4 TIPS ON HOW TO ACTUALLY KEEP THE MOTIVATION TO EAT HEALTHY

The only thing I struggle with is staying motivated with eating healthy. Whenever I feel deprived I go to treat myself but that turns into a huge binge. I don't understand why it is so hard to control myself? There are some days I am perfect and other days I just want to eat everything. I realized I am an emotional eater and I constantly want to snack when I am bored.
Do you have any tips on getting rid of this stupid habit?!?! It's screwing with my results.

Ummm, can I get an AMEN?!

This is a question that a reader e-mailed me the other day and I told her that since I immediately connected with her, I figured that a lot of you guys could relate too.

Let me start by saying that none of us are perfect, and developing a healthy lifestyle isn't the easiest thing on the planet. As we know, if it were...everyone would be doing. So be proud of yourself FIRST for knowing that you are TRYING. 

We all get off track, it's totally normal. The more you get down on yourself about it, the worse your going to feel and view yourself. 

I have to step back sometimes too and realize that sometimes things aren't always in my control and life happens. But it's the days that I get up when I feel kinda crappy and down on myself and still make it to the gym that pushes me forward. Those are the days that I leave the gym feeling happier than ever because I proved to myself that I can. And I realize that whatever seemed like such a big deal a few hours ago, really wasn't.

If we sit and sulk on a mistake we think we made or stare at ourselves in the mirror and wish we wouldn't have gone out for drinks last night or wish we would have spent an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill, we're not really helping ourselves are we?

So here's some of my tips when it comes to staying motivated, avoiding binges, and keeping yourself happy. I think a combo of these things makes a huge difference and if you can do all of these or just one, you'll start to feel better. 

1.

Work out first thing in the morning, OR at least sweat at some point 5-6 times a week. 

Okay so I feel like the first thing I need to do in order to avoid eating the world (haha real talk), is work out. PERIOD. I feel the same way every single time. Here's an example. Yesterday morning was the day after christmas so I was with family. They wanted to get breakfast like an hour after we woke up and go to the movies so I had some toast, eggs, a little bit of hash browns and 1/2 a bloody mary then went to the movies. Whatever I was spending time with family so I'm not mad, but I definitely didn't feel like working out after that and honestly I ended up snacking the rest of the day. 

I would have stopped at In n Out on my drive back from SD to LA but I kept missing the exits. I just wanted to eat crap the rest of the day. 

Then to top it off I had a mocha and then I had rice and mashed potatoes for dinner at work. 

LIKE WHAT?? I legit haven't had mashed potatoes in like a year. So why did I have them last night? 

Because my mind set was junk food from the moment I woke up. 

Fast forward to this morning...I woke up and wanted French Toast. This is where I notice the feelings of wanting to just chill and eat junk food creeps in. I could have taken myself out to breakfast this morning but I knew I wouldn't be happy after that.

So instead, I rolled out of bed, immediately put some leggings on, went downstairs and ate half of a perfect bar, then had my BCAA's, Pre Workout and L-Carnitine. 

I grabbed my weights and my mat, turned some Childish Gambino Pandora on, and kicked my own ass for 30 minutes. 

After that I was left with 0 cravings, more energy, and the motivation to go to Trader Joe's today before I go to work to get healthy snacks that I can take to work BECAUSE I don't want to waste what I just did on some bull shit food later tonight. 

See how that works? It works EVERYYYYY TIME.

2. 

DRINK MORE WATER THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND EAT MORE PROTEIN

Another trick I've tested and found to be a miracle worker. WATER AND PROTEIN. Who woulda thought. 

I do this thing kind of a lot where I think I'm hungry but I always kind of quiz my body first by drinking 16 ounces of water and then see how I feel. 9 time out of 10, I was just dehydrated. Drinking more water will reduce your cravings and have you consuming less calories so next time you feel hungry but kind of feel like you shouldn't be (maybe you just ate) then try drinking 1 water ball and see how you feel. 

Also PROTEIN. When we consume protein, it sends a signal to our brain that we are full. This is why you can eat like 8 pieces of pizza but if you tried to drink even 2 protein shakes, you feel STUFFED. 

I have a protein shake almost every morning to set the tone for my day and keep me full throughout the early afternoon. 

I also eat almonds on my way to work and keep a bag in my locker at work, OR eat something with garbanzo beans. Every time I go to eat, my thought process is "is this going to fill me up without making me feel tired or bloated for the next few hours."

3.

THINK OF OTHER WAY TO REWARD YOURSELF.  

The other week I filmed 5 days worth of workouts in 7 hours for a fitness video shoot collaboration I'm working on. IT. WAS. INSANE. I obviously had to eat during the shoot but I was eating banana's and salad because I needed fuel but I couldn't really start the shoot with abs and end it with a food baby.

