Why I Design a Balanced Diet for My Clients V.S. a Strict Diet

Yesterday, I was speaking with a potential client and I was doing a nutritional assessment with her (I always do this so we can assess where she’s at and go from there). Her goal is to lose weight. However, she confessed she has done every single diet and was currently doing Jenny Craig but stopped around November because of the holidays. However, she had gained everything she lost and then some. This is the exact reason why my philosophy of “this is a lifestyle, not a diet.” was started. I’m not saying I created this but I do follow and live by it!

I have been there done that! I was in her shoes a couple years back. I have done Weight Watchers, Atkins, Bodybuilder strict diet, the cookie diet, the watermelon diet, etc. Want to know what I learned from this? Nothing, which is why you end up gaining all the weight back and then some. By doing these diets you are not learning how to eat.

Instead, you are learning how to restrict yourself and have a bad relationship with food. While I was doing those diets, which I am sure has happened to many of you, I was only looking forward to the day I can get off it or have my “cheat meal”. That is an awful way to live. Your not enjoying life. Instead, your waiting for that burger and once you have it it opens up Pandora’s Box.

I remember this one time, about 8 years ago, my best friend and I went to Disney World. We were both doing this extreme diet of Tilapia & Avocado (this is why I hate fish), and we agreed that for the weekend we were going to get off our diet. So what did we do, we brought with us an entire box of Misha’s Cupcakes, and ate everything that was thrown our way. Needless to say on Monday morning we felt awful, we were super sore and swollen, and we had gained about 8-10 lbs. Now enter the guilt phase and go to the gym and work out like a maniac.

I’m sharing this with you so that you can see that I’ve been there like all of you. However, I decided to change. I wanted to live a life where I can enjoy going out with my friends and family, have some dessert and not gain 8 lbs afterwards. I wanted to look at food and not feel like I needed to devour it in 3.5 seconds and eat everything in sight (literally I looked like a wolf!)

I began my nutrition and coaching journey and you know what I found, there is a life of living balanced and having a healthy relationship with food. I’m not perfect because no one is but I AM much happier. This is what I teach my clients every day. All those fad diets that you lose 20lbs in a month sound amazing. You DO lose and you feel great. But you know what isn’t great? Your mindset. If your mindset isn't real what will happen is you will end up failing and falling off the bandwagon.

Yes, nutrition is about food and knowing what you put into your body and what it does for you, but you know what else it is? Mental. You have to be mentally ready to enter this chapter of your life. You have to forget everything you’ve ever heard about diets, have patience and be ready and willing. I can give you all the tools needed to be successful but if your not mentally ready and willing, it will not work.

Today, in 2020, is when I can finally say I have a happy and healthy relationship with food. I’ll show you an example. I have a “free meal” every week. The Monika of 8 years ago, would go crazy ordering everything from the menu, ordering 3 desserts, etc. This past weekend my “free meal” was a salad. I didn’t measure it and put whatever I wanted in it, but still. I was content. Why? I knew my body needed it and I knew that if I wanted to have a piece of cookie the following day I could. All I had to do was fit it into my macros. You need to learn to live a life of balance. You also need to learn about foods and what you are putting into your body.

I can absolutely help you with this and I want to help you so you can have nutritional freedom (did I just invent a new thing)? lol. I want you to learn how to make a complete meal consisting of fats, protein and carbs. Many of us don’t know what a fat is or what is a carb (except that it's evil)… it actually isn’t.

If you have any questions about this please comment below or contact me here.

As a bonus I am adding a list that can help you identify what is a carb, protein and fat and when you should eat it. Click here.