The problem with most diets is that they make us feel deprived. We always think about what we do can not have and what we are missing. It does not serve us to try and feed ourselves in this way. We end up obsessing over food and tempted to cheat, which can disrupt our healthy eating plan and cause us to gain weight instead of losing extra weight. What we need is a healthy eating plan that keeps us content and happy. Here are some dos and don’ts to help you live with a healthy plan.
Don’t skip meals
Don’t skip meals unless you have a healthy eating plan that involves replacing the calories in a meal with a shake or snack bar. Fasting and starving yourself is physically and mentally difficult. If anything, you’ll want to eat more (of the right types of foods), not less. Eat foods that fill you up in small amounts throughout the day and turn those foods into fuel for your daily activities. Your healthy eating plan allows you to eat until you are full.
Plan meals
Your healthy eating plan allows for a wide variety of tastes, flavors and textures. Plan your meals in advance and add structure and consistency to your healthy plan. We’re less likely to cheat when we have structured meals and don’t have to “take something” to eat along the way. When you’re not home, bring a healthy snack with you to help curb your appetite until you’re able to eat your regular healthy meals.
Don’t buy on impulse
When you go to the supermarket, have your list in hand and stick to it. Your healthy eating plan allows you to get creative and create fabulous meals that are healthy and good for you. Don’t screw it up by grabbing something that looks good in the store. Chances are you’ll regret it later. Also, don’t go to the market hungry as this can escalate cravings and the desire to buy on the spur of the moment.
Don’t try to do it yourself
It’s difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan; but if you try to do everything on your own, you can set yourself up for failure before you even start. Enlist the help of a friend, spouse or partner, or colleague. This support system will help you stay honest and give you someone to confide in. If your person is also trying to implement the healthy plan, it can be a great way to support each other. Planning menus, shopping, eating and exercising together. A little friendly competition can’t hurt either.
Don’t weigh every day
It can be very disheartening to see this scale staying at the same number day in and day out. Healthy weight loss with a healthy eating plan will see you lose around 1-2 pounds a week. So give yourself a break and weigh yourself once a week or once every two weeks. Celebrate the achievements of your healthy eating plan and reward yourself by sticking to it for another week.
Thanks to Kate Trillin
