ISBN: 978-1-4835749-7-4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
CrZyFiT does not provide medical diagnoses or advice and information contained herein should not be taken as such. Always consult your healthcare provider(s) before beginning any fitness program. CrZyFiT is not responsible or liable for any direct or indirect consequence resulting from actions taken or not taken based on any information provided by CrZyFiT. Since medical developments occur daily, this book may contain outdated material. While CrZyFiT made every reasonable effort to present current and accurate information, CrZyFiT makes no guarantees of any kind. All information provided by CrZyFiT is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal contract between CrZyFit and any person or entity unless otherwise specified. Information provided by CrZyFiT in this or any other product is to be used at your own risk. Links to external content and/or non-CrZyFiT information are provided as a courtesy and should not be understood as an endorsement by CrZyFiT.
A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR
Dear Reader,
This book contains a lot of information, but if you take the time to learn and apply the concepts you will be able to eat foods you enjoy and reach your goals -- whether they are to lose weight, tone up, gain weight or fuel your physical movements.
To the get the most out of this book, read, read and read it again. Refer back to the concepts as you get better at swapping foods. The goal is not to live on a meal plan or starve until you calculate macronutrients and calories. The goal is to understand exactly what each item on your plate is and make appropriate portion choices. If I want to order a hamburger and fries at my local diner but I also really wanted to enjoy a frozen yogurt treat later on, I may choose to order the burger without the bun and just a half order of fries, or switch the fries to a side salad. I could also choose to eat the burger and fries in all their original glory, skipping my afternoon snack and frozen yogurt and eating a little less at dinner. With understanding and application, making smart choices will come with time.
How we eat, how we relate to food and how we interpret ourselves when dealing with food are important to recognize. As you begin to take control over what you eat, you may feel an array of emotions tied to your food. This is normal and part of learning your strengths and weaknesses. Please remember - your value as a human being is not associated with your food choices! You will have bad days and good days, and some days will be overwhelming. These mixed emotions are common when lowering your consumption of sugar and processed foods. BREATHE. There are no wrong choices. If you over eat, try not to beat yourself up; you are not a failure because you lost control for a little while, nor did you ruin everything in a day or two.
When you start to stumble, go back to a more controlled meal plan and start again with swapping one or two items at a time. I have been doing this for years and I still find myself going back to square one to put my choices back in check. I find the most satisfying part of this process is when I start to realize that I can have a donut without guilt or any other negative emotions associated with the choice. You think, I am choosing to have a donut for breakfast with my co-workers and then you are able to put together a mental plan for lunch I am choosing to have a donut for breakfast with my co-workers. At lunch, I will eliminate the bread from my sandwich or eat a salad with extra chicken and dressing on the side. This thinking process puts you in complete control - no emotions associated with the donut, no frantic thoughts of how you messed up the whole day and might as well just eat garbage and start again tomorrow. You made a controlled decision to enjoy time with co-workers and a donut. Your worth is not defined by whether you did or did not eat the donut.
Life is about living, enjoying the people around us and the limited time we have with them, not living around a strict meal plan or depriving yourself of grandmas perfect apple pie. Its about learning how to adjust our choices so we can enjoy these events that may be centered around food and family without feeling deprived or guilty. When you eat, laugh and enjoy yourself, people will look at you and think how does he/she eat that and still maintain a healthy lifestyle? People will watch you and see how youre changing and you will be an example to those around you.
You can do this. When in doubt, remember you are in control and you can start over as many times as necessary! There is no bad food or wrong way, there are only choices and what fits your life best. It is not an overnight process. It may take a little bit to undo unhealthy habits and relationships with food, but keep at it. You will get there! You can do this!
With love and all my support,
Tif
ABOUT ME
I have been passionate about health and fitness for as long as I can remember. I have worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years. Ive done everything from teaching dance classes, organizing health fairs, creating health and wellness education programs for rural communities, and working as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer. As a military spouse for 14 years, Ive lived all over the country and been able to share my love of health and fitness with a variety of clients from around the world everyone from elementary school students to college athletes to Las Vegas fitness professionals.
I am dedicated to fitness education that is based on science. The media churns out so much conflicting information when it comes to health-related topics that its hard to know what to believe. One magazine will tell you not to eat eggs while another will tell you theyre a miracle food. It seems like theres just no winning!
I have developed the concepts in this book after years of educating myself about fitness and nutrition. I hold Bachelors degrees in both Exercise Science and Community Health and Wellness as well as an MBA in Health Care Management. Ive worked with countless clients and learned from my friends in the industry and through my own trial and error. Im driven to educate others with accurate, science-based information when it comes to health and fitness, and I want to provide this information in a simple and easy-to-understand fashion. Health and wellness shouldnt be complicated! It should fit into lifes cracks not make more cracks in your already hectic life.
Some of you might be thinking Sure, its easy to stay in shape when thats what you do for a living. Not so fast! I understand the struggle and frustration that comes with trying to balance your health with the rest of your life. I am just a regular girl with a crazy house full of kids, dogs, a husband and a jam-packed schedule. I know youre going to have bad days where you just want to give up and stay in bed. I also know that its on these bad days that the simple concepts contained in this book can help you keep things in perspective and make choices that contribute to the betterment of your health. Trust me when I say that if I can do this, you can too.
FROM CALORIES TO MACRONUTRIENTS
