I personally don't believe in extremes because I don't believe they are sustainable. Well, maybe they are for some people but I have to be realistic...here and there I'm going to have dessert! My Great Grandmother Starr (a firecracker of a woman who has certainly spent her life indulging in all of the fun and excitement life has to offer) harps again and again.."everything in moderation." That is the mantra that guides my aims at a healthy lifestyle. Below are some general guidelines I follow. Read them, see what works for you, make habits you can stick with long term.
*DISCLAIMER: I don't have any sponsors (yet lol) so any references I make to sites or brands are of my own free will with no compensation.
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE: If it is too complicated, I won't stick with it. People end up eating fast food because it is quick and easy most of the time. I avoid this by making sure I have foods on hand that are easy to pack up and take with me. Having stuff that is quick and easy to make the night before makes it more likely I'll be munching on grapes and carrots as I drive instead of grabbing a burger.
2. NATURAL WINS: There are so many "diet," "sugar free," "calorie free" options out there. I generally avoid those things. When I have the option between sugar free syrup that is WAY lower in calories and natural maple syrup that is packed with sugar and calories that oozed directly out of a tree somewhere...I choose maple, for example. First, I think that it is worth some extra calories to avoid having a bunch of artificial chemicals doing who-knows-what to my insides. Second, I avoid artificial sweeteners because of reason number one and because there are a number of studies that have shown they increase appetite and end up causing weight gain and potentially even cancer (although everything seems to cause cancer these days). When I need a sweetener I go with honey or Stevia In The Raw (brand) and if I look at the ingredients and there is corn syrup I pretty much immediately put it back on the shelf. Third, fats are good if they are the right kinds of fats and getting reduced fat peanut butter instead of natural peanut butter, for example, often means you are losing many of the fatty acids that make it a nutrient packed food in the first place. I use regular butter instead of margarine. Jelly with sugar instead of with corn syrup. Whipped cream made from actual cream. You get the point I imagine.
3. LESS PROCESSED: I do buy processed foods but I try to keep it to a minimum. First, because they quickly drive up your grocery bill. You get less food and nutrients for what you are spending typically. Secondly, because they tend to be super high in sodium (soups, cheeses, deli meats etc). I do buy deli meats and cheese so we can make sandwiches but if possible, I get a low sodium variation. Old recommendations for sodium per day were around 2500 mg. However, with more research, that has been modified to 1500 mg per day (actually learned that first in Army nutrition class lol) and that is what I follow. I do buy my beans canned for simplicity sake but I only buy Goya low sodium variations. I buy vegetables frozen most of the time so they don't go bad and don't have salt added.
4. SMALLER MEALS: I got in the habit of eating 5 small (around 300 calorie) meals per day when I was following the Insanity (it's a workout program if you aren't familiar) nutrition guide. I have settled at around 1300 calories per day since it is an amount where I feel satisfied all day and don't gain weight. I usually eat about 5 times per day still but I have 3 meals that are about 250 to 400 calories and 2 healthy snacks of 100-200 in between. Eating more frequently keeps your metabolism burning and keeps you from getting starved and gorging yourself. It makes me feel lighter and have more energy which contributes to helping me stick with a fitness plan. At first, this DOES take a little planning but it becomes second nature once you have been doing it for about a month and keep the right kinds of food on hand to make it easy.
5. TRACK YOURSELF: Tracking your calories seems like its only for health nut crazies and people too much time on their hands but with what technology has to offer these days it is so easy and worth it! I use myfitnesspal.com and most of the foods I eat are already entered in their database so I just search something like "Shop Rite low fat cottage cheese" and the exact item with the same serving sizes and nutrients pops right up! Then I just click to put how much I had and it gets entered into my food log for the day. You can choose which nutrients show up on your tracker and set your daily calorie and nutrient goals. How can you know what is good or bad about the way you are eating if you have no idea how much of each nutrient you are actually consuming? You can't. I personally track Calories, fats, carbs, protein, sodium, sugar and how much water I'm drinking (because I'm terrible about drinking enough water!) Tracking what you are eating is also a great weight loss tool because it makes you mindful of what you are putting in your body and helps curb the mindless snacking or underestimation of calories that tends to get many us.
6. DRINKS: I really only drink water or milk on an average day because juice has SO much sugar and goes down so smooth that I tend to have too much of it lol. I don't really have soda unless I am at a restaurant (see cheat principle below for more details about that). I do have coffee or tea sometimes but I only add some honey or maybe a little milk. Personally, I just don't drink enough water as it is and I would rather eat my calories than drink them so this works for me. If that isn't going to work for you, then find a plan of moderation that does but remember you have to count those calories too! And remember what I said about the artificial sweeteners earlier...
