how to eat mindfully during the holidays

Expert Advice On How to Eat Mindfully During the Holidays

Oh, the holidays! The time of year when it’s easy to feel hopeless about sticking to your nutrition plans. Between holiday parties, an increase in alcohol consumption, and holiday baking, learning how to eat mindfully during the holidays can seem impossible.

 

But don’t fret! Learning how to eat mindfully during the holidays is way simpler than you might think. And it doesn’t include skipping your favorite treats or traditions. 

 

We’ve broken down the three best tools in our toolbox for eating mindfully during the holidays. And I bet you could start incorporating at least one of these today!

I mean, practice makes perfect, right?

 

 

Prioritize the Foods You Love

This first tip for how to eat mindfully during the holidays might seem counter-intuitive – after all, everyone knows that Thanksgiving is really all about the sides!  Or is that just me?

 

But let’s take that a step further. By now you know to prioritize protein on your plate at most meals. But have you considered prioritizing what you love? 

For example, I LOVE mashed potatoes and gravy. I also LOVE sweet potato casserole. But stuffing I could take or leave. So, this Thanksgiving, I will be prioritizing the mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole and I might skip the stuffing and the cranberry sauce. 

 

Little choices like this throughout the day can add up throughout the day and even the entire holiday weekend. 

 

Another way to avoid overeating is to prioritize the foods you love by taking small servings of those foods first. There’s no need for a scarcity mindset on Thanksgiving or Christmas because people expect you to take seconds and have leftovers.

 

So, instead of loading up and feeling pressured to clean your plate. Instead, take small servings of all your favorites. Then, eat the food mindfully. Pay attention to how it smells, and the texture in your mouth. If the food has a sentimental component, take a moment and reflect on that while you enjoy it. 

 

Then, if you’re still hungry, you can go back for seconds.

Don’t Forget About Alcohol

It is so easy to sit at the dinner table fretting over whether or not to have a second dessert while sipping on your third (or fourth) drink of the day. 

 

Listen, there is nothing wrong with enjoying an alcoholic beverage or even beverages. But it’s important to consider the compounding effect those drinks have on your caloric intake throughout the holiday. 

 

Studies have shown that alcohol impedes weight loss goals. You see, because alcohol is a toxin (ethanol) our bodies put all their energy into eliminating that toxin first (burning it as fuel) before returning to its regular metabolic state. 

 

One drink won’t slow you down too much! So, feel free to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner and a mimosa during the parade if you want to! But keep in mind that you are putting your body’s “fuel-burning engine” on pause until it’s metabolized.

 

Remember, You’ll Get Back On Track

The last tip I’ll leave you with for how to eat mindfully during the holidays is this:

 

One, two, or even three days of eating a higher calorie intake will not send you backward. 

 

Sure, you might bloat a little bit from the excess carbs, but as soon as you return to your normal fitness routine and nutrition habits, you’ll be back where you started before the break.

 

The only reason you won’t get back on track with your routine is if you choose not to.  The power is in your hands. 

 

So when you have the choice between making a memory with someone you love over a favorite cookie and hot cocoa or declining, I hope you’ll remember that food does more than fuel our bodies. It fuels our minds and our souls too. 

 

So what do you think? Will this holiday season be plagued by stress, or will you embrace some of these new tools? I certainly hope something here has resonated enough for you to try. And if you do, let us know in the comments or drop us a line on Instagram @dancerswholift!

food guilt, healthy eating over the holidays

Kick Your Food Guilt to the Curb: 5 Tips for Enjoying Your Food This Holiday Season

Talking about enjoying your food during the holiday season can bring up a lot of stress for people. Especially if you’ve been working hard to meet certain fitness goals or creating a healthy relationship with food. Fortunately, kicking your food guilt to the curb can actually be helpful in both of theses endeavors.

That’s why we created this list of 5 tips for enjoying your food this holiday season. Because food freedom can bring you so much more than just chocolate cake and pasta. (Although, those two things are definitely worth it!)

 

Stop Believing There are Good and Bad Foods

The belief that there are “good foods” and “bad foods” has run rampant among society for years. Statistically speaking, snacks, candies, and sweets tend to be labeled as “bad”, making food guilt when eating these foods much more prevalent. 

This is a real shame because studies have also shown that those who associate guilt with certain foods, rather than celebration, report unhealthier eating habits overall. On top of that, they perceive themselves as having less behavioral control over healthy eating. 

