Please help with nutrition

[jldgottarun]

Dear Cathe (or anyone else who would care to help),
First of all, Cathe, you look the best that you have EVER looked, which is incredible, becuase you always look amazing.
I am in a major rut with my weight! UGH!!! I am really looking for some motivation, tips, and ideas.

I eat clean and low carb 90% of the time. I have been recording what I eat for over 20 years (and I am questioning if that is just perpetuating my obsession with food). I don't know. Currently, I use MyNetdiary, and while I love this app, I am wondering if I should be less controlling with that.

Anyway, my diet consists of a morning (organic) protein shake, with flax, chia, almond milk, maybe kale, sometimes blueberries.
Lunch is a big salad with an egg, nuts, olive oil, sometimes chicken, sometimes not, tons of veggies. I bring chopped veggies for a snack.

I make almond flour pancakes for a snack, and I also snack on nuts.

For dinner I have egg whites, light cheese, and veggies.

I work out in the morning (usually a Cathe workout) and I teach a HiiT, metabolic, or heavy weight class four times a week in the afternoon. I LOVE working out, and I wish I had more time to do so. I have a pretty good rotation going where I change things up, so as not to let my body adapt.

I have issues with getting into ruts where I end up eating way too much, and the wrong things! This can happen on the weekend, or even during the week sometimes. I am always up and down 10 pounds, and to be honest, right now I really need to drop 15 pounds. I am sorry to go on and on here, but I am really looking for some guidance, help, support, maybe someone who can relate to what I am saying, and maybe offer some advice if you got to a point where you were able to stablize your weight.
I am very busy. I work full time, and I have five children- aged 16-3. I know that more often than not, I do not get enough sleep, and this is a factor. But, there is nothing that I can do about that right now.

I am SOOOO sick of always needing to lose 10 pounds! I am a certified fitness instructor, and I have been working out for almost 30 years! The working out part is easy for me. The eating part is tough. I have read every book, tried every plan, and continue to do so...

I am mostly vegetarian, and the low carb for me consists of a lot of eggs and veggies. I have gotten to a point that when I veer off course, it doesn't take much at all to gain a few pounds QUICKLY!

Ideally, I would love for Cathe to share what she eats in a typical day, including calories, but I am not certain that she would feel comfortable doing so. I completely understand this.

Is there anyone who would be comfortable sharing this info with me? A typical day of eating that works for you. I know that we are all different and have to learn on our own. I feel that this forum has the most educated people when it comes to health and fitness. I appreiate your time.
Thank you!!
XO
Jodi

 

[maddiesmum]

Jodi:

Do you ALWAYS eat the daily meals you outlined here, no variation? If so, it seems a little restrictive to me. You have kept a diary of all you have eaten for so long, maybe it's just time to let go the control and just breathe a little. Are you not tired of always watching what and how much you eat? Maybe in monitoring yourself for so long, you have lost an intuitive sense of what your body feels like and needs each week and when you have reached satiation point at each meal. What do you think? Might it be time to give up the iron-grip of control and just let your body tell you what it needs and when to stop eating, maybe re-discover the pleasure of eating a wider range of foods?

I was reading Men's Health yesterday. I like these mags for men way better than the mags for women because rather than focus on restricting eating, they focus on eating for HEALTH. There's an article on what a true Mediterranean diet looks like and why we should think of truly adopting it here in the US (where most follow a US version of it which is not the same). I recommend it to you because it is a diet based on good old common sense, it's not hard to follow and adopt, it is family friendly and tastes good!

Also, please consider that you may be beating yourself up and restricting your diet and eating unnecessarily. Sure, we'd all love to look exactly like Cathe or Michelle Dozois, for example. But, so few of us are genetically primed to be able to look like these lovely ladies of fitness. You need to simply figure out what to do and what t eat to be the best Jodi you can be. You say that you constantly need to lose "these 10 pounds." It is possible that you DO NOT NEED TO LOSE THOSE 10 POUNDS AT ALL. Have you heard of the concept of reaching and being content with your "happy weight"? This is the weight that is ideal for YOUR body, a weight that enables you to do all you like and wish to do activity-wise and a weight at which you enjoy your highest levels of health and optimal functioning. You may already be there. You are extremely active, you need a certain amount of fuel to give you the energy to be this active. If this amount pf activity, coupled with the diet you eat, does not lead to you shedding "those 10 pounds" then you need to consider that in fact, your body is better off not shedding those 10 pounds at all.

It isn't about what other people think of how we look, it isn't about comparing ourselves to other women our height and wishing we were like them, it isn't about comparing ourselves to anybody else at all.

It IS about being healthy: are you healthy? Wishing you well.

Clare

 

[jldgottarun]

Hi Clare,
I think I have found a new counselor!! Ha ha!!! Thank you for your words of wisdom. Actually, they are exactly what I would say to someone who came to me! You are so right. I have been wanting to go more Mediterranean, and I am so afraid to eat carbs (even beans). I am trying to let go a little. It is sooooo hard. I know that something is not working for me; otherwise I would not be feeling so unsuccessful all the time. I truly appreciate the time that you took to write to me, Clare. Thank you so much.
Happy Holidays!
Jodi