7. CHEAT: Yes, I believe in cheating, in this case. However, this requires self control. I focus on sticking to one cheat day a week where I eat the disgusting and delicious foods that western civilization has to offer :) It is important to conceptualize this day as a day where a little indulgence is ok...NOT a day where you go out of your way to indulge in everything possible. Maybe on a Saturday my boyfriend and I will have pancakes and some turkey bacon for breakfast and go out to dinner and order what we want. Or maybe we stick to our normal routine and just have pizza for dinner. Remember...the calories still count and if you stuff yourself with everything you can find all day because you "deserve it" for eating healthy all week, you will cancel out any weight loss progress you were having, not to mention, you will probably feel sick because you have become accustomed to eating smaller portions.
8. MARKETING: There are so many silly marketing concepts out there that really are unfounded. For example, there is no nutritional difference between sea salt and table salt. It is simple shaped differently and some chefs like the texture better but it is been marketed as the "healthier choice." It isn't. Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice because it still has the hull on it which contains fiber and other nutrients but it is still not a terribly nutritiously efficient food. People think, "oh it's brown rice so I can eat a ton of it since it's healthy" but that is not the case. It is fairly similar to white rice and sure, of the starches out there, it is one of the better ones but it is still fattening and should be eaten in the right proportions. Remember, moderation...even if it is a "healthy" food.
9. MINDSET: Many of us are taught that food can be used as a reward at a very young age. We have class pizza parties for accomplishments, ice cream if we are good, etc. This is a problematic dysfunction in food thought for most Americans in my opinion. Studies have shown that many people allow themselves to eat more when they work out because "they earned it" or have a brownie because they had a stressful day at work and "they deserve it." If you allow yourself to conceptualize food this way, it will be very difficult for you to live a healthy lifestyle and accomplish and changes you wish to see in your appearance or health. You eat to live. Food is fuel. That is it! I still have to remind myself of this fairly often since I tend to want to stress binge eat. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your food but changing the way you think about it is central to changing your life.
10. DO YOU: There are almost always substitutes. If you like a recipe but don't like a particular food in it, then find a comparable substitute. Eat healthy but eat things you like. Some people would say in response that they don't like any healthy food but I really don't believe that. Many people just haven't been conditioned to learn to like healthy foods and there are so many ways to make healthy but delicious meals! Do this for you and no one else. You can't do this for someone else or it won't last. You have to choose to live this lifestyle because you want to be a healthier and happier person. Do it because you want to teach your family and kids healthy eating habits. Do it because you say no to the food conglomerates that make poisonous, unhealthy foods cheapest and most accessible and as a consequence, our nation is plagued with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease. Do it because you are important and you are worth it.
*DISCLAIMER: I don't have any sponsors (yet lol) so any references I make to sites or brands are of my own free will with no compensation.
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE: If it is too complicated, I won't stick with it. People end up eating fast food because it is quick and easy most of the time. I avoid this by making sure I have foods on hand that are easy to pack up and take with me. Having stuff that is quick and easy to make the night before makes it more likely I'll be munching on grapes and carrots as I drive instead of grabbing a burger.
2. NATURAL WINS: There are so many "diet," "sugar free," "calorie free" options out there. I generally avoid those things. When I have the option between sugar free syrup that is WAY lower in calories and natural maple syrup that is packed with sugar and calories that oozed directly out of a tree somewhere...I choose maple, for example. First, I think that it is worth some extra calories to avoid having a bunch of artificial chemicals doing who-knows-what to my insides. Second, I avoid artificial sweeteners because of reason number one and because there are a number of studies that have shown they increase appetite and end up causing weight gain and potentially even cancer (although everything seems to cause cancer these days). When I need a sweetener I go with honey or Stevia In The Raw (brand) and if I look at the ingredients and there is corn syrup I pretty much immediately put it back on the shelf. Third, fats are good if they are the right kinds of fats and getting reduced fat peanut butter instead of natural peanut butter, for example, often means you are losing many of the fatty acids that make it a nutrient packed food in the first place. I use regular butter instead of margarine. Jelly with sugar instead of with corn syrup. Whipped cream made from actual cream. You get the point I imagine.
3. LESS PROCESSED: I do buy processed foods but I try to keep it to a minimum. First, because they quickly drive up your grocery bill. You get less food and nutrients for what you are spending typically. Secondly, because they tend to be super high in sodium (soups, cheeses, deli meats etc). I do buy deli meats and cheese so we can make sandwiches but if possible, I get a low sodium variation. Old recommendations for sodium per day were around 2500 mg. However, with more research, that has been modified to 1500 mg per day (actually learned that first in Army nutrition class lol) and that is what I follow. I do buy my beans canned for simplicity sake but I only buy Goya low sodium variations. I buy vegetables frozen most of the time so they don't go bad and don't have salt added.
