“Failing to plan is planning to fail”
It’s so easy to make excuses during the holidays or while we are traveling. But based on my own experience with traveling a sh*t ton over the past three, I know for a fact that you can make it work if you want to. But you have to want it. And when you want it, you have to plan ahead. We make sh*tty decisions when we are frantic and have no other options available. But if you plan ahead, you’ll always have something available or a game plan to keep you on track. Your health is still most important, so act like it! Even when families or friend’s feelings are involved, remember that your health is the most important and you should treat it that way.
I’m working on getting transcriptions for each one of my previous podcasts, including this one, so I’m writing a bit more in detail in the description until then. And that way, if you don’t want to listen, you can quickly scan this! But know that transcriptions are coming! Hope this topic is helpful!
[powerpress]
When heading out to travel – do your research:
- Download the yelp app (searching gluten free and paleo)
- Google (duh)
- Ask friends
- Look at blogs and social media
- Plan some of your meals
- Restaurants
- Grocery Shop – Make meals for yourself
- Drink a ton of water – take a water bottle with you
- Pack snacks for emergencies
- Rx Bars
- Larabars
- Larabar bites
- Mammoth Bars
- Fuel For Fire Protein Packs
- Nut Butter Packets
- Plantain Chips
- Jerky
- Work with what you have
- Eat the meat off of a sandwich (when I have no other option, I’ll get a breakfast sandwich at a coffee shop and just eat the egg and sausage patty without the bagel/croissant)
- Get a shitty salad with no dressing or croutons
- Look up the ingredients at McDonald’s before you go there. Look at just the sauce ingredients alone!
- This is the ingredients in just the Habanero Ranch Sauce alone: Water, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Distilled Vinegar, Buttermilk Powder, Egg Yolks, Maltodextrin, Dried Cayenne Red Pepper Sauce (Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Vinegar, Salt, Garlic), Sugar, Corn Starch, Modified Food Starch, Contains 1% or Less: Salt, Spice and Spice Extractives, Natural Flavor (Dairy and Animal Sources), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Lactic Acid, Habanero Pepper, Red Bell Pepper Powder, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (Preservatives), Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Apple Cider Vinegar.
When dealing with the holidays:
- Follow all the steps above
- Plan ahead
- Get to the grocery store
- Plan some of the meals
- If you’re heading to a holiday party
- Bring a couple of your own side dishes
- Load up on meat and vegetables first and then get smaller portions of the heavier food that you don’t want to miss out on since you only get it once a year
- Don’t forget that you don’t HAVE to feel uncomfortably full on Thanksgiving or other holidays
- For dessert – bring something you know you can have or have smaller portions of the dessert you truly love
- Drink lots of water
Reader Questions:
How to explain your healthier choices to your friends and family:
- Questions usually stem from insecurities (when it’s not just curiosity) so I just explain what paleo is, where it came from, and how good I felt when I started eating paleo. Explain paleo in a positive light instead of what you can’t have. And the more you stick to your guns, the more people will back down.
How to take part in family traditions (such as cinnamon rolls) and you don’t want to hurt their feelings:
- Remember first and foremost, your health is most important.
- Be able to explain yourself why you aren’t having something
- If they love you and respect you, they should respect your healthy choices
- Come up with an alternative for yourself – gluten free cinnamon rolls! (I’ve seen them in the frozen food isle in Whole Foods)
Dealing with friends and family without feeling high maintenance and while maintaining and good relationship with them and your own food:
- If these are important people to you, they should respect you.
- Pick the restaurant yourself
- Go wherever they want to go and just pick the best option like a bunless burger
- Bring your own food to some of the events
- Explain to your friends and family why you are eating a certain way and the ways that it’s improved your life
- It may be time to consider if that friend is still worth having if they are putting your down for making healthier life choices (I have had to end friendships because of that)
How do you know how much food to eat:
- Eat until satisfied, not full
Thanksgiving traditions?
- I go to my CrossFit gym to do a team workout then have mimosas afterwards and get a good buzz going! Best day of the year!
