Live for Memories, Not Macros: Why Mindset Matters More Than a “Perfect” Day

Gennifer Strobo
Sep 8
5 min read

Ok friends... this week, I'm getting a little real and raw...

If you’ve ever spiraled over a piece of cake, called yourself “bad” for eating bread, or tried to make every meal a clean, high-protein masterpiece—this one’s for you.

I just spent a few days in Tennessee with my family celebrating my mom’s birthday. And let me tell you, there was ZERO discussion of macros. No one was talking about hitting 30 grams of protein at breakfast, or if they were over or under 50 grams of carbs.

We ate, laughed, stayed up too late, and celebrated life. And not once did I regret tracking my macros or feel bad for saying “yes” to birthday cake.

Here’s the thing: your mindset around food is either a prison or a passport.

It’s either keeping you stuck in guilt, shame, and restriction… or it’s giving you the freedom to live, eat, and enjoy without fear.

I'm going to be vulnerable with you here...

I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic since I was a baby. I’ve battled cancer—twice. I’ve lived in a body that’s been poked, tested, scanned, monitored, and tracked more than most people can even imagine.

And for a long time, I let those labels tell me who I was allowed to be.

“I’m diabetic, so I can’t have that.”
“I have cancer—I need eat "clean'”
“I should probably skip that birthday cake... it's not good for me.”

Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing: I didn’t just struggle with food. I struggled with fear.

→Fear of messing up.

→ Fear of losing control.

→ Fear of not doing it “right.”

I spent years trying to out-discipline my diagnosis, outsmart my cravings, and “earn” every bite I took.

And you know what it got me?

Exhausted. Anxious. And missing out on so many moments that were never about food in the first place.

You Are Not Your Diagnosis

Let me be crystal clear: your diagnosis; whether it’s diabetes, anxiety, PCOS, hypothyroidism, overweight, underweight, battling cancer, whatever it may be—it isn’t your identity.

It’s something you manage. It’s not something you become.

But when we start to use our diagnosis as a crutch, or worse, a personality trait, we give it all the power.

We let it dictate what we eat, how we move, how we feel, and whether we’re “allowed” to enjoy something without guilt.

Newsflash: You’re allowed.

You’re allowed to eat the cake. You’re allowed to enjoy your meals. You’re allowed to live fully—even with a diagnosis.

Because the most powerful thing I ever did wasn’t beating cancer. It wasn’t figuring out my blood sugar.

It was deciding that nothing—not a disease, not a fear, not a label—gets to define my worth, or my joy.

Food Isn’t the Problem. The Way You Think About It Is.

Let’s talk cupcakes. Literal and metaphorical.

I recently read Chasing Cupcakes (highly recommend, by the way), and one line hit me right between the ribs:

“The problem isn’t the food. The problem is the story you’re telling yourself about the food.”

Mic drop.

If you label every bite as “good” or “bad,” you’re not just restricting your diet, you’re restricting your life.

Food isn’t moral. You’re not a better person because you chose salad, and you’re not a failure because you wanted fries.

This is where food anxiety begins.

When you start attaching morality to your meals, you create guilt where there should be grace.

Sure, some foods are more nutritious. Some give you longer energy, better digestion, more support for your goals. But that doesn’t make the others bad.

Food doesn’t have feelings. It doesn’t judge you. You’re the one assigning shame to your choices—and that’s the real weight you need to lose.

And sometimes, what your body needs isn’t another high-protein bowl, it’s connection.

It’s comfort.

It’s being able to sit at the table, break bread with people you love, and not spiral into guilt after.

That’s health, too. That’s soul nourishment.

Eat What You Want. Add What You Need.

One of my favorite mindset shifts is this: not all food needs to be justified by its macros.

Food isn’t just fuel—it’s culture, connection, joy, and comfort. And yes, sometimes what you need isn’t protein, it’s peace.

You don’t have to “earn” your meals. You don’t need to make cauliflower crust just to feel worthy. If you want the real pizza, eat the real pizza—and throw some arugula on the side if that feels good. Eat what you want. Add what you need.

The goal? Freedom. Balance. Sanity. Not perfection.

It’s Not the Cake That’s the Problem—it’s the Mental Spiral After

If you’re someone who’s had a “bad” day and thought, “I’ll just start over Monday…”

Or you’ve skipped meals to make up for a slice of cake…

Or you’ve let one off-plan choice convince you that you’ve ruined everything… Friend. Stop.

In Chasing Cupcakes, one of the biggest takeaways is this: what defines you is not your appearance, your diagnosis, or your struggles—it’s your choices.

And choosing joy, even on a hard day, is one of the most powerful things you can do.

The power of positive thinking isn’t just self-help fluff. It’s survival.

It’s how we thrive in a world that constantly tells us we’re not doing enough, eating clean enough, or looking fit enough.

When you say things like “I have anxiety” or “I’m addicted to sugar,” and wear them like identity badges, you’re giving away your power.

You’re not your diagnosis.

You’re not your cravings.

You’re not the food you ate yesterday.

Here’s what I know for sure:

You can’t hate your way to health.
You can’t shame your way to strength.
You can’t guilt-trip yourself into joy.

You have to think differently. You have to choose differently, even when it’s hard.

Especially when it’s hard.

Because it’s on the bad days, the ones where the scale won’t budge, your blood sugar’s a mess, or your anxiety is screaming, that your mindset matters most. That’s where the transformation really happens.

You get to decide, every day, how you think—and that determines everything else.

Don’t Wait to Be Perfect to Start Living

You don’t need another meal plan.

You don’t need to earn your food.

You don’t need to be perfect to enjoy your damn life.

What you need? A mindset that allows room for both health and happiness. For macros and memories.

For protein powder and pizza nights.

For boundaries and birthday cake.

Because the truth is, you only get this one shot at life. And nobody’s going to remember that you hit 130 grams of protein a day. But they will remember how you showed up. How you laughed. How you lived.

So go live it.

Don’t Quit Just Because It’s Hard

Let me be real: not every day is going to be easy.

There will be days when you feel like you blew it. When the scale’s up. When the protein shake spills. When the cupcake wins.

If you’re reading this on a tough day, let me say this loud and clear:

You are not broken. You are not behind. And you sure as hell are not quitting.

Choose joy. Choose life. Choose to be more than a diagnosis or a diet.

Eat the cake.

Lift the weights.

Say the prayer.

Chase the dream.

And for the love of carbs—don’t quit.