How to Stay Consistent Around Family Habits

00:00Taking care of your health is not selfish. It is not a burden on your family. It is quite frankly one of the most important things that you can model for the people that you love. You are not required to eat the same thing as everybody else at every meal. You are not obligated to put your health goals on hold because someone else's preferences are different. When dinner is not going your way, you can always add protein from what you already have.

00:32So I would always recommend always have a prepped protein ready to go. What's going on, everybody? Hey, you guys. Welcome back to another episode of The WarriorBabe Show with your host, Nikkie Stott. And on these episodes, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. So today, with summer coming up and a lot of women staying focused on their goals,

01:05I think this is like a very practical, frustrating challenge that a lot of women face. And I want to bring this to the episode today because I don't feel like a lot of women get like a real answer. Like you are tracking your macros, you're prioritizing your protein, you're trying to eat well, especially going into summer. You're building the habits and they're working. But at home, maybe your partner wants something different than what you're eating or your kids want something different than what you're eating. And, you know, everybody sitting at the table is counting on something different.

01:37And then you feel like staying on track. It feels like it requires either cooking like two completely separate meals every single night or having a family argument over dinner and not everybody being happy about what they're eating. And this I hear this constantly. And I feel like the answer or the advice is very vague given back to women. It's like, oh, we'll just meal prep on Sundays for everybody or, you know, just create these healthy swaps.

02:08And while those are that's helpful advice, it doesn't give it enough depth of what actually to do maybe more tactically or practically in the sense of an everyday situation. So I want to talk about actual strategies. I want to talk about like meal planning, cooking logistics, social dynamics, the mindset piece of it. And hopefully you can take this into your household and everybody can be happy and you can be happy with the goals that you're going after.

02:40Before I get into like the tactical things, I just want to address something that I think is underneath a lot of this struggle. When it comes to women in particular, that is there's a lot of guilt that comes with eating differently than your family. Like you're being too high maintenance or you're being too difficult or you're making things harder for everybody else. Like your needs are an inconvenience. And that guilt more than the logistics is often what makes women abandon their nutritional goals the moment that they get home.

03:17Right. It's not like the logistics is like, OK, well, if I just can strategically think about this, you can make it happen. But it's more so the guilt and the feeling of what you're feeling. That is often why you are like, whatever. OK, I'm just going to cook dinner for everybody and I'm going to appease everybody. So I just want to say this directly to you that maybe you are like, that is me. And you're raising your hand right now or you're like in your mind. Yeah, Nikki, you're speaking right to me. And you're experiencing that type of guilt. Taking care of your health is not selfish.

03:50It is not a burden on your family. And it is, quite frankly, one of the most important things that you can model for the people that you love. So just want to rewrite that narrative in your mind. You are not required to eat the same thing as everybody else at every meal. You are not obligated to put your health goals on hold because someone else's preferences are different. OK.

04:21And you're not made to make four different dinners to accommodate everybody. You're not like this. Like, I mean, we all have responsibilities as women on a day to day basis. You take care of your kids. You have you go to work if you work. You're taking care of the household. You're taking care of your husband. Right. Like you have all these responsibilities. You don't need to be making four different meals to make everybody happy. What you are is a person with a goal that matters. Your health matters. And most importantly, how that's going to be a model when you choose when you put yourself first in this situation.

04:54It is not selfish because everybody else is going to see what you are doing. And it's going to inspire. I've heard so many husbands along women's journeys be inspired by the actions that the woman is taking in the household to better herself when it comes to eating right and working out. OK. You are a person with a goal that matters and you need to protect that. Now, with me saying that, that's the strong foundation that I want you to build for yourself, especially as we move through the rest of this episode and just through the rest of your days.

05:25You are a model. It is not a burden to your family. And taking care of your health is not selfish. OK. Having those goals is not should not be a burden. Now, what to actually do practically with that? I have seen women in Warrior Babe over the years take this specific tactic and I've seen it work for women cooking for a family with different eating needs. And I want to share that with you guys because it's a lot simpler than it actually sounds.

