Food Diaries: Jayel Lewis of JL Fitness – Philly.com
Philadelphia-based personal trainer Jayel Lewis admits she doesn’t follow a typical “training” diet. She’s not heavy into protein, she doesn’t stress about calories, and she definitely doesn’t deprive herself.
“I eat what works for me, when it works for me,” said Lewis.
As the owner of JL Fitness, Lewis trains eight hours a day with roughly 15 active clients on her roster. To keep things as simple as possible, Lewis sticks to her favorite tried and true foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts, plus hydrating with water and tea “religiously.”
“Eggs are a staple in my diet because they’re easy, convenient and give me what I need,” said Lewis. “But I do like to indulge a little.”
For Lewis, nutrition is about finding the right equation that makes sense for you. She encourages her clients to experiment with their diets to see what works and what doesn’t. But, it’s also about finding ways to make food fun again.
“For me, food gets me excited because it has the potential to help you feel better about yourself and your workouts and it’s something that you’re always in control of,” said Lewis.
Lewis tells her clients to avoid the urge to obsess over their food choices as doing so will make healthy eating quickly feel like a chore.
“If I’m busting my butt in the gym, I definitely feel like I deserve that glass of wine at the end of the day,” said Lewis. “This is life; there will be wine and there will be chocolates and that’s ok.”
