Girl on yoga mat meditating. Maintaining a healthy body is a lifestyle, not a destination.

Will This Make Me Fat?

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quiz with numerous foods like peanut butter and avocados asking which of these is fattening?

Answer: NONE of them! Read on for an explanation…

 

“Is ____________ fattening?”

Common question!
🤥 But– It’s a myth that an individual food is “fattening.”

Some foods contain more fat, carbohydrates or calories than others. Also, foods vary in nutritional value:

🥑🥜 A food high in fat (ex. avocado, nuts, peanut butter) can also contain beneficial nutrients making it a healthy addition to your diet. High-fat does not equal bad or fattening.

🍌🍠 A food high in carbs (ex. banana, sweet potato) can also contain beneficial nutrients making it a healthy addition to your diet. High-carb does not equal bad or fattening.

🍪 Some foods are more ultra-processed and have fewer beneficial nutrients (ex. cookies, brownies, ice-cream). These foods taste delicious and provide enjoyment! Lower-nutrient does not equal bad or fattening.

 While it’s smart to be aware of where different types of foods fall on the nutrition spectrum, you can still incorporate ANY kind of food into your diet without it being “fattening.”

 

Meme about how individual foods are not fattening or not. It's more about how taking in more calories than your body needs over a period of time that causes weight gain.

💫 Change your mindset from:
“Is it fattening?”
to…
“How does this food fit into my day of eating as a whole?” 💗

 

girl on yoga mat with a quote about how you won't get fat eating one bad meal and you won't get lean eating one healthy meal. You are what you repeatedly do.

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12 Body Image Healing Tools (Printable!)

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Body image is something a huge number of my clients struggle with.

And because I have been there too, I can empathize.🤗

I’m living proof that it is possible to go from loathing your body to actually loving it! 💗

Believe me, life is so much better when you’re not fighting yourself or food anymore.

I used to think I had no choice about having a negative body image; that was just the way it was and it wouldn’t change unless my body changed. Not true.

Body image isn’t about how your body looks.

It’s about how you feel about your body.

And no, you don’t need to have a different body to feel better about it.

While you may not have much control over your physical traits, you have every bit of authority over your brain and what goes on in there.

Yes, you have much more say in this matter than you thought!

Often, a negative body image has become a habit. In order to learn how to change how you think & feel about your body, you’re likely going to benefit from some tools. These tools are behavior changes & mindset shifts designed to challenge your current thoughts & beliefs about your body that are holding you back.

I’ve put together this handout of 12 tools that have helped me heal my negative body image. You may find certain ones resonate while others don’t. Take what you need. Like learning anything new, you will need to practice at reinventing your body image. Know that it can be done once you decide you want a more positive, kind and compassionate mindset and a more peaceful life. ✌🏻

It is not about changing your body.
It’s about changing your attitude & beliefs about your body.

12 body image healing tools page one12 body image healing tools page 2

Print your free 12 Body Image Healing Tools here!

✌🏻

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Image of emoji faces to help you connect what you're feeling with the message it's trying to give you.

Emotional Eating: The PAUSE

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Try this: Hello (insert what you are feeling). I think you are trying to tell me: (fill in the blank.)

Feeling out of control with emotional eating? 😩

First of all, eating for emotional reasons is OK! 🤗

But for some people, it can become problematic because it becomes an automatic, unwanted response to feeling something uncomfortable.

There IS a way to break out of this!

Try this:

✨ Rather than feel something and immediately react with eating, take a moment to notice and name what you are feeling:

Ex) Sad, tired, bored, stressed.

✨ Identifying your emotion inserts a PAUSE between the trigger (the emotion) and the response (eating).

✨ Hitting the pause button gives you the space and the freedom to make a decision.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Maybe you want to eat– and that’s OK!

Ex) I’m sad. (PAUSE) I’m going to make a cup of tea and enjoy a few chocolates because that is exactly what I need right now.

👉🏻 Eating becomes a conscious choice that doesn’t leave you feeling out of control.

🤷🏻‍♂️ Or maybe you use the pause as an opportunity to choose an alternative action. After naming the feeling, ask yourself what it is trying to tell you.

Ex) I’m tired. (PAUSE) Putting my feet up on the couch for 15 minutes will help me feel better.

I’m bored. (PAUSE) Accomplishing a task on my household chore list will help me feel better.

I’m stressed. (PAUSE) Calling my best friend will help me feel better.

👉🏻 Identifying and naming what you are feeling gives you the chance to step away from it and make the decision that will help you feel better….

Maybe eating…. But maybe not.

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Bento box with carrots, blueberries, cottage cheese, turkey, banana, wrap and lara bar.

Bento Box Cheat Sheet: Printable!

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Lunch idea! 😃➡️ Make a BENTO BOX!

Bento box with carrots, blueberries, cottage cheese, turkey, banana, wrap and lara bar.