 

What does this mean?

It means that food guilt brought on by eating sweets, treats, or snacks, does not help you eat healthier. It actually leads you to feel more overwhelmed by the idea of eating healthy.

 

So ditch the idea that foods are good and bad and instead look at food as fuel! Making this shift allows us to recognize that different foods fuel our bodies in different ways. And when we accept this we can release the guilt we feel after eating those “bad foods.” 

  

Recognize that Food Guilt is NOT a Motivator

Food guilt will not motivate you to eat healthier. Take a look at  this study that revealed participants who associated eating chocolate cake with guilt did not have stronger intentions of eating healthy than those who associated it with celebration. 

What’s even more interesting, participants with weight-loss goals who had food guilt associated with chocolate cake were LESS successful as losing weight over a three month period than those who associated chocolate cake with celebration. 

 

Why might this be?

Well, some studies have shown that people who associate anxiety and shame after eating certain foods have a greater impulse to binge than those who don’t. This is because food deprivation leads to an increase cravings of those foods. 

 

On top of that, when you stop feeling guilty about eating foods it’s much easier to eat them in moderation because you no longer limit how often you can enjoy your food. If you can have Oreos whenever you want, you’re less likely to eat an entire sleeve in one sitting. 

 

 

Free energy estimator - macro calculator for dancers

 

 

Remember that Days or Weeks Will Not Undo Months or Years   

I get it. You’ve been working hard consistently for the past eight months. You’ve done a complete body recomposition with your trainer. You feel strong and sexy and you absolutely do not want to impede or, worse, lose your progress. 

One thing we know is that once you’ve been eating a balanced diet of proteins, fats, and carbs, consistently for along period of time you will start to naturally balance your plate that way. Consistent habits die hard. 

 

Another thing I want to discuss is the apple seed theory. Did you know that apple seeds are poisonous? It’s true, they are literally arsenic. Luckily, we aren’t sitting around eating apple seeds like peanuts and cracker jacks, Instead, we maybe consume or two here and there when we are munching on an apple and it’s fine. No tummy aches, no accidental death by apple seeds.  

The same is true about our meals. If one, or even four of our 21 meals during a week aren’t *perfect* it’s not going to affect us in the long run. Especially if after your holiday you return to a more balanced diet. 

 

Consistency will always pay off! But celebrating life will always be worth a deviation. 

 

Eating Mindfully Ensures that You Will Enjoy Your Food

A very important part of enjoying your food is taking the time to enjoy your food. 

I’m not kidding. 

 

Take time to notice how your food smells. 

What’s the texture like in your mouth? 

Notice all of the flavors.

And finally, chew your food completely.

 

This is important to do anytime you’re eating a meal. But, when we are eating foods that trigger food guilt, or that we have labeled as “bad,” we have a tendency to eat them quickly. As if eating them fast minimizes our choice to consume them. 

Unfortunately, this often leads us to over eating and can start to reinforce a “scarcity mindset” around these yummy foods that bring us joy. 

 

These special foods are just that, special. So take the time to really enjoy them! You deserve it! And, when you take the time to eat your food, your body will have time to send your brain full cues, making you less likely to over indulge. 

 

Plan Ahead 

We’ve all been there. We had a friends giving last weekend and arrived home early on this been week. We’ve enjoyed some drinks. Eaten out. And snacked on our favorite holiday snickadees all week long. 

Then, you wake up on Thanksgiving morning and the smell of cinnamon buns waft through the air. Someone greets your with a mimosa and a coffee and everyone settles into the couch to watch the parade.

After eating a cinnamon roll and some bacon your heart sinks because you know you not only have the meal this afternoon, but pumpkin pie tonight, and leftovers tomorrow. You start mentally calculating the entire week and the anxiety starts to seep in. 

 

First, take a deep breath and re-read number three. However, if a week of indulging tends to leave you feeling sluggish or you’re finding you’re feeling sick after each meal, try planning ahead. 

If you know there are certain foods around the holidays that tend to be triggering, take some time ahead of time to ask yourself, why.  What about this food pushes you to eat past the point of enjoyment? Understanding why certain foods trigger us can help us feel like we have more control around those foods. 

 

Another tool to make sure you’re not indulging past the point of enjoyment? Plan a couple meals that you are choosing to prioritize protein and fiber.

