My name is Audrey and I LOVE to eat!  I love reading about food, and  its effect on our bodies.The philosopher Hippocrates said,  "Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food."  I believe this wholeheartedly!  But, I find it disheartening when nutrition books, doctors, naturopaths, and personal trainers  all say very different, conflicting things regarding what to eat and how to lose weight (even more disheartening when it doesn't work!)  In one book I read called "Why We Get Fat", they make a strong case for a low-carb diet. They even went so far as to say that humans can survive without fruits and vegetables, and that meat has every nutrient that our bodies need. On the other hand, books like "Skinny Bitch"  make a strong case for vegan-ism, pointing out that we have flat, square teeth for chewing grains like cows and other herbivores do, and that we don't have acidic spit that breaks down tough meat fibers like lions and other carnivores. So what's a girl to do? Give up and be fat and sick?

NO WAY! The answer is at your fingertips.

I have dieted, ran, lifted weights, and starved myself to death for 8 years. I once did a thousand-calorie-a-day diet for 2 weeks and actually gained weight. I was tired from waking up to run, tired because I was calorie deprived, and felt sick. And I was still chubby!  I was constantly asking myself (and others), "Why can't I lose weight?" and  "Why don't I have energy?" I was doing everything that the personal trainers, doctors, and books told me to do!

BUT NOW... I am finally losing weight and feeling amazing after 8 years of struggling! Friends tell me now that "I glow."  Maybe what I've found will help you too!

But before I get into that, let me first say that I am NOT an over-enthusiastic, very thin and perfect gym mom. (You know the type!) I am also not a preachy vegan or a carnivore that insists that everyone should eat and workout the way I do because it worked wonders for me. Because diets and the gym didn't work wonders for me. Maybe diet and exercise hasn't worked as well for you, either.   

The Simple Breakthrough That Finally Got Results

Like many answers, it's the simple solutions that often work the best.  This is what I want you to do. Simply write down what you ate, and how it made you FEEL about 30-60 minutes after. Now, let me emphasize that you're not there to judge yourself, or decide if the things you are eating are fattening, or low-calorie, or even "unhealthy". You're done with beating yourself up.  Just write down every detail about how the food made you FEEL.  Do you feel energized? Lethargic or "heavy"? Does your stomach look puffy and bloated? Headache?  Stuffy ears? Phlegmy throat? Bad mood? Good mood? Write down every reaction, no matter how small,even if you think it's unrelated. (Note: If you make simpler meals with only a few ingredients, it will be easier to tell what gave you an adverse reaction)

So many of us forget that food should make us feel more energized after we eat.  It should make us feel like we could go for a run afterward, instead of needing a nap and bigger pants! We shouldn't feel sick.

The author of a book that truly changed my life called "Women, Food, and God" said something like this,  "So often I hear:  'Well, I over-eat because I just love food!'  But over-eating leads to burping, farting, and feeling so uncomfortable you can hardly move. That's not love, that's suffering." 

Once you have written down the reactions for a few weeks, you will start to notice more how you feel. You will get more in tune with your body. You will also start having negative feelings towards foods (and portions) that make you feel sick. That taste you once craved is now related to suffering and sickness in your mind. This is especially convenient if you're addicted to Dr. Pepper like me! I used to crave the calm feeling that the caffeine would give me. Now all I can think about is how my ears clog and I get a slimy coating in my mouth. Blech.

Once you get more in tune with your body, you'll also be able to discern what your body REALLY wants to eat. You’ll be able to go to the fridge, and your body will naturally be attracted to the nutrients that it's missing. (Unless you have a fridge and pantry full of junk. In that case, it's your messed up hormones that will be telling you, “I need simple carbs-- BREAD! And fat-- ooh, here’s some cheese sauce! Yep we need that! And ICE CREAM! )  I promise there is no nutrient in cheese sauce that your body is missing. :) So you’ll really, really have to listen to your body. But its not easy at first. Its taken me a year or two to be super in tune to my body. So, don't beat yourself up. You’ll get it.

Everyone’s body is different

Each person needs different things. Over the last year of watching how foods make me feel, I have noticed that I feel sick and heavy when I eat too much meat. But my sister Amy, who naturally has more muscle and keeps/builds it easily, feels terrible if she doesn’t eat ENOUGH meat.

The point is that you are on a quest to find what your body's "happy foods" are. What foods make you feel lighter and more energized? If your food doesn't do that for you, stop eating that crap! Your body doesn't like it. Start being a loyal friend to your body. Spoil it and make it happy.

