🍊 Soul Snacks

5 min read

Dear Snacker,

I don’t discuss fitness or nutrition on social media because that is not my jam, however, people ask me a lot, and since I am pretty open about all parts of my life, here’s a little insight…

I enjoy working out, and crave that post-exercise high. I lift weights when I can, two, maybe three times a week, but if I am not feeling it, I do what feels good for me - a long walk, a quick Peleton, whatever. Sustainability is the goal. People ask me a lot if all my dancing is my actual workout – the answer is no, but it definitely helps.

As for eating, I usually maintain a strict routine of “behaving” during the week, carefully watching my portion sizes, so that I can indulge on the weekend. Yes, I realize referring to eating habits as behavior is not healthy terminology these days, but I am not here to say the “correct” fucking thing at all times, in case you have not noticed. Being a woman sucks sometimes. We are so judged and, while I enjoy the way I feel when my clothes fit a certain way or when the scale projects the right number, being too restrictive is also really fucking hard. So what’s a gal to do? Do we say fuck it and loosen the reins during the week and pack on a few pounds, or do we morph into some kind of Goddess of Moderation and have one glass of wine on a Saturday night and also not eat an entire cake in place of the rest of the wine…HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE, DAMNIT?!

Over the last several weeks, I’ve been performing a little “experiment” on myself. I’ve increased my protein intake a lot (consuming about 1g per pound of bodyweight), and I did this in combination with more focus on heavy lifting, hoping to add some muscle, which in theory burns fat. Here’s what happened:

1. I gained a bit of weight.

2. I feel better and stronger. So much better, in fact, that a dull, lingering pain I had been experiencing in my leg for MONTHS has magically disappeared.

I have no idea if my actual body composition has shifted (i.e. was the weight gain a result of more muscle or just a result of eating more food to get the protein), but I also don’t really care. To be clear, I am not talking about any of this to encourage people to do what I am doing, but rather, to be transparent. I hate seeing photos on social media of underweight models eating a burger when we know it is a rarity – we all know how little these women eat, yet so few of them ever disclose that truth to the public. If I am being asked a question about my life, especially about stuff like this, I am going to answer honestly because it is an important part of the issues women face with body image, and I care about women.

If you’re still awake, my philosophy on fitness is that consistency is king, but fitness is only one piece of our body’s structure, and the bigger piece is nutrition. What I learned from increasing my protein is that I would rather weigh more and feel better than see a smaller number on the scale, and that is actually a tough mental hurdle to overcome, but an important one. The way we feel is more important than the way anyone thinks we look. YOU get to be the judge. The END.

— Caitlin

• READ: While on the topic of moderation, sustainability and feeling good, might as well throw this one on the fire.

• DRINK: When I exercise, my hydration beverage of choice is always this one. The grapefruit flavor is to die for.

• TRY: If you occasionally pee when you exercise, know that this is common but it doesn’t have to be your norm. Diana Florio of Threes Physioyoga says the solution is MORE than (and sometimes not) KEGELS. For the fabulous Soul Snacks audience, here are 3 free virtual classes to try.

• LISTEN: This week's playlist is called the "BTA Era's Tour". Organized as close to chronological order as I could manage, it features a compilation of YOUR favorite songs from the year or decade you were born. HEAVY 80's vibes from this audience, but a couple of outliers from the 1940's and one from 1997! Enjoy!