So I told everyone that I was going to go out that night and order WHATEVER THE EF I WANTED at dinner. It was going to be the reward of a lifetime, and it was kind ooooof the best thing ever. 

I ordered a truffle macaroni and cheese shareable appetizer for myself + 3 whisky sours + some chips and dip and ate a few of my boyfriends chicken fingers. I WENT INNNN, and it was glorious. Not one ounce of remorse. 

So I feel you that you like to reward yourself with eating well for so long with some junk food. 

But you have to ask yourself if it is worth it TO YOU. 

Sometimes I'll CRAVVVE hot cheetos, or a big box of asian food with 900 million grams of sodium but if I think about going and getting it, and eating it...do I see myself feeling SUPER happy afterwards? If the answer is yes, then I get it. If the answer is no then I think of something else because we're not really rewarding ourselves if we're making ourselves feel like crap right?

So instead, I might make myself a big bowl of homemade popcorn with organic butter and sea salt with a side of sliced green apples. 

It's not the cleanest lunch or snack ever but so it still feels like I'm indulging without totally regretting it. 

OR what I'll do is go reward myself in a totally different way. I'll go get my nails or hair done or go get a massage.

4.

IF YOU DO SPEND A DAY INDULGING, DON'T LET IT ROLL OVER INTO THE NEXT DAY. 

Like Sunday's for example. On Sunday's, I love to give myself a break, go out to brunch, maybe have some mimosas, go to sushi, whatever I feel like really. But as soon as Monday rolls around, even though I want to walk to the restaurant by my house and go get some pancakes, WE HAVE TO LET OURSELVES GET BACK ON TRACK. 

If we don't then we allow the binge to happen. We start telling ourselves that since we ate badly yesterday that it won't hurt if we just dabble into this or that today and then by the end of the day, we realize that we've consumed more calories and sugar in two days than we did all week. 

Then you start to feel like you screwed up everything and blah blah blah. I've been there so trust me, just FORCE YOURSELF to get back on track after a cheat day and you'll be surprised how much it helps. 

HOW THE EF TO STAY SLIM WITH A 9-5.

Um, so you just worked 5 hours, you have a 30 minute break, and another 5 hours of work to look forward to....and your options for break food... ARE. FUCKING. WHAACK. 

UGH. GIRL. I HAVE BEEN THERE. Slash, I'm still there? I don't know if I've ever brought this up before because I semi HATE working so talking about it is just usually out of the question BUT yeah, I work at a 5 star hotel in a cocktail lounge and it's whatever.

It's a job...you know how it goes. But right now, praise jesus, we're on a 6-week break because of renovation which is why I've been knocking out blogs like a motha.

My dream is to not have to go back buuuuut obviously, I'm working on that. 

ANYWAYS.

If there's anyone that knows what you're going thru when you're trying to eat healthy BUT work is where you're at like 98% of the time...it's me.

And honestly...I guess I should be thankful that my work even provides food for us because I would assume that a lot of places don't. At first I thought it was like the coolest thing ever UNTIL I actually was forced to find something to eat 4-5 times a week and I just would rather die. 

My options range from a glorious meat (which I obviously don't eat and which is obviously not glorious), veggies FUCKING SOAKED in butter, tuna soaked in mayo, and a salad bar with wilted lettuce and about 9 gallons of ranch.

SO THAT'S COOL???

Seriously like what is a girl to do??

But it's so EASY to get side tracked with a job right?!

I feel like you just wake up one morning and realize that you don't fit into anything except leggings and big sweaters and it's just not the best day. 

SO

Here's what I've learned when it comes to trying to stay slim with a 9-5...or in my case...a 6:30pm - a 2:30 am. UGH.

1. 

EAT PROTEIN BEFORE YOU GO TO WORK 

This was definitely one of my biggest saviors. I started making one of my protein shakes every day before I left for work. Like I was literally ready to go to work, hair and make up done, not even hungry, but I would make sure that I would make a protein smoothie.

When we eat protein, it sends a signal to our brain to let us know that we are full. It also keeps us fuller for a longer period of time so this would help me work without feeling like I needed to keep running around trying to find ANYTHING to snack on. 

Because you know what happens when you try to find snacks at a bar? You end up eating like 8 trillion jalepeno stuffed olives, 20 pounds of salted mixed nuts, and at least 3 of those bright red cherries that you don't even like. 

2.

BRING FIBER PACKED SNACKS WITH YOU

Okay, second biggest savior. If you guys read my post about pears you would know why I'm completely obsessed with them. I would bring 1-3 chopped up pears with me in a sandwich baggy and hide them on my side of the bar then run down and eat them, HA, that sounds ridiculous but whatever, it's true. 

