Category: Healthy food

Why Are You Still Fat?

Sheri YatesLeave a comment
Today we’re talking about why you are still fat when you are healthy. There are some key things you can do with your healthy diet that will cause the weight to fall off. Some of the things we do in our eating—because we don’t understand—cause us to pack on fat. Let’s start with that.

Number one, you mix carbs and fat at meal time. Your body will use one of two sources for fuel—fat or carbs. It can’t use both. If you eat fat and carbs in the same meal, which is basically the standard American diet, you are going to burn the carbs as fuel and store the fat. Take a look at your diet. What are you eating? If you are having oatmeal with nuts, then that is carbs and fat. You are putting those together, and you are going to burn the oatmeal and store the fat.

Number two, you are eating too much sugary food. We need to look at the glycemic index when we are determining the carbs we are going to eat. Carbs will give you fuel, but if the food is too high in sugar, it will give you fuel that will be stored as fat. It has too much sugar in it. Carbs turn into sugar, and then we burn it as fuel. But if it is too high, it is going to cause you to have too much sugar in your bloodstream, so it will then store as fat. For example, if you are choosing a carb to fuel your body, which one do you think would be better: brown rice or a banana? Ding, ding, ding! You’re right! Brown rice. The banana is high in the glycemic index. It is very high in sugar. It’s all right to have a banana, but you want to have half of a banana so you are not injecting all of that sugar into your bloodstream.

Number three, you are not giving yourself enough time in between meals. Your food is your fuel. Once your body is fueled, then it starts to burn and break down all those nutrients, and it starts to use that food as energy. But if you snack in between, say thirty minutes to an hour after you eat a meal, your body is still working on the first meal, but now it’s got a second meal to contend with. What is going to happen? It doesn’t just add to the fuel or continue to burn. It will actually stop your metabolism from working and start on the next round of food. So, you don’t want to eat so often that your body’s metabolism pauses or stalls out.

Number four, be consistent. If your body is used to eating every three hours and you skip one of those meals and eat every six, your body gets confused. It’s going like, “Where’s my meal? Why aren’t you feeding me?” Then it thinks, “I need to store fat in case you starve me again the next meal. Then I will have fat storage to eat on.” So don’t skip your meals.

Number five. Eat more frequently. Babies are fed every three hours. Why did we stop that? Why do we gorge ourselves three meals a day? We run all the way to empty, and then we gorge ourselves again. You and I both know that when we are at the most hungry point of our day, that’s when we are going to collapse and have a candy bar and a soda. So eat every three hours. Do yourself a favor and eat. Have a little bit of protein, a little bit of salad, and if you want, throw in a little bit of carb. But feed yourself. Give yourself fuel so your body doesn’t go into starvation mode.

Six, you are not eating any protein. Protein is a long-burning, filling substance. I used to eat vegetables and carbs every meal. They burn quickly, so I would get excessively hungry. I remember when I was a part of Weight Watchers, I would go in and be like, “Here is all my stuff; I’m eating right,” but I would be starving. Round the clock, I was always hungry. That was because I refused to eat protein. Protein is important. Maybe your blood type requires less protein, but protein is still important. It’s complex, and it’s necessary. It will keep you from starving yourself. 