What should I make for lunch if I don’t have access to a microwave?
- Eat your lunch cold! Still delicious!
I’ve been meaning to comment for a few weeks now, but then I always forget… I just wanted to tell you that I really can’t hear any of the random background noises you are always apologizing for. Didn’t hear Jackson slurping at all. So don’t worry about it!
Love the podcast 🙂
I fucking love your weirdness. You’re a freaking weirdo… you know that right??? CANT WAIT for your next podcast. I’m 38 and don’t have kids, don’t want kids, have never wanted kids. Society says: you get married, you have kids. It’s not for me and I hate it when people make me feel bad for my choice “you still have time to change your mind”. NO!!! I’m not changing my mind and there’s nothing wrong with that!!!!
Hi Juli, thanks for really good podcasts! Love very single one of them! And this is coming from someone who does not curse or does not really like it when others do either ????
Anyway, I have a random question about your workout gear. How do you take care of them? I.e. what type of detergent and or rinse do you use? I was using the sports wash but it still smells. I don’t dry my stuff I the dryer, I hang dry it but it is still smelly smelly.
I don’t know how/if that would fit in to a podcast. Or maybe you have a response here on the blog.
Thanks again for a great blog and podcast. We love your recipes too!
Juli,
My greatest advice to the childless by choice is if you’re on the fence….wait. It kinda sucks if it’s not what you want. I have a darling 2 yo daughter. She means everything to me and I love her more than anything but it literally sucks sometimes. And if it wasn’t something I wanted I would consider this torture. xo
Hi Juli! Love Love Love your podcast! Just a quick question. You mentioned in your podcast that you used to eat more fat, but have since reduced the amount you eat. I was just wondering what prompted you to reduce your fat intake? How did you know you were eating more than you needed and how do you know now that you are eating a proper amount for you?
Thanks!
it wasn’t one certain thing that prompted it. i ate A LOT of fat when i first started paleo and crossfit and i lost a good amount doing that. but then over time, that constant consumption of fat led to some weight gain, even though i didn’t want to believe that it was true. cutting out nuts and nut butters all together was extremely helpful for not only my digestive tract but a little bit of weight. but i was still eating a ton of coconut and avocado. it wasn’t until i got to the stage in my life where i said “fuck it” and ate more of what my body was craving, which was carbs, that i wasn’t craving that fats as much. for example, if i ordered a burger with fries (instead of veggies or fruit like i had in the past), i found myself not really wanting the avocado on top of the burger. so i started removing fat and eating more carbs and my body felt much better. so i still don’t even know if i’m eating the proper amount, i’m just using my body as a constant experiment, figuring out what it wants one day vs what it wants another and why exactly. experimentation is key!
This was my favorite podcast yet! Yes, it takes a little extra time and effort to plan but it makes a world of difference when traveling and just when life gets busy! There are no excuses not to eat healthy!
Love all of your podcasts!! Can’t wait for more. I love how you go between your “Juli voice, and your Jackson voice” its so cute when you talk to him. I talked to my cats the same way. I’m sure they would roll their eyes at me if they could. Hahaha…love it. Big hugs!!
hahaha awesome that you love that because i’ve had others mention how annoying it is lol
I TOTALLY agree about Scooters!…it probably wasn’t just that location. Their coffee BLOWS. Gross.
Your podcasts are my faaaave. This one was great! Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks and empowering us to enjoy the holidays in a fun, moderate, no-big-thang way. So much yes!
I can relate on eating too much fat and not feeling my best. When I intuitively added more carbs and started moderating my fat intake, I felt so, SO much better and was able to slim down even more than when I was heavy on fat and protein. Thanks for reminding us that what worked yesterday might not work today, and to keep an open mind and remember that healthy living is a journey with no real finish line.
God that sounded cheesy. Anyway. Love you! And Jackson! <3
Hope it’s a SUPER FUN day at your gym today! Happy Thanksgiving to you, Juli. Thankful for all that you do! xo Kristina