05:58So the concept itself, instead of cooking one complete meal that either fits your nutrition or fits your macros or doesn't, you cook components separately and let everyone build their own plate. Now, here is what that looks like actually in practice. You make a protein. You make grilled chicken. You make ground beef, shrimp, whatever. You make the protein. You make a starch. You can make rice, pasta, potatoes, bread.

06:33You make the starch, right? The carb. And you make a vegetable. And everybody builds from there. So, granny, this is more so speaking like in the early phases of your journey because hopefully along the way, everybody – like this is almost like the stepping stone that you have to get to the next level and the next level after that, right? Like hopefully in the long term, everybody will want to eat the protein, the starch, and the vegetable that you made, right? But maybe your husband wants or your partner wants like pasta and just tons of pasta on his plate and he loads up on the starch, right?

07:08And he skips the vegetable. He skips the protein, right? You can allow your partner to do that because you made the chicken or the protein. You made the protein. You made the starch and you made the vegetable. Now they get to choose. Your kids build their version, right? And then you build yours. You can build it heavy on the protein, heavy on the vegetables, and a little bit on the carbs or whatever you need depending on where your macros are after the day. It's still one cooking session. It's one kitchen mess. But everyone eats something that they want.

07:39And you are not trapped eating something that doesn't serve your goals or cooking a completely separate meal. This is one of the stressors that I've seen with women first starting their journey is like they feel like they have to make this meal for their partner and their kids. And then they have to make this meal for you and your goals. It's like no. Make one whole meal, one cooking session. But like the quantity of what people want is up to them to grab. Now the key to making this work is you have the protein of the vegetable at the center of every dinner.

08:14Okay? It's not like a one-dish meal where everything is mixed together, right? Especially earlier in your journey. As you level up and level up, you can add, you can do the one-dish meal where you know there's a lot of protein in it. You can take portion sizes of the dish and like, you know, portion it out for you. And the rest of the family can have the portion that they want. But you're controlling the portions early on in the journey. Okay? When the components are separate, you have that control.

08:44Okay? This is what works beautifully for things like taco night or stir-fry nights or bowl nights. Like anything where people are assembling their own plates. This is what I would recommend early on in the journey. These are your best friend. As you as a woman are trying to eat for your goals in a household that isn't yet. And I say yet because trust me, as you consistently continue to keep doing this, majority of the time your family is going to grab onto it.

09:15And they're going to be like, okay, mom, just make whatever. Make the one pan dishes. Make the castor roll. Make X, Y, and Z. Right? And then you're able to control the portions of it, like I said. Okay? Quick break. If you're finding this episode helpful so far, it would mean a lot if you could hit pause for just a second. Leave a quick rating or a review or share it with someone who could benefit from it. Your support helps more women discover these tools to build muscle, lose fat, and feel confident. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me.

09:46Like I said, the protein has to be the anchor at every single meal. You don't need to cook completely different food. You just need to anchor every family meal around a protein, and then you add around it for everybody else. Okay? If your family wants spaghetti, like I use that example, then you make the meat, which is your protein, and you cook the pasta for them. And then they combine the two if they want to. Or you have a smaller portion of pasta, or you skip it, and then you have maybe like, depending on where your goals are at for the day.

10:19Right? And then whatever is left over can be taken for lunch the next day. But no matter what, the protein is always there. Um, if you want, if your family wants burgers, okay, then you have the patties for everybody. That's the protein. Your husband gets all of the things and the fancy, the buns, the fries, all of the works. And maybe like you don't have carbohydrates left for your, for the evening. Or maybe you do, but you can't have a full bun. So it's like, okay, well, the protein is there. You have the patty. Now you can have a side salad, or you can have, um, a small portion of like sweet potato fries.