Healthy Relationship with Food

Sheri YatesLeave a comment

Does anyone have a healthy relationship with food anymore? I don’t. I struggled with gluttony for years—overeating, eating exactly what I wanted, and fulfilling every fleshly desire. Although I refrained from and resisted temptation on a regular basis, when I do go to indulge, I am still a glutton. I still choose to overeat until I am sick. I stuff in everything I can possibly find that I like.
I haven’t figured out how to find moderation in my re-feed meal. What is a re-feed meal? After you are consistent with your body and your body is used to eating what it is eating, it gets to the point where it needs a shock to the system. A shock to your system is called a re-feed. Some call it a cheat meal, but it’s not really cheating. It’s re-feeding your body. A re-feed meal shocks the system by injecting so much fat and carbs into it that it has to work a little harder to burn off what you gave it. The next day—it’s interesting—it wants the same thing you had the day before. But when you deprive it of all of that food, fat, and disgustingness you had the day before, your metabolism (a) increases and (b) taps into fat storage and starts burning. It wants to eat more fat, so instead of tapping into your energy stores, it taps into your fat storage. How awesome is that?
Now here is the problem. A lot of people want to re-feed every day. “I’m going to have a re-feed meal today. And a re-feed meal at breakfast.” Those are little, baby cheats that confuse your metabolism. Your metabolism wants a consistent fuel just like an infant who needs food every three hours. Once it is set on a consistent schedule, it falls into a habit. Our body likes traditions and habits. It wants to know it can trust you. It trusts that if you say you are going to feed it every three hours, you are going to feed it.
Somehow in America, we have switched to a three-meals-a-day style of eating. In essence, what we are doing is we feed it, and then we wait a long time until we are absolutely starving, and then we stuff it again. In the meantime, your body is screaming, “Hey, I am ready for fuel. Look, my tank is on low, and you are not feeding me.” The next meal you eat will throw everything in the fat storage. It’s like, “Hey, I need to store this food for later because this lady is probably going to starve me again. She is constantly starving me. I don’t know when I can count on you to feed me.” That is your body.
But now suddenly, I am feeding my body consistently. It actually knows what it is going to get, when it is going to get it, and how often it is going to eat. It likes it. I cannot even overeat on a meal by one ounce of nuts. If I try to go for two ounces of nuts instead of my typical one, I can feel it in my stomach. It feels so full. It’s too much. I cannot do it anymore. In the past, I could have eaten until I was blue. I could have eaten six ounces of nuts, a huge meal, cookies, and ice cream, and it would have been no big deal. It’s like my stomach was stretched out. My stomach probably didn’t know what size to be, honestly. It’s like, “Oh, do I need to be huge or small? I don’t know what we are going to do. Are we going to stuff our face today, or are we going to eat little baby bird bites? Are we going to have a soda and a candy bar? I’m not sure how consistent she is going to be with me.”
But now I am consistent. My meals are the same; my measurements are the same. It’s all consistent. If I eat even the tiniest bit over, I can feel it, as if my stomach has adjusted and adapted to my new eating plan and it won’t even allow me to eat past being satisfied. How healthy is that? I have a daughter who since she was a little two-year-old has never eaten past satisfied. She eats until she is satisfied, and then she puts her fork down. Because of that, she is extremely tiny. She has a thigh gap. Who has a thigh gap? Not many people. But she has it because she has consistently put her fork down upon satisfaction instead of being gluttonous and eating excessively.

What Will You Choose?

Sheri YatesLeave a comment
Skinny fat girl—that’s my story.
I’m a tiny girl with way too much body fat. The strength in my body is practically nonexistent. It doesn’t matter what your size is if you can’t sustain the weight.
I’m a tiny girl trapped in a fat body. I have wrestled with my weight for years. It has been up and down in a yo-yo pattern since I had kids. I lost all of the extra weight after baby one. I lost it again after baby two. I lost the extra weight after baby three until my mom died. Ever since then, my weight has been a yo-yo.
When my mom passed away, I had been on Weight Watchers, trying to have some accountability to encourage me to lose the last part of the extra weight from my third and final child. It worked fairly well. The thing about Weight Watchers is that it doesn’t make you give up the processed foods and sugary treats that you crave. You just cut back on them and have a little bit less.
But the truth is that over time, as you age and your hormones change, you can’t maintain a healthy weight with junk food. It’s impossible. It’s impossible to maintain a good body if you are not eating well, even if you work out. Eighty percent of your body makeup is taken care of by food.
I know how to eat healthfully. It’s not for a lack of knowledge that I have struggled with my weight. I even enjoy healthy food. The trouble is that preparing healthy food takes time and energy. You have to get fresh and raw food from the store, and it’s not ready to eat.
Who has time for all of that? Being a mother is exhausting. If you do make it to the store to get healthy foods, then you have to clean them and cut them. You have to think about how to store them to keep them fresh. By the time you get around to eating them, chances are they’re already black. It’s so frustrating. I’ve thrown away more fresh and raw food than you can imagine. I’ve thrown away brown bags of fresh and raw food that we just never ate or that spoiled quickly.
I know how to cook raw food—100% vegan raw. I’ve taken classes from Chef Mandy in my hometown. I learned how to make raw pizza out of carrot and almond flour. I know how to make a tomato paste that is to die for and spaghetti out of zucchini. I’m not talking about spaghetti squash, no. It’s not cooked. It’s all raw. Spiraled zucchini with a splash of marinara. It tastes amazing.
I love healthy food. I love it. But my habits tend to go in a different direction. I’m not hungry, so I don’t eat. Then suddenly I get really hungry, and I start to get very testy. As my blood sugar goes down and I get hungry, I get frustrated and a little bit more on the edge and annoyed. It’s like my flesh wants to throw a hissy fit whenever I start to feel hungry. To keep myself from losing it, I reach for the first available food, and usually it’s not cut vegetables.
That said, at those times in the past when I was in good shape, I did go for the vegetables. I put them in ziplock bags and carried them in my car. I have the knowledge. I know how to be healthy, and at times I’ve been successful.
There came a point when I was raising my girls that I spent a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen every day. One week I calculated how many hours per day I spent in the kitchen, meeting all of their little snacky needs. I had to try to figure out what they wanted to eat; I had to prepare snacks constantly and cut mountains of vegetables. I found myself in the kitchen for up to six hours a day, cooking and cleaning and slaving.
We even juiced. I’ve done the juice fast—raw juices, apple juices, kale juices, beet juices, cucumber juices. I love healthy foods. But when I found out that I’d been spending so much time in the kitchen, I eventually gave up and went for what was easy, just so I could have a chance at some moments of life that didn’t involve food preparation.

