Mary Teunis

Nutrition + Fitness

Mary Teunis

Let’s talk about body image…

By

Let’s talk about body image…

Let’s talk about body image. I want you to go in front of your mirror and tell yourself at least 3 things that you like about your body……. How long did that take you? If you have a poor relationship with your body, then I can guess that you are still in front of the mirror trying to figure out what you do like about your body. Or maybe you lost focus and analyzed all your flaws instead.

I was this girl. I spent hours in front of the mirror beating myself up over every imperfection I saw. Too short, big thighs, cellulite on my butt, flat hair, bolder shoulders… I could name a million and one things I disliked my body, but I could not even name one thing that I loved. I remember being 5 years old crying to my mom because I thought my strong legs were too big. Yes, you heard that FIVE YEARS OLD. It took me 19 years to finally look in the mirror and compliment myself. I did not just wake up one day after a therapy session and boom I was happy with my body. I didn’t lose weight and create the “perfect body” and bam now I am happy. Because let’s face the hard truth no matter how much or how little your weight is, it will never be enough!

Take my story for an example. I was 13 years old when I was first diagnosed with an eating disorder. I thought that if I got to this magic weight, I would be happy. Well, guess what? I got 25 lbs. lighter than that magic number and I still was not happy, in fact, I was depressed, anxious, and dying on both the inside and outside.

So how did I start to see my imperfections as beauty? I did the hard work. I went to years and years and years of therapy. Seriously I have been in therapy for 12 years digging up the dirty mess inside of me. Notice I said INSIDE. Guys you must work on the inside for the outside to shine. You must give yourself love, grace, and respect. We are humans. Not one person on earth is perfect, even if Instagram says they are. We are ALL suffering in our own ways. That girl with the “perfect body” on Instagram, what if she goes to extreme measures to look like that? What if she is in an abusive relationship where looks are the sole purpose of their relationship? What if her parents told her that she was overweight all her life, so to earn love she feels as if she needs to look a certain way? You never know what someone is going through just by looking at their pictures.

It is time we stop judging by appearance. It is time we make conversation, get to know our peers, and connect with people on a deeper level despite their appearance. We need to stand up and teach the next generation to love their bodies for what they can do and not for what they look like. We need to teach the young girls to fuel to get stronger, not smaller. It starts with us. We are the role models and how we talk to ourselves in the mirror will directly impact the younger generation.

So how do we change our relationship with our body? Well, first I would strongly encourage you to seek out help from a licensed therapist and surround yourself with positive and uplifting people. Next, I would ask you to unfollow anyone on social media that makes you feel bad about yourself. Then practice these 3 tools EVERY single day. They will feel silly, they will not work right away, but just keep practicing. Fake it until you make it!

1.       Stop comparing yourself to others. You are not them! You are unique and you do not compare to anyone on this earth.

2.       Express gratitude to your body. You are alive and breathing. Thank your feet and legs for supporting you and thank your hands for helping you connect with others. If you can’t find something positive to say about your body yet, thank your body for simply keeping you alive.

3.       Eat and exercise from intuition. Forget the STRICT diet and exercise plan and tune into your body. Ask your body what it needs. Does it feel good? Yes, get a killer workout in. Are you tired and beat up? Well, rest that day! Is your body sluggish, are you hungry and moody? Well, eat a balanced meal. Did you have a hard day? Eat the serving of ice cream! Out with friends? Have a glass of wine. The body will tell you what it needs, we just must be smart enough to listen.

Do you or someone else in your life struggle with relationships with food and exercise? Are you sick and tired of wasting your life away being unhappy with your body!? I want to help you create the life that you deserve!

Email maryteunisnutrition@gmail.com or contact me through my website.

It is okay to both love your body and want to work on yourself too. You only have one body. It is time to embrace that beautiful gift!  

Top Nutrition Myths That Drive Me CRAZY

By

Top Nutrition Myths That Drive Me CRAZY

There is so much nonsense nutrition advice in the fitness industry. It drives me crazy when “professionals” jump outside of their scope of practice and try and give recommendations regarding nutrition. Guys stop getting your nutrition advice from your next-door neighbor, Instagram influencers that do not have a nutrition-related education, doctors who have no experience when it comes to giving diet advice, and magazines. Before you start listening to everything on social media and in the news, I want you to ask yourself “is the person I am getting my information from a credible resource.” If not, then do not waste your time and mental energy, instead seek out a professional that will give you real nutrition science information.

Today I am going to discuss some of the top nutrition myths that drive me CRAZY.

Myth one: The 1200 calories diet…. First, I want to know where this even came from!? According to NIH, this is the caloric recommendation for 2–to 8-year-old children. If you are an adult eating a 1200 calorie diet you are damaging and slowing your metabolism.

Myth two: Intermittent fasting is the magic sauce to lose weight…. This diet approach is going intervals throughout the day where you fast. Typically, someone will fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8-hour window. One example would be only eating 10a-6pm. The thing is if you think about it, we all fast. When you are sleeping you are not eating. You break that fast with BREAKFAST. The reason why it works for some people is that they are limiting the time frame that they consume calories. When it comes to weight loss, it is not about what time you are eating, it’s about how many calories you are eating.

