I'm going to get real REAL here. I have heard some of the most asinine stuff in my many years of being involved in fitness. And a lot of them have been very eye opening and informative, but the majority of them have made me want to slap someone upside the head. Seriously. I have found that information regarding chemicals, sugar, artificial sweeteners, Organic, and carbs have the most ridiculous "scientific facts" behind them. Think about this. If you were a scientific researcher and someone offered you 5 million dollars to "prove" that sugar is bad for you and it's going to kill you, wouldn't you do it? Maybe.
Sugar can be bad, certainly in copious amounts. And sugar has a lot of calories attached with it for only a small amount, which can lead to serious weight gain if consumed to excess. However, I know plenty of people, including myself who eat sugar. I love bananas and a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee. Is it going to kill me? Maybe. I'm betting not though. I'm betting the least of my worries is a little sugar and a banana, after all, it's "natural and organic" right? (Insert eye roll here).
So, has anyone ever told you not to eat sugar? And when they said it, did it make you want it more?
Answer. Yes. and YES YES YES!
As humans, we are programed to want things that are considered "off-limits." Think about devious teenagers. Or, when you're on a "diet" and someone at work has a birthday and theres lots of yummy cakes and cupcakes. You keep telling yourself no no no, I can't. I just can't. I'm on a diet. And then you sit there and watch everyone smiling and enjoying their cake. Later on you find yourself alone after hours at work and you have a slice because you just can't take it anymore! Or better yet, you inhaled like 3 pieces of cake and are left wondering what the hell happened! And then you think, well I blew my diet, I guess that's over now. Maybe I'll start next Monday. Does this sound familiar? Sure it does! Maybe not that crazy but MAYBE exactly that crazy.
Here's the deal: I used to tell my clients that information. Oh, you put sugar in your coffee? Don't! Oh, you sometimes find yourself hungry at 7pm? Well, slam some water and go to bed hungry. If you can, DEFINITELY eat all organic. Don't put any creamer in your coffee, it's unnecessary calories. If you're going out for pizza, just order a salad. Do you recognize a pattern? Don't. Stop. Just. These are all words that are HUGE recipes for disaster. And not to mention, these theories are bull shit. And let me say, just because these may "work" for some people, doesn't mean it's right and don't let anyone ever tell you any different. I once had a prospective trainer tell me to not eat carbs because as humans we don't need them. (insert OH MY GOD, no way, I can't believe she said that, holy cow, get me out of here).
So, what am I getting at? Although these people and "trainers" and "gurus" and "public figures" MAY believe what they are saying or if they just want your money, make sure you educate yourself FIRST. Open your ears and listen to the negative connotations attached with the information being provided. If you have ever had an eating disorder or believe you have an eating disorder of any kind, seek professional help FIRST. If you know you have a bad relationship with food, further attaching negative meanings to food is only going to hurt you in the long run.
How about this? What if I gave you two options: 1. Don't eat past 7pm, ever. 2. You can eat whatever you want (yes, even at 10pm!) as long as you have available macros (carbs, fats, proteins). Which would you choose? For me, I look forward to dinner dates out with my husband (who said a steak and some veggies were bad for you?) and I also look forward to having a nice bowl of Lucky Charms a few nights a week at 8:30pm if I want and can afford to.
What if you were able to eat what you wanted as long as your calories and macros allowed for it? What IF you were able to finally achieve mental and physical stability in regards to food? What if you ate food that was considered "unclean" every once in a while? Would you die? No. Would you get fat? No. Would you be happy while losing weight? It's highly likely! Just because I follow IIFYM doesn't mean that I sit around eating Pop Tarts and cookies all day long. But it doesn't mean I restrict myself from them either. The truth is, once you understand what macros your food is made up of (food label), you will better understand why eating a whole roll of Oreo's is making you fat. Or why 6oz of pasta (without any fixins) is 600 calories and 126g of carbs. This teaches you how to eat SANELY. It will teach you how to make substitutions to your food. Don't want all the calories and carbs that come with that pasta? Have some spaghetti squash! Or spiralize some zucchini! The possibilities with Flexible Dieting aka IIFYM are endless.
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