Because It Fits

I feel like I have tried so many “diets” {hate that word, btw}, and they have all failed me….

Until I heard about IIFYM, which stands for “If It Fits Your Macros”. Basically it taught me about balanced eating, why people should not label foods, the importance of micronutrients, why carbs and fats are NOT bad for you, and so much more. Really it has helped me have a healthy relationship with food, which is the number one goal right?

Cucumber, homemade ranch and ham sandwiches. With the good
comes the bad {see below}

A CHEESE CURD BURGER. My mouth is watering looking back
at this picture. It was as amazing as it sounds. There is also
ham on the burger but I took that off because ham just
does not sound good with a burger.

Everyone has a different opinion on all the different kind of “diets” like: paleo, low-carb, low-fat, high-protein, no bread, shake diets, pill diets, etc. I get it, because when you find something that works for YOU, you will stand behind it. I stand behind IIFYM, not because I get to eat donuts and lose weight, but because it has helped me not stress about food.

I went through this obsession with pizza - this is BBQ chicken with homemade
ranch. Below is turkey pepperoni with a side salad. I am getting in protein (from my meat and cheese)
plus carbs from the tortilla. Winning!

So what do I do? Each day I log my food into My Fitness Pal, but not only do I log my food but I also weigh it on a food scale before I eat it. It seems like a lot of work but honestly you get the hang of it so quickly. Why weigh and not measure? Well, have you ever measured 2T. of peanut butter? Yeah, I have too, and it is always at least .5 over the serving size. By weighing you are getting the exact macro count.

Breakfast sandwich! Cheese, eggs and turkey bacon on an english muffin.
Tastes just like McDonalds but a lot healthier ;) 

Mexican food is my FAV and I ordered a Mexican themed omelet once.
It was really yummy, I tried to make one myself, but my flipping skills suck.

This ONLY happens before a long run (13 miles +). This is a full
bagel, no "thins" here!

So do I count calories? NO!! I count macros (protein, fat, carbs).

What about eating out? With practice I have gotten good about knowing about what to eat, I always over-guess at the restaurant too so I can try to be under my macros vs. over. Two night ago I shared fajitas with Catherine and I opted out on shells so I could enjoy unlimited chips and cheese!

I eat salads about 5 days a week. And when I say salad I mean
one full bag of lettuce and one bag of spinach. They say,
"Go Big Or Go Home"

Boom Chica Pop is seriously amazing paired with a
bagel thin, turkey, turkey bacon and come fixings. 

What if I make a meal/recipe at home? It is actually super easy! For example, with the coconut balls I shared the other day, I weigh all the ingredients before then mix them all. At the end I weigh the whole batch and that’s the serving #. Finally, every time I eat a ball, I weigh it – booom! I have the exact macro count.  I will share a more detailed post about this in the near future.

This was heaven! The chocolate stuff if cream cheese with a jello
packet plus some cool whip. Of course I put it in a mini gram cracker
pie tin thing with whip cream!

Balsamic roast beef with veggies - this meal is Whole30 approved! 

Do I eat donuts everyday? No (I wish ;)). Everyday I make sure to eat my micronutrients (fiber, vitamins, etc.) and then once those are filled I can eat a treat. I do not eat treats everyday and 80% of the time my treats are still considered nutrient dense foods with whole ingredients…. BUT, an occasional donut that fits my macros is not going to make me gain weight.

Yummy dessert - two ingredients! Banana's and peanut butter. Warm the PB
so it gets all melty! 

REAL bacon - no turkey crap here. This stuff is from Whole Foods and
I paid my left leg for it, but its legit, no crap in it.

I am happy, healthy and crushing both weight-loss goals and fitness related goals :) If you have questions about how to get started I would love to help you for free! I just want everyone to have a good relationship with food and help them meet their goals.