Balance Looks Different for Everyone...

Everything in Moderation. Moderation, what does it mean? Moderation is often the avoidance of extremes and the ability to find/maintain a reasonable balance for something. Balance looks different for everyone. Each and every person has a different idea of balance and how to create it for themselves. Balance can be a tough concept, hence why I decided to write up this blog post. How do I go out to eat and not lose progress? How do I enjoy myself without losing sight of my goals? How do I avoid an all-in or all-out type of mindset? How do I stop thinking about food all the time? Will drinking make me gain a lot of extra weight? I receive a lot of DM’s and emails asking me these types of questions daily.

First off, I want you to stop thinking so strictly. What do you mean Mik? If you are someone who is training for a competition, bodybuilding show, I don’t know anything super strict then YES, you have to be tedious and there is less wiggle room to enjoy yourself. But, I am going to go ahead and assume that the majority of us are here because we love fitness and it is a lifestyle, but it doesn’t make up our entire life. We have wiggle room. We want to crush our goals, have fun, and be social while still maintaining good mental and physical health.

Let’s stop and think for a second. If you continuously tell yourself that you can’t have something, doesn’t that make you want it more? Restricting yourself of “bad foods” is not good, nor necessary. Let’s stop categorizing foods as “good” or “bad” right off the bat. Sure, some foods have more sugar than others, some foods hold a greater fat or carb content than others, but it DOES NOT make them bad. I don’t know where or why this terminology came about, but it’s just setting us up to have an unhealthy relationship with food and it’s honestly stupid, OKAY!!

As I stated earlier, balance looks different for everyone. It’s great to set goals, whether they be physical, mental, physical, emotional, etc. However, when setting goals, it’s important to give yourself grace and realize that we have a lifetime of opportunity. We always have the ability to better ourselves and progress. It’s important that you understand missing out on all those good life memories just to reach your goal right on time or a little sooner isn’t always the best option. Most often, you can still reach your goals in that desired time frame, while maintaining balance and understanding moderation. Personally, I think memories are important. They are more important to me than fitness or nutrition will ever be. Spending quality time and exploring this world with the people I love will ALWAYS come first.

Allow yourself the foods you crave. Don’t tell yourself you can’t have them because it’s just going to make you want them more. That’s how our brains are wired to work!!! I am a firm believer of listening to your body. Personally, I am not tracking macros right now so this is a little easier for me. If I crave peanut butter, I eat peanut butter. Not five spoonful’s, but a nice hearty spoonful to fulfill my craving. If I crave green beans, I eat green beans. Yah get what I’m saying? With macros, you can still make the foods you crave fit into your daily intake, it just takes a little extra planning and adjusting. It doesn’t have to be all in or all out. Just because you go out and enjoy a burger and fries for dinner with your friends, it doesn’t mean you have to head directly for your pantry when you get home and eat all the food in it. Finding a form of balance and enjoying things in moderation helps avoid a situations like these.

If you are dieting, you can still have fun so don't think otherwise. Allow yourself a free meal out with your friends one a week, or once every other week. It really comes down to how strict you want to be. Like I stated before, I don’t really have a set goal in mind right now so leniency is easy for me. If you are someone that doesn’t necessarily have a goal, but is still struggling to find balance than allow yourself a little more leniency and grace with food and working out. The most important piece of advice I have for you all is, DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANYONE ELSE. If you want to eat out and explore different foods more frequently, DO IT! Some weeks I eat out a lot more than others because that's imply what I want to do. Some weeks I stick to my main foods at home because I am not necessarily craving anything else or want to eat differently. I NEVER restrict myself. Some weeks our bodies just want it all and others not so much, and that’s fine friends!!! Our bodies are smart and getting in tune with them makes this process a whole lot easier.

You should never feel guilty for the food you eat. You should never over-exercise or work out to burn off calories for enjoying yourself. It’s not healthy. You are causing your body unnecessary damage. Restricting yourself can cause damage too. Mental damage. If you restrict yourself from living than you may be digging yourself into a dark hole. Find that balance and a form of moderation NOW while you still can. This will in turn set you up for a lifetime of success and happiness.

How long will you be able to maintain restricting yourself of the foods you love? Eventually, it will catch up to you and it will be so hard to reverse. Don’t do that to yourself. You will not lose progress overnight. One meal will not kill you. A night or two of drinking is not going to instantly make you gain fat. I promise you. You have to carry out those actions in order to see that for yourself. I can continuously tell you, but you won’t ultimately know until you put a stop to those fearful and irrational thoughts for on your own. Food is fuel. Food is good for our health, but also meant to be enjoyed and good for the soul. Food is supposed to be fun, not fearful.

My advice to you is to find what works best for you. Find that form of balance that will keep you happy, healthy, and still align with any goals you may have. Don’t miss out on memories with the ones you love. The food and gym will always be there, but those moments and memories are things you can’t get back. Balance and moderation looks different for everyone, so do not fall into the trap of comparison.

If you want the burger and fries, order the burger and fries. If you want the salad, order the damn salad. If you want sushi, froyo, and drinks, do it!! If you want pasta instead of zucchini noodles, fine! It’s okay to eat out once a week, and it’s okay to eat out three times a week. There isn't a set guideline telling you how you should eat and there doesn't need to be. Everyone is different. You don’t have to justify your food choices to yourself or anyone around you. Ultimately enjoy food and working out because you love it, not because you feel forced. Make it a lifestyle. Make it a maintainable and sustainable journey.

Find your idea of balance and happiness. I hope this helps answer some of your questions and relieves some stress. I’m always here to help you and listen to your struggles. Don’t be afraid to reach out.

-Mik <3