It's no secret that MANY people are trying to eat better and lose a few pounds. I know that during the Summer months, while the kids are home from school, can be rough. The food in your house is always what they want since they don't have school making their lunches and then there is always the family vacations just in case you needed any more help falling off track. So I've put together a few key tips that will help you stick to a healthier way of eating.
1. The turtle wins the race!
Diet & exercise is always started with the most determination and the best intentions. We just Dive right in and try to do it all. We think we have to do it all at once and there are no other options. That isn't true. You end up overwhelmed and frustrated if you do that. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Just like when you are training for a marathon...you should start small. Make 1 or 2 changes a week and eventually you will build up to that distance. A couple changes a week means that within a month you have made significant progress yet haven't felt overwhelmed by everything changing all at once.
2. Plan it out!
This is a very important step in order to succeed with changing your lifestyle. You never want to put yourself in the position of not knowing what to eat while you are still learning and making this healthier lifestyle a habit. If you haven't planned it then you will end up grabbing whatever is "quick & easy". You don't want to do that! Compile a list of the healthy foods that you do enjoy, make another list of foods that travel well so that you can take them to work or you can have them while your kid is at soccer practice. You know your schedule better than anyone, therefore you know what will work for you meal wise. I can't stress to you how important it is to plan it out. If you need tips on how to plan your meals then please check out My 5 Step Meal Planning. Always remember that if you fail to plan then you plan to fail!
3. Set realistic goals!
The goals you set not only need to be realistic but they need to be focused. What I mean by that is you want to set goals that have to do with your nutrition and/or weight loss. I say weight loss because if you want to lose weight then you and you know that specific goal then you can plan your nutrition to help you achieve that goal. I also recommend that you stick to just you as the focus. I know initially my goals were for me to eat better along with my family. In turn my focus was on my family and their eating habits as opposed to focusing on myself which was the journey I was supposed to be on. Once you start achieving YOUR goals then you can incorporate your family as well. What you may also want to do with each of your goals is to write down WHY you want to reach that goal. I know that going back to my why is what always motivates me to stay on track. Once you have your goals then write them somewhere that you see daily and as you achieve them...check it off! I have an awesome post about how to set smart goals which you can read here.
4. Make sure it works for you!
Like I said earlier, you are the only one who knows your schedule and what will work best for you. You need to ensure when you set up your guidelines that you are being realistic. This plan is YOUR plan and it needs to work for you and your day to day routine. You don't want to have to scramble at the last minute to try and find a healthy option because you didn't factor in your schedule while planning. You also need to ensure you are falling within your budget guidelines. Utilize recipes and produce that is IN SEASON! That will help you a lot because we all know that a $10 watermelon just isn't worth it when I can buy a couple dollar bag of fresh apples. You can also utilize the farmer's markets. This isn't going to be some super easy thing...you will have to work for it and you won't be perfect!
5. Stay consistent!
Your planning process is what will help you in this area. If you take the time to plan then you really should not have any issues being consistent. I do recommend that you try to eat around the same time each day. The easiest way I have found that works for me is to set an alarm on my phone to go off. I know some of you are probably saying that you won't forget to eat but we all get busy and you really should be eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Those hours pass very quickly when you are at work or dealing with your kids. That alarm on your phone will remind you it's time to eat and since you already planned it out then it's a matter of grabbing it and either warming it up (if you prep) or fixing it quickly. Once your body realizes that you are consistently feeding it every 3 or so hours and you are feeding it with healthy foods, you metabolism will stay engaged and and you will see an increase in energy.
6. You have to be flexible!
Life happens! Things come up and your plan has to change. That is okay! If you know you have an event coming up then incorporate it into your plan. I always have a protein bar or two in my purse for those spur of the moment events. If you are dining out then check out my Dining Out Without A Doubt post. It's really important that you get familiar with nutrition so that you have the knowledge to help you understand what is compatible with your plan. You don't have to take a college course or anything though....just buy a few books, read magazines, heck...google it! Flexibility is key to making this change.
7. Enjoy the journey, don't focus on the destination!
You can have a lot of fun on this journey! A big part of the fun for me is finding at least one new recipe each week to try out. Some are great and others are total failures but hey...it keeps life interesting! You can also turn it into a fun little competition. My sister and I are notorious for this! If you don't enjoy the journey and are only focused on the destination then you will miss out on all the smaller accomplishments and those are worth celebrating! You don't want to miss out on them!
8. Make it a habit!
It takes 21 days to make or break a habit. So commit to at least a month! After that month, everything that seemed so hard to start with will now start to feel a lot easier. You will make better choices without even having to think about it.
9. Know you will have setbacks...turn them into a comeback!
You will not be perfect at this! I repeat, you will not be perfect at this! I know that is hard for those of you like me who are perfectionist. It's okay...and expected that you will have slip ups. You may miss some meals, you may end up having a couple of days that are full of "cheat meals". You are not the first person and you will not be the last person to do it! What's important is that after those setbacks, you get back up and pick back up with your plan to get you to your goals. Don't be hard on yourself! Turn your setback into your comeback!!!!
10. Reward yourself, just not with food!
This is my favorite part! As you reach your goals and you accomplish the things you want then reward yourself. It could be something as small as that new nail polish you want, a manicure, a massage....whatever you choose as long as it's NOT FOOD! You are not an animal therefore don't reward yourself with a treat. I like to set these rewards along with my goals. For example, let's say you have a goal to lose 20 pounds. At 5 pounds lost you get that nail polish you have been wanting. At 10 pounds lost you get to buy a new workout outfit. At 15 pounds lost you go get a massage. Then at your final goal of 20 pounds lost you go get 5 new outfits (or a new wardrobe LOL). That will definitely up your motivation to reach those goals!
11. Keep going!
This is where you need to keep pushing yourself and keep making new goals as you accomplish the ones you previously set. I know you have a long term goal so set small, doable steps so that you aren't overwhelmed. No matter what....just keep at it. KEEP GOING!
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