once again blathered enough for a day…come back tomorrow to hear about how Fitmixer changed my view of exercise.

Cheers!

Christinjoyful