PART 3⠀
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I left Part 2 off (scroll back in my feed to catch up) alluding to the biggest surprise in this experience to date, and here it is:⠀
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The distinct shift in not just understanding food freedom, but feeling it. I’ve stepped into a new phase where food is generally not a distraction for me - in either mental or physical space.⠀
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And I don’t mean I don’t have an appetite; I am always excited to eat and create meals, but I am not at all food focused outside of genuine hunger, or ending my meals with a desire for more.⠀
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I used to crave something sweet after each meal - lunch dessert was a thing, and not something I take issue with...IIFYM and makes you feel good it works, right? Right. ⠀
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However, currently I just finished my lunch salad and two months ago I would have wanted a bite of something sweet; today, nothing. ⠀
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One common concern in a transition away from high volume eating is feeling like we won’t feel full. And generally in a cutting phase this is true, and the foundation for most of my recipes. But at this point, making room for more carbs within the meals I’ve always loved, has actually made them even MORE satisfying. ⠀
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Any concern about being hungry from changing 3 cups of broccoli to one cup of rice was GONE after only a few meals.⠀
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Again, I am at MAINTENANCE calories, so reasonable amounts of fun foods like ice cream, pasta and bread (think versions with 3-4 ingredients) not only FIT my macros, but ENHANCE my digestion because they are processed quickly, and I am getting more than adequate nutrition and fullness from the other 80% of my diet. ⠀
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Context matters here; if I was eating at 1500 cals/day, this would not be the case. In that scenario I would want closer to 95% of my intake to come from minimally processed foods.⠀
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Overall my favorite part (beyond the improvement in digestion and the physique changes) is that hunger has been more stabilized than ever; I started this rating hunger at a 4-5/5 most days and now I am consistently rating it at a 3/5.
Photos shared are from 3/20 to 5/13, so 8 weeks difference. By no means long compared to the amount of time I have been prioritizing my health goals (that’s about 4 years), but consistently executing on actions that support this current set of goals for the past 56 days has delivered results.
And while there have been marked improvements, I still have room to grow. Shoutout to best coach ever @Caroline from @tailored for also being my friend and my mentor as I stay focused on this.
Pretty cool that my biggest surprise has also been my biggest reward to date.
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