08 Mar Come Back to the Fundamentals – How Skiing Is Related to Your Nutrition Journey

I went skiing recently with family and my 3 year old niece, as her parents are starting to get her exposed to being on skis.

I have grown up skiing since I was similar to her age. My dad was a big ski racer, and so was my sister. My mom taught skiing, my uncle and aunt own a local ski shop. Skiing is a big part of our family, and I had very positive exposure with this sport.

As of late, I have not been skiing as often. The past couple years I have maybe gone a handful of times, and this year, March was my first time out! While it was great being with family, I did not feel as confident on my skis. It felt like I really had to think about what I was doing. I had to go slower, reconnect with my body, this motion and really go back to the fundamentals. This felt very defeating and like I was in that beginner’s stage again. Everyone else I was with, made it look so easy and natural. I started to get really in my head, and felt frustrated. Like, Jennie, you have done this your whole life. Get it together!

I also had different skis and poles than I normally use because my sister was sharing some of my gear while she was visiting. So of course we have to take external factors into consideration too!

This can be such a similar feeling with our nutrition habits and being chained to dieting rules for so long. For various reasons, you have drifted away from making your nutrition as thoughtful and planned. You have viewed food as something you need to restrict and eliminate, versus responding to your body’s innate cues and planning balanced meals. Then, when you go back to the basics, it can still feel overwhelming and harder to implement. 

You know WHAT you have to do, but the HOW isn’t happening.

With skiing, you know you have to put your weight on the outer ski and turn to get down the mountain. But the how, is the mechanics of doing the What.

It is normal as you move through different seasons of life, that your circumstances, priorities and values change. This can often directly affect nutrition, activity patterns, sleep and how you are taking care of yourself as a whole.

There is absolutely no judgment or comparison involved. It is being compassionate with yourself about where you are at. With my nutrition clients, in the beginning phases, we are gaining awareness around where they are at now. What is your baseline and where are the few easy to grab apples we can pull to build back momentum with the basics. 

It’s not just about nutrition. Your sleep patterns, activity, planning attention, and where you are on your priority list all matter in HOW you implement these basic wellness principles into your life.

Be ok with feeling like a beginner through all stages of life. If your nutrition habits are something you have not made a priority for years. It may feel like more effort in the beginning, like any successful thing you have done! But once you get back to the basics, put the reps in and strengthen this muscle again. It becomes more natural and part of your routine. You get into a flow and rhythm that works for you! And you are more confident to adapt with circumstances and conditions that arise!