Episode 131: Moms Should Eat More with Renee Amato
What You’ll Learn
Renee has been a long-time friend of ours, and we feel so blessed to share her talents with you!
The Deliberate Day 12-Week Planner is on sale in the shop! If you follow us on Instagram THIS is the planner you see almost every day in stories, and Brittany has used it every, single day for over five years now!
It is what she uses to get ahead …it gives her clarity and focus, and honestly, a massive amount of peace. There are SO many people, things, and thoughts…when Brittany can look at these things in the morning and list the MOST important, it sets her up for success.
Each evening, she looks back at the day, sees where she was successful, where she struggled, and what needs to be changed for tomorrow.
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Renee Amato (00:15)
Have you ever had the experience of God literally putting someone in your life?! Like, just setting them right there, in front of you, and being like…this is one of your people.
That’s exactly what happened to us with Renee!
She's a mom of 4, a military wife, and the definition of flexible when it comes to going with the flow...she's moved all around the world and she's just all around hilarious.
She works with women who want to lose weight…but have no idea how…She helps REAL moms use REAL food to lose TONS of weight (I should know…with her help, I’ve lost 80 lbs!)
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she’s a board certified behavior analyst who has advanced training in nutrition, and she’s truly a beautiful soul and a wonderful friend AND travel partner…
Renee's Journey with Health & Food (01:42)
Renee grew up with every woman in her life on a diet…her mom, her aunts, her teachers…and this isn’t a good mindset for a young girl. So, she used food to feed her emotions, and as a result she had a very unhealthy relationship with food. In fact, she lost and gained the same 30 pounds over and over again. Then, at one point she lost 80 pounds…but not in the healthiest and most sustainable way.
Then…Renee became a mom. She KNEW she did not want to raise her three girls with the same mindset around food, but the difficult part was that society doesn’t offer this information easily.
Learning About Nutrition (03:55)
When Renee’s oldest daughter was young, they discovered that she had a rare auto-inflammatory disorder, and she learned from the holistic doctors and naturopaths that nutrition would play a role in her inflammatory response.
It WAS confusing, because (even in nutrition school) there is SO much conflicting information. What Renee found was that getting back to the basics…simple, whole foods that weren’t processed. If it came from the ground or had a mother, it was a go! With that being said, this can vary woman to woman.
Working With Renee (05:55)
Renee is BIG on meeting her clients where they are, so she emphasizes taking nutrition one meal at a time. She knows that making sweeping changes isn’t sustainable, AND a woman can begin to feel pretty good (even little by little). Working on nutrition shouldn’t feel miserable, it should feel good!
A foundation of Renee’s behavioral background is knowing how an environment can influence nutrition. One HUGE benefit of working with someone like Renee can be the positive influence of a coach, and an environment that is set up for success.
Fuel...Don't Deprive (11:20)
It’s important for our daughters (and children) to see us fueling our bodies and nourishing our bodies as a way to reach our goals. Renee is ALL about tracking food to make sure her body is getting enough fuel! She is a fan of eating more of all the good things!
Changes that Make an Impact (13:15)
Drinking water is HUGE! We are so over-caffeinated as a culture, so if we would just drink more water it would help with energy AND cravings!
Eating a protein-filled breakfast. If you could take the time to eat 30-40 grams of protein, it will change your WHOLE day…the way you feel, your energy, your blood sugar, that crash that comes in the afternoon… One example is 1/3 cup of oatmeal, 6 egg-whites, one whole egg (mixed in with the oatmeal), a TON of cinnamon, blueberries, some strawberries, cocoa nibs, peanut butter… You could also do some turkey sausage mixed with kale, or you could do some protein powders (this isn’t the ideal situation), but starting your day with a protein shake is quick and easy!
Mindset…progress not perfection. Undoing all the damaging mindsets many of us were raised with is VERY important. Focus on one meal at a time…and know that it doesn’t have to be perfect! Brittany was given some GREAT advice about hunger…if you find yourself wandering into the kitchen (this happens A TON as homeschool/stay-at-home moms) and you THINK you’re hungry, drink some water first (this is a good way to find out if you’re ACTUALLY hungry, or if it’s just a behavioral pattern). This advice is actually one of Renee’s behavioral strategies, which is “Delay, not deny.”
Delay Not Deny (18:12)
Sometimes, cravings can get REALLY intense and you’re used to reaching for something, because that’s in your history. But, if you can start to recognize those emotions—add in a delay…take a drink of water—see how you feel, and then if you REALLY want it (whatever IT may be), don’t deny it!
Brittany uses this while she’s out with the kids…when the thought of piping hot McDonald’s fries sounds like a good idea, she’ll drive past it and if she wants it enough to turn around, she’ll get it (and she never does, because turning her bus around isn’t an easy task).
As a mother, this is an incredible idea to teach our kids! It is SO good for our soul to wait…and to be patient…and to learn to delay gratification.
The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment actually tested delayed gratification back in 1972 with some interesting (and positive) results! Kids who were able to delay gratification did much better over a period of 40 years!
