Kelley used to count her calories back in high school on an app, but that experience wasn't a good one for her. Looking back, she thinks that she was eating too few calories for the amount of sports she played. Her goal was to lose weight fast, and that lifestyle wasn't sustainable.
For instance, if she ate one more Goldfish than was allowed, she'd give up and binge the rest of the day because she thought she ruined her progress. Her weight fluctuated a lot — "I was gaining and losing the same five to 10 pounds over and over and over," she said. Then, she reached her heaviest in college.
Going into her fitness journey, Kelley considered trying intermittent fasting but said that it wasn't realistic given her inconsistent work schedule. Some days she'll have to be in the office at 7 a.m., or on a given Sunday she'll get there around 1 p.m. So, sticking to a set window of eating wouldn't have been the right option for her.
Now, though, Kelley is simply focused on eating healthier. After college, she moved into an apartment and said that she would eat takeout a lot. Now that she's back home, she tries to cook more for herself. Here's a rundown of some of the food choices Kelley makes daily:
- Breakfast: coffee, a fiber bar or toast, yogurt, and fruit (but eggs if she has more time)
- Lunch: salad or some rice with chicken, shrimp, or tuna
- Snacks: fresh veggies, pretzels, hummus, cheese sticks, chocolate, and fruit
- Dinner: veggies, a carb (rice, pasta, potatoes), and meat (chicken, ground turkey, steak, etc.)
Kelley stressed the fact that she wanted to follow eating habits that weren't restrictive. Even though she does more cooking now, Kelley will still go out with her friends to restaurants. "I've tried quick fixes and they just don't work," she explained. "So I wanted to make sure I was doing it in a slow and sustainable kind of way."