Bento Box with baby carrots, everything but the bagel cottage cheese, turkey slices, blueberries, banana, PB&J in sprouted grain wrap and a Lara Bar

Bento Box Cheat Sheet

Aim for variety & balance, not perfection:

🍎🥕🍍🥦 FRUIT AND/OR VEGGIE
(carrots, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, cucumber, tomatoes, radish, strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, pineapple, grapes, melon, mango, apple, orange, peach, plum, cherries, figs, dates, raisins, apricots)

🥚🥑🥜🧀 PROTEIN & FAT
(cheese, nuts/nut butters, tuna, chicken, turkey, tofu, tempeh, avocado, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard boiled egg, jerky, edamame)

🥪🍚🍿🫓 CARBOHYDRATE
(tortilla/wrap, whole-grain bread, popcorn, beans/bean salad, pasta/pasta salad, crackers, hummus, rice, potatoes, granola)

🍫🍪🍵 😁 ANYTHING ELSE THAT BRINGS YOU JOY!

Soooo many great possible combos…

Here are a few of my lunch boxes that I remembered to snap a photo of–

There is a bit of overlap. 😅 You’ll notice I have my go-tos :

 

 Chicken, cheese, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, dried apricots, carrots, celery, Tahini Medjool Date Cookies & an apple:

Bento box with tahini medjool date cookies, turkey, cheese, macadamia nuts, carrots, celery, dried apricots and an apple. 

 

Beef jerky, Laughing Cow Cheese, mixed nuts/seeds/coconut, apple, peanut butter, peppers, cucumbers & a couple of chocolates:

Bento box with cucumber, peppers, apples, peanut butter, cheese, beef jerky, trail mix and chocolate.

 

Turkey, Mary’s Gone Crackers, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, celery & peanut butter:

Bento box with turkey, crackers, peanut butter, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots and celery.

 

Chomps meat stick, grapes, Babybel cheese, walnuts, wasabi almonds, Mary’s Gone Crackers, carrots, celery & peanut butter:

Bento box with meat stick, cheese, grapes, crackers, carrots, celery, nuts and peanut butter.

 

Tuna salad wrap, Babybel cheese, blueberries, blackberries, carrots, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts & dates:

Bento box with tuna wrap, blueberries, blackberries, carrots, cheese, dates and nuts.

 

Tempeh and guacamole in sprouted grain wrap, apple, carrots, cottage cheese, dried apricots & brazil nuts:

Bento box with cottage cheese, tempeh and avocado wrap, apples, carrots and brazil nuts.

 

Cottage cheese, grapes, carrots, celery, apples, oranges, Crunchmasters crackers, peanut butter & a TRUBAR & banana that I had for an afternoon snack:

bento box full of veggies, fruits, cottage cheese, peanut butter, crackers, protein bar and banana

 

Peanut butter, jelly and arugula in whole grain tortilla, orange, grapes, carrots & Babybel cheese:

Bento box with peanut butter and jelly wrap, cheese, carrot, grapes and orange slices.

Once you know the basic combo of foods to include for balance, you can easily build yourself a tasty, nutritious bento box from foods you (hopefully) have in your kitchen. Most require little to no prep time.

Remember: Fruit/Veg, Protein/Fat, Carbohydrate & anything else you love that makes you look forward to lunchtime. 💗

Print your Bento Box Cheat Sheet here!

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List of vegan breakfast ideas.

Vegan Food Ideas

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Fun fact about me: I was vegan for over 12 years! 😲

It’s been more than 10 years now since I returned to being omnivorous, but I am supportive of anyone who chooses to follow a vegan diet and wants to learn how to do it in a healthy way. 💓

Here are a few important nutrients you want to ensure you are getting adequate amounts of in a vegan diet:

✔️ B12 (you will need a supplement)
✔️ Iron
✔️ Zinc
✔️ Omega-3 fatty acids
✔️ Protein
✔️ Calcium & D

You may wonder… What do vegans eat?

In a nutshell, anything not containing animal products. Vegans eat 100% plants!

Here are a few examples of some balanced, nutrient-rich vegan breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks:

List of vegan breakfast ideas

 

list of vegan lunch ideas.

 

List of vegan dinner ideas.

 

List of vegan snack ideas.

👉🏻 Vegan does not necessarily equal healthier.

There are high-nutrient vegan diets as well as low-nutrient vegan diets. 😊

(Just like there are high-nutrient omnivore diets and low-nutrient omnivore diets.)

And just like with any way of eating…

✨Variety and balance are key!✨

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Explanation of NEAT. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis.

NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis

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People expending energy going about their day.

Have you got your diet, exercise, hydration, sleep and stress management dialed in…

but you’re still struggling to lose weight?

 Take a close look at how you spend the rest of your hours.

What we eat and what we do for exercise are often the focus when trying to lose weight– and yes, they are biggies! But one often overlooked factor is NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).

Here is how our daily total energy expenditure (how we burn calories) breaks down:
💥BMR (basal metabolic rate) ~60%
💥TEF (thermic effect of food= digestion and absorption of food) ~8-15%
💥EAT (exercise-related activity thermogenesis) which can be as much as 15-30% for habitual exercisers or as low as 1-2% for minimal exercisers. Most people fall into the lower percentage.
💥NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) which is highly variable as well, however it accounts for MORE energy expenditure than EAT when measured over the course of the day.

