Do you eat for pleasure or for purpose?
It’s a topic, and saying I’ve heard come up many times in the fitness world. I’ve heard people say that to be successful with a fitness diet you have to come to terms with eating for purpose.. eating to fuel your workouts and look a certain way. Carb-cycling to get ready for a bodybuilding/fitness/figure competition is certainly eating for purpose! Even though I do my best to keep it creative and not too monotonous, if I wasn’t within 8-weeks of a show, I wouldn’t freely choose to eat just protein powder, chicken, tilapia, egg whites and chicken. Fortunately, I really like all those foods, so for a few weeks, it’s really not a hardship to stick to them. But when I hear people say that that’s all they eat for years at a time.. I realize that that’s something I would not care to do.. not really because I don’t think I could.. in fact, I’m quite sure I could.. instead because I see food not just as a ‘purpose’ but as ‘pleasure’.. pleasure to have a good meal with great friends.. pleasure to bake holiday cookies with family and eat banana bread over epic games of Gin-Rummy (a bit of a tradition I have with my Mom).
I feel extremely fortunate to have been raised around really good food, in a very positive way. I may have messed a few things up along the way, but it wasn’t for lack of a good example. Sweets were always around the house, but it was seen as a treat, and after a balanced meal (there were many nights I sat at the dinner table for hours because I was suppose to eat my vegetables before I could get dessert.. it took 18 more years before I would eat vegetables by choice). Up through my junior year of high school, my family ate weeknight dinners together at the dinner table every night (even when I wasn’t getting home from gymnastics practice until 9pm). Meals were mostly made from scratch and were always balanced.
I lied, food is for purpose.. to nourish, to enjoy, to delight, to bring together, to celebrate, to love, to bring energy.
I don’t think relationships with food and disordered eating happen because we see food as pleasure.. I think instead things get out of balance when we demonize it and allow it to take the place of life experiences and relationships. Pleasure & purpose should be compliments not contradictions.
And no, I actually haven’t read Eat, Pray, Love.. I’m sure I’ll like it whenever I do 
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream in a Waffle Cone screams ‘hot summer day’ to me.. what food represents summer to you? Others for me include Watermelon and Corn on the Cob!
There are some big things on the horizon.. things I’m excited about.. and I think Nourished Fitness will be getting a bit of a face lift.. so if I’m missing for a few days, things are going on behind the scenes 
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
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what a great post! and I acutally totally agree. YES I love the foods that I have been eating so far on this new 'clean diet' (by the way I got it last week) I truly do enjoy eating these foods, but I dont thin I would want to be this strict my WHOLE LIFE..never having ice cream? meh I dont think i could do that! what screams summer to me is frozen yogurt and corn on teh cobb GRILLED! basically anything grilled and any ice cream!
I cant wait to see you all comp ready! 
I feel very blessed as well. I grew up in a home where after each game, practice, etc. there was always a home cooked meal on the table. I grew up with 3 brothers though, so a salad was not introduced to me until high school, haha.
I definitely eat for pleasure! It's one of the reasons I haven't done a show in a while again. After dieting so many times and not being able to eat things I wanted, I was over it. And I even dieting keeping all food groups in and everything in until about 3 wks out!
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I think I'm doing better with keeping a bit more of a balance this time around.. but I've also been reflecting a lot on what I want to do moving forward. I hate suddenly wanting foods that I usually wouldn't eat anyway.. it's a little silly. Who knows.. just going with the flow for now
You're such a great example, Alyson! Great post and great reflection. I have to say baked beans and corn on the cob are my 'summer' reminder foods. And I'm glad I'm not the only one in the world that hasn't read Eat, Pray, Love yet!!
Twitter: NourishedFit
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Thank you so much! .. And yes, totally baked beans! Anything that involves a grill
I believe food should also be pleasurable, but it should also be fuel. That means not eating that yummy looking chocolate chip mint ice cream cone every single day b/c it's not really proper fuel. But you should still enjoy what you are eating. Like you said, you do in fact like your protein pancakes (and how could you not they look delish).
Twitter: NourishedFit
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Totally agree! It's all about balance and appreciation. Oh and I don't think I replied to your previous post comment.. but as always you were spot on, and I'm totally borrowing your description with regards to gaining muscle.. not 'heavy' or 'big' but 'solid'.. love it!
It still amazes me that every time I read your blog i think how similar we are. I've had quite the relationship with food in the past stemming from my gymnastics days. There were and still are days where I hated food..luckily they are few and far between now. There were also days where I couldn't get enough and it felt like it was sufficing for something that was missing in my life. Luckily I also came from a great family where meals were eaten together and dessert was fruit or if we were lucky a small dish of ice cream. And because of that I think my relationship has become more stable with food, and food has now become pleasure. I have learned to enjoy the preparation and the whole ingredients that go into making a meal. I enjoy the chance to eat a meal with good friends, to splurge on an ice cream cone with my dad etc. I think when in comp prep you are right…food does become purpose but I find that you keep pleasure in there too with your creative meals. Which is why I love to read your blog!
Twitter: NourishedFit
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It's amazing how much a difference cooking from scratch makes when it comes to eating mindfully, balanced and savoring a meal, even if it isn't the most healthy thing! And thanks
Thanks for a great post – I think it is so on the mark, that's what food is about. Sometimes food is a remedy, it is fuel, it is your medicine, but at other times it is an experience, a shared joy, it's the link to memories of situations and creator of certain feelings…it's both.
Summer food? Any fresh fruit present in cheap abundance so I can over-indulge and get a belly ache, haha
Cherries!! I always OD on them during the summer:-)cc
Twitter: NourishedFit
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Oh for sure cherries! Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, during the summer there would be fresh cherry stands on the side of the road with fruit picked just hours before.. amazing!
Great post! I had some similar ideas last week, even of Mint Chip Icecream and how I ate growing up.
I am very thankful that my mom raised us on the food that she did, I think maybe it made accepting a lifestyle change in my late 20's easier.
DBF's mom raised them on full on Southern fried everything. I think that's what makes it so hard for him to change his mindset
Twitter: NourishedFit
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I didn't even know that not everyone did eat dinner together, or that fast food and pizza every night really existed when I was a kid. Growing up that's just how it was, but now I'm so thankful for it!
CAn't wait to see the changes!!!! As for food, depends on what is going on & what purpose it plays. When I competed, there was a purpose behind it. Now, there still is a purpose as I want to look the way I want to look BUT I enjoy most of what I eat & I have treats along the way and my beloved bread!
oh goawwwwwd i need to find a recipe for mint chocolate chip ice cream! it's seriously my favorite summer treat of ALL time. like the best thing ever created. like REAL mint chip. mmmm
i think i eat for both! i love nutritious foods so does that count haha?
mmm burgers on the grill. I don't even eat red meat, but the smell let's me know it's summer