 I don’t know about you, but after three or four days of decadence, I often find myself craving salads, fruits, and veggies. Planning ahead to ensure our bodies are getting nutrient dense foods throughout our vacations can really help us listen to our hunger and full cues throughout the week! 

 

 

Have you tried any of these before? Will you try any of these in the future? Remember, the goal is not to limit your enjoyment of special holiday foods. The goal is to give you tools to remove food guilt from your holidays so that you can spend time enjoying your food with your family and friends. 

 

How to Track Macros - Dancers Who Lift Blog

How to Track Macros Like a Pro

Learning how to track macros for the first time can feel like a lot.

Keeping track of how much you’re eating, what you’re eating, and even remembering to track can be a struggle until you get used to it. But what if we approached macro tracking like any other habit? What if instead of shooting for 100% success every single day, we set achievable goals that we could build into sustainable habits?

The best part about understanding what we are eating and why, is gaining the freedom to make informed decisions about how we are fueling our bodies. Now, if you’ve just started with Dancers Who Lift, you likely have either worked with your coach or the DWL Bible and calculated a calorie goal and macro split.

Wait a minute, go back and read those last few words again– “calorie GOAL”. This is a goal for you to hit every day.

Perfection can be paralyzing, instead, let’s shoot for consistency.

You wouldn’t learn how to pirouette without first learning how to plié and relevé. Similarly, breaking down how to track macros into baby steps can help us consistently hit our goals. So let me take you through the basics of tracking your macros and we’ll have you landing “triples” in no time. 

Free energy estimator - macro calculator for dancers

 

The first thing we want to focus on is our protein intake.

The first week or two of tracking your macros, I want you to ignore everything in your tracker except your protein intake. We want to ensure you get the protein you need to fuel your brain and rebuild your muscles between workouts.

Think of your body as a high rise. Protein is the cement that forms the foundation of that 50-story complex. It’s also the floors and ceilings and maybe even part of the architectural features of the apartments. It’s not the only thing that makes up the building. But it’s one of the largest components and, without a high enough daily intake, your building can start to sway too much when the winds pick up. 

Consistently hitting your protein goal is so important that we want you to focus on only that until it becomes second nature. Need top tips for  getting extra protein in? Check out this list of quick and easy protein snacks!

 

How to Track Macros

 

Now, let’s talk calories.

One of the more challenging aspects of learning how to track macros is incorporating your calorie goal. Once you’re hitting your protein goals consistently, the next thing to focus on is hitting your calorie goal while maintaining your protein intake. At first, this might feel challenging. But I promise once you get the hang of it. You’re going to love how it feels to hit the gym less sore, experience less brain fog, and be satiated after your meals. You might even find that when you’re hitting your protein goal and calorie goal, your other macros start to get closer to their respective goals as well!

 

Next up, carbohydrates!

After you’ve been able to hit your calorie goal consistently while maintaining your protein consumption, start focusing on your carbohydrates. These little buggers are sneaky because carbs are in so much of the food we consume–and that’s good! Carbs are our body’s main source of energy.

Remember that building of our body? If protein is the cement, carbs are the metal rods that drill into the foundation, support the walls, and make up the window frames and doors. We want to ensure that we are eating plenty of carbs each day.

The important thing is ensuring each day you are getting as close to your calorie goal as possible while maintaining your protein and carbohydrate consumption. 

 

The last piece of the puzzle is fat.

Now that you’re consistently hitting your calorie goal while maintaining your protein and carbohydrate goals, zero in on your fats. In the building of our bodies, fats are the glass. They make up the floor-to-ceiling windows, the balcony railings, and mirrors. Without them, your building won’t pass inspection as it would be deemed “unlivable.” 

Fats get a bad reputation but the reality is, they are an essential part of our diets-namely, hormone regulation.

However, they are often one of the more challenging macro goals to hit when learning how to track macros. Fats are not only found in red meats, poultry skins, and fish. They are also in oils, butter, milk, and a lot of condiments.

Hot tip: if you’re struggling to hit this goal, take a closer look at your condiments and the number of cooking oils you’re using. Making even the tiniest adjustments in this area can have a massive impact on your diet. 

