Gaining weight is not usually something we attribute with a “good time” but with the right foods and mindset, you can feel incredible in your body and have fun doing it. I can help.
My weight started to flocculate after being diagnosed with Lyme’s Disease at the end of fourth grade. By the time I was twelve, I was conscientious about my weight to the degree that I was starting to associate my attractiveness with how my clothes fit. I was not “heavy” but I was aware that I did not feel right in my body. I felt fluffy, or puffy. Naturally, I attributed this feeling to being “fat” but now know the puffiness was a result of a sluggish lymphatic system brought on by Lyme’s in addition to my highly inflammatory diet.
When I went off to college, I was so worried about the “Freshman Fifteen,” I gained the freshman twenty-five. I started dieting and lost the weight. I started modeling. I lost more weight. Unfortunately, with the weight loss my mental health took a nose dive. I started suffering from anxiety, depression, insomnia, skin issues, mood imbalances, hormonal imbalances etc. At the age of nineteen, I had no idea that everything was connected (aka: my weight, skin and mental health). Instead, I focused on what I could see— the size of my jeans.
I did not know how to workout for my body type and ultimately, I did not know how to eat to remain fit, while also staying nourished and mentally healthy. Things shifted before my 21st birthday when I found a mentor that did not tell me what everyone else was trying to shove down my throat, (which was: “everything in moderation”) and instead told me to forget calorie counting and eat real (aka: unprocessed) foods. I absorbed her words like a sponge, ultimately taking away from her work that the body is a beautiful and intelligent work of art that uses food as fuel. If it’s cheap fuel, the result is a moody, unpredictable and sluggish engine with blemishes. If the fuel is top notch, the result is an engine that rewards you with a smooth, fast and beautiful ride in a car that feels like it never ages. If you are not a car person, imagine the intricate differences between a fake Chanel handbag and a real one. You notice the differences in the stitching and quality, right?
Tips for maintaining a healthy weight and mindset:
- Hydrate hydrate hydrate with water water water. Coffee, tea and sports drinks do not count. The average human should be drinking at least half their body weight of pure drinking water, in ounces, daily. When you are hydrated, your body will be able to better estimate how much food it needs. Water is so vital to our overall health, we would need a full article to talk about hydration. Quick Tip: The best time to drink water is on an empty stomach, not with food.
- Add leafy greens, and/or a serving of vegetables to every meal. Veggies are a great source of fiber, which is necessary for keeping your digestion on point, but they also contain micronutrients that keep you energized, your skin glowing, hormones balanced and antioxidants, that protect you against those late nights out. There is no need to over think it, just pair whatever it is you would normally eat with a side salad and a side of broccoli, or green beans. Try eating those first (before the sandwich, burger, pizza, etc.).
- Choose a high quality protein over processed carbohydrate meals at every meal. Instead of starting your day with a bowl of organic frosted flakes (or high fiber cereal), try an omelette with spinach, or hard boiled eggs with sautéed broccoli. This does not mean never enjoying the french fries, or chips and salsa, it just means on the daily, you have the opportunity to make decisions that leave you feeling satiated, instead of living in the chip bowl, which is what I did when I was in college. Chips and fries are fun, but they do not offer your body the nutrients it craves, so we never really feel satisfied.
- Find a fun workout that you enjoy and that leaves you feeling empowered and inspired by your potential, not bad about yourself. The body is incredible. Your body is incredible. Once you have found that workout, create a schedule for yourself and stick to it 3-5x a week. Muscle burns fat even when you are not working out. When you are strong, you will have better posture, more energy and when you feel good, you get to do life better.
- Get in at least 10k steps a day and have fun doing it. Turn on a podcast, music, call up a friend, or a grandparent. Walking lowers anxiety, improves sleep, boosts mood, helps you to think more clearly and can help you get fit and stay fit. I am a big fan of Mel Robbins’ podcast. Find one that inspires you.
- Limit fried foods. Telling yourself that a food is “good” or “bad” should not be allowed to enter your vocabulary, but there are certainly “feel good foods” that energize you, boost your mood and leave you feeling satiated, not bloated and uncomfortable.
- Skip the protein bars and eat a real meal. Your body will metabolize grilled chicken, salmon, hard boiled eggs, or tuna with leafy greens and hearty veggies much more readily than it will that protein bar, or shake with 55 obscure ingredients. Nourishing food with real ingredients is ultimately more important than reducing calories by eating fake food.
- Always keep “better for you food” on hand. It’s easy to eat whatever, or order Uber Eats, when you are hungry. Keep hummus, cucumbers, carrots and a good dressing in the fridge. Keep canned tuna in the pantry, sprouted grain bread in the freezer and avocados, bananas and sunflower seed butter on the counter. You will save money and feel better when you can whip up your own food and skip the greasy eats.
- Get to know your ingredients. Feeling uncomfortable in your body can often be attributed to weight gain, but often times it is inflammation caused by highly inflammatory foods. Instead of zoning in on the calories and fat, look at the ingredients and make sure you would find them in your pantry. Limit inflammatory oils, like canola, soybean and any food that contains hydrogenated oil. Stick with olive oil, avocado oil, or even sunflower and safflower oils (in dressings).
Want a more personalized plan? I work with clients of all ages, from 12-80!
Get fit at any age and love the body you are in.
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