A great behavioral technique is increasing the response effort (what Brittany does with riving past), the harder you make something…the less likely you are to follow through. The opposite is true…the easier you make it to access more nourishing options…the more you will access those options.
It's Not Never...It's Just Not Right Now (21:15)
Sometimes we feel like we’ll deprive ourselves of ALL the things we love, only eat clean, and get rid of everything we enjoy to be “on a diet.” This isn’t the point! There IS room for delicious, salty fries in your life…just not all the time! You can have these things, but if you’re focusing on whole foods, it’s not never…it’s just not right now.
A Balanced Approach (22:50)
Taking a whole approach to nutrition and food is rare…Renee says “Memories over Macros” ALL the time, and it’s true. You don’t have to earn your food, and the ONLY way you can fail is if you just give up. Let’s say you had a day where you made the WORST choices, it doesn’t have to put you off track for months…you can start back up the next meal.
Another example would be…if you had a flat tire, you would change it! You wouldn’t get out and slash the other 3 tires! That’s what happens to us with food!
Eventually, you’ll become SO flexible, that you can make decisions on the fly. The MOST successful people are the ones who fall down and get really good at getting back up. Then, as you continue on in your health journey, you’ll notice that your body will slowly gain metabolic flexibility. Renee is a volume eater, and she enjoys eating a TON of whole food for fuel—and this is what she encourages!
Kids’ metabolisms are SO good! They eat like crazy and they don’t care…food is morally neutral for them. Then something happens, and as adults we view foods so differently and it changes our metabolism in many ways. So, when we begin eating well, we CAN regain that excellent metabolism and learn to listen to our bodies and feed them well.
Speaking of kids and eating…the average 3-5 year-old needs 1,200 calories! This is what women are trying to eat nowadays! God gave us wonderful food on this earth so that we could nourish our bodies in a way that feels good!
Starting Small (30:02)
Renee doesn’t recommend overhauling the entire family’s menu right away. Focusing on your own nutrition first, and the family can see what you’re doing. Kids are perceptive…they’ll see you being a happier mom when you’re eating better foods. Focus on yourself and the kids will eventually come along. Renee does not recommend cooking two meals (who has time for that?!)…but rather, adding in healthier options for you in addition to keeping the things the family loves will make it so you’re eating similar things.
Making two meals is VERY overwhelming, but using a basic starting point for everyone and adding in according to nutritional needs & wants is so much better. The beauty is that eventually, your people will come to your side. Renee thought it would never happen, but it has happened.
Now that Brittany has older kids, she’s noticed them naturally making better choices because they cook GOOD meals in their home. They’re realizing that fast food makes them feel worse. Even on their family vacation, the kids were begging to eat home-cooked meals.
As mothers, we’re VERY good at influencing change in our families, whether we say anything or not. Brittany’s mom did the same thing with inviting her father into the faith…simply by living it.
The continual doing of the things we know that are good is so POWERFUL.
Italy (36:47)
The food is so much more fresh! There are no dyes, preservatives, or GMOs. Renee is going to the store every day because it will go bad if it’s not used in just a few days.
What’s more sad is that there are American companies who sell completely different food in Italy than they do in the US! Without artificial colors, with less sugar…
Renee FEELS better eating in Italy, which is due to the food (at least…in part). The other thing is the culture…more walking, slower eating and preparation…a VERY different experience!
Three of Renee’s favorite dishes in Italy are…
The gluten free pizza at a restaurant in Rome is amazing!
Taglietta is a steak that’s medium-rare, sliced, and placed on arugula with some parmesan cheese.
Pepper and cheese on fresh (gluten free) noodles.
Prosciutto e melone is Brittany’s favorite from our trip to Italy (and it was one of the first things Renee shared with us). ANd the steaks?! They were amazing! It really did feel different being over there…walking miles each day, sleeping solidly through the night, and a slower experience with meals.
Renee’s favorite places to visit are…
Rome…she just loves the hustle and bustle of the beautiful city.
Assisi was incredible, because it was the total opposite of Rome…very low-key and intimate.
Cinque terre is made up of 5 cities (Luca was based on these). They are right on the ocean, and you can take the train up and down and visit each town.
Rapid-Fire Questions (42:03)
Renee’s son said her mom superpower is making healthy eating fun!
If she had the chance, Renee would go back to when she had a newborn, and she would tell herself to take the help! A woman at church once told her that when people help you, you give them the opportunity to experience the graces of the works of mercy, so you need to let them help you.
Four things that Renee’s good at are…being flexible, she’s funny, she is empathetic and understanding, and she can drive a stick and paralell park VERY well!
Something that makes Renee’s family special is that they have a VERY healthy (possibly questionable) sense of sarcasm in their family.
More from Renee (46:04)
Are you on Instagram?! You NEED to check out and follow @Reneeamato!
If you’re interested in the FREE (and gorgeous) Ultimate Healthy Travel Guide, click here!
Invitation (46:58)
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And, sweet momma, don’t forget…
You are doing beautiful work!
