What I Eat
What to Eat ??
Everyone seems to hate the “diet” word. To many, it translates into “doing without,” being too restrictive or it means deprivation. To me, it is a positive word, not a negative one and means a way of life and fuel for energy, health and youth. It is something we can control in an uncontrollable world and it is the most important way to control our personal future. I feel a poor diet too frequently will result in obesity, lethargy, poor health and ultimately, low self esteem and energy.
How do you find a healthy diet balance without feeling like you are doing without?
* PLAN– You have to prepare and plan. Don’t go to the grocery store hungry but think through when, how and what you want to eat for the week. Make a list of exactly what you need and make a weekly event (or daily, or bi-weekly, whatever works!) and stick to your list.
* Have BACK UP PLANS– Sometimes meetings go longer then expected, traffic delays stop us, reservations and friends run late… ALWAYS have healthy options stashed in your bag, your car, your desk… Go to snacks on hand are a MUST to help you avoid the office candy stash or quick fast food runs! Examples of healthy things to stash are almonds, protein bars, apples, protein shakes, tuna packets and lots and lots of water! These are GREAT to have on hand.
*Use the 10,000 year ago rule! Think natural, unprocessed foods. If it was on this planet 10,000 years ago it likely GREAT to eat! Meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, sweet potatoes. Grains, Corn Syrups, Artificial sweeteners, trans fats and packaged foods were NOT here!
*Eat real foods!- If you can’t pronounce the ingredients in a food- put it back!
* EAT balanced meals. Make sure all of your meals contain a balance of healthy carbohydrates, healthy fats and proteins. If you need help with this my Jump Start Programs are a GREAT place to start as it teaches you ALL about this.
* Don’t deprive! It is okay to have your favorite foods as long as you don’t over-do it! I LOVE chocolate and definitely have some most days but the key word is “some.” One small piece of dark chocolate satisfies the craving if I have eaten balanced meals the rest of the day.
* CHEAT MEALS If you LOVE ice-cream, pizza, whatever… plan a day where you allow yourself to have your favorite meals a few times in that day. However, have the REAL thing in a normal portion and do it just that day. If you cheat but have “fake alternatives” you will still crave the real thing and feel deprived!
* Apply the 80/20 rule. If you do what is right 80% of the time, majority rules!
For help jump starting your weight loss and healthy eating look HERE. For lot’s of healthy meal ideas you can easily prepare yourself look HERE.