I have former clients, current clients, and random friends who have asked NUMEROUS times my nutrition advice. I always give the same answer (this is a summary but you’ll get the idea). If you want to drop weight, lean up, have energy, be healthy…….then eat whole foods, drink water, no alcohol, no sweets. Then occasionally (once per week) have a “fun meal” if you are strong enough to stop at one. If you are the type that one fun meal causes you to binge eat, then you may have to go cold turkey for awhile until you learn how to control it. Everyone has to find out for themselves how much temptation they can handle. Moving on……if God created it, eat it. Lean meats, lots of veggies (especially green!!), healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, etc) and some fruit & nuts. But the majority of people get a 50 yard stare and their eyes begin to glaze over as soon as I talk about food preparation and eat your vegetables. (We all know that look…….especially all you parents out there. Well, that’s the look I get from people when I tell them what I eat. ) A lot of folks refuse to do the work, they refuse to go without eating out 4/5 days per week, and continue to eat processed food. UNTIL…..some one comes along with a challenge, a fix, a shake, or a pill…….and then they are all over that because they can “replace” healthy foods they would normally have to prepare/cook with something they can grab on the go. They lose a few pounds and think they’ve finally found the answer. All the while they have also eaten out less, cut back on sugar/alcohol, etc., because the program they are on encourages it for maximum results……then they give credit to this new and improved product they have discovered. When in fact they would have achieved the same results (and long lasting results) had they just been willing to put in some time buying, preparing whole foods and less eating out like I advised originally. If you’re serious about being healthy, do it the right way. Short cuts don’t yield long lasting results. LEARN how to eat, what to eat, how to prep, and how to live a healthy lifestyle. Stop settling for quick, easy, and the latest fad. Do you want a one night stand or a long lasting meaningful relationship? If you want the one night stand….McDonald’s is open all night.

This is not rocket science. I didn’t invent this idea. Nor is this a new opinion of mine. Even during seasons of my life when I eat less than perfect (I’m human too), I still know what works for me and what doesn’t.

NOW to all those people who I have just offended…….with all that said, do programs work for some people?? YES! We are all different. Some people respond great to a meal replacement shake because their history proves they were skipping meals before. Now they are really trying to get some needed protein and calories instead of starving themselves. For others, being on a program keeps them accountable to others who are doing it with them.

This post is directed toward the people out there who are NOT willing to learn and want to be “bikini ready” in one month without sacrificing their social life, without working their ass off in the gym, without turning down dessert, without turning down Friday night mexican food with friends, without sacrificing happy hour after work……..I meet these people all the time. They are the ones who call me in April or May, haven’t stepped foot in a gym in a year, tell me to get them ready for their beach trip in June, and by the way……”I can’t eat like you do…..I just don’t have the time or like that kind of food”.

And that ladies and gentlemen is when my eyes begin to glaze over………

How important is it to you???? FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. Make a commitment and do it. If you choose to use a pill, shake, whatever……at least try to learn how to cook, what to cook, and how to do food prep while you are in “x” program. You may find that the program you are in is perfect for where you are today mentally, but as you outgrow it (because you will…..it’s called plateau), it can be a stepping stone to a whole food lifestyle. And you may discover you actually enjoy eating veggies.