Some time ago, I shared that I think it’s good to think about foods in terms of frequency instead of classifying them as “good” or “bad,” and a lot of people have found that helpful. Now, I’d like to propose another type of food classification system that I hope you can also implement.
I think that one reason people struggle to reach their fitness goals is that they think all of their food has to be absolutely delicious to them.
Let me propose two categories of eating: eating for your goals versus eating for pleasure.
Now, I think we should absolutely do both, and I also think there are times that these two can happen simultaneously, but hear me out.
I like flavored rice cakes. I say “like” here in the “for my goals” way. They are portable, and with my current life, I need portable foods. They are almost pure carbs, which I like to have a lot of because my workouts are always better when I do.
I also like doughnuts. I say this in the “for pleasure” way. A doughnut for me is an experience. It’s a food I savor. It’s one I want to enjoy when I don’t have to be doing anything else.
Sometimes, when I post things I eat in an attempt to spark ideas in others, people say “but I don’t like that.” And that’s totally fine. We should eat things we like, that’s how we make plans that are sustainable. But, what I’ve found is that often, when people say “I don’t like that,” what they really mean is “I don’t exceedingly enjoy that.”
If we can think of things in two separate categories, then I think we can make some progress here. If all food had equal nutritional value, calories, and protein, and I could reach my fitness goals eating anything I liked, then my diet would look a lot different, and would likely not contain many of the things I currently have in abundance, such as protein shakes, eggs, and vegetables. But that’s not reality. I have goals, and I eat for them, even if the foods I use to do so are not things that Gordon Ramsay would say are delicious. Here’s how this looks for me:
During the day, when I’m running around, I’m mostly just eating for my goals. I choose things I like enough that are conducive to these goals, which are strength and muscle gain, so that means a lot of protein and carbs and relatively low fat for me. I wind up with lots of fruit, tuna, eggs, milk, vegetables, peanut butter, oatmeal, and tortilla chips. I don’t mind any of these foods. But I don’t love them. I often barely taste them anyway because I’m doing so many other things while I eat them.
But in the evening, when I sit down with my family, I’m eating for pleasure. I’m savoring the food, and I want it to be something I truly enjoy a lot.
The same goes for when I’m having a dessert or going to the movies and getting popcorn. Many of these foods also fit my goals, and I don’t just go crazy with them, but I’m taking time to enjoy them.
I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it a million more, all or nothing mindsets are the number one killer of fitness goals in the humans.
You don’t have to love everything you eat. Set your goals, eat for them, and save the delicious foods for certain times when you can savor them.
Message me with thoughts and questions!
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