4. SMALLER MEALS: I got in the habit of eating 5 small (around 300 calorie) meals per day when I was following the Insanity (it's a workout program if you aren't familiar) nutrition guide. I have settled at around 1300 calories per day since it is an amount where I feel satisfied all day and don't gain weight. I usually eat about 5 times per day still but I have 3 meals that are about 250 to 400 calories and 2 healthy snacks of 100-200 in between. Eating more frequently keeps your metabolism burning and keeps you from getting starved and gorging yourself. It makes me feel lighter and have more energy which contributes to helping me stick with a fitness plan. At first, this DOES take a little planning but it becomes second nature once you have been doing it for about a month and keep the right kinds of food on hand to make it easy.
5. TRACK YOURSELF: Tracking your calories seems like its only for health nut crazies and people too much time on their hands but with what technology has to offer these days it is so easy and worth it! I use myfitnesspal.com and most of the foods I eat are already entered in their database so I just search something like "Shop Rite low fat cottage cheese" and the exact item with the same serving sizes and nutrients pops right up! Then I just click to put how much I had and it gets entered into my food log for the day. You can choose which nutrients show up on your tracker and set your daily calorie and nutrient goals. How can you know what is good or bad about the way you are eating if you have no idea how much of each nutrient you are actually consuming? You can't. I personally track Calories, fats, carbs, protein, sodium, sugar and how much water I'm drinking (because I'm terrible about drinking enough water!) Tracking what you are eating is also a great weight loss tool because it makes you mindful of what you are putting in your body and helps curb the mindless snacking or underestimation of calories that tends to get many us.
6. DRINKS: I really only drink water or milk on an average day because juice has SO much sugar and goes down so smooth that I tend to have too much of it lol. I don't really have soda unless I am at a restaurant (see cheat principle below for more details about that). I do have coffee or tea sometimes but I only add some honey or maybe a little milk. Personally, I just don't drink enough water as it is and I would rather eat my calories than drink them so this works for me. If that isn't going to work for you, then find a plan of moderation that does but remember you have to count those calories too! And remember what I said about the artificial sweeteners earlier...
7. CHEAT: Yes, I believe in cheating, in this case. However, this requires self control. I focus on sticking to one cheat day a week where I eat the disgusting and delicious foods that western civilization has to offer :) It is important to conceptualize this day as a day where a little indulgence is ok...NOT a day where you go out of your way to indulge in everything possible. Maybe on a Saturday my boyfriend and I will have pancakes and some turkey bacon for breakfast and go out to dinner and order what we want. Or maybe we stick to our normal routine and just have pizza for dinner. Remember...the calories still count and if you stuff yourself with everything you can find all day because you "deserve it" for eating healthy all week, you will cancel out any weight loss progress you were having, not to mention, you will probably feel sick because you have become accustomed to eating smaller portions.
8. MARKETING: There are so many silly marketing concepts out there that really are unfounded. For example, there is no nutritional difference between sea salt and table salt. It is simple shaped differently and some chefs like the texture better but it is been marketed as the "healthier choice." It isn't. Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice because it still has the hull on it which contains fiber and other nutrients but it is still not a terribly nutritiously efficient food. People think, "oh it's brown rice so I can eat a ton of it since it's healthy" but that is not the case. It is fairly similar to white rice and sure, of the starches out there, it is one of the better ones but it is still fattening and should be eaten in the right proportions. Remember, moderation...even if it is a "healthy" food.
9. MINDSET: Many of us are taught that food can be used as a reward at a very young age. We have class pizza parties for accomplishments, ice cream if we are good, etc. This is a problematic dysfunction in food thought for most Americans in my opinion. Studies have shown that many people allow themselves to eat more when they work out because "they earned it" or have a brownie because they had a stressful day at work and "they deserve it." If you allow yourself to conceptualize food this way, it will be very difficult for you to live a healthy lifestyle and accomplish and changes you wish to see in your appearance or health. You eat to live. Food is fuel. That is it! I still have to remind myself of this fairly often since I tend to want to stress binge eat. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your food but changing the way you think about it is central to changing your life.
10. DO YOU: There are almost always substitutes. If you like a recipe but don't like a particular food in it, then find a comparable substitute. Eat healthy but eat things you like. Some people would say in response that they don't like any healthy food but I really don't believe that. Many people just haven't been conditioned to learn to like healthy foods and there are so many ways to make healthy but delicious meals! Do this for you and no one else. You can't do this for someone else or it won't last. You have to choose to live this lifestyle because you want to be a healthier and happier person. Do it because you want to teach your family and kids healthy eating habits. Do it because you say no to the food conglomerates that make poisonous, unhealthy foods cheapest and most accessible and as a consequence, our nation is plagued with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease. Do it because you are important and you are worth it.
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