1. Set clear and realistic goals about what you want to change about your diet. Get out a pen and a piece of paper, or start a word document on your computer. What do you want to change about your diet? What fruits and veggies do you like that you can add in daily? How do you want to look? How do you want to feel? If you did look a certain way, how would that make you feel better? Set present, short and long term goals. Try not to overwhelm yourself. Take it one goal/one day at a time. For instance, don't say "I will never eat sugar again." A goal may be," I'm going to have 2 hershey kisses a night instead of 10", or "Instead of having a bowl of ice cream and a cookie each night, I will cut that down to 1-2 nights per week." Another goal could be "I will drink more water each day." These don't have to be outrageous goals, but little steps in the right direction can make a HUGE difference as the days compound. Post your goals on your fridge at home, or by your desk at work. You can check them off as you go, making you feel accomplished:)
2. Have realistic expectations. Your goals need to fit your lifestyle and budget. If you can't afford to buy everything organic, then don't make a goal "I will only eat organic foods." Cooking at home is less expensive than eating out, so set aside some time to prep for that, and pre-pack your meals and snacks in advance. This will help you stay on track and will save time in the end. If you are a busy corporate world worker, this is even faster than grabbing lunch out, and healthier. You may fall off the wagon once in a while. Realize this and realize that it's ok. Just hop back on asap. Healthy is your lifestyle now, so that cookie that you just ate by mistake isn't going to kill you. Also realize you aren't going to, and shouldn't, lose 10 lbs in a week. Don't step on a scale daily. Small changes are better and will stick. 2 lbs of weight loss a week is a good amount to lose.
3. Make a list. Be proactive and list some of the healthy foods that you enjoy, including fruits and veggies, lean proteins and whole grains. List the foods that will be easy to pack and take along for a lunch, a snack, to eat in the car, etc. The better you plan this out, the more likely you will have success, and the less likely you will have to stop at burger king or taco bell. You always want to have healthy snack on hand, and you want to try to eat every 3 ish hours, so thinking ahead and planning ahead is key!
4. Be consistent! Make a plan and stick to it! I always meal plan, every Sunday. I have the same 5 or so snacks I like to have on hand or that I make each week, so I have those made or portioned out for the week. Dinner I plan as well. I also know when I'm going to eat every day. Every 3 hours. 5-6 meals. When you're consistent your body knows this and keeps your metabolism and energy up.
5. But also be flexible and don't beat yourself up. Sometimes things don't work out how you planned. That's life. Don't beat yourself up over it. Use it as a learning experience. If you have to eat out, a lot of places have the nutrition info listed now, just make the best choices that you can. And if you have too many drinks, or too much sugar, your body is probably going to tell you anyways. You won't feel good! So again, learn from it. Your body knows a lot and it will tell you!!
6. Make healthy a lifestyle and stick with your plan. It takes time to transition from the old you into healthy behaviors. You don't want to do it all in a day, or go on a "diet". That implies you started it, and you will stop it, not to mention gain everything you lost back. After you've eaten healthier for about a month, it will be more like a habit, and the things you found hard in the beginning are now becoming more second nature!! They are a part of your normal day to day life.
7. Have some fun with your new healthy eating lifestyle. Eating right takes dedication and commitment. Small road blocks along the way are normal. Find fun ways to involve your friends and family in your new lifestyle and to keep yourself motivated. Set up contests or challenges with your co-workers, start a walking club at lunch, do a squat challenge or a plank challenge with your friends or family. Take the time to research new and exciting healthy recipes. Not all healthy food has to be blah. Experiment with new spices, which add tons of flavor and no extra calories.
8. Congratulate yourself. You don't have to give yourself treats for doing well, you aren't a dog, but give yourself some praise, or a high five, when you've made a healthy change. Feel happy! Your on a path to being happy, healthy and strong!
9. Don't rush! I've said it before and I'll say it again, you do not and you do not want to change everything day one. You will overwhelm yourself and you will stop trying and you will quit. Small changes overtime make a huge difference eventually. Work on one thing at a time and then add to it.
10. Enjoy the Process. Focus on the journey, not the destination. Small victories along the way add up. Enjoy the lifestyle with all the ups and downs. Continue to set small goals and work towards them. Measure your success, and make sure each goal is broken down in do-able steps. You can even write a goal down, then a few steps to get there.
You can do this, I believe in you. Take your time, write down your do-able goals, don't rush and take that first step towards happier, healthier and stronger!
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