Myth three: You should not eat carbs on rest days…. First, did you know that broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, squash, zucchini, asparagus, all have carbs in them!? So do sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, brown rice, and quinoa. Second, carbs are not the enemy and you need them on rest days. Why? When you rest your body, it starts to recover. To recover the body must need proper macronutrient breakdown. One macro being carbs. Carbs on rest days will replenish glycogen stores helping you to recover quicker and prep for the next workout.

So, guys, the next time Instagram wants to fill your head with lies, delete, unfollow, and do the research from credible sources. Your body wants whole foods in proper amounts. Your body is happiest when you give it the nutrients and love that it deserves. Instead of believing these nutrition myths and giving them a try for a few weeks, how about you do the hard work. Eat three balanced meals a day, eat minimally processed foods, walk 7-10k steps a day, and sleep 7-9 hours every night.

Looking to dial in your nutrition in a sustainable way? Head over to contact form on my website and together we can find the best diet that fits with your lifestyle and goals!  

General Fitness Lifestyle vs Performance Lifestyle

By

General Fitness Lifestyle vs Performance Lifestyle

We all have different goals when it comes to why we exercise. Some of us train so we can move well, look good and kick ass in our 90s, while others are training to be a highly competitive athlete. If you are training to move well, look good and kick ass in your 90s, your lifestyle approach should be totally different then if you are a competitive athlete. Think about it, if are an elite level athlete you could be training 4+ hours a day and it will be your full-time job. Exercise is a stressor on the body. The more stress the body has, the more sleep, recovery, and calories the body will need to maximize performance. If you are looking to improve your general lifestyle you should create a balance with habits that support your work and passions in life.

Below is a basic lifestyle guide for supporting overall health and performance.

If you are looking to live an overall healthy lifestyle, consider dialing in on the following.

  1. Sleep 7-9 hours, fill the rest of your day with a balance of work and play.
  2. Expose yourself to sunlight every day.
  3. Drink ½ body weight in oz of water daily.
  4. Move for at least 30 minutes every day in a way that makes you feel energized.
  5. Walk at least 7k steps daily.
  6. Create a consistent sleep pattern. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
  7. Sit down and chew your food.
  8. Eat 3 balanced meals that are ½ plate non-starchy veggies, ¼ lean protein, ¼ complex carbs. Add in small amounts of healthy fat.
  9. Eat 1-2 healthy snacks daily between meals.
  10. Eat 80% whole nutrient foods and limit your diet to 20% processed foods.

If training is your full-time job, you will need to establish more specific performance-focused lifestyle rituals.  To maximize performance at the highest level, consider the following.

  1. Drink 60+% of your body weight in oz every day. Add in electrolytes, and liquid carbs on long, warm training days.
  2. Eat foods that do not cause inflammation or GI disruption. Limit spicy foods, as they can be hard on the gut. Add curcumin, garlic, and turmeric as these may help the body fight inflammation.
  3. Avoid caffeine after 12 pm.
  4. Vary eating lean protein and veggies often.
  5. Chew your food! Taste your food, digest the food, and utilize the food. Digestion is key!
  6. Meditate daily.
  7. Lower overall stress. Exercise should be the biggest stress on the body throughout the day.
  8. Stop using blue light 60-90 minutes before bedtime. 
  9. Sleep 8.5+ hours in a cold, completely blacked out room with no interruptions.
  10. Create a consistent sleep pattern. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
  11. Expose yourself to at least 45 minutes of sunlight daily.
  12. End your shower with 30 seconds of completely cold water.
  13. Focus on recovery just as much as training. Add PT, massage, self-myofascial work, mobility to your weekly/daily routine.
  14. Know you’re why! Stay aligned with your goal and create purpose in everyday activity.
  15. Eat specific macronutrients and calories based on your genetic makeup and training routine.
  16. Focus on meal timing around training.  

At the end of the day remember it is not only the exercise or training that makes greatest change. It is what you are doing outside of the gym. Is your current lifestyle aligned with your goals? If the answer is no, focus on adding one of these lifestyle behaviors and create consistency with it. Once you master one, move on to the next! Start creating the life that helps you maximize performance in life or in training.

Lessons Learned Through My Eating Disorder Recovery

By

Lessons Learned Through My Eating Disorder Recovery

Did you know that February 22nd-28th is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week?!

Eating disorders affect over 30 million Americans each year. If I would have to guess, 2020 brought more people to relapse and suffering when it comes to recovery. Also, the growing “perfect appearance” on social media does not help either. You see Eating disorders are not just about weight loss. Eating disorders are an addiction. An addiction to control. When one suffers from PTSD, anxiety, depression OCD, low self-esteem, drugs, or trauma, they choose to control what they can…What they put in their body and how much they move their body.  

