“What should I be eating to loose weight?!”

It’s the one question on everyone’s mind. (well, unless your trying to gain weight!)

But I want to change that question and redirect it.

I think we should instead be asking…..“What will nourish my body and keep it healthy?” That is where to start! Forget about the calories. Forget about the pounds. LET GO &  EAT HEALTHY! You will loose the weight if you think like this. You will not loose weight if all you think about are counting calories (not in the long run) and following the crazed media way of thinking that a LOW-FAT, LOW-CARB diet is going to be the answer to your weight loss. We need to start nourishing our bodies properly with healthy foods like: whole milk,WHAT!! real butter,WHAT!! bone broth, WHAT?? Yes, all those things and so much more.

I had a client email me and ask…..

“….i can’t loose anymore weight. I’ve plateaued. I’m on Weight Watchers and nothing is happening. What should I eat to have a “cleaner” diet and to start loosing some weight? I want to know what a day looks like for you in what you eat?  I’m ready to make a change…..also I run 2 miles almost everyday.”

Her diet consists of:

1. green smoothies (that’s good!)
2. eating out a lot…(uh oh)
3.  sandwiches & wraps (some are veggie and from Subway)…..(mayday, mayday!)
4. spaghetti or turkey burgers for dinner….(oh no, the ship has sunk)

I could get into all the countless reason why this diet is keeping her from loosing weight and is not nutritious, but it would take awhile. In short, there is too much sugar (from all the bread), too much meat, too much gluten, and too much food in general in her daily diet.

First, I must stress that no one person should be eating the same as the next. I HATE….(yes I will use that word in this case!)….when I see in magazines a run-down list of what celebrities eat everyday. “Ooohhh reaaallllly Miss Actress that’s 99 lbs, you eat an entire breakfast, snack, lunch, a snack again, dinner, snack before bed, AND a glass of wine at the end of the day?! ” Get real! If you think that’s what they’re actually eating everyday, then you have been PUNK’D!  So us readers see that and base those menus on what they should be eating everyday. Also, I HATE those stupid powdered smoothie diets….no nutrition people!!…..Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, all that crap. Why? Because they have it all wrong. It’s not about counting calories, or substituting crappy powdered drinks in place of meals. It’s simply about nourishing your bodies properly with REAL food, SATISFYING it with healthy WHOLE foods, and most importantly, LISTENING to what your body needs.

What does eating “clean” mean?

• eating unprocessed foods
• eating lots of NON-GMO, organic vegetables & fruits
• eating organic, grass-fed, free-range meats….but not everyday! (I’ll touch base on that another article)
• cutting out all artificial sweeteners
• getting rid of any foods that contain:  Canola Oil, Vegetable Oil, Palm Oil – many foods labeled NATURAL have these ingredients in them!
• drinking whole…if able, raw milk
• using REAL butter….no spreadable butter, please!!
• trying to drink plenty of water….this is SO hard for me!!
• cooking with good oils like Coconut Oil + Cold Pressed Olive Oil

So what do I eat everyday you ask?

I can’t give a list of what I even “generally” eat everyday. I wish I could. I listen to what my body needs and eat accordingly. If I go through the day and all I really want to eat is a banana in the morning, tea later on, and some cheese for dinner, then that’s exactly what I’ll eat. And sometimes I will eat a large breakfast, lunch and dinner. You don’t have to eat a meal 3-6 times a day. That’s seriously crazy. I think we have it drilled into us that we have to eat “MEALS”. No we don’t. I get weird looks from people when I’m like, “I cooked up some yummy zucchini for dinner”. And they’re like…”and?” And what? That’s it. I had a whole bowl of it and it satisfied me, that’s all I needed. And some days my body just yells, FEED ME! So I do! I’ll eat all day. Homemade Gluten-free pizza, salads, chocolate, berry/yogurt smoothies- but it doesn’t bother me because one, it’s all healthy food, and two, I know I don’t always eat that much and my body just needs all that food for some reason!

But all in all, I don’t eat a lot of “meals”. I’m more of a European eater if you really want to label me. Ok, I’m saying this in a French accent:

“I eat a little bit of this, and a little bit of that….and of course some ohh la la red wine! Ha ha ha.”

my food rules:

• I try to keep all food I eat simple
  
• steer clear of any food that comes from a box or can – All Processed Foods
•  keep my meat down to 1-2 times a week & make sure it’s all organic, grass-fed, no hormones etc..
• don’t keep anything in the house that I’m going to regret eating later
• I make my own homemade healthy sweets to eat throughout the week so i don’t munch on store-bought cookies, candies, etc…
• never deprive myself if I’m hungry
• let myself enjoy foods I don’t eat on a normal basis now and then and NOT stress about it. Hey, I’m healthy, but I’m  not the Mother Theresa of healthy eating! When I’m on vacation, or at a friends house for dinner if there’s cupcakes from Magnolias, I’m going eat one or two! If there’s pizza, I’ll have 2 big slices!

 food tip 1:

Ask yourself:

• What is your favorite veg to eat raw?……. (I love red + green peppers – i dip them in an organic buttermilk ranch)
• What is you favorite go-to snack?……(I’m obsessed with almonds…plain and Cajun, & my homemade choc.chip bites that are vegan,G-Free, dairy-free)

Stock your kitchen with these foods and make them EASY TO ACCESS!

food tip 2:

Make your own healthy snack that will last the whole week. You know your going to get a sweet tooth sometime during the week, so it might as well be healthy and the ingredients that you want in it!

food tip 3:

take it easy on yourself!

If you fall off the healthy band wagon, it’s no big deal. Let yourself fall off once in awhile. Your human, you have cravings. And it’s not going to set you back. If you have changed your everyday way of eating, then you know what!? Indulging once in awhile is going to do jack shiplicks to your weight! This is a LIFE CHANGE not a 90 Day! 30 Day!, program.

food tip 4:

Start learning how to enjoy the simple foods of life. Try to be satisfied with eating just strawberries by themselves for a snack….no sprinkle of sugar! Or just how deliciously crisp and refreshing a cucumber tastes! Or how good the warm velvet taste of a poached egg is!

food tip 5:

Try and do cleanses. Whether it’s once a month or once a year, try to do one to your degree of comfort. There are all kinds out there, some intense some easy:)

food tip 6:

Drink hot fluids during your meal, never cold! Or drink a hot beverage at the end like tea to help with digestion. Also, in the morning, drink a cup of hot lemon water to detox.

WRAP UP TALK:

To try and loose weight you must first get into the habit of eating WHOLE, REAL FOODS and listening to your body. Get into the habit of preparing simple foods -  the habit of enjoying all the goodness that nature provides us with, not what the manufacturers provide us with. It’s a life change. It takes time+ patience with yourself. But if you’re equipped with the right knowledge, eating healthy starts to become second nature. There is no “program”, or time frame, or perfect diet out there. Start changing the way you think about calories and fat grams and weighing food to:

What is nutritious for my body? What does my body need right now?

Let’s all start changing the way we feel about loosing weight and about our bodies!! Start thinking how to NOURISH AND BE HEALTHY and you WILL LOOSE THE WEIGHT!

-Wholesome Gal

 Contact me if you have questions, or need guidance with your path of having a healthier lifestyle.

Contact me at: wholesomegal@gmail.com

Please stay updated on my site, for I will be holding Webinars about how to live a healthy lifestyle and videos of me cooking up some delish meals AND exercising videos!

**This is all “recommended” as I am not a doctor. I have to say that! There are some medical reasons why some people cannot loose weight that some people have to consult with their doctor. Or you can go to a Naturopathic Doctor, Acupuncturist or Herbologist.