I was scrolling though my phone this morning and I came across a few photos that I took of my stomach.  All at different times over the course of the last few years.  You might be wondering why I’m taking shots of my stomach and to be perfectly honest, I like to see if there’s flux, if what I’m doing is working long term and what causes me to feel/look bloated?

I’ll typically take shots during these times:

  1.  High Stress
  2. Tightening up my diet a tiny bit (less dessert and portion control :)) and honestly, this has only happened less than a handful of times over the last 4 years. 
  3. Excessive exercise (for me, if I do too much cardio, I immediately get an increase in my cortisol levels and see it super quick in my stomach.  Bloat, gas, digestive issues)
  4. If I’m incorporating new foods into my diet

For me, I go with my tummy because I’ve had a very sensitive digestive track for as long as I can remember.  When something’s off in my body, my stomach will show me first.

It’s pretty much like playing a detective if you will, I like to see how my body responds to different stimuli.

Anyhow, I wanted to share these different photos with you because I wanted to show you that my weight my fluctuate a little bit but nothing extreme.

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All of these shots were taken over the last two years.  The bottom right was today.  This is exactly why I DO NOT diet.  Overall, my stomach has stayed consistent over the last 4 years.  Here’s the breakdown:

(Top Left) Jan 2014: Slightly tightened up my diet a bit

(Top Right) Aug 2015: This was after 7 days of doing a trial run with wheat and dairy. My body hated it.

(Bottom left) Aug 2016: Just a summer pic, not doing anything different.

(Bottom Right) Today. My body is holding a little stress from excess cardio this past weekend.  I went on a 40 mile ride and my body didn’t like that either since it’s been 2 + years since I did that last. 🙂 Scaling it back a notch.

In the past, I lost almost half of my body weight and regained that weight + an additional 60 points within a year’s time.  Crazy right?

Needless to say, I was in no place to discuss consistency, healthy habits and proper exercise to anyone.  Now, I can say in the last 4+ years I’ve been able to maintain the same weight (+ or -3-6lbs).

For me, this is HUGE.  I no longer have a roller coaster of weight gain, weight loss, rinse and repeat.  Now, I can say that I’ve been consistent, participated in activity that I’ve enjoyed and eat what I want within certain guidelines.  I’d be lying if I said I laid on the couch all day, ate chips and cookies and was able to maintain a decent shape.

My approach has stayed quite simple and it looks like this:

  1.  I eat veggies whenever I can and a LOT of them.
  2. I eat protein at every meal, especially in the morning to help my blood sugar levels
  3. I move everyday. Now, moving and exercise to me are different.  Exercise is doing something planned like a workout at the gym, lifting weights, going for a run, etc.  Moving is just that.  Moving throughout the day.  Maybe an easy walk, a nice stroll in the neighborhood and not where I’m just sitting on my ass all day.
  4. I eat a small amount of crappy food each day.  Yeah, so this might sound counterintuitive but for me, this helps take the edge off my cravings.  If I want a Snickers bar, I will eat one.  Not the whole thing but half.  If I want some potato chips I have a handful, not the entire bag.  Basically, I tell my mind that I can have whatever I want at any point and the food is not going anywhere.  I don’t need to restrict the food, dream about it and then go and binge on it.  Rather, I take it for what it is and enjoy it mindfully.

Basically, what I’m getting at is this:  it’s all about the consistency, it’s what we do everyday that adds up over time.  I didn’t get here over night, it was through TONS of mistakes, trial and error and many f ups but I’ve managed to some how find a solution that’s helped me long term.  That’s why I don’t stress if one day I’ve eaten too little or another I’ve eaten a bit too much because it all evens out.  It’s when we obsess, restrict, count, binge and overthink the food does it then begin to control us.

In case you haven’t heard, my NEW FREE 5 day workout/nutrition consistency challenge starts next Monday!  We will be covering simple and effective meals that control hunger, cravings and blood sugar stabilization.  I’m also giving you 5 free workouts that you can do in home with dumbbells.  The best part?  All the meals are under 5 ingredients so they’re quick, simple and easy to make.  I’ve literally taken all the guess work out for you!

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