I really dislike the word diet. For years in my teens it was negativity associated with weight – the desire to lose it. It’s a word that can carry a whole lot of stress, anxiety and worry along with it. Just a whole lot of mental exhaustion.
I feel so thankful to have moved on past that part in my life. I have embraced my love for food and no longer carry a diet mentality around. I know it brings me more happiness and even more health too. The food I eat, which in turn is my diet, makes me feel the best I ever have. It nourishes me, takes care of me and allows me to be active and do all the things I want to do.
But as I write all this, I’m a bit saddened. I know there are so many people, especially women, that live with the diet mentality I have known all too well. The calorie counting, obsessing over when to eat next, the ‘diet’ foods that I assumed were healthier for me, worrying about foods I ate but “should have avoided” and the hunger. Can anyone relate? It’s not a fun place to be. Not at all.
But I’ve moved on, and I am thrilled about it! When I discovered that focusing on real foods, foods that are as close to nature as possible, would help me to not only feel amazing, but to also help me look the best I have in my life, I was hooked. No more worry and stress, all I had to do was just eat real food.
Nowadays I fuel up with a ton of variety of beef, chicken, pork, lamb, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, lots of fats (butter, half and half, coconut/avocado/olive oil, fat from meats, avocado), plain whole fat yogurt, rice, nuts/nut butters, seeds, oats, some pasta, sweet and regular potatoes and of course, super dark chocolate or random treats, but they are not the bulk of what I enjoy and I work to limit excess added sugar because I feel best when I do that. I cook often, buy a whole lot of ingredients and limit the processed foods that come into our house.
I have so much more to share on this topic, but I want to hear what your questions are! What do you want answered in my next post on just eating real foods?
Happy Monday and start to the week! Today I’m going to attempt my first solo trip to the grocery store with three kids. Fingers crossed for success and no tears (from them and me).
Heather
13 comments
I would love to hear more about how you budget. My family will plow through fruit for snacks, but they add up. We try to buy in season and local in the summer/fall when we can in our area but it blows through our grocery budget.
I will definitely do one on budget. It works out well since we’ve actually be tracking our spending since the beginning of the year. We love fruit too (probably eat it 2-4 times a time), but for us I notice we spend the most on meat, dairy and coffee since they are more expensive than produce. Our spending is more than I thought it was once we started actually tracking!
Keep sharing more on this topic! I try to feed my family real foods as well. One of my biggest challenges is convenience or food eaten away from home – esp given that 2 of my kids are allergic to nuts (and we aren’t big fans of sunbutter as an alternative to PB). I’m always looking for inspiration.
Hi MK! I tend to keep the kid’s food away from home (which is usually snacks, not meals) to fruit (fresh, dried and sometimes applesauce squeeze pouches), cheese and homemade snack bars or Lara bars (but those have nuts). Fruit and cheese is always a hit with my littles. 🙂
I agree with the above- budget, where you ahop, etc. 🙂
You got it Lisa!
I am always inspired by what you make for dinners. My kiddos are older and in that picky stage; but I still try to make a variety of foods. I always check into your blog for ideas on dinners before my trip to the grocery store!
Definitely keep the recipes coming with whole food. Love your blog!
Thanks Stacy! I will keep them coming! Just curious, how old are your kids? Did they used to not be picky and it’s a new stage that came with a certain age?
[…] (that’s just not realistic). I’m also happy with where I am at. I know with my real food way of eating, being active, and working to not stress about as many things, the weight will naturally go away […]
[…] Over the years my way of eating has changed a lot. My view on what a healthy diet is has changed a lot too. In the past I thought low-fat or “diet foods” were what was good for me. The media tells you that, so you know it’s true, right?! Ummmm no. At least not for me. I’ve learned through experimentation what works for me. As I continue to learn more about nutrition my focus has shifted to really nourishing my body for optimal health, happiness and to just feel great living life. [read no diets, just eat real food] […]
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I would love to see a breakdown of what types of foods you eat. I love the idea of a real food diet and it’s what I try to instill in my own little ones. My only problem is, even when eating whole foods, I find myself gravitating towards more carb-type foods! Whole grain pastas, homemade breads, things like that! I need to make sure I focus more on vegetables, fruits and meats and I’m sure that will turn things around for me but I’d love to see a (general) breakdown of how you eat!
[…] Want to read more about what I typically eat? Check out this post: no diets, just eat real food […]