"Unhealthy" is all relative

Another thing that I have noticed while on my "happy foods" journey is that “healthy” and “unhealthy” are also relative to your specific body. My sister breaks out with bad acne when she eats cheese and dairy. I have found I sleep better if I have cheese before bed. Our bodies are obviously very different!  I also noticed that when I cut out all whole wheat flour for a week, that I had no cravings. NONE! (It is heaven. My hormones feel so stable! And my moods are also-- so do I think it is worth it to stop eating bread? HE@# YES IT IS!!!!) But this is me. This is not the case for everyone! My other sister found she has an adverse reaction to blueberries, one of the healthiest foods on the planet! But to her, they are not. She may have a mild allergy. But do you think our bodies can focus on healing themselves, building muscle, burning fat, balancing hormones, etc if it’s using all its energy to fight off a food that’s harmful to it specifically? Nope, instead it will create defenses that manifest themselves in the form of headaches, sluggishness, stomach aches, etc. Once you stop eating those things, your hormones will balance, your body will shed its extra weight, and you’ll be happier!

Feed Your Frame: Carnivores, Herbivores, and Omnivores

In my years of research and experimentation, and scratching my head at why I eat so healthy but wasn't losing weight, I have found that it is essential to eat according to your body type. This was KEY for me!  Scott Jurek, the famed vegan ultrarunner that was born and bred on Minnesota meatloaf, found he got faster and was less prone to injury the more he cut meat out of his diet. This is no surprise when you look at his tall frame, and long, lean muscles. He is what you would call the Herbivore type. This type doesn't build muscle easily, tends to lose it quickly, and has long, lean muscles. They don't require a lot of meat, but do better on beans and lentils for protein, and require a higher amount of clean, slow-burning carbs (think brown rice, oats, etc) and lots of nuts, fruits, and vegetables to lose weight and feel whole. (Note: If you  gain weight in your thighs and butt, and are more of  a "pear" shape, there is a good chance you are an Herbivore! Try a diet of 50% slow-burning carbs, 20% protein like beans and lentils, and 30% healthy fats like avocado and olive oil).

On the opposite spectrum, My friend Dani that I used to lift with has beautiful shoulders and thick muscular legs. She says she inherited her dads ability to put on muscle easily. (He is short, stocky, and looks like he could lift a car!)  If Dani misses a week or 2 at the gym, she picks it right back up easily. What kind of diet do you think her body is happiest on? (You guessed it, the girl loves protein!) She loses weight when she has protein like meat, eggs, and cottage cheese for every meal with lots of fruits and vegetables, and cuts out the carbs. She is a classic carnivore type! (People that gain weight mostly in their upper body ("apple" shapes) generally tend to lose weight on the Carnivore diet! )

And then we have the in-betweens, the Omnivores. Those that need equal amounts of carbs to protein and fat. My husband is a classic Omnivore. He loves my tempeh tacos and salad, but a couple times a week he just CRAVES meat! Omnivores tend to lose weight when they do a low calorie diet of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

Exercise for Bliss Not Punishment
I love the therapy I get from long runs. It loosens up my knotted shoulders, and puts my mind in a meditative state. Does running make me happy? Yep it sure does! Should I keep doing it? Definitely! Do I feel like I need to push it hard at the weight bench any more? Nope. I do what i like. And I like running!

My neighbor loves to ride her beach cruiser every morning in the sun. She comes back glistening with sweat and beautiful. Her joints are flexible and strong and aren't stressed and in pain like when she runs. She comes back tired, and smiling. Should she  keep biking? Heck yes! The point is, do what exercise you like and sweat doing it. A LOT.  Your organs use sweat as a way to rid themselves of toxins. And you need the endorphins!

Now I am not saying that if you don't like to exercise, you should give it all up. That's baloney and you're listening to your brain, not your body. Your body wants to move; to work out its stresses and sweat. I propose you simply have not found the form of exercise that makes your body the most happy. Try Zumba, or hot yoga, or Crossfit! Just keep looking. Go out and find it!

Finally, I have to confess that writing down what you eat isn't the one-and-only answer. It's actually the first step. But perhaps the  BIGGEST and most important step. Once you have your own personalized list of foods to eat and foods NOT to eat, formulate your OWN diet. One that you like and can stick with! Losing weight isn't about sacrificing foods you love. It's about  eating only the food your BODY loves.

Now go spoil yourself. :)

If you have questions or comments,  need help with your nutrition, or want more details about whats in this article, shoot me an email! I would love to hear from you.
aujtaylor@gmail.com