I may not always get the right foods to make sure that I’m getting the nutritional needs I’m supposed to be getting, but I can take the nutritional supplements to make up for it. That way, when my trainer checks in with me about my nutrition and she gives me “that look” as we go over what I’ve been eating, I can say “but I’m getting the right nutrition” and she has to put that look away.
Another thing that I love about nutritional supplements is that there are so many different ways to consume them. I know, I know, I’m making myself sound even more ridiculous here. But really, I maintain a very habitual diet and exercise routine (although I’m admittedly better at the exercise rituals than the diet rituals). So I like to get as much diversity as I can. And since I can get nutritional supplements in the form of shakes, snacks, pills, oils and herbs, I get some of the diversity of daily experience in there. I know, it’s just a little thing but it’s those little things that can really improve your day!
Of course, it’s not like I rely on nutritional supplements for all of my dietary needs (or for all of my excitement about variety either!) I admit, that was my inclination when I first started using supplements. I felt like I could eat whatever I wanted and then just “make up for it” by getting the right nutritional supplements. But of course it doesn’t work that way. I still have to make sure I’m not putting bad food in my body, because the supplements aren’t going to take those bad calories away for me. I still feel guilty if I eat a chocolate cake after working out. But I no longer feel guilty if I basically eat right and just don’t manage to get in all of the nutrition I need.
In fact, it’s almost become a game for me to increase my exercise routine enough to push myself into needing more
vitamins and supplements. If I can actually work out to the point where I’ve burned off so much that I actually need the nutritional supplements to get my body to where it needs to be, then I feel like I’ve accomplished something with my daily workout. Instead of feeling guilty that I’m not getting the right foods into my body, I feel proud that I’ve pushed my body into needing more. It’s a delicate balance but it’s a great challenge.
Plus, all of this attention to nutritional supplements has really helped me learn to pay more attention to my body and what it needs. Before I got into taking them, I’d just kind of guess at what calories I was getting from where (which of course allowed me to cheat on my nutrition, but I knew that I was doing it so that guilt was still there). But now that I make sure to supplement my diet with the right pills and oils, I have to really stay on top of what I’m consuming.
I’ve even gotten nerdy enough about it to be keeping a food diary. And even though it’s nerdy, it’s really helped my health and my fitness routine. Just being aware of what food I’m taking in has really helped me to become more knowledgeable about my own routines. I can see the areas in which I’m lacking – and those in which I’m succeeding. And best of all, I can point them out to my trainer when she starts to get “that look”!
Check out this
Nutritional Supplement Index to find which one is right for you!
