So what's the obsession with nutrition?

I had a really great dialogue with Holly over at the couch potato athlete this morning about Jenny Craig and what I like to term "box" diet programs. It was this discussion which made me think back to a year ago before I started eating because at one point Holly asked me "how did you learn to eat well?" I really had to think about it for a moment, because as crossfitters we are given a prescription for wellness: Eat Meat, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds, Some Fruit, Little Starch, No Sugar.

Even with this prescription implementation is the hardest part to learn. There is an evolution between quality and quantity which has to be learned but if it were not for word of mouth and blogs like the whole9, and Robb Wolf's musings which helped me learn about things like coconut oil, and why certain fats are better than others. I received guidance from trainers and was able to ask questions.. This allowed me to change the way I thought about food, yet it was not an overnight change... it took work.

I started where most people looking for answers trying to make sense of what I should eat. So I south beached and Atkins and low fat, and whatever else I could think of to get to what I thought my goals were... to be a skinny girl. I would get results then plateau or fall off the wagon thinking I was "done.  The thing is that none of those "diet's" worked for me because in order to change outside I needed to change my mentality on the inside.  During this entire time it never once occurred to me to evaluate my food quality not quantity. I mean you wouldn't want to put a lower quality of gas in your gas tank so why would you fuel your body that way?  The funny thing is once I started paleo and started talking to people about it and getting guidance as to how food fit in my life the changes I had desperately wanted to see just kinda happened on their own.

Even knowing this prescription and that it works I have struggled. It's hard when my friends don't exactly support my decisions. I have felt alone many times because of the way I eat, and have been harassed at restaurants for ordering "off the menu". I have struggled with falling off the wagon and getting back on, with "cheating" and feeling like crap the next day. I always come back to this lifestyle though because I feel amazing when I eat right its like everything falls into place and I can do anything! So while it may seem "not normal" or a hassle or hard... The benefits have outweighed the costs in my experience.

While it may seem extreme and crazy to completely cut foods out of my diet I have realized in hindsight I was replacing good protein and fats with more carbs from bread and I wasn't treating my body well. I commend anyone who wants to make a change in their life whether it be through a "box" diet or otherwise... but evaluate all the options before starting a program that could lead to failure. Look at the quality, is there a simpler way to eat well? I would argue that simply by eating clean there is the potential to change your body and mind... the need for quick fix diets which still rely on processed prepackaged foods may set you up for failure... even if the portion is small it is still a small portion of something potentially harmful to your body.

Nutrition is the very foundation of the way I live my life, do i "slip", yes I love wine and chocolate! However, I don't beat myself up anymore about it. I enjoy the experience and move on. I am by no means an expert or perfect but eating this way has saved my life... it has made me evaluate what i eat and why i eat it, and that's why nutrition is important to me it has become my lifestyle rather than just another failed "fad" diet.