In my previous post on the roadmap to intuitive eating, I explained that calorie and macro counting can also be tools in the toolbox of understainding nutrition goals.
In this post, I will explain two of these core methodologies: calories in, calories out (CICO) and If it fits your macros. (IIFYM).
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When I first heard of intuitive eating, I dismissed it as some hippie-dippie excuse to indulge a lack of willpower. When I bypassed my inner judge and listened to what dietitians had to say, I have gotten more curious. The more I see, the more I think that this could be a new chapter in my fitness journey.
This post will explain what is “intuitive eating” and the resources you can access to explore it on your own.
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If I were to compare intermittent fasting to a celebrity, I would go with Lady Gaga. It seemed to explode on the scene out of nowhere, but didn’t succumb to being a fad or a one-hit wonder. It’s been timeless – but it has attracted a lot of controversy. Lately, I came across the “Intuitive fasting” craze pushed by Gwyneth Paltrow, so I investigated and updated this post.
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In this post, I want to address is the question of consulting with a dietitian or nutritionist in your fitness journey. We will talk about the difference between the two…
Since the beginning of my journey writing this blog, I have learned a lot about my relationship with food. One question that has been tugging at me since I started seeing a dietitian and exploring intuitive eating – Can an intuitive eating approach be reconciled with calorie and macro counting? *
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In my last DAOFitlife update I talk wed about going to a wedding this past weekend. When we checked into the hotel, I noticed that there were lots of people clearly going to weddings and graduations… and of course, it’s the season! But this season is unlike any other because we are all like lions being let of our COVID cage. And as I discovered , I was ravenous for life – and food. And it was EVERYWHERE.
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This week I am focusing on split training that is the type of training where you focus on certain muscle groups at a time as opposed to doing full body strength training. The advantage of this type of training is also that it decreases the amount of total training time. So, for example, when you do a split with upper body lower body push and pull you can be in and out of the gym in about half an hour including the warm-up. And that makes things really efficient during work “busy seasons”, which we are all familiar. In my role, every day is busy season but right now there is a heightened energy and rush which is like running a daily marathon. I am sure you can relate!
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”So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”–1 Corinthians 10:31
“If you never taste the bitter, the sweet just isn’t as sweet.” – Cameron Crowe, Vanilla Sky
My latest Netflix binge show is “Money Explained.” I’m already hooked from Episode 1, because I am a documentary nerd and I love Tiffany Hadish, especially the sound of her voice (she narrates the series). The first episode talks about get rich quick schemes and how they have evolved over 200 years. It highlights various examples of ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes, and scams, like the Nigerian prince letters and then emails. What I found really fascinating was that many of the schemes are actually not technically fraud, They are legal. No one can be prosecuted if it backfires on the person who invested all of their money. No matter if they are fraudulent or not, all have one thing in common: they start with a “fantastic promise.” A promise of doubling or tripling your current salary, of getting rich while only working a few hours a week, of never having to worry about money again. The experts on the program talked about what gets people hooked – it’s a dopamine hit. The thrill of possibly having it all at very little cost. Except there’s usually a catch. Fine print with a fee. And in the end, it’s too good to be true.
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Here is my weekly update of my meal and exercise plan. First, here is a roadmap of all the documents I update. Ideally you will want to use a personal…
Pre and post workout nutrition is so confusing. A simple google search yields over 30 million results. You don't have time to read all this and figure it all out,…
Here is my weekly update on my meals, exercise, and recipes. RECIPES AVAILABLE HERE (UPDATED FOR WEEK OF MAY 6) Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Links- Week 10 Customizable…
Week 9 of DAOFitlife meal and exercise plan has a few new twists. This week I have tweaked my diet in two ways:
I am starting to eat a little early breakfast before my workout. I do this by either eating a few bites of my oatmeal mix half an hour before my workout, or eating a date and a few nuts beforehand. A Medjool date is fairly big and good for a burst of instant energy. In my article on pre and post-workout nutrition, I outline the pros and cons of eating before the workout. I am going to as an experiment see how much my workouts actually benefit from eating a little beforehand.
The other major tweak to my diet has been NO SUGAR SUBSTITUTES. That means not just no artificial sweeteners, but also no “natural” zero sugar products like Stevia or Monk Fruit. This is purely a theory that I am testing, but I believe that these substances are robbing my body of energy I need from actual carbs and making me crave the sugar that I am not getting. In my post on protein bars, I rave about the “fake sugar” and its effect on our insulin sensitivity. Even though at first glance stevia and monk fruit may not have the same effect on insulin resistance, I believe that they are having a “sugar fake-out” effect on me.
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…into your diet.
In my PFFCW formula, the second F is for fat. And I resisted it for years. Now that the stigma has been shattered, I realize that fat is essential to feeling good on the inside and out. Let’s find out why.
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Note: Please consult a physician before pursuit of any exercise or meal plan. This is solely intended as a meal and exercise diary, and is not prescriptive. T-1 month until…
We all know the famous nickname for Whole Foods - Whole Paycheck. I do not get my staples from Whole Foods, but there are a number of speciality items that…
As promised in my post on drinking calories, here we have a guide to the shrine of corporate existence: Starbucks. This article will give guidance on what NOT to order from Starbucks, and what to order instead.
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Drinking right is just as important as eating right. I have encouraged tracking calories and food intake throughout the day. One reason this is a good practice is because people…
In my previous post on drinkigng calories, I warned against the downsides of sugary sports and energy drinks. Of course, I have an alternative. This is the list of my top 5 natural morning energy drinks to get your mojo going and start your day. All of them not only wake you up and energize you but have great health and weight loss benefits.
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On a weekly basis I update my meal and exercise plan google sheets so you can see real time what I eat, drink, and how I move. You can download…
Have you experienced starting an intense workout program, diligently sweating and working your butt off every day, and then gotten on the scale and seeing the number stay the same, or even go up? The Sedentary Athlete and Compensatory Eating saboteurs may be to blame. They go together like a couch and potato chips !
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