10:55Right? Same protein as cooked. It's just there's differences in the carbs and the vegetables on the side. So the most important thing is that you are having the protein as an anchor. And it's something that is probably one of the most important things. And then it starts shifting your family's meals in that healthier direction without everyone feeling like they're being put on a diet. More protein, the center of the meal is like a net positive for everybody that is sitting

11:27at the dinner table with you. Even if the sides look different. But regard, like I grew up in a household that didn't prioritize protein and, or it was a little portion of protein and the carbs were the main center of the, of the show or fats or like the side salad. Right? Now flipping it is what you guys have the control of because you, you already know protein is like an epidemic in the fitness space. We know women don't get enough protein. So if you make protein in the center of your meals moving forward, it is just an, an overall

12:01positive addition to your family's dinner meals moving forward. Even if you're the, the it's rice, pasta, bread, whatever, the carbs look different and the vegetables look different. Okay. Now that that is there, that's probably the most practical, efficient strategy that I can offer. And what I've seen women implement in their journeys with husbands or partners that aren't yet on board with eating the way that you want to eat or, or the kids aren't, and you

12:33don't have to make a million different meals. Okay. Make one and they can choose the quantity that they want from the three protein carbs and vegetables that you're making. Okay. Now navigating social dynamics is another thing. And I think that this is where a lot of women actually struggle the most, right? Like, because food is not just fuel in a family context. It's love. It's a tradition in, in some, um, like some cultures, it is connection.

13:05And when you are eating differently, it can feel to the people around you. Like you are opting out of something, even when you're not like your mom is first generation Greek or first generation Arabic, or, you know, first mom, like from the boat. When they want to give this lavish, uh, they love cooking because it's a form of love, right? It's a form of tradition. And when you are really, you're like, well, in your, you have a goal, right?

13:38And so like you want to eat differently. And that, that to your mom or to a relative can feel like, well, you don't love me, right? That's how they could be taking an exchange. So to help you with that, because that can be a struggle, that can be a guilt, right? One, one thing that I would say is you would have a conversation and have it clearly without an apology, right? Like, uh, I used to have to do this when I was in bodybuilding and I had the goal in mind, but Easter came around. I told you guys that story before or Thanksgiving or, or Christmas or the holidays where eating

14:14was a form of connection. I had to tell my family, I'm like, look, I'm working on my nutrition goals right now. And I'm going to be eating a little bit differently for a while. I'm not asking anybody else around me to change. I just want you to know that, you know, my plate is just going to look a little bit differently or that I've brought my meals with me because my goals require this of me, right? It's one conversation and you don't need to justify it at every single meal. You don't need to make a big deal of it at every single meal. You just need to have that one conversation and you're not responsible for the responses

14:48that you get from the person that you were telling this, right? It doesn't need, how they respond is their own acceptance of it or unacceptance of it. They, it may feel type of way, but you were not responsible to take on that burden of how they're responding to you. It may hurt because it's a loved one, but you have to keep in mind the goals that you have. And it's not forever. It's just for a season that you are maybe implementing this at the beginning of your journey, where your goals require you to show up differently in those situations because it's habits you

15:22have to instill and believe to be, start to be able to believe and trust yourself that you're able to do that in those types of situations. Okay. It's just for a season, but it is required of you to do that when you have this type of goal in mind. Another one is I wouldn't moralize your food choices at the table. Meaning like if you're eating a salad or you're eating a smaller quantity that your husband has or your partner has, or your partner has like, you know, this massive mound of pasta,

15:56you need to resist the urge to comment on that difference. And this is hard, but it is important. And either direction, like your husband needs to resist the urge too, and you need to resist the urge to, to him. Like not like not justifying it and not being apologetic, not being like, sorry, I'm on this thing or like, sorry, like I'm trying to just focus on my habits, eating better. Like, no, just eat your food. And the less you make a thing about it, the less it becomes a thing. Okay. Another thing that I would say is protect your goals without policing theirs, right?

16:30Like your job is to manage your own plate, not to reform your entire household's eating habits, at least not just yet. Especially if you were just starting your journey. Again, I'm going back to that because along the way you will notice that the household eating habits are going to change. Okay. So it's not like, don't just start dumping vegetables into everything or making everyone feel judged for what you're, for, for what they're choosing. Or this is like, we're, we're all starting to eat this way. Not everybody may be on board with your goals, right?