For me, my experience with Anorexia and Bulimia is a coping mechanism for my anxiety plus I always had a negative relationship with my body, seriously I told my mom I wanted liposuction when I was FIVE years old. That is simply crazy!

My deliberating anxiety started at the age of 12. I had my first panic attack in the bathroom at the middle school I was attending. It was so bad that I was sent to the Emergency Room. This was all triggered by a sexual assault that happened to me by another classmate one day after school. I will not get into full details but let’s just say I felt embarrassed, unlovable, undeserving, and useless. A few days after this happened, for the first time I tried to commit suicide.

As the year went on, I held onto my shame in silence. I started coping with my uncontrollable thoughts with becoming the “perfect gymnast.” I made the outside look like this picture-perfect image to cover up the mess on the inside. I restricted my food intake, worked out 7x a week for 7+ hours and I put a smile on my face, pretending everything was okay.

I have learned that I will never be fully recovered, and I will always be in recovery. I fight every day with the negative voices inside of my head. The difference today is that I work through those negative voices and I try my best to challenge them. My recovery is a journey. I will continue to go to therapy, see a psychiatrist and take medication to help from any relapse. I will use my mess as a message to help others.

Below are Top 6 Lessons that I have learned through my 11 years of Eating Disorder Recovery

1.     Recovering from an ED is HELL. It does not stop when you leave treatment. You will not leave a facility and magically be fixed. You must consistently continue to challenge distorted thoughts and actions. You may relapse time and time again (I know I did) but this does not mean you failed recovery! Each time you learn, and you grow!

2.     Let go of control. Learning to surrender and sacrifice is a key to recovery. This means letting go of the eating disorder and living your life! Saying no to the lies it fills inside your head. No to the restriction, No to the negative thoughts, No to the destructive behaviors.

3.     Each day is a new start. You will slip up; you will have your bad days. People who struggle with Eating disorders typically have the all or nothing mindset. We think if there was one slip up, we lost in recovery. This could be so far from the truth. I have learned that even one small victory is a successful day in recovery. Sometimes this would just be getting out of bed and talking to a human being.  One good choice puts you in the right direction.

4.     Do not internalize other people’s opinions. Some will understand and be supportive and others will have no idea what to do and they may say the wrong things. At the end of the day, I learned that I must take other people’s words and actions with a grain of salt. I have learned to listen to science, professionals, and those who love me. Tune out the negativity.

5.      I need to be my top priority. I used to feel so selfish when I took care of ME. I tend to have the personality where I put everyone in front of me. I am a people pleaser, and this often leads to disappointing myself. In recovery, I learned that I must be my priority. If I do not put recovery first, nothing else will be successful.

6.     TRUST the process. Recovery is exhausting, frustrating, empowering, invigorating, liberating, and so much more. There are days where I feel like a million bucks and others where I am barely getting by. I take the good days as they are and learn and navigate the bad days the best I can.

It takes guts to confront your trauma, your past, and your insecurities. Through recovery, I have learned that I am worthy of love and nourishment. Although my ED has taken a lot of time, energy, and life away from me, I would not be the person I am today if it were not for my greatest struggle.

This is your reminder. DON’T GIVE UP. Whatever you are struggling with YOU CAN DO IT. 

Know someone struggling with an Eating disorder or other mental illness? Share this post with them and encourage them to reach out to me.

Xo,

Mary

Six Tips to Make Eating Healthy and Staying Active Easy

By

Six Tips to Make Eating Healthy and Staying Active Easy

Do you want to change the way you treat your body but do not know where to start? Use these 6 tips to make eating healthy and staying active easy.

  1. Create a schedule. Each day write when you will get your workout in and when you are going to have your meals and snacks. Make both non-negotiables. When things are put in writing we are more likely to stick to them.
  2. Set your environment up for success. If there are certain foods that you cannot eat in moderation, do not keep them in your home. Instead save those treats for special occasions and do not bring them into your environment. Instead, create a date on the calendar where you will go out and intentionally treat yourself. This way you are not depriving yourself of the foods you love, but you are still setting boundaries around the food.
  3. Set reminders on your phone. 30 minutes before your scheduled time to work out, put a reminder in your phone to start getting ready for the gym. Every Sunday night set a reminder to meal prep and pack your lunch for the following day. These simple but effective reminders will trigger your brain to act.
  4. Plan ahead. If you know that the day is going to be crazy busy, make sure you pack enough healthy food. If you know your workout will be rushed and you are limited on time, go into the gym a with plan on what you want to accomplish.
  5. Lean on family and friends for support. We are human and we all need a little gentle push to get us motivated. Tell a family member, friend, or coach your goals and ask them to hold you accountable. When we say our goals out loud, we tend to follow through with them.
  6. Create a consistent routine. If you can, wake up at the same time every day, workout at the same time, and eat meals and snacks around the same time. The body loves consistency. The more consistent we are, the more likely we can develop new habits.    

If you are looking for additional support with nutrition and fitness please fill out the form in the contact section of my website and follow me on Instagram @mteunis