And just like that you have constructed a healthy “bodybuilding” by gradually making changes to the way that you eat. What’s even better? You’re now functioning on a diet that is going to support everything you’re asking your body to do for you. Whether you’re lifting after your office job or in a 10/12 tech rehearsal, fueling your body well for each day is never a bad choice. So what are you waiting for? Small changes over time can have a massive impact on our future. Why not start today?

Want more tips for tracking macros? Our instagram is JAM PACKED with tips for adding more protein, packing rehearsal snacks, and more. Check it out! And don’t forget to leave us a comment telling us what you tried!

Gym Myths and Misconceptions: The Dancer Edition

For as long as I can remember, I have been confused about why dancers aren’t considered athletes. Almost everyone I have ever spoken to about this concedes that dance is an athletic art form and requires athleticism, yet says that considering dance a sport is a step beyond the truth. It wasn’t until college that someone spoke to me about it in a way that made sense. They said, 

“Dancers are athletes, but as soon as we call dance a sport we impose upon it a set of standards that imply competition. Of course, competition dance exists, but that isn’t (largely) why audiences go to see dance. They go to see dance for its artistry which reveals truth, beauty, and empathy to an audience.”

While I do agree that professional dancers aren’t simply athletes but also artists, I think that thinking of dancers only as artists or  (in the case of a choreographer) tools for an artist has done a lot of harm when it comes to a dancers idea of cross training, fitness. It’s placed in our lives as athletic artists. When you don’t consider someone an athlete first, you don’t train them like athletes, teaching them about nutrition and gym time. This leads to loads of dancers entering into the professional world without a clue as to how to stay physically prepared to perform despite no longer having a rigorous class or studio schedule keeping them ready. It leads to many a Google search about cross-training for dancers, how long dancers should work out, should dancers lift weights, how to train without getting “bulky,” and so much more. So, let’s dive into some of the gym myths and misconceptions that are holding you back from making progress.

  Working out Vs. Training Blog

1. Cross-training should look like a dance.

The first of the gym myths that needs busting is probably one of the most persistent offenders. It’s the idea that your cross-training should look like dance. These are your bosu-ball “stability” exercises. They are your “dancer supersets.” These are the workouts that are contributing to your overuse injuries, and these are the workouts that are keeping you lopsided in your training.

According to Healthline.com, the best definition of cross-training is:

an exercise protocol that utilizes several modes of training that are outside the athlete’s main sport to develop a specific component of fitness.”

This means that, by definition, cross-training cannot be the same as your “sport.” So, a good rule of thumb: if it looks like dance and feels like a dance, it probably is dance – I’m looking at your weighted téndus and sautés! So what does cross-training look like for dancers? The main thing is making sure that you are spending time strengthening muscle groups and stabilizers that often are weaker in dancers. For example, the glutes are largely underdeveloped for dancers. So, adding in some deadlifts, squats, and lunges would be a great way to cross-train that muscle group. Another thing to consider is the positioning of your body. While yes, there are types of squats performed in turn out, we as dancers spend a lot of time there. So, working in parallel could be a better use of our cross-training sessions. 

2. Longer is better.

Another major gym myth people (not just dancers) believe is that longer is better. This is completely untrue and leads to people filling their workouts with “junk” to increase the volume of their sessions. The reality is, in fitness, as in life, quality is better than quantity.  A longer workout does not equal more work. A workout only needs about five to eight quality movements to train your target muscles for that day effectively. Using a compound movement at the start of your workout (which targets more than one muscle group) and finishing off with a few targeted isolation movements can get you in and out of the gym in less than an hour.

Want a few examples of these? Check out @dancerswholit on Instagram and tiktok for tons of free workouts and training tips!

3. Workouts are punishment for eating.

Of all the gym myths this is the one that has been passed down by our culture generation after generation. It’s perspective that your workouts are punishment for eating something that’s  “bad for you” or “being lazy” by taking a day off. The worst part about this is that it implies that workouts are not something that should be enjoyed. Yes, indeed, every workout isn’t “fun.” But they certainly can and should be enjoyed as much as possible! Beyond that, when we go to the gym to “work off” whatever we eat, it reinforces the idea that there are good foods and bad foods. This ultimately damages our relationship with food, which, as we know, often leads us farther away from our goals. For more information on this, check out our blog, “Thinking of Food as Good vs. Bad.” As your trainers, we want you to think of your workout as an opportunity to get closer to your goals and dreams. Thinking of your workout as a tool to get you closer to what you want motivates you to remain consistent. And with consistency comes progress, and with progress comes confidence. So let’s throw away this idea of the gym as punishment and start thinking of time in the gym as a catalyst. 

