Healthy Eating Journey Update

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on Feb 28, 2016 at 2:40pm PST

Week 1 vs Week 8
This week marks my ninth week of following a customized meal program and I am proud to say I have finally figured out how to navigate through each and every day without freaking out about what I am going to eat. Yes, meal prepping would be an easy solution but I rarely use microwaves and I prefer freshly cooked meals. This healthy eating journey hasn't been the easiest, mostly because I have been traveling a lot. Between January 4th and February 23rd alone, I traveled to Florida, California, Mexico and in just a few weeks, I'll be flying back to sunny California.

Following a program takes a lot of patience, planning, and discipline but after seeing what eight weeks of healthy eating has done to my body, I've decided to stick to this plan. I'm also curious to see how much my body will change over the next few months. The one piece of advice I would give someone before starting a meal plan is to make sure he or she has a support system, especially during the first few weeks. Changing habits is not an easy process but having a motivating person by your side sure makes it feel easier. I can tell you that it sucks when your closest friends don't seem very supportive. One of my girlfriends told me that she thought I was eating too much, despite the major fat loss that I have achieved, and other friends don't see the point of me being on a meal plan because I am already fit. So make sure you have a strong, motivating and positive person or group of people to share your experience with because the last thing you need is a negative Nancy.

Chatting with Chris After I Returned from Tulum
I lean on my friend and trainer Chris, owner of Premier Mind and Body located in Manhattan Beach, California. Although he lives across the country, he has proven to be the ultimate support system and coach. I love that he is very honest with me and tells me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear because sugar coating doesn't lead to results. Not only is he responsible for creating my meal program and making adjustments to my program along the way, he's one text or phone call away if I have any questions or if I'm just having a bad day and need someone to talk to. We check in with each other every couple of days and when its time to send my photos, I brace myself because photos don't lie, especially after cheat days.

If you're wondering how the plan is affecting me, I don't feel fatigued, I don't really have any cravings and I'm never hungry. I feel energized when I'm at Crossfit and I lift the same amount of weight, even though I'm 7 lbs lighter. I've discovered that I think twice about what I am going to cheat with on my cheat days becuase I don't want to sabotage all the hard work I've put in with this program. What really matters to me is that I try my best and when I do treat myself that I make sure the treats were worth it. Last piece of advice before I go: Doughnut Plant's Creme Brulee Donuts are always worth it on cheat days. =)

My Relationship with Food

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on May 14, 2014 at 3:50pm PDT

Me with a sub bigger than my head

I LOVE food! I love food so much that I would rather spend all of my money on delicious meals than clothes. I'm not even kidding. When people ask me how I can possibly eat as much as I do and stay tiny, my answer has always been "Crossfit"and being mostly Paleo (hunter-gatherer diet). However, as tiny as I am, I have never accomplished a super flat tummy. Muscles, yes. Flat tummy, no. It wasn't until I sat down with my dear friend Chris DiVecchio, a personal trainer and owner of Premier Mind and Body in Manhattan Beach, California, that I realized I wasn't eating enough food to achieve the results that I wanted. I was alarmed at first. How could I not be eating enough? I eat A LOT! My boss would even joke around with me and ask me if I was already eating my third lunch of the day but after observing my eating habits for one week, I realized Chris was right. I was not eating enough. I was waking up, rushing to the gym, rushing to work and, before I knew it, it would be 3:30 in the afternoon when I was just starting to think about lunch. Then, I'd get home at around 6:30 PM, cook a huge dinner and only had an appetite for two or three bites. I didn't feel like I was starving myself, but I was and it had to stop.

So, Chris devised a meal plan according to my work and workout schedule, he asked me to be patient and promise I would follow his program to the tee. I made my promise and, with his help, I started to notice a huge difference in my appetite and body.

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on Jan 7, 2016 at 10:12pm PST

Day 1
It took me a full week to mentally prepare myself for this eating challenge. Not only was I re-introducing grains into my diet (which is so not Paleo), Chris was putting me on a schedule and the last thing I am is a schedule kind of person. This program was asking me to become a creature of habit. A creature of good habits. I'm not going to lie, the first week was not easy. I decided to start his program on a week I was traveling and the stress of packing my protein and worrying that TSA would take it all away made me panic. Chris calmed me down, assured everything would be okay, and I went through the security check without any issues. He had to adjust my plan a few times while I was away and he showed me that I couldn't make any excuses to not follow the plan.

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on Jan 23, 2016 at 8:40am PST

Day 1 vs Day 18
I'm not really a meal prep type of girl, so bringing lunch is not something I do too often. I love fresh cooked meals and I hate to heat up food in the microwave. So, I have two delis that I order breakfast from and a few healthy restaurants that I order from on a regular basis. As long as you follow the plan and order from really healthy restaurants, eating out shouldn't be a problem. Following a meal plan isn't easy, but Chris is a great motivator and has been keeping me on track.

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on Feb 8, 2016 at 10:21am PST

Day 1 vs Day 33

If you're considering going on a meal plan, here are a few tips that can help you along the way:

1) Make grocery shopping a weekly or bi-weekly thing and make sure your refrigerator is stocked up with everything you need for the entire week and if you live with other people, make sure you remember to order more of whatever you really need just in case they eat your food (I now have to buy two dozen eggs versus one dozen eggs per week).

3) Keep snacks in your car, purse, backpack, locker, desk at work and at home.

4) Pack everything you need the night before! I like to put all of my snacks, vitamins and my lunch (if I feel like bringing leftovers) in one bag that I can grab out of the fridge while I'm on my way out the door. I make sure to pack my protein every night and will store it in my backpack.

5) Set alarms. Time flies, especially when you're busy. Setting alarms will help ensure you are eating when you are supposed to.

6) Keep a huge water bottle at your desk. If you have a small, you will end up drinking less water throughout the day.

7) Try new recipes. Eating the same thing over and over again is boring. Find recipes that you love and keep them in rotation.

8) Stay focused. It's so easy to give in to temptation. If you stay focused, you'll see results and you'll realize that all that hard work is really paying off!

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or reach out to Chris at info@premiermindandbody.com.

Welcome to Best Coast Honey!

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on Oct 24, 2015 at 1:09pm PDT

Hi! My name is Christine and I'm a LA girl living in NYC. Over the past five years, I have experienced what it's like to be a part of the infamous East Coast vs West Coast rivalry. For years, I would without a doubt choose the Westside because I believed that nothing could beat the beach and amazing weather.

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on Sep 17, 2014 at 9:51pm PDT

Nothing... Except for food and I'm proud to say the East Coast really knows how to do food!

A photo posted by Christine (@xtine143qt) on Feb 7, 2016 at 2:26pm PST

Fortunately, I have a job that allows me to travel home three to four times per year so I can spend time with my family and close friends. So, I get the best of both coasts. Best Coast Honey will be a place where I will share EVERYTHING from life experiences to traveling to food, fashion, and fitness. I hope you will enjoy it!