What Will You Choose?

Sheri YatesLeave a comment
Skinny fat girl—that’s my story.
I’m a tiny girl with way too much body fat. The strength in my body is practically nonexistent. It doesn’t matter what your size is if you can’t sustain the weight.
I’m a tiny girl trapped in a fat body. I have wrestled with my weight for years. It has been up and down in a yo-yo pattern since I had kids. I lost all of the extra weight after baby one. I lost it again after baby two. I lost the extra weight after baby three until my mom died. Ever since then, my weight has been a yo-yo.
When my mom passed away, I had been on Weight Watchers, trying to have some accountability to encourage me to lose the last part of the extra weight from my third and final child. It worked fairly well. The thing about Weight Watchers is that it doesn’t make you give up the processed foods and sugary treats that you crave. You just cut back on them and have a little bit less.
But the truth is that over time, as you age and your hormones change, you can’t maintain a healthy weight with junk food. It’s impossible. It’s impossible to maintain a good body if you are not eating well, even if you work out. Eighty percent of your body makeup is taken care of by food.
I know how to eat healthfully. It’s not for a lack of knowledge that I have struggled with my weight. I even enjoy healthy food. The trouble is that preparing healthy food takes time and energy. You have to get fresh and raw food from the store, and it’s not ready to eat.
Who has time for all of that? Being a mother is exhausting. If you do make it to the store to get healthy foods, then you have to clean them and cut them. You have to think about how to store them to keep them fresh. By the time you get around to eating them, chances are they’re already black. It’s so frustrating. I’ve thrown away more fresh and raw food than you can imagine. I’ve thrown away brown bags of fresh and raw food that we just never ate or that spoiled quickly.
I know how to cook raw food—100% vegan raw. I’ve taken classes from Chef Mandy in my hometown. I learned how to make raw pizza out of carrot and almond flour. I know how to make a tomato paste that is to die for and spaghetti out of zucchini. I’m not talking about spaghetti squash, no. It’s not cooked. It’s all raw. Spiraled zucchini with a splash of marinara. It tastes amazing.
I love healthy food. I love it. But my habits tend to go in a different direction. I’m not hungry, so I don’t eat. Then suddenly I get really hungry, and I start to get very testy. As my blood sugar goes down and I get hungry, I get frustrated and a little bit more on the edge and annoyed. It’s like my flesh wants to throw a hissy fit whenever I start to feel hungry. To keep myself from losing it, I reach for the first available food, and usually it’s not cut vegetables.
That said, at those times in the past when I was in good shape, I did go for the vegetables. I put them in ziplock bags and carried them in my car. I have the knowledge. I know how to be healthy, and at times I’ve been successful.
There came a point when I was raising my girls that I spent a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen every day. One week I calculated how many hours per day I spent in the kitchen, meeting all of their little snacky needs. I had to try to figure out what they wanted to eat; I had to prepare snacks constantly and cut mountains of vegetables. I found myself in the kitchen for up to six hours a day, cooking and cleaning and slaving.
We even juiced. I’ve done the juice fast—raw juices, apple juices, kale juices, beet juices, cucumber juices. I love healthy foods. But when I found out that I’d been spending so much time in the kitchen, I eventually gave up and went for what was easy, just so I could have a chance at some moments of life that didn’t involve food preparation.

Lose 10 Pounds of Belly Fat

Sheri YatesLeave a comment
“How to lose 10 pounds of belly fat.”

