Vacation Prep; But What Do I Eat?

I constantly get the same questions, how can I lose the maximum amount of weight in the shortest amount of time? Well, you can do plenty of unhealthy things to do that but it's not sustainable. So the real question is, how can I begin to lose weight and keep it off, so I don't have to panic a month before my vacation! 

Not that the answer is necessarily easy but it's pretty straight forward. Workout and eat healthy. The two things you, personally have control over to take better care of your body. What goes into that, can be a little more complicated like what workouts and what foods? Well let's start with food. We all know by now, junk food isn't beneficial. So begin by thinking about the foods that don't add value to your day. I used to weigh my foods, count macros, follow strict meal plans and sure they all worked, but only for a short while before I was back to my old ways. What I have found works best is intuitive eating. Each time I go to eat something I think to myself "what is this going to do for me?". Am I eating it because I'm bored? Emotional? Starving? Convenient? Or am I eating it because it's healthy for me? 

If you're used to grabbing something on the go for a meal, think about what it is you're grabbing. Can you get something quick that's healthier? Can you take the 15 minutes out of your day to make something at home instead? If you have the option to cook for yourself, always take it. Because you know exactly what is in your meal as oppose to getting food made somewhere else. I recently had an experience with a friend, who has been prepping for a show. She shared with me that she was eating extremely clean, but was still bloated. Only to find out that the frozen white fish she was eating was pumped with so much sodium, it wasn't as "clean" as she had thought. So she switched over to freshly cut white fish from the farmers market. My point is, so many foods can have little secret calories that you don't necessarily realize. 

When it comes to diet, I follow two rules. How will this make me feel after I eat it? And is it going to bring me closer to my goals? If I can't answer saying I'll feel good, and yes, then I try not to eat it. Sure pizza sounds amazing, at literally any hour of the day, but that satisfaction is so short. Then you are dealing with the aftermath like bloating, breakouts from dairy, feeling sluggish, and then punishing yourself for eating poorly. Or we can just skip all the negatives and go straight for the better option! (Cheat meals and treating yourself is not included in this statement, that is a different conversation. This is the typical day to day eating routine). But let's get back to the original question. How can I lose weight safely, and permanently with a end goal in mind like an upcoming vacation. Below is what a typical food/workout day will look like for me, with my goals to lose weight. 

Breakfast: 4 egg white omelet with vegetables in whole wheat wrap , black coffee 
Snack: Berries 
Workout: 40 minutes of cardio & weight lifting (specific body part each day) 
Lunch: Salad burrito bowl with chicken or shrimp, avocado & 1/2 cup of rice/quinoa mixed in 
Snack: Protein shake (Pea protein w/ water) 
Dinner: Chicken/fish/steak with vegetables of some kind 

Since I have been getting so many questions, I am deciding on whether to do a podcast just on eating healthy or maybe even a blog. Leave your comments below on what you'd rather, and your questions!