NEAT can have a significant effect on body weight. 😲

Doing some structured exercise and then being sedentary for the rest of the day could be related to why your weight won’t budge.

Yes, we all need to rest and relax! 📖
Reading a book or just chilling can be a very good thing! 🥰

But take an honest look at how much you sit during your day.

Is your job sedentary or are you on your feet and moving often?
How much leisure time do you spend on the computer or watching tv vs playing with you pets, doing yard work or cleaning your house?

All the seemingly insignificant things you do during your day add up.

Think about all the NEAT ways you can add more movement into your day! 😃🚶‍♀️

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A man and a woman unhappy with how they see their bodies.

Body Image

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Your body image is the way you PERCEIVE your body (not how your body actually looks).

While your body may not change much day-to-day, your experience of your body can change drastically. 

ALL body types/shapes/sizes/weights struggle with this. 

Get curious about why your feelings towards it may change depending on your current circumstances, thoughts, beliefs, emotions, mood, attitude, etc. 

Is something going on that is manifesting as the belief that your body isn’t good enough?

A negative body image can act as a symbolic substitute for something deeper. Your focus goes on the body as a distraction. For example, feeling insecure can translate into ‘I feel so fat’. Or feeling depressed can show up as ‘I hate my stomach’. When you’re feeling more self-confident, negative body image can shift to feeling more positive or accepting of your body.

Your perception of how you look can change depending on how you are feeling emotionally. 

Distinguish between having negative body image thoughts and identifying with them as your core self. You aren’t your thoughts.  When you can notice that you are having these thoughts– and that you are not the thoughts- this can create a sense of separation from them. 

When you can unhook from your thoughts, you have more control over changing them.

Repeat negative thoughts and they will become stronger. Practice kinder, accepting thought and they will become stronger. Think of it like going to the gym to build muscle. It takes consistency, repetition and time.

Woman looking in mirror. Understanding bad body image days happen and to be kind to yourself.

A healthy body image is a journey. Healing can only happen when you replace cruelty with compassion. 💞

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Motivational quote: Anytime you start a sentence with I AM, you are creating what you are and what you want to be.

I AM __________

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Anytime you start a sentence with I AM, motivational quote by Wayne Dyer.

What are you saying to yourself about yourself?

“I AM _____________”

Whether we think it or say it…

“I AM” influences how we feel and behave.

What we tell ourselves about ourselves affects how we FEEL.

And the way we FEEL drives our ACTIONS.

Thought ➡️ Feeling ➡️ Behavior.

Tell yourself “I am lazy” or “I am not going to be able to do this” and guess how you’re going to act? 😟

Instead, say to yourself how you want your life to be using “I AM.”

😜 It may sound goofy, but if you’re skeptical, just try it!

Examples of positive I am statements:

😎 I am going to have a good day
🙏🏻 I am grateful
🌈 I am beautiful
🧠 I am smart
🏃🏻‍♂️ I am capable
🦁 I am brave
🥰 I am compassionate
💓 I am kind
😄 I am excited to be here
💪🏻 I am strong

(see more examples here)

I am going to accomplish my nutrition goals today! 😀

Make it about who you want to be, not who you don’t want to be.

Whether we think it or say it…
“I AM” influences how we feel and behave.

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Bowl of caramel popcorn with the question: Are you a food addict?

Food Addiction?

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Bowl of popcorn.

Food addiction is a highly controversial topic.

Can you really be addicted to a specific food??
🤔🍰🍪🍫

🥨 Yes, food can FEEL addictive for many people.

It’s easy to believe food can be addictive because it actually can activate our ‘feel-good’ brain receptors…

🎵🐶🚲🌞 But so can many other pleasant things in life like:

Music, massage, exercise, being out in the sunlight and fresh air, looking at your dog or planning a fun weekend.

🤗 Food is actually supposed to make us feel good!

So why can it feel like an addiction?

➡️ Restriction and/or not allowing yourself to get pleasure from food. (aka Dieting!) 😵‍💫

Inadequate intake of carbohydrates, protein or fats can leave you with seriously intense food cravings.

Addictive behaviors like binges occur as a result of deprivation.

How to overcome these feelings of addiction?

🍴 Stay nourished. This means ensuring you are eating ADEQUATE calories, a VARIETY of calories and a BALANCE of calories. Have a registered dietitian review your diet. You may need to establish a new routine of eating and/or change the types of foods you’re eating.

🫤 Stop telling yourself you’re an addict. You’re only reinforcing your behavior when you take on a victim mentality. Instead, get curious. See yourself as someone who is learning how to eat in a healthier way. Look for the message and opportunity for change that’s behind your unwanted eating habits.

😍 Normalize instead of moralize. Normalize the food you feel addicted to. Fit that food right into your day of balanced eating. See that food as neutral and not ‘bad’. Allow it! Give yourself permission to get enjoyment from it. It may mean incorporating those chips into a balanced lunch or having that cookie as dessert after a balanced dinner. Work towards seeing the addictive food as just another food choice in your diet.

You CAN learn how to eat and enjoy the foods you feel addicted to in a way that you feel good about! 💞

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