BBQ and Bikinis: You Can Have Both!
Just before I snapped this pic and headed out the the pool with the fam, I ate at least
two pounds of burnt tips, pulled pork, beans, and sweet potato fries! Omg so good!
Seems like I’m talking about perfection a lot lately as I coach women and couples through the 30 Days To Healthy Living Program.
I find that many people have this all or nothing approach to health and get really down on themselves when they slip up. I hear “I can’t stick to anything” or “I went on vacay and it totally derailed me” or “I do good for a couple of weeks and then life happens.”
Plus, I’ll be honest, the program is tough, at least the first 30 days are. After, you live a 80/20 or a 90/10 lifestyle, eating in compliance the majority of the time, which is what I’m doing now. Plus, the trade off becomes worth it... you just feel sooo much better! Energy, bloat, brain fog etc.
The reason I share the meal I enjoyed today is because we CAN have yummy foods! We can live life. We just have to be mindful.
How do we become mindful?
Plan ahead for our “off” moments. Today I knew we would be eating good, so I got up early and went for a run, and I had a shake for breakfast. When I ate that plate of BBQ I savored it, enjoyed every second, and didn’t feel guilty!
When on vacay, plan ahead and pack healthy snacks, so you don’t get HANGRY and make bad choices.
If you don’t plan ahead, but still slip up... like last weekend when my daughter made brownies... 😳 try to avoid getting a case of the f**** its and throwing caution to the wind. It’s done, start over the very next meal!
Progress is progress! I tell my participants... even if you only comply 70% off the time, that is most likely WAY better than before! Maybe you learn one small trick, change one small habit, start eating one more healthy meal, those little things compound into big changes overtime.
Be adaptable. Maybe you are going out to eat and want to stay compliant with your new lifestyle but can’t find a place that serves grass fed beef... no prob! This meal is not gonna ruin you! Just eat some veggies and protein. Starving and at a gas station? Get nuts! Get hard boiled eggs, it’s all good.
Find substitutes for your hang ups. Y’all know I love sweets! That’s why I make so many dang protein balls. Maybe sometimes I eat too many. 😳 But I didn’t eat too many graham crackers or Nilla Wafers so it’s ok! Lol. Protein powders can be used for more than shakes. I use them for all kinds of yummy treats from protein bars to healthy waffles!
Food is fuel. We can fuel it well and cure ourselves of disease by giving our body what it needs to defend itself. Or we can feed it junk and keep being sick and tired. The best way I heard this described was by Bobbie when she said we should treat our bodies like an expensive sports car, that runs optimally on top grade gas. Sometimes you can’t find a gas station that has the gas you need, so you just put a little junk gas in so that you can make it to the station that has the gas you need.
If you're interested in joining the Healthy Living Program, I’ll send you the info to look over and get ready to clean out the fridge.
Not looking for perfection. Just looking to get better than we were before!