I see this posted in magazines in the checkout line all the time. I’ve tried to lose 10 pounds of belly fat because unfortunately, that’s where I gain it. I gain it in my belly. My belly becomes huge, and I look pregnant all the time.

I have tried all the tips … fasting … eat this … eat that …
I have tried all the products and weight aids on the market! 

I can tell you, after ALL my research, 

I have FOUND the magic solution!

WORK IT!

After three months of hardcore labor and eating healthfully, the belly fat is the very last thing to come off of me. It holds on like a baby. He wants to nurse all day and all night. It’s clinging to you. It’s not going down in a ten-day fast. 

It does not go down.

Yes, you can lose some bloating.

You can lose some water weight, but you’re still going to have belly fat until you work your butt off, perform hours of cardio, do a million sit-ups, and eat healthfully every single day and every single meal. Make good choices ALL DAY LONG, not just once a day.

There is no magic formula for getting rid of belly fat.

Stop buying the five-dollar magazine and wasting your money to figure out how to get rid of it. Start working hard. Work your booty off, literally. Value yourself enough to do the really hard things. Put yourself first, not last. By putting others first, you are inevitably putting yourself last—which is putting you first into the grave. 

You are valuable! You are loved! You are a masterpiece!
You are an ambassador of Christ, so represent Him well with all of your life. 

Holla!? Can I get an amen?!

Love, 
Sheri

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 
(1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NIV)

What will you choose?

Sheri YatesLeave a comment
Skinny fat girl—that’s my story.
I’m a tiny girl with way too much body fat. The strength that is supposed to be in my body is non-existent. It doesn’t matter what your size is if you can’t sustain the weight.
I’m like, a tiny girl trapped in a fat body. I have wrestled with my weight for years. It has been up and down in a yo-yo since I had kids. I lost all my weight after baby one. I lost all my weight after baby two.  I lost all my weight after baby three until my mom died. Then my weight has been a yo-yo ever since.
When my mom passed away, I had been on Weight Watchers, trying to have some accountability to lose the final part of my weight of my third and final child. It worked fairly well. The thing is, those Weight Watchers doesn’t make you give up the processed foods and the sugary treats that you crave. You just cut them back and have a little bit less.
Actually, over time, as you age and your hormones change, you can’t possibly maintain a healthy weight with junk food. It’s impossible. It’s impossible to maintain a good body working out and not eating well. 80% of your body make up is taken care of by food.
I know how to eat healthy. It’s not for a lack of knowledge. I do eat healthy. I enjoy healthy food. But healthy food takes time and energy. You have to go get fresh and raw food from the store.
Who has time to do that? Being a mother is exhausting. If you do make it to the store to get healthy foods, then you have to clean them and cut them. Where do you store them in and how do they stay fresh? By the time you get around to eating them, they’re already black. It’s so frustrating. I’ve thrown away fresh and raw food more than you can imagine. I’ve thrown away brown bags of fresh and raw food that we just never ate or got spoiled.
I know how to cook raw food. Vegan—100% vegan raw. I’ve taken classes from Chef Mandy in my hometown. I’ve learned how to make raw pizza out of carrot and almond flour. I know how to make a tomato paste that is to die for. I know how to make spaghetti out of zucchini—and I’m not talking about spaghetti squash, no. It’s not cooked. It’s all raw. It’s spiraled zucchini with a splash of marinara and it tastes amazing.
I love healthy food. I love it. But my habits are these: I’m not hungry so I don’t eat but then the minute I get really hungry, I start to get very testy. My blood sugar goes down and as I get hungry,  I get more frustrated and a little bit more on the edge and annoyed. It’s like my flesh literally wants to throw a hissy fit when I start to feel hungry. So I will go to the first available food. And usually that’s not cut vegetables.
If it were in the times in the past when I’ve been in good shape, I would have gone to those vegetables. I used to put them on zip lock bags and carry them in my car. I have the knowledge. I’ve been successful in the past.
There came a point when I was raising my girls, I calculated how many hours per day per week I was spending in the kitchen just meeting all their little snack-y needs. Including thoughts of, “What do they want to eat?” and “We need more snacks,” and, “Mom needs to cut vegetables,” I literally would find myself in the kitchen up to six hours a day. Cleaning and cooking and slaving.
I love healthy foods. But when I found out that I’ve been spending thousands of hours per week in the kitchen, I just eventually quit and gave up and went for what is easy.