Eating what you want is the way to reach your goals
This weekend I ate everything under the sun. Pizza, cheesecake, wings, even more pizza, you name it. I even shared all the yumminess on my Instagram stories...
So yesterday, when I posted this photo, I got tons of questions about how it was possible to eat what I wanted and not gain a bunch of weight.
Well, to start, let's go back to why I posted these two photos. If you don't already know I compete in bodybuilding competitions, which you have to get extremely lean for in order to do well. In the photo on the left I was 2 days out from a national competition in 2018. The photo on the right was taken Sept 2019 after a trip to Toronto where I literally ate what I wanted and didn't work out (just didn't make the time).
With all that time in between, on top of holidays, travel, vacation and a busy work schedule I didn't experience a big shift in weight or lose any progress. Why? Because I follow a very flexible and realistic routine.
When you follow a routine that is sustainable for you you can keep your progress going forever instead of constantly losing weight then gaining it all back then losing it again. I follow a macro approach, however I DO NOT count and track every day all day. Even that is unsustainable (unless you want to track food forever). It’s a tool not a crutch.
Because I have a general understanding of what I need to eat in a day, and I somewhat plan my food weekly I can follow a very lose/flexible routine.
I take this approach because it’s easy. It’s mentally convenient. It’s non-restrictive.
When you restrict your calories and carbs and excessively workout, its a no brainer that you’re going to lose weight. The question is, can you sustain that routine? Is that routine healthy for you mentally and physically? For me, even during competition season, if I’m not doing something that resembles my normal daily routine I won’t do it because I won’t do well. Anything too strict sets me up for failure. If you watch my stories, you may notice I don't follow some squeaky clan diet. I eat non-healthy snacks and food but I also really love healthy plant-based foods and working out regularly. I’m not doing crazy hours in the gym or excessive amounts of cardio, I just know what my body needs to thrive, and I cut off the excess BS when I know I’ve had enough.