17:02You're nobody can really understand your own goals because you're the only one that can see them. So I want to change everything all up at the beginning. You need to eat your way. They need to eat theirs. That's the most sustainable at the beginning, at least. And, and it also causes a respectful dynamic and it keeps the dinner table a positive place, which matters for long-term consistency in your goals more than most people realize. So those are just a few things that I would in social and emotional dynamics would recommend

17:35that you take into context on how to, and how to just like, how, how that can help, right? Because the logistics of what I said earlier, protein, carb, and people can make their own quantity of it. Social dynamics are a little bit differently. Having the conversation with your family, making sure that you're not like moralizing your food choices at the table, right? Like not judging or justifying or being apologetic. And then don't, you need to protect your goals without like dumping your goals onto everybody

18:07else. In time, just allow time to make, like in time, they will feel and notice and change their own ways about your goals, right? And that offers just long-term consistency, like I said. Okay. Okay. So some things I would recommend, like a practical thing that I would recommend, something that you always have on hand in the fridge or in a pantry setting is one, you always have prep protein ready, right? Rather, whether it's a rotisserie chicken from the store, or it's you batch cooked ground

18:42turkey, or you have hard boiled eggs in the fridge, which is something my dad loves to do, or you grilled chicken from Sunday prep, ready to go. You have a protein source that is already cooked and it is ready to go. And that changes everything. When dinner is not going your way, you can always add protein from what you already have. So I would always recommend always have a prepped protein ready to go. I would also recommend keep frozen protein on deck. So keep frozen shrimp or frozen salmon fillets or frozen chicken breasts, because these can cook

19:14in under 15 minutes and they require zero prep. So on nights when the family dinner is like mac and cheese, or it's, you know, heavy on pasta, you can have shrimp on the stovetop in less than 10 minutes alongside it, right? You can have shrimp and mac and cheese. Trust me, macros get weird sometimes, but that's making it work for you, especially, I keep going back to this, in the early stages. And then have vegetables ready to go, like your anchor. And like, those are, there's, those are just some things I would just have ready to go

19:46always on hand, especially the protein. Okay. So to wrap up this podcast today, I want to keep it just short and simple, but I wanted to just address that conversation with you guys. Cause I feel like it's something, especially like as we go into summer, especially if you're starting your journey and the family dynamics can be a little bit different as you focus on your goals. I don't want you guys to feel guilty about your goals or selfish about how you're showing up. There's a way that two worlds can exist, you and your goals and still your family and how they want their food prepared for themselves, for themselves.

20:19Okay. But to wrap it up, you are not responsible for changing your family's eating habits. You're responsible for managing your own plate. The build your own strategy gives you control without cooking like separate meals. Make protein the anchor. That method is one of the absolute game changers that will help you in your journey. The social dynamics, they are manageable when you communicate them and you communicate them once without an apology.

20:50And you focus on your, your own choices without policing everyone else's. And then keep the prep food on hand, prep protein, vegetable, uh, or frozen options, you know, easy out on vegetables. All of those are what make this sustainable in a real busy household and make your goals sustainable. Okay. Now, if you guys aren't yet a part of our worry babe for your community, I would highly recommend that you guys get inside of our free Facebook community is full women navigating exactly this.

21:21And they are sharing what works. They're supporting each other through the real life logistics of trying to eat well in a world that is not always set up to help you do that. And it's completely free. So come inside, join the link is in the show notes. And I just asked like to share this episode with a woman who has been maybe using her family as a reason why she can't stay consistent because this episode will give her, give her the tools to be able to do both. All right. I hope you guys enjoy this episode and I will see you in the next one.

21:52Hey, really quick before you go, I have one small favor to ask. If this episode brought you value or sparked something in you, take just a moment to hit that review button. Your rating and review make all of the difference. Helping more women discover the tools they need to transform the fitness and their confidence. It takes less than a minute, but it can change the path of someone else's journey. Thank you so much for leaving that review. I appreciate you so much.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.