It was the best advice my best friend forever kept giving me. Whenever I had an issue, a weird feeling, an inclination towards one thing versus another or that sixth sense about something or someone, it was always that same quote my bff would keep telling me...Trust yourself...until I finally took it. With anything in life, trust and believe that you have the know-how, strength, intelligence and faith to do just that. And if all else fails, pray. :)
Again, Trust yourself.
Most times, all it takes is believing in your capacity.
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In all of my feats, experiments, plans, life changes that is the number one thing I've learned. If you don't feel you can trust any other advisor who is supposed to have your best interest at heart that they will help you do what you are paying them for, or seeking them out for, you better run! And then, figure it out for yourself if you feel you keep getting the wrong answers from those you pay. The internet is a very valuable source in that you can find the answers to anything you think is the right answer for you, the way you live, what you regard as true for you, and the way you treat others and see the world.
On that note, I believe strongly in customization. To create and mold a plan that will most definitely work for the individual. The only way one would know what works for an individual is to study that person or better yet have them study themselves. Every good trainer can motivate and get a client to trust their trainer will get them results. But, every great trainer teaches and equips a client on how to motivate themselves with knowledge of correct training and dieting (for that person) so that client can graduate into doing their own diets and training on their own. This lesson I learned for myself!!
I had always felt there was something different about me. The way I ate, what I ate and how I had always had an inclination towards fewer carbs without being coached into it. From my teenage years, I had always created my own diets and followed them as lifestyles. It wasn't until my early 20s that I was coached into a formal fitness program that showed me how to do things wrong first, and now finally years later I know how to do myself right. For decades it seems that old fitness rules like; not eating carbs in the evening; eating less at night and not skipping breakfast are increasingly becoming rules to be broken. Everywhere you read its someone in a fitness magazine telling you to do the opposite of the last magazine or news article you just read. We are exploding with information and boy, can we all be any more confused?!!
First, the above examples of fitness rules to be broken, are of real studies that have been "shown" or "proven" to work. And I'm sure they do for someone who has held a specific diet before trying the diet advice, or has a specific body, genotype or blood type or lifestyle habits that would make any of the above work. Trust, I am not doubting that any of the above examples work. I know they do -- but what anyone and everyone should ask themselves when reading new information is, Is this person ME? Will this diet work for ME?
Myth#1 Oatmeal and eggs is NOT a miracle meal, especially if you've been eating it every day for the last two years. Over consumption of ANY food may lead to you being allergic to that food.
Time and time again, I have been told to eat oatmeal and eggs, oatmeal and eggs. I can't tell you how sick I am of oatmeal and eggs and how that seems to be the only breakfast option for people dieting down!! And better yet, cream of wheat and eggs, even worse!!! Neither have ever felt like a miracle meal to me! It has ALWAYS made me feel heavy. If you know you are sensitive to grains and dairy--and someone prescribes you a meal plan with many grains and lots of dairy, chances are they don't have you figured out and they probably didn't ask you a pre-requisite list of questions (about what you're allergic to or if you feel bloated eating any of the above options). For me, I got my leanest when I pulled ALL the grains and ate ALL foods from the ground ALL the time (not a container but straight from the farm or butcher's hands). If you want to feel full (and i mean FULL!), yes, go for the oatmeal. If you want to feel light all day, go for foods that you know came from the ground to the grocery store/butcher. Now, thats real clean eating.
Myth #2 Cheat meals: Something that I have always noticed to sabotage me are cheat meals. Its not the cheat meal themselves, its the recommended cheat meals like: pizza, ice cream, hamburgers on fluffy-ass buns. What ever happened to you are what you eat? If you couldn't eat it then, what makes you think you can eat it now and digest it? For some of us, yes, its good to "shock" the system. But if you know these foods make you feel awful afterwards like you swallowed a whole cow, its probably not good for your weight loss let alone your digestion and I promise, you will be sipping ginger tea or taking half the bottle of Tums for the massive indigestion you will incur from eating such junk!! I would suggest that if you want the "metabolic effect" of a cheat that your meal be something in a larger portion you enjoy and CAN digest. So, you won't feel like you want to upchuck afterwards. This means it is fully digesting through your body, not burning through the lining of your esophagus. For example, steak and sweet potato fries with a green food to further aid digestion might be an ideal option besides a fish, turkey or chicken protein (that you cooked yourself, not deep fried).
My third piece of advice for anyone looking for a lifestyle change and/or looking to drop pounds is NOT to get a trainer first. I would advise them to do research on themselves first. That means this: writing down all of what you have done in the past that does NOT work (i.e. exercise routines, diets, etc.), write down the foods you eat for every meal, how much, when and how you FEEL after you eat these foods. This is how I discovered what foods worked for me. Then, I researched my body type, blood type and other genetics to further narrow down my studies on what foods worked best. From that point on, I came up with the best diet EVER. It was the first time in forever that I didn't feel like my meal was sitting on my stomach. I was starting to see my abs. It was a diet that I did NOT get from any one of the several trainers I hired or bought from a book. They didn't know me, they were running their business. It is my job to know me and to know me best. I found lists and lists of specific foods that worked for my body type and immediately I saw results.
It was one trainer in particular who had showed me this first step that I will give much credit to. He said, for this week, just try to eat the macronutrient percentages I suggest but you fill the gaps by eating the foods that you want to. Boy did I learn fast what made me look like a pregnant cow and which food choices made me look like a long distance runner. This isn't hard. Its not rocket science but it is indeed a science. Everyone, in or outside of fitness should KNOW what foods harm them. If you feel like inflammation is setting in after a meal you need to revisit what you ate and make a note of that reaction. For example, I can't tell you the last time I had a serving of pasta. You know why? Everytime I would eat pasta I would feel it in my pants the next day like I'd gained a third ass. Not fun. I NEVER forgot that feeling and to this day I won't touch it with a ten foot pole! Truly can't remember the last time I've had pasta, even in my past "cheats". On top of that, back in PT class (personal training school) a doctor came in and talked to us about how pasta makes the whole body inflamed. This is important because for quite sometime scientists have been studying the ongoing correlation and effect of "chronic inflammation in fat playing an important role in the development of obesity related insulin resistance." (The Journal of Clinical Investigation) In layman's terms, chronic inflammation CAN make you fat!
Common sense would tell someone when reading not just that article, but many others related to this condition that anything that gives you an inflammatory response that is not due to muscle building exercises but something you feel immediately after you eat or ALL the time should be a concern of yours and your health. In that case, do everything in your effort to reduce this by getting back to the basics and following what Mama always recommended: Fruits, veggies and protein that you know sits well with you. Then slowly add the foods you enjoy to see what happens. If you notice an immediate negative inflammatory response its time to eliminate that from your diet and perhaps for good.
They always said "Abs were made in the kitchen!" One thing that was neglected was HOW they are made in the kitchen.
If you would like to read more articles about inflammation that are reader friendly check this one out at: (I highly recommend it!)
http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/what-the-heck-is-inflammation-why-should-you-care/
Some anti-inflammatory foods to try to incorporate in your diet:
- papayas
- green-tea
- sweet potatoes
- tuna
- mackerel
- blueberries
- cranberries
References:
Here is link to further research them yourself: http://www.disaboom.com/nutrition/top-50-anti-inflammatory-foods
The Journal of Clinical Investigation
web link: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/19451
The truth about diets is, that the best one is the one you create for yourself, through clear and concise observation.
Keep Loving the You You're In...by studying it.
It's great. Keep posting.
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