Want to work healthier habits into your life? Here are 10 ways to stay consistent with healthier eating.
Life is busy, temptations surround us, and sometimes cravings get the best of us. Here are our favorite tips and tricks for how to stay consistent with healthier eating.
1. Set small, measurable and realistic goals. Tell yourself – I will eat vegetables with every meal, drink at least 68 ounces of water daily, stop snacking on junk food, etc.
2. Try something new. Start looking for healthy recipes online that sound delicious to you. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring!
3. Remember moderation. Adapt the 80/20 rule – eat nutritious foods 80% of the time and indulge in some of your favorite treats 20% of the time. If you completely deprive yourself of your favorite foods, your diet is much more likely to backfire.
4. Surround yourself with the right foods. Having nutritious foods on hand and ready to eat will set you up for success. You will be much less likely to eat junk food if you surround yourself with fresh vegetables and fruit, lean protein, healthy fats and good-for-you carbs.
5. Keep tempting foods that cause you to binge out of the house. You can’t eat it if you don’t have it. If you already have tempting foods in your house, try putting them on a top shelf so that they aren’t always in sight.
6. Understand portion sizes. Large portions have become normalized for us. Use smaller plates to downsize your portions. Share a meal with a friend or take half your meal home.
7. Avoid being all or nothing. It sounds something like this: “Well, since I already had some chips today I might as well not bother having that salad for dinner, I’ll get a pizza instead.” However, it can also take the form of completely depriving yourself from any treats, which in my experience, usually doesn’t work out.
8. Stay hydrated. Did you know that we often mistake thirst for hunger? Overeating can seem uncontrollable, but sometimes when you’re craving a sweet or salty snack it’s actually your body asking for water. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day and that you always have a large bottle with you if you’re on the go.
9. Prepare yourself before going out. Deciding beforehand what healthy options are available on the menu will help you make smarter choices when dining out.
10. Respect yourself. No one is perfect, and every now and then we all have some slip up. But remember, never let one bad moment keep you from achieving your goals. If you snack a little too much or wish you ate a little less dessert, just make sure your next meal is a healthy one!
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