The more I work in this field, the more I realize that unless my clients embrace healthy nutrition, they will never achieve their health and wellness goals. This seems ridiculously obvious- but you’d be surpised at how many people think they can exercise religously, but still eat junk. It just doesn’t work! Not only does exercise performance decrease with poor eating habits, but the ability to use fats as a fuel for exercise- hence reducing bodyfat- is totally contingent on healthy nutrition. Of course, we all know WHAT to eat- the key is really developing strategies that support your goals of healthy eating. The key is PLANNING- and so many people forget this and try and rely on willpower alone to battle poor eating habits. Willpower alone cannot drive us forward without a support system to back it up. SO- here are a few suggestions that will help to support you on this difficult journey. While they may seem basic- do not underestimate their importance!
– NEVER shop when you are hungry. You WILL end up buying foods on impulse-and impulse foods are usually unhealthy choices.
– AVOID buying any foods that you know you cannot resist once they are in your cupboards. I know that Oreos are my favorite cookie- if my goal is to stay away from unhealthy sugar, I just don’t buy them! YES! My family complains- but tough luck! If they want Oreos they can go to the store and buy a small pack for themselves. Thinking “Oh, but I dont want to deprive my family” is just an excuse to buy the foods YOU want to eat.
– TRY some of the new individually packaged snacks. I recently found cheese snack crackers in a 100 calorie package. Brilliant! This is an automatic calorie counter for me- one package and I’m done- no guesswork as to how many handfuls I actually ate from the big “family size” box. If you don’t want to spend the extra money on this packaging (it is expensive) make your own “packages”. Place a serving of the food in a small baggie and limit yourself to one baggie!
-CARRY healthy snacks with you in the car if you travel or drive alot. One of the biggest problems is getting really hungry as you are driving around town. Most of us may head right into Burger King for a quick fix- but this can be deadly. PLAN AHEAD!
-NEVER skip meals. As I review the food logs of my clients, one pattern emerges- skipping meals during the day always leads to overeating in the evening. Research has proven this conclusively.
-ALWAYS eat a mid day snack to avoid overeating at dinner. Giant dinners lead to giant bellies- far better to take in 200 calories at 4pm than overdoing it at 8pm.
– SKIP after dinner eating. Unless you are an elite athlete- eating after dinner is unecessary. PERIOD. If you are eating out of habit or boredom- you MUST change this habit by substituting another activity for the eating. Drink diet caffiene- free lemonades/sodas/ teas (as long as you have no problem with artificial sweeteners), or seltzer water if you MUST have something after dinner.
-EAT a little something before going to parties or out to dinner where you may be tempted to overeat.
Healthy eating is not about willpower and deprivation- it’s about conscious thought and planning ahead. Finally, don’t forget to keep a food log. THIS IS CRUCIAL! You CAN do it!