Flexibility is a Superpower
(alternative title: Reflections of a Dietitian on a humbling 1st year of Motherhood)
As a dietitian, one of the questions I hear most in sessions with clients is “Can you just tell me what to do?” And it makes a lot of sense! We live in a time when telling the difference between nutrition facts and myths is fuzzy, where we’re admonished that health is “as simple as ______,” and when the prevailing feeling is that you’re just not doing enough. Who wouldn’t want a straightforward plan to cut through all of it?
But here’s what’s being assumed when that question gets asked: That there’s one right way to [insert health/nutrition goal here] and, to a larger extent, that once you know that way you’ll be set.
The catch: Food is something we will be doing many times a day for our entire lives. Our body’s relationship to it is based on our medical & mental health. And food’s accessibility can fluctuate during different periods of our lives. All of that to say: There is not one plan, one way. There have to be many plans and many ways, because that’s what life will require of us.
That’s what life has required of ME over this past year.
Adjusting to life as a new mom has meant needing to let go of things that have previously worked for me and adapting to this new (and everchanging) era. Here are some of my current challenges - maybe some of these resonate with you too:
I have to rely on more “easy” meals (i.e. ones that you can put in the oven/microwave) so I can keep track of my daughter crawling around on the floor.
Some weeks I start the week with no plan for meals at all because of busy weekends (and lack of energy, if I'm being honest!)
I’ve had to develop new ways of cooking to adapt to my daughter’s food allergies
These challenges can, some days, feel discouraging and overwhelming. But with time, I’ve discovered that they’re only discouraging when I’m measuring them against my pre-baby life. The fact is that my life circumstances have changed and in order to move forward, I need to adapt. Here are some things I’m planning on trying:
Automating meal planning - mapping out a 3-week rotation of meals that is predictable and includes easy-to-prepare meals as well.
Stocking up on frozen meals - for the nights where the plan just isn’t happening and I need to pivot.
Batch cooking allergen-friendly meals for my daughter so she always has something she can eat and I don’t have to scramble the night of.
As mentioned in my last newsletter, I’m in a time of my life when flexibility, the ability to adapt, is my superpower. Rigid structures and plans no longer fit a life that includes a (very cute) 11-month old variable.
Food for thought: Have you been holding onto a system that no longer serves you? What changes do you need to make in order to better adapt to where you are?