Nutritious Nuggets: 5 Steps to Start Today for a Healthier You!
Many of us have found success in starting a certain diet or completing a nutrition challenge; these tool can be a great resource to build better habits and learn more about what eating habits work best for you. However, after a few weeks “old” habits can start creeping back in and we feel like we have lost all control and it can turn into a nasty cycle. Finding routines and habits you can stick to in between challenges will help you to feel better and lead to more sustainable long lasting results.
5 Habits to Help Lead You to Success:
1. Have a Goal: We are most successful when we are working towards something. This can look different for everyone, but if you are wanting to change your eating habits you need to have a short and long term goal in mind. Maybe it’s to lose weight, gain muscle, or have more energy. Choose what your long term goal is (think about a year from now) and then break that down into shorter goals (about every 4 weeks). It’s okay for your goals to change but write it down and put it where you can see it everyday. We are over 50% more likely to complete a goal if we write it down!
2. Community: Goals and accomplishments are always better when shared with community. Pick at least one person you trust and tell them about your goal(s) and ask them to hold you accountable. It can be good to find someone who has similar goals so you can encourage each other. You also could reach out to someone who has already accomplished one of your goals so they can encourage you along the way. Us coach LOVE to hear your goals as well!
3. Eat real foods: Get in as many real foods as possible such as lean meats, lots of veggies, fruits, nuts/seeds, legumes/whole grains (if you tolerate them). Strive to eat foods that contain ONE ingredient: chicken, fish, potatoes, broccoli, apples, quinoa, etc. These food will give you the most nutritional value and leave you feeling your best.
4. Know your Limits: While it is unrealistic to say you will NEVER have sugar/processed foods again, you may need to have a heart-to-heart with yourself and decide what foods/drinks you need to limit to reach your goal. Ask yourself: can I go for several days without wine? ice cream? chips? fill in the blank…Try to think about it as saying “NO” to certain foods is actually saying “YES” to you and your goals.
Take 10 seconds and ask yourself these 3 questions…
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5. Check your Mindset: Our thoughts and mindset can have a major impact on our eating habits and reaching our goals. If you are viewing all foods as “good” or “bad” then you may have a difficult time with being too restrictive to the point you feel urges to binge and that can lead to a lot of negative self talk and feelings of failure. Instead, try to shift your mindset to viewing food and just food and it having no moral value. If you enjoy a cookie, enjoy it and then go back to step 3 and 4 of incorporating lots of whole foods and limiting processed foods.
Start practicing these 5 steps to see how much of an impact it can make in your daily food choices!