The other day I posted this photo on my Facebook page and I asked the question "Do you think this girl ever eats donuts?" The responses were things like "no, you can't have it both ways, she doesn't even know what a donut is."
These responses really got me thinking about the way we view being fit. We tend to view unhealthy foods and a healthy fit body as being completely opposing forces. This sadly has lead to a very unhealthy view of food in general. Food becomes the enemy in all cases. If it's healthy and we don't really like it but we "know" this is what we have to eat to be thin, health, beautiful, fit etc. we eat it grudgingly. We hate the healthy, but we know there is no way around it. The foods we enjoy are also bad, we feel guilt for eating them because we "know" they are just making us fat.
This picture capture the sentiment perfectly. We feel like we are on top of the world after one day of eating healthy and if we eat one piece of cake we suddenly feel like we ave ruin fit forever. Mentally we are either fat and unhealthy and eat crap or we are healthy and fit and eat good whole foods. We perpetuate this mentality with our friends. We laugh at this photo because it's true, it circulates on Pinterest and Facebook, because we can relate to it, but is it the truth??
I have had this conversation so many times with my husband. We see these ripped, toned super fit people and we say to each other, God they must live at the gym, they never eat crap, I don't have that kind of motivation. And it's true! In all honesty if having that body means I never eat another cookie, donut, ice cream cone, cupcake, Cheeto, french fry ever again then it's simply not happening.
The reality is there will always be a birthday, holiday, special occasion, or simply a just because that comes along. Am I really supposed to spend every year dreading each of these coming? Knowing I will be faced with foods I love but can't eat because I want to look like a supermodel?
It's not real. Can I be healthy and eat great foods and work out every day? Absolutely. I enjoy those things. But can I go a lifetime without ever eating another sugary food? I could if I had a will of steel, but I don't want want too, and I won't.
I honestly believe there has got to be a happy medium. I want to be healthy, and feel good about myself and still enjoy food and stop feeling guilty for it. I know what needs to be done. I know eating 4 donuts in one sitting is unhealthy and I will never see results. But every now and then one donut will not kill my dreams. An ice cream cone with my kids every once in a while will not mean I am destined to be an unhealthy fat mess my whole life.
In the process of losing the weight I absolutely ate ice cream, and chocolate and pastries. Disclaimer- it was very strategic, and controlled. I never gorged and it was very infrequent that I ate these things. I do understand they are loaded with fat and sugar and calories. You have to be very smart about what you eat and when you eat and how you work out. But that doesn't mean giving them up for good. It just means arming yourself with knowledge about how many calories really are in that ice cream. And being 100 % honest with yourself about your activity level and your food intake.
Your plan has to be realistic, and yes it takes control, and will power, motivation and sacrifice. It takes change on your part, but it doesn't mean complete deprivation of all sugary foods.
