A dirty confession.

Over the past year and change I have found myself connecting to an absolutely amazing (and surprisingly vast) community of fitness fanatics.  These people inspire me, motivate me, and encourage me to continue on a path that has made all the difference in my life lately.  And I, for the most part, have managed to keep pace with many of them - except in one vital way.

So here is my confession: I am horrible with nutrition.

Scrolling through my Instagram feed makes this especially clear: while my blogger friends are posting photos of their home-cooked, nutrient-conscious, intelligently-scheduled meals, I'm scarfing down a bag full of McChickens (plain, only ketchup) ten minutes before teaching back to back high intensity cardio classes.  If I were to post photos of my meals on social media, you'd see a whole lot of this for lunch:

I took this picture five minutes ago.  Because it's

*actually* my lunch.  I'm not kidding. 

Shameful, I know.  My eating habits are atrocious.  I get away with it because I'm so active, exercising for several hours a day, almost every day of the week (I'm an instructor, it's just what I do).  But the moment I stop or change my class schedule I'll see every negative effect of a crappy diet rushing back into my body.  And I am painfully, acutely aware of all of this - but it doesn't change my habits.

I keep telling myself that it's because I have no personal space, and that once I'm back on my own again I'll fill my fridge with fresh fruits and make smoothies every day and eat rainbows and sunshine until my body is full of every superfood imaginable...  I tell myself this because I was doing so much better about nutrition before I left Chicago, so I know I'm capable of doing better now!  The problem is willpower.  Maybe I'm using all my willpower fighting other negatives in my life right now (pretty sure that's a big truth).  Maybe it's living with my mom again, who is a phenomenal baker and a great cook (ugh football gamedays are a blessing and a curse in her house).  Maybe it's knowing that I can get away with it for now...  SOMEthing keeps me stuffing myself with the worst possible choices!

Image borrowed with love from my friend at

The Race That Never Ends. 

And now we're faced with the holidays.  A challenge for EVERY eater, to be sure.  I might put on a pound or two, and that's okay because I've actually lost more than I planned since I got home, but the real worry is that I'll continue my awful habits, and they'll continue to become more ingrained.  The need to break the cycle is becoming more and more pressing as I feel my body react to what I'm eating.  It's not just weight!  It's mood, it's energy, it's the ability to heal or to keep my hair and skin looking healthy.  When I was drinking smoothies almost every day and making better choices in my meals, I body felt and performed better.  It's time to get back to that.  The outside is there, but I need the inside to catch up!

So talk to me - how do YOU deal with your eating habits, especially if you (like me) struggle to make the right choices?  What kind of sneaky tricks do you have to infuse more nutrients into your diet?  What are your biggest downfalls?  Over the next few weeks I'll be trying to stay more conscious and make better decisions, but I know I'll need some tips and support!  Maybe we can work together and find even greater success - so share with me and let's get on track!