You know how it goes.
Your jeans start fitting a little too snug and your brain goes into panic mode.
So, you buy into a fad diet and start seeing quick results, but soon enough your sweet tooth gets the best of you and those results don’t last. They never do.
Then the “I’ll start next week” mindset begins… every week.
So how do you get out of that vicious cycle and actually maintain a healthy diet?
Ease into it
If your health journey is just beginning, changing all of your eating habits at once just isn’t realistic.
Start by swapping out a few old habits with new, simple ones – like adding a fruit or veggie to every meal, or drinking two more glasses of water a day than usual.
Once these habits start forming, add a few more. Easing into healthy eating will allow you to slowly but surely create a whole new lifestyle that works for you.
Prepare your food ahead of time
Our brains LOVE convenience. Think about it, if you’re hungry and cranky after a long day at work or running after