Do you feel like your love for food is keeping you from reaching your goals? If so, you're not alone. In fact, in this post Coach Jacky shares her biggest barrier when it comes to being a "foodie" herself & the strategies she implements to ensure she can still stay on track while also still FULLY enjoying food.
It's not just the food itself that is often the barrier, but the act of going out to eat with others; it's convenient and fun! BUT what she has learned NOT to do is to use this as an excuse as to why she can't reach her goals. Instead, she's found a "middle ground".
1. Re-create meals you already love but make them more "macro-friendly."
Your food does not have to be boring. A lot of times, it's just a matter of adding more protein, using lower fat substitutes, or simply making the portion sizes smaller and pairing it WITH something that will bridge the gap and help you hit your goals.
2. Do NOT have a "no-no" list for food. Don't eliminate food groups completely.
Doing both of these things not only can make your relationship with food worse, but it's often just not sustainable. It can truly impact the way you view food and lead to the "all or nothing" mentality. Instead, find happy mediums and understand that having "fun" foods is okay as long as you still prioritize nutrient density.
3. When dining out, plan ahead as best as possible.
At Audacious Athletes, we do not believe in "cheat meals" (read more about that here). Instead, we teach untracked meals. This is simply a meal that is not tracked. However, this means we are still eating and planning the rest of the day the same way we would. We don't save or hoard calories/macros for this meal; it simply means that one meal isn't being tracked.
4. Good >> Better >> Best
This one can really help break the "all or nothing" mentality. You don't ever have to be perfect, but we want to aim for consistency and adherence the majority of the time. However, some days your 100% is just "good" and that's okay!
BEST -- we hit our macro goals 100%
BETTER -- we hit most but have a few untracked things, or are just a bit off
GOOD -- we have some adherence, but we can do better
5. Experiment with new foods and new recipes.
This one is mostly for the picky eaters. A lot of times it comes down to textures and seasonings. Try new foods, especially veggies, cooked differently with different seasonings. Try new recipes, new foods,! Simply add more nutrients when you can. It can be scary, BUT playing around with foods can really open some great opportunity for diversifying your intake and nutrient profiles.
Have you enjoyed this mini-series as each one of the coaches have broken down their biggest barriers to nutrition? While you may not be able to relate to one of them 100%, we can almost bet that you can take some really useful tips away from these FOUR posts.
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