The enjoyment of food and the rich, aromas, textures, and taste encourage a healthy appetite. Even when we work to limit our calorie intake, we might miss out on some favorites. Food has been a comfort to many over the years. The celebratory feast for a job well done, or a celebration of life’s events: Weddings, anniversaries, funerals, awards, and graduations. No matter who you are, you’ll have to find food in your life. Much better to become friends with your food rather than enemies! People who struggle with eating disorders have a love-hate relationship with food, and the constant imbalance creates unhealthy lives.
As someone who struggles with anorexia, I know the pain. You need to eat, and yet your brain plays tricks on you where you often forget to eat. Part of my recovery is to continue a healthy eating plan, one where I am in control of the need to eat rather than the eating disorder. Since it’s a lifelong battle, I know these common sense steps will be a reminder for me to stay the course. So, join me as I explore the common sense steps which keep me on track.
Will is not the best bet when it comes to diet and lifestyle changes. You see, some adults lose weight through intermittent fasting, or radically changing their diet by becoming a vegan. I’ve done both of those! Radical changes usually do not last. Since radical changes often do not last, people revert to their old habits and wind up gaining back the pounds they lost and sometimes more.
If you’re tired of watching your weight fluctuate, you may need a more gradual approach. It’s not just the scale which you need to focus on, but the literal inches of the body. The little changes add up.
In fact, minor adjustments are often more sustainable because they suit your lifestyle. See how easy it can be to slim down, starting with these simple things to incorporate into your diet.
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Small habits: Big changes
1. Cook more. Preparing your own food allows you to control the ingredients. Restaurant meals tend to have more calories, salt, and sugar. Whether you’re eating at a fast food outlet or a fancy bistro, or restaurant you’ll end up eating more then you intended.
Portions often are larger than you need.
2. Plan your meals. Write out a menu for your daily meals and snacks. You’ll be able to tell at a glance if you’re getting all your required nutrients, and you’ll probably eat less. I cannot express the beauty of the written word! Every time you write down what you eat, you help your brain view the words and recognize when you have eaten more than needed. You can change the plan up as you go, recognizing you need to eat enough to sustain yourself. The old adage: Eat to live, not live to eat.
3. Stock your kitchen. Keep healthy snacks on hand, along with staples for light meals. You can make room for the good things by getting rid of junk food. Often people will hold onto some favorites, just-in-case. Don’t give in to the temptation. If it isn’t in your home, it takes more effort to get it.
4. Increase your fiber. Some studies suggest eating more fiber is the single most significant change you can make in your diet. The top sources include legumes (beans, split peas), popcorn, berries, dried fruits, and grains. Make sure you use whole grains (brown rice instead of white, for example).
The two types of fiber help your body process foods you ingest. They include soluble and insoluble.
According to the Mayo Clinic: Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium While insoluble fiber passes through the body and moves your bowels and relieves constipation.
5. Boost your protein. Foods rich in protein fill you up and recharge your metabolism. Plus, your body has to burn more calories to digest them, compared to carbohydrates and fats. Include some protein in each meal and snack. One of the benefits of adding protein in the form of shakes, is your body can utilize the materials better.
I love Herbalife shakes, and I use almond milk, frozen cherries, and ice cubes to make a frothy, healthy protein infused snack. Make sure you read labels: whey protein or soy protein are the top two in the industry. However, if both of those bother you, there are pea, sunflower, and rice proteins which do a great job as well.
6. Eat breakfast. Refueling in the morning helps to prevent excessive eating later in the day. Start out with something hearty and nutritious, like Greek yogurt with berries and nuts (I buy slivered almonds), granola, oatmeal, or a breakfast burrito.
7. Control portions. Forbidden foods can become so tantalizing they lure you off your diet. Reduce your serving sizes so you can enjoy your favorite treats without any guilt. I tend to love cookies (gluten free doesn’t mean calorie free), and ice cream! So, instead of neglecting good things, I choose once or twice a week to have something special. If that means I need to get an extra 1000 steps in or drink extra water, then I do what I can. Also, you don’t need the whole box of cookies, so reducing portions makes it rewarding.
Your body will begin to anticipate the treat. Remember: Less is more. Your body can digest smaller meals better than if you overeat.
8. Focus on whole foods. Make vegetables, fruits, and other natural foods the core of your diet. Cutting back on packaged items will eliminate most empty calories. Crock pot cooking helps you when you work a full time job and don’t have time to make fancy meals. Chicken, veggies, and brown rice/garbanzo beans make a great stew.
Throw a roast in the crock pot at 7:30 AM, and you’ll have potatoes, carrots, celery and some delicious protein to build your body’s strength when you return home from work. I used to have a rice cooker which I would keep a pot of rice on for a whole day, so a healthy grain was available for my kids. Besides, a huge pot of beans (for haystacks or burritos) is inexpensive and heart healthy.
9. Drink water. Quench your thirst with plain water and tea instead of beverages loaded with calories. Staying hydrated facilitates digestion. Check off some boxes in your food journal every time you drink water.
I have a water bottle, which you fill twice a day. 8 AM until 4 PM and the second is from 5 PM until 8 PM. It averages 1 cup an hour. I tend to drink more than this, however, it’s been awesome to have a handy gauge. If I don’t get one down, I know I am not hydrated enough.
10. Be mindful. Slow down and pay attention to what you’re putting on your plate. You’ll enjoy your food more. You’ll also be more likely to notice when you’re full instead of continuing to eat more than you planned. Also, add smaller helpings and use a smaller plate.
If you have seconds, you’ll actually only be having what you would on a regular sized plate. The simple act tricks the brain to thinking you are filling up, when you are balancing yourself.
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The simple 10 steps are common sense areas to include in your daily habits. Once you take charge and apply the one or more steps in your life, you’ll feel stronger, empowered, and ready to tackle the New Year. I know the changes helped me lose some stubborn pounds, and I an excited to see how the applied changes last for the next few months. Give these steps a try!
~Just a thought by Pamela
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Wright Brand Bacon on Unsplash