4. You should only lift light weights to stay lean.

This is the last of the gym myths we are busting today and, honestly, I can’t believe it still exists-but, alas, here we are. It’s the trope that you should only lift light weights so that you stay “long and lean.” First of all, what is long and lean, and why is it better? Well, long and lean look different on everyone, so that can’t be defined. And the short answer to the latter? It isn’t better. There are so many types of dance, and these different types of dance require different levels of mobility, strength, and agility. A tapper will train differently than a break dancer, who will train differently than a ballerina. There is no “one size fits all” training style for dancers. Furthermore, it can be confusing to define “lightweight” as “light” completely, depending on how strong a person is. Finally, this mindset negates the amount of work it takes to look bulky. Say it with me,

“Weightlifting is not the same as bodybuilding.”

Bodybuilders spend copious amounts of time and focus on building enough muscle to look the way they do. To fear being bulky from lifting weights in a cross-training program is similar to non-dancers thinking they can audition for ABT after a year of ballet classes at Steps on Broadway. So let’s let go of this archaic way of thinking about weightlifting for dancers. I can tell you from my own experience that after I started lifting weights, multiple pirouettes came easier, my jumps (which were already solid) got even higher, and my landings felt more controlled. No question, lifting weights took me to the next level in my dance training.

So, how many of these gym myths had you previously believed? There are so many benefits cross-training, and specifically weight training, can offer dancers. Dancers Who Lift exists because we have seen firsthand how effective it can be in helping dancers reach their goals. We’d love to welcome you into our community and answer any questions you may have.


Have questions? Shoot us an email at info@dancerswholift.com or send us a DM on Instagram.

We love helping people find the answers to their fitness and dance questions. But even if you choose to take this journey alone, know that we are right here, cheering you on!

Overcoming Plateaus and Setbacks

 

 

Overcoming plateaus and setbacks on your fitness journey can be challenging. Whether you’re experiencing bad workouts, struggling with an injury, or trying to decide if you’re too sick to work out, staying consistent despite the setbacks takes determination. It also takes practice recognizing what is a plateau and what is just part of the ebb and flow of serious training. 

Lucky for you, we know you’re determined. So we broke down exactly how you can start overcoming plateaus and start seeing results again. 

Let’s get into it. 

Bad Workouts

Having a bad workout is part of the deal with taking training seriously and being an athlete. The longer you train, the more frequent those mediocre and bad sessions become. “Bad” can be defined in various ways but for the sake of this modification, we are going to use it to describe drastically decreased biofeedback markers like strength, energy, preparation, focus, mind-muscle connection, etc. Once it is determined that a modification needs to be made based on poor biofeedback, we recommend attempting to isolate the variable that is the greatest contributor and reducing the demand for it within the session. This should be an absolute last resort. Exhaust all other resources and efforts before having to modify based on a bad workout. This is NOT an excuse to leave the gym out of frustration. Remember, overcoming plateaus requires you to value determination over motivation. 

Example 1: You only had 3 hours of sleep the previous night and little food before your session, so your energy is very low. You attempt to work around this by acutely (single session) reducing the set volume to ensure the work you are able to do is as productive as possible.

Example 2: You are in a caloric deficit and just had a large macro drop so your strength is taking a hit. You attempt to work around this by acutely (single session) reducing the relative load you are using, so that we can more easily get the prescribed volume in without exceeding the prescribed proximity to failure.

Injury

Injuries are a frustrating occurrence – especially when you are working on overcoming plateaus. But acute injuries, such as muscle strains, are less likely than you might think, and catastrophic weight room injuries are very rare. You can avoid the vast majority of injuries, aches, and pains by lifting with good technique and adhering to a planned progression of effort and load. If you do sustain an injury, or flare up an old one, is important to note two things:

  1. Muscles heal relatively quickly, and you will regain all of your old size / strength (and then some) as soon as you get back to training at full capacity.
  2. Injuries will rarely require you to filly stop training. Training through an injury is reckless, but there is almost always a way to train around it. You may even be able to perform the same movement that you, albeit a modified load, tempo, and range of motion 

Sickness

No matter how proactive we are, eventually we all succumb to some illness, virus, or “bug.” Severity and infectiousness will dictate your ability to train, but it is almost always better to stay home until you have recovered instead of trying to train through it and potentially make yourself sicker and / or infect others. 