Pears are seriously JAM PACKED with fiber so is you eat three you are legit, STUFFED.

3. 

DON'T GO BACK FOR SECONDS

Okay so at the first hotel I worked at (Hotel Bel Air) *cough* KILL ME *cough*... I know it's iconic but the behind the scenes was kinda traumatizing. 

I used to get a bowl of food, grub it in like 10 minutes, and then go back for seconds. 

It was just routine for me. So when I started this new job, I told myself that if I was going to eat at work on my break, I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GO BACK FOR SECONDS. 

So I would grab a small spoonful of pasta, a small spoonful of brown rice, and a big bowl of salad. Sometimes I would even grab a bite or two of a muffin.

THE POINT IS.

I feel like you can eat whatever you want as long as you portion it correctly. Eventually I just fell out of love with all the shit food that was there and started bringing my own food but WHILE I WAS EATING THERE I made sure that my portions were small, and I never went back for seconds. 

It's so easy to do when there's free food so I feel you. Who doesn't get excited about free food? But if you're trying to hold back, then this tip might work for you. 

So start there if you feel like you're just DYING at work, and let me know how it goes. 

xoxo

A FIT GIRLS GUIDE TO COCKTAILS.

YES COCKTAILS. One of my fav subjects ;)

If you follow me on snap (chelseyrose) or know me at all, then you know I am a HUGE fan of spicy margaritas on the rocks anddddd wine.

Because even when your dieting there's always room for a good margarita (Tweet this good news!)

A couple drinks here and there isn't going to completely throw you off your game, BUT drinking the cocktails on the lighter end of the calorie and sugar spectrum will definitely do you better than a 400 calorie cocktail with 35 grams of sugar (excuuuuuuse us pina coladas..BYE)

So here's some key things to remember the next time you grab a drink:

Keep it simple and fresh!

+ Do a clear liquor on the rocks (with ice) and ask for a BUNCH of lemon or lime on the side to add a little flavor.

+ Ask your bartender to muddle in something like mint or basil, and if they have pre-squeezed FRESH lime juice, ask them to add that also. None of that Roses Lime BS.

+ Like Tequilla? Ask for a SKINNY MARGARITA on the rocks. They'll know to reduce the simple syrup in there and to not put any salt on the rim.

+ Like Gin? Ask for a gin gimlet EXTRA COLD! So bomb. It's just gin, lime juice (make sure it's fresh) and a little simple syrup. Then they shake it for a while so that it's extra cold and pour it in a martini glass. SOOO YUMMMY.

+ Like Vodka? Ask if they have FRESH SQUEEZED grapefruit juice. If so ask for a Vodka with Grapefruit...don't ask for a "greyhound". We're not 98 years old and the bartenders will think you're annoying. Just saying.

+ Like Wine? Choose a DRY wine rather than a SWEET wine.

Some dry reds are: 

Pinot noir
Merlot
Cabernet sauvignon
Shiraz/syrah
Zinfandel

Some Dry Whites are:

Pinot blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Pinot grigio

+ Hungover? haha. Ask for a bloody mary. Extra spicy.

- Avoid Flavored Alcohol. No vanilla, orange, or apple vodkas. They just have waay more sugar.

- Avoid blended drinks as they tend to have a lot of additives. 

- Avoid Dark alcohols. Sorry captain, and fireball. They just have wayy more sugar. Ugh that hangover is the worst. 

Think a friend could use some of these tips?

<---- Share it with them!

EVERYDAY FOODS THAT ARE CAUSING BREAST CANCER.

PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR: THE ETERNAL CHILD 

If i could choose one of my blogs for you to read, it would be this one. 

How many of you are scared of breast cancer? Do you wonder if you have it? We're you someone that was recently diagnosed? Does it seem inevitable for you to be diagnosed because the women in your family have it or have had it? 

Breast cancer is a scary thing. BUT because we the people can do amazingly powerful things when we decide to come together for a cause, we have raised awareness and we have raised unforeseen amounts of money to help treat women all over the world.

Now if you follow my snapchat (chelseyrose) you know that I am a HUGE advocate for the book, The China Study, as seen in my last post. Between the heart felt stories, multiple studies and proven benefits of nutrition in regards to breast cancer, I can't help but pass the information along to you. 

Things CAN change.

We don't have to live in fear. We don't have to accept breast cancer as a route for us just because our mothers or grandmothers had it.

Through NUTRITION WE CAN CHANGE

It pisses me off that no one is teaching us this. Why are we constantly being prescribed pills and drugs before even addressing the fact that maybe, just maybe, if we were to care more about our nutrition we could drastically help ourselves rather than hurt ourselves in other ways? 

