In a dream world where I could eat whatever I wanted, still stay lean, healthy and have six pack abs, this is what my diet would consist of.
Ice Cream
Peanut Butter
Macaroni and Cheese
Pizza
The little raspberry tart things that my Mom makes at Christmas
Lots of tasty delicious breads
Cheetos
Cream of Mushroom soup (seriously, it was my favorite as a kid)
Chocolate
Did I say Ice Cream yet?? Just in case…ICE CREAM!
That’s right! I’m human! I have a major sweet tooth and I crave junky foods just like anybody else does. It’s not easy to make the right choices everyday. I get stressed, I get sad, I get emotional, just like everybody else. I get busy and don’t have time to cook. I even have tired days where I don’t feel like working out.
This is all shocking information right? If I love all these foods that are listed above and would love to eat them every day for the rest of my life, then why don’t I? Why don’t I give in to the cravings and just eat whatever I want whenever I want it? A lot of people are doing just that, so why can’t I?
The answer is simple. I can. But I choose not too. The reason is this. I know how GREAT it feels to be on THIS side. I know that it is worth it to make the choices that I do every single day. The list of perks to NOT eating those foods day in and day out far outweighs any momentary satisfaction than junk food overload would fulfill.
There are, of course, the visual perks. I love having six pack abs. I can’t deny that one bit, my mid section is something I have worked incredibly hard for, and it was worth every sacrifice, every moment of overcoming a temptation, every workout. It was all worth it.
The emotional, mental and health perks are even more important. It’s worth it to not eat those foods every day in exchange for being able to walk into a store and pick out whatever clothes that I want and KNOW that they are going to fit. It’s worth it to feel attractive and beautiful for myself and for my boyfriend. It’s worth it to know that I’m in good health. It’s worth it to feel GOOD, to have clear skin because I’m not eating junky foods, to have energy because I’m eating foods that fuel me, to look YOUNGER than I am because of how I’ve chosen to live my life. It’s worth it to KNOW that I will fit into an airplane seat easily, or into the back of a friends crowded car if we all need to pack in. It’s worth it to know that I will be able to walk or run up a hill, or tackle a long flight of stairs and make it to the top.
It’s worth it to know that because of the choices I’ve made I get to wake up every single morning and do exactly what I love to do, which is train people and teach them how to live a healthier lifestyle. It’s worth it because every dream and goal I’ve had and will have in the future has come true or will come true because I make the choice to NOT eat like that every day.
Do I have cheat meals? YES of course I do! I thoroughly enjoy some of my favorite cheat foods on occasion. But they are not the staples of my diet. Don’t misinterpret and think that I don’t enjoy the foods that are healthy and keep me lean, because I do, very much in fact, but that’s beside the point. My little rant came about because I get a lot of emails from people that think and/or assume it’s easy for me, or for any other fit person, fitness model, figure competitor, or bodybuilder. That because of what we look like now that we never have to struggle with temptations and cravings. On the contrary, we all struggle with them. We all have the power and the responsibility to make the choices that will either get us to our goals, or hold us back from them.
Ice Cream
Peanut Butter
Macaroni and Cheese
Pizza
The little raspberry tart things that my Mom makes at Christmas
Lots of tasty delicious breads
Cheetos
Cream of Mushroom soup (seriously, it was my favorite as a kid)
Chocolate
Did I say Ice Cream yet?? Just in case…ICE CREAM!
That’s right! I’m human! I have a major sweet tooth and I crave junky foods just like anybody else does. It’s not easy to make the right choices everyday. I get stressed, I get sad, I get emotional, just like everybody else. I get busy and don’t have time to cook. I even have tired days where I don’t feel like working out.
This is all shocking information right? If I love all these foods that are listed above and would love to eat them every day for the rest of my life, then why don’t I? Why don’t I give in to the cravings and just eat whatever I want whenever I want it? A lot of people are doing just that, so why can’t I?
The answer is simple. I can. But I choose not too. The reason is this. I know how GREAT it feels to be on THIS side. I know that it is worth it to make the choices that I do every single day. The list of perks to NOT eating those foods day in and day out far outweighs any momentary satisfaction than junk food overload would fulfill.
There are, of course, the visual perks. I love having six pack abs. I can’t deny that one bit, my mid section is something I have worked incredibly hard for, and it was worth every sacrifice, every moment of overcoming a temptation, every workout. It was all worth it.
The emotional, mental and health perks are even more important. It’s worth it to not eat those foods every day in exchange for being able to walk into a store and pick out whatever clothes that I want and KNOW that they are going to fit. It’s worth it to feel attractive and beautiful for myself and for my boyfriend. It’s worth it to know that I’m in good health. It’s worth it to feel GOOD, to have clear skin because I’m not eating junky foods, to have energy because I’m eating foods that fuel me, to look YOUNGER than I am because of how I’ve chosen to live my life. It’s worth it to KNOW that I will fit into an airplane seat easily, or into the back of a friends crowded car if we all need to pack in. It’s worth it to know that I will be able to walk or run up a hill, or tackle a long flight of stairs and make it to the top.
It’s worth it to know that because of the choices I’ve made I get to wake up every single morning and do exactly what I love to do, which is train people and teach them how to live a healthier lifestyle. It’s worth it because every dream and goal I’ve had and will have in the future has come true or will come true because I make the choice to NOT eat like that every day.
Do I have cheat meals? YES of course I do! I thoroughly enjoy some of my favorite cheat foods on occasion. But they are not the staples of my diet. Don’t misinterpret and think that I don’t enjoy the foods that are healthy and keep me lean, because I do, very much in fact, but that’s beside the point. My little rant came about because I get a lot of emails from people that think and/or assume it’s easy for me, or for any other fit person, fitness model, figure competitor, or bodybuilder. That because of what we look like now that we never have to struggle with temptations and cravings. On the contrary, we all struggle with them. We all have the power and the responsibility to make the choices that will either get us to our goals, or hold us back from them.
My advice to anyone who is still making excuses for themselves, still telling themselves that they can’t achieve a fitness goal because of this, that and the other thing, still telling themselves that anyone who has attained a great physique, has it easy because we must not have to struggle with any of the challenges that they face, to STOP the excuses and START making the right choices. You can be whoever you want to be, you can achieve whatever you want to achieve, it’s up to you to make the right choices. Just do it. It’s worth it.
Diana Chaloux
One on one personal training in Kansas City, MO
Online Training and Nutrition programs available worldwide
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