Symptoms that should deter you from training:

  • Vomiting
  • Severe muscle spasms
  • Diarrhea
  • Severe migraines
  • Body aches / chills
  • Fever

Symptoms that can be trained through in moderation:

  • Headache
  • Congestion
  • Sinus issues due to allergies 

Consistently Poor Biofeedback

If you have multiple poor performance in a row, say a whole week or two of workouts where you feel fatigued or overly sore, then something probably needs to be changed. You may need a week or two of lighter training (refer to Deloading) or reduce your workload so you can recover better. One bad workout is not a cause for concern, especially when one of the usual suspects is acute poor sleep, missed meals, or an especially stressful day. As we have emphasized, improving your physique and performance is a long-term process, and any one session means little in comparison to months of consistency and hard work. 

Missing Workouts

Just as one bad workout means little in the grand scheme of things, missing one workout will not set you back. If it happens, be transparent with your coach, if you have one! They may keep the rest of the week’s workouts exactly the same, or they may adjust the schedule so you can still in some of the important work from the day you missed. If missing workouts becomes a common occurrence, it would then be necessary to make a change. Fewer weekly workouts, completed consistently, will always beat a sporadic schedule. Your coach will be designing your program with a specific progression (refer to Progression Models), so if you see your schedule becoming more unpredictable, just let them know and make adjustments. 

Stalled Progress (it’s not a plateau!)

What people often think of as “plateaus” are more often the result of unmet expectations of rapid progress. There may be times when your performance or physical appearance seems to change rapidly, but by and large, gaining strength is a long-term process. Growing new muscle tissue is even slower. Fat loss can happen relatively quickly, but even then, the scale and mirror may not always reflect that progress on a daily basis. If you feel that your progress has stalled for a few weeks, let your coach know! They may be able to point out plenty of areas where you have made progress; but if need be, they can also make necessary adjustments to your training program or diet.

 

Healthy Foods

Are Foods Good and Bad? Building a Healthy Relationship With Food

We’ve all heard it before:

 “It’s fine, today’s my cheat day” 

“Come on, be bad with me!”

“Treat yourself! You’ve earned it!”

Each of these phrases are used to excuse or encourage the consumption of what are widely considered “bad foods.” You know, chips, pasta, cookies, ice cream, wine. I mean, when was the last time someone said “Oh yes, treat yourself! That spinach is going to be such a treat!” But just like nail polish doesn’t have a gender, neither does food have morality. Believing otherwise will prevent you from having a healthy relationship with food. 

Before we dive into the many reasons why labeling our foods as “good or bad” can actually mitigate your progress, we have to acknowledge that food satisfies a lot of needs in our lives.  And while there may be seasons where certain needs are prioritized over others, it doesn’t mean any of these needs should be ignored.

Obviously, at the very basic level, food is fuel for our bodies. 

But part of building a healthy relationship with food is recognizing that different foods fuel our bodies in different ways.

Foods can bring us joy if they are tied with childhood memories or celebrations. In other situations, foods bring people together; ever bake holiday cookies or a generational recipe with a family member? The key to good health isn’t about eliminating certain “bad foods.” It’s about balance.

We have to remember that we can still see massive improvements in our health, our athletic performance, and in our body composition without major restriction. The key? A focus on balancing our diet by adding more nutrient dense foods. But those other foods can still have a place in our diet.

Odds are you aren’t just eating one or two foods all day long, meal after meal, week after week. So instead of saying “I can’t have this thing anymore.” What if we instead asked ourselves,

“What could I add into my diet to either add nutrients or consume less processed foods in my meals?” 

So, how do I practically build a healthy relationship with food?

Well, when it does come time to decide what we want to eat, the first thing we should consider is, “why?”  Remember, different foods satisfy different needs.

Did you just run a marathon and need to replenish your nutrition relatively quickly, or are you hanging out at home cleaning?

What goals are you trying to achieve? Certain foods are going to be more helpful to achieving certain goals than others.

Finally, are you wanting to eat something that brings you joy or fulfills a special memory? Sometimes when you’re feeling lonely, spending the time to cook your Nonna’s homemade spaghetti can go a long way for your mental health. And like we always say, a healthy mind supports a healthy body! 