In the beginning of this particular chapter about breast cancer, Dr. Campbell (author of The China Study) talks about a phone call he received from a woman who was looking for advice on what to do for her daughter. She was terrified that her 9 year old daughter was bound to have breast cancer since her mother, grandmother and sister had been diagnosed, and she was facing a question that i'm sure hundreds of thousands of other women face...

"Does she let her daughter grow up in a deathtrap, or grow up without breasts?"

Dr Campbell explained that even though 1 out of 8 American women will be diagnosed with this disease during their lifetimes, only a tiny minority of cancers in general can be blamed solely on genes. Interesting right? So,

Here's something to think about:

Risk of breast cancer increases when a woman has...

• Early age of menarche (first period)
• Late age of menopause
• High levels of female hormones in the blood
• High blood cholesterol

here's what A diet high in animal foods and refined carbohydrates does...

• Lowers the age of menarche
• Raises the age of menopause
• Increases female hormone levels
• Increases blood cholesterol levels

Take a second to compare those.

He notes that one of the leading breast cancer research groups in the world stated,

"There is overwhelming evidence that estrogen levels are a critical determinant of breast cancer risk. Estrogen DIRECTLY participates in the cancer process." 

Dr Campbell states,

"Increased levels of estrogen and related hormones are a result of the consumption of typical Western diets, high in fat and animal protein and low in dietary fiber. This suggests that the risk of breast cancer is preventable if we eat foods that will keep estrogen levels under control...

The sad truth is that most women simply are not aware of this evidence"

---

(Please note, all citations are from The China Study)

The genes BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, when mutated, can create a higher risk for both breast and ovarian cancers ALTHOUGH just because they are present DOES NOT mean that disease is guaranteed. Environmental and dietary factors play a role in whether or not the genes are expressed (162).

PHOTOGRAPHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR: THE ETERNAL CHILD 

NUTRITION CAN AFFECT THIS!

But of course most of us are not aware of this. So when we do our part to try and PREVENT breast cancer we might first ask for a mammogram which really is only letting us know if the cancer is at an observable state yet (163). 

Another popular choice? A drug called TAMOXIFEN, which is supposed to be used to prevent breast cancer but studies show that tamoxifen raises the risks for stroke, uterine cancer, cataracts, and more. This drug is also known as an ESTROGEN DRUG which is used to reduce the activity of estrogen since estrogen is associated with the risk of breast cancer (164).

"WHY DON'T WE ASK WHY ESTROGEN IS SO HIGH IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

"We now have enough information to show that a diet low in animal-based protein, low in fat, and high in whole plant based foods will reduce estrogen levels. Instead of suggesting dietary change as a solution, we spend hundreds of millions of dollars developing and publicizing a drug that may or may not work and that almost certainly will have unintended side effects"  - Dr Campbell.

So as far as most women know, they are only granted three options

1. Watch and wait to see what happens.
2. Take tamoxifen for the rest of their lives.
3. Undergo mastectomy (remove one or both breasts).

I agree with Dr Campbell when he says, "There should be a fourth option: consuming a diet free of animal-based foods and low in refined carbohydrates, aided by regular monitoring for those at high risk."

---

One more thing...

Anyones mom going through menopause? For most of us all that means is that our moms are having insane mood swings and we all think they've fallen off the deep end. But it is a very serious thing that every woman will have to go through and it can be extremely hard on a woman's body - not looking forward to it...

Ask your mom if she's taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy). HRT is taken by many women in order to alleviate unpleasant effects of menopause , protect bone health and prevent coronary heart disease...and it increases risk for breast cancer (166). 

So the issue is that these women must decide is if they want to feel helpless as they go through the emotional and physical symptoms of menopause OR if they would like to start taking HRT to manage their symptoms while increasing their risk for breast cancer and possibly cardiovascular disease...(167).

Here's the breakdown:

(167-168)

- During the reproductive years, hormone levels are elevated, although the levels among women who eat plant-based diets are not as elevated. 

- When women reach the end of their reproductive years, it is entirely natural for reproductive hormones of all women to drop to a low "base" level.

- As reproductive years come to an end, the lower hormone levels among plant eaters don't crash as hard as they do among animal eaters. Using hypothetical numbers to illustrate the concept, the levels of plant eaters may crash from forty to fifteen, rather than sixty to fifteen for animal eaters.

- These abrupt hormone changes in the body are what cause menopausal symptoms. 

- Therefore, a plant-based diet leads to a less severe hormone crash and a gentler menopause. 

"It is critical that we change the way we think about this disease, and that we provide this information to the women who need it." - Dr. Campbell

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We all know a girl or a mom. Even if this information doesn't affect you directly, it will be beneficial to someone you know! Will you do your part?

xoxo

Chelsey Rose