- Making changes in your diet does not happen overnight. You need to educate yourself and put it into practice. The more you do it, the easier it will get and it will become a habit. If you have been eating poorly for a long time, breaking those habits can be hard, after all it has been proven that sugar is addicting as it excites the same areas of the brain that drugs like cocaine do.
- Allow yourself to have a couple cheat meals a week. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you try to eat perfect every day for a long time. The key is moderation and not overeating.
- Make eating right convenient. One of the biggest reasons people eat poorly is that usually poor food choices are easier or faster, all you do is poor it out of a box or tear the wrapper off of it. When you have more time in your schedule, cook healthy meals ahead of time so that they are ready to warm-up when you are hungry. Make healthy snacks, like a homemade trail mix with almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, and coconut flakes.
- Make being active a habit. Exercise needs to become like brushing your teeth, you just do it. Even if you only have 30 minutes, you can still get in a great workout that will raise your metabolism.
- Drink lots of water. Proper hydration will keep you more focused, help prevent soft tissue injuries, and it helps digestion and other bodily processes. Maybe instead of grabbing that 500-700 calorie coffee drink, you were tired because you were dehydrated?
- If you find yourself grazing in the pantry or fridge, ask yourself first if you want to eat because you are bored, or if you are actually hungry.
- Last but not least, set a goal! Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed if you have a lot of weight to lose. Start with a small goal, like lose 5 lbs in one month to build your confidence and get the momentum rolling.
Fitness & Nutrition Coach 