by Kelly Songy Nelson
For those of you who know me, you know that I’m a planner. For those of you who know my husband, Jimmy, you know that he’s….well, not a planner…except when it comes to workouts and food. Jimmy is extremely disciplined in these areas as you can see here.
This week we’re in Florida for a conference and it’s the first time that Jimmy hasn’t brought food with him – no chicken, no sweet potatoes, no green beans in zippy bags, frozen and safely stowed in a cooler bag! We ran out of time packing and just said “it’s OK – we’ll just make due with what the hotel has to offer.” The only things we brought were oats and shake packs.
We got to the hotel and our room wasn’t ready, so we worked out in the hotel gym and headed to the pool restaurant for some post-lifting fuel. Options were slim, but we made due. Later in the evening, we dined out with a few friends at a chain restaurant. Service was not-so-great, food was average at best (Jimmy got ribs and veggies; I got a turkey burger and sweet potato fries). And Jimmy got a ramekin of BBQ sauce dumped on his jeans…great!
After we got back to our room, we both felt blah. Jimmy had two beverages while out, but I didn’t have anything to drink (I was driving). Feelings of a hangover were setting in for both of us even though I didn’t drink. Our stomachs were queasy and we just felt a little off.
We both slept horribly – restless and uneasy. We woke up and decided to hit the gym to see if that would help. I lifted and Jimmy popped an Insanity DVD into his laptop in the hotel gym. Post workout I really felt bad. I had oatmeal and Shakeology, showered and felt a little better, but then the queasiness came back for both of us.
While we made “better-bad-choices” with the food offerings when we dined, we both agree that it has to be the QUALITY of the food we ate that didn’t agree with us. Usually, we eat organic produce and “clean” meat (no hormones, no antibiotics, pasture raised, free roaming, etc.) We are super careful about the quality that we eat and that we feed to Asher.
This is a huge lesson learned for us. We are kicking ourselves for not staying up an extra hour to prep and pack food. Not only did our bodies suffer, but our wallet did as well. Two meals out averaged $60…each! And that’s only the first day of our trip!!!
I know that people complain about the cost of organic food or clean meats sometimes. All I know is we don’t get sick. We haven’t been to the doctor in years. The only medical bills that we’ve had in the past two years were hospital bills from Asher’s birth! The saying “You Are What You Eat” is TRUTH. “Garbage In, Garbage Out” also applies.
We shop for quality good at quality stores. We shop around the perimeter of the store – where the freshest foods are.
If you want to start making changes to your diet, I encourage you to start by shopping around the perimeter of the store – make it a challenge for yourself!! And be picky!!! Don’t be afraid to ask where the organic veggie section is or to ask the butcher how the chicken or cattle you’re about to buy was raised. It’s your body, you owe it to yourself to maintain it properly. Think of your car. When it’s time, you take it to get an oil change – no questions asked. You know that in order for your car to perform optimally, it needs to be well taken care of. Your body is no different. Put in good, high quality fuel and watch it go!!
For more information on what “good food choices” are, check out our Free No-Brainer Food Guide. It’s a great guide to print and put in your purse and pocket. It’ll help you make smart decisions when grocery shopping or dining out!
Kelly Nelson, Beachbody Coach, grew up in New Orleans enjoying all of the yumminess that the Big Easy had to offer. Dancing 6 days a week helped to keep her on track, but after graduating from college and entering corporate America, her Big Easy lifestyle and eating habits soon caught up with her in the form of 30 pounds!! Now a wife and Mom, Kelly has not only kicked her carb-a-riffic diet, but shed 59 pounds post pregnancy. Her outlook on life has changed from “it won’t work” to “what if it DOES work”!!! Working together with her husband, Insanity’s Coach Jimmy, to end this trend of obesity is a dream come true!