There is no 'good' or 'bad'

To whoever decided to take it upon themselves to label food as 'good' or 'bad', you are severely disliked by anyone who has a challenging relationship with food. Thanks a lot.

But, on the real! Who struggles with looking at food and thinking "is this good or bad for me"? I've been that girl. I've been in those shoes where I eat a few slices of pizza and beat myself up for it. I ran miles the next day thinking I burned it off immediately. I've been the girl that says "well if I'm eating one I might as well eat 12" and would over eat. Then proceeded to wake up the next day, yet again, beating myself up and ripping myself apart for it. I know I'm not the only one because we grow up in a society where it's embedded in our brains that food is 'good' or 'bad'. Until you finally realize there is NO 'good' or 'bad' food, you'll never fully appreciate food and its value in your life.

Now, let me clarify this for you. There are fueling foods which are inherently better for you and your body. These foods provide super important vital micronutrients that you need to function. There are also fun foods that may not provide the most important nutrients for your body, but they make your soul feel good to eat. Both exist and both can be coexistent in your journey towards your happiest, healthiest self. It's all about balance. It is also realizing that your version of balance doesn't have to be the exact same as someone else's version of balance.

How do you know what your balance is? That's where, I believe, tracking macros comes into play. Learning how to track fueling and the fun foods, while sticking to your plan, reaching your goals, and achieving results makes all the difference! It proves that you CAN enjoy the foods you may have labeled as 'bad' and still take positive steps in the right direction for your health. It helps you see that you CAN have both delicious, nutritious fueling meals throughout the day and a cookie, while still pursuing YOUR version of a balanced lifestyle.

Another important habit to practice is moderation. A slice of pizza will not ruin all your hard work. It will not add on 2lbs of fat over night. Neither would 2-3 slices of pizza in one night. However, if you were to have 2-3 slices a night for a week straight, then you are delaying your progress. See the difference? Sure, a higher calorie meal that is predominantly fats/carbs at the end of your day can impact how you feel the next day and even make the scale change. But, those few changes are not permanent. So, let me say this again for the people in the back: one night of fun food WILL NOT make you gain fat over night! Enjoy these foods in moderation.

The last thing I really want to emphasize is changing how you label food. Stop with the 'good' and 'bad'. Why? It's simple. By labeling a food as 'bad', you then associate yourself as bad when you eat it, you associate your body as bad or not good enough because you gave it something bad, and then you think negative thoughts any time you are around that food. What kind of life is that?! You are not a bad person for enjoying a donut. You are not a good person because you ate a salad. You are human and NEED food to survive. You need both the fueling and the fun food! BOTH. So! Next time you look at some food, tell yourself this: I need food to (insert something you love to do).

Here's mine: I need food to lift weights, to have energy, and to honor my body because it does so much for me.