Healthy Relationship with Food

So, what happens when I restrict certain foods?

Restricting foods often makes you want them more. In fact, the National Library of Medicine says

Experimental studies suggest that a short-term, selective food deprivation seems to indeed increase cravings for the avoided foods.”

To make matters worse, when we decide to make a certain food “bad” or “off limits” if we do eat that food, we feel guilty– as if we’re bad or misbehaving by consuming that food. Which is, of course, untrue!

To make matters worse, once you feel like you’ve failed, it’s much easier to give up on your goals instead of just getting back on track the next time you eat. Which is a real shame, because eating for pleasure is absolutely okay!

As I said before, food serves many more purposes than simply fueling and nourishing our bodies. Foods that aren’t necessarily loaded with nutrients can still taste amazing, connect us with family and friends, create a sense of belonging, and make celebrations special. 

Imagine your favorite holiday meal or birthday celebration.

You’re surrounded by friends and family. You’re with the people you love eating foods that mean something to that community. Whether that’s a family cookie recipe handed down by your great-grandma or your favorite treat on a girls day with your best friends- those shared experiences add value to our lives.

My best friend lives far away from me, and we love french macarons. We first tasted them together and felt so fancy and grown-up eating them. The first time she visited me, on the day she left, I bought us each one macaron in our respective favorite colors. We “cheers-ed” with them over a cup of coffee, and now, every time she visits the city, we share a simple macaron moment. Is it always macro-friendly? No. Is it always worth it to share that sweet moment with my friend? Absolutely. 

Rigidity will ruin a healthy relationship with food.

We have to realize that, despite what mainstream media says, rigidity is the enemy of consistency. Having an “all or nothing” mindset only works for so long. Why? Because our lives are ever-changing, ever-growing.

I can have a fully stocked kitchen and still get stuck with only fifteen minutes to grab a quick bite between an audition and my side job. So, if fast food places are strictly on my “do not eat” list, I’m suddenly left with the choice to either be late for work or skipping dinner. This leaves you anxious, frustrated, irritable, and hungry.

That’s not the type of life we want you to lead as athletes and dancers.

Imperfect steps toward a goal still get us closer to our goals. Flexibility actually frees us to use our internal guidance rather than external rules to decide which foods to eat, when to eat them, and why we eat them. 

But what if I can’t have a healthy relationship with certain foods?

If rigidity is still appealing to you in regard to certain foods, it’s important to ask why. Getting curious about why we struggle with consuming certain foods in moderation can lead to emotional and psychological growth. We have to ask ourselves:

 “Why do I feel out of control with this food?” 

“What triggers my need or intense craving for this food?” 

“When is it possible to eat this food in moderate amounts, if ever?”

When we do this instead of eliminating those foods, we often find the underlying emotional or psychological thing that causes us to behave this way with certain foods. Some examples of this might be eating when we’re stressed, eating when we’re lonely, or even eating when we are bored.

Sometimes the trigger is a time of day or a location. Maybe you grew up having an after-school snack every day at three. Suddenly you recognize why you have an afternoon craving for sugar.

Other times social situations can trigger your food cravings; if everyone else is eating pizza and wings, I should too. And listen, there is nothing wrong with classic Super Bowl snacks. But if these situations are causing consistent issues for you, it’s worth taking a closer look. 

Relationship with Food

Feedback > Failure

 

The best part of leaning into the “why” behind these “off-limits food” is it empowers you to look at this information as feedback rather than failure. These foods are no longer “good” or “bad,” so we inherently cannot fail when we consume them.

That’s not to say, “eat whatever you want.” But, if you imagine food on a continuum, you can slowly shift your mindset from “don’t eat this” to “eat more of this, eat less of that.” Maybe it’s eating less processed foods and more whole foods. Maybe it’s consuming less alcohol and eating more fruit. Whatever it is, it allows you to have the freedom to choose when you eat certain things and fully enjoy them without any guilt or shame. 

So what are you having for dinner this week? Are you cooking a family recipe for your friends or meal-prepping for a busy week of auditions? We can’t wait to see how the power of choice frees you to make choices that support flexibility and growth instead of rigid control over your life. 

xox Am 

PS if you want to work with a pro-dancer/ certified personal trainer who can make tailored training, nutrition, and recovery plans for you, you should check out our 1:1 coaching program, The Embodied Artist Academy