Guest Posts

Today, Trina, @atxtrina, is guest posting. Trina has been super inspirational to me. She’s worked her butt off, made positive choices and her healthy lifestyle shows it all! I hope you enjoy some of her story like I have!

I once had a hard time eating better. My wise food decisions didn’t happen overnight. I always knew I should eat a lot more fruits, veggies, whole grains and stuff… But boy, did I crave tacos, pasta, cake, soda, & candy like no other. It was my weakness: controlling what I eat. I knew I didn’t NEED sugar… but my brain wouldn’t leave my tummy alone. “You neeeeed it. Your self-indulgent self wants that sugar dust all over your face and you crave that high. You waaaaant it.”.

Where we live, it’s hard not to want to eat everywhere. In Dallas, we only had fast food choices. McDonalds, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Burger King, Carl’s Jr. and now In-n-Out’s continue to be very prominent staples in the Big D. But here in Austin, Texas, it’s a whole ‘nother story. The nearest McDonald’s in my neighborhood is located inside a Wal-Mart, and I avoid Wal-Mart like the plague. The next stand-alone location is a good 10 mile drive. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any “bad” food around town. Oh no no no… and it’s not necessarily “bad” food, just really indulgent and yummy food. The kind of food where if you don’t watch it, you may end up eating your hand. And I believe that’s why Austin, TX was ranked as one of the Nation’s Healthiest City. We eat hard, we work hard.

There are a lot of days where I managed to eat well. I would be super proud of myself and couldn’t help instagramming my good food choices:

Then I’d have days where I couldn’t believe what I ate… I’m not talking about eating a healthy lunch and dinner, then caving in for dinner. I’m talking about, donuts for breakfast, pizza for lunch, hamburgers for dinner. And maybe if I was lucky, an apple or banana in between one of those meals, to get that icky feeling off of me. Trust me, it was those days that I couldn’t believe what I stuffed my face into and the guilt that came along was no fun to deal with.

But, y’know what? I realized I wasn’t perfect. I’ve accepted that. I know I’m going to fail at times. I know that those bad-eating days are far and few in between, that I really shouldn’t beat myself up for them. Instead, if I do find myself eating “bad foods”, I just have to work harder during my next workout session. (I use quotations for “bad foods” because I honestly do not believe there are bad foods, just bad moderation and yes, processed, artificially flavored/sweetened, GMO foods are most definitely bad!)

Truth of the matter is, we’re human. We seek pleasure in all we do. I don’t think we benefit one bit from hating and putting ourselves down after a moment of weakness, diet-wise. All we can do is accept we failed, remind ourselves WHY we’re doing what we’re doing and MOVE FORWARD. Learning how to moderate the intake of these foods is a must. I’ve never been a fan of avoiding foods, because all you do is end up torturing yourself and probably binging. I honestly believe in if you want that piece of cake, go for it, and work your butt off to burn that sucker away. Just don’t eat the entire cake! A sliver never killed anyone.

The way I see it, that food will always be around. I can either learn self-control to avoid consuming 5 donuts and a kolache OR I can learn to enjoy that same kind of food made with more natural ingredients and not regret eating it through moderation. I don’t know, but something tells me that the way we look at our food consumption can help not only physically but emotionally as well. Why must we give these foods such a bad stigma? I grew up with my Mom constantly telling me to not eat this, to not eat that. Being the rebel that I am, I ate away (Mind you, I was 100 lbs. my Junior year of high school; I could eat 3 pizzas and not gain an ounce). But I then ate too much into my late 20′s, which resulted in my 210 lb. high. That’s when I learned that food should nourish our bodies and mind, not cause us strife and grief.

I also learned the importance of the foods I consume needing to be actual food and not food-like substances, which unfortunately crowd the grocery aisles in unbelievable masses. I read labels like none other. If I read a label that has any ingredient I cannot pronounce, I refuse to buy it. And if I don’t have to read a label, even better! I mean, what other ingredients could an apple or celery have? Local farmer’s markets and urban farms are where I enjoy purchasing my produce, meats, and dairy. Not only is it good for my body, but I’m helping my community. I know I’m getting fresh, real food. No artificality, no deceiving. It’s what our body and mind wants and needs.

So yes, maybe I did have a donut for breakfast this morning, but you know what… I LOVED IT! And it wasn’t just your regular kind of donut, but a local, natural, vegan donut that we’re lucky to have around town. Will I eat a donut every morning? Definitely not. Do I hate myself for eating that donut? Nope. Will I have to add an extra 20 minutes to my elliptical work out later today? Yes, but those extra 20 minutes will give me the push I need to go farther, faster, and feel my body working it’s fullest potential.

Eat to satisfy, eat to nourish, eat to enjoy.

That’s my motto!

Want to learn more? Check out Trina and say hi! 

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