Changing Your Diet One Step at a Time
June 09, 2016Instead of going on a diet, try changing your diet one step at a time to feel and look like the “you” you know you really are.
We all know how many diets and eating plans there are out there. But we also know, and have experienced, how hard it is to stick to a diet. From my personal experience in seeing people try numerous diets, this is not only common, but it is also difficult because the change is so drastic.
My first suggestion would be to improve your lifestyle rather than go on a diet. Changing your lifestyle however does take discipline, even though you might be thinking, “But at least, if it’s a diet, it won’t be forever!” This may be true; however, by changing things slowly but surely, there is a greater chance of actually sticking to those changes and therefore improving your life, versus going on and off different diets to see which one “works for you”. What will work, really work, is a healthier lifestyle.
For example, one of the best things you can do is lessen, or come close to eliminating, sugar from your diet. If you have a high sugar intake, the sugar cravings will be tough to handle, not to mention create a shock on the body where some people suffer from irrational irritability and headaches amongst other symptoms, so you don’t want to quit cold turkey.
Instead, I strongly recommend focusing on just one or two of the sugary foods you consume regularly, and then making a concerted effort to lower your intake of those foods. Doing this for a while will allow you to adapt and then you can pick a few more foods using the same approach.
Cutting down on the “amount” you eat is not the problem, the issue usually lies in “what” you eat, as well as what time of the day you eat particular foods.
Change Out Foods
Change out some of your regular less healthy foods for other healthier alternatives. As you slowly cut down certain foods, you will begin to realize you don’t need them at all, especially as you find healthier alternatives. Eventually you will have cut them out altogether. Continue this process throughout your whole “diet” (ie. what you eat), and before you know it, you will have easily improved your complete diet and lifestyle without ever going on a “diet.”
After analyzing people who give up something for lent, at the end of the 6 week period, the usual consensus amongst people is that, “I don’t even feel like I want or need that anymore.”
Watch the Time You Eat
I would recommend watching what you consume in the evening: avoid sugar or foods high in carbohydrates, since these will simply be stored as fat overnight as your metabolism slows down while sleeping. Any sugars you take in should be in the morning or during the day while your metabolism is at its highest. This will give you the opportunity to burn them off. In an attempt to better your lifestyle and lower your sugars, dessert would certainly be another one of my recommendations to drop from your eating habits or swap your dessert for more natural alternatives to sugar treats like Greek yogurt or fruit.
Cook for Yourself
Another idea to eat healthier is to simply cook for yourself! Yes, it is that simple. If you know what you’re putting in your body, and how you’re cooking it, you’ve won half of the battle. Packaged food contains many additives you just don’t need, the fresher you can buy, the better, and this will go a long way.
Making a salad, or boiling some rice or noodles while adding a few vegetables and a protein doesn’t take long at all.
Exercise
Another great way to become healthier is exercise. Everyone knows this, but it’s hard to commit to a whole new massive plan to get fit. So just take it slow, one step at a time. See a trainer once a week, or go out more often during your lunch break for a walk, and slowly build it up, this process will create a new habit. Within no time at all, working out will become addictive to you, and you will love the feeling you get from the exercise and the results it is giving your mind and body.
It really is all about balance, and that is what we are trying to do here, bring a healthier and more nutritious balance to your eating habits and life, in the easiest way possible. Giving your mind, body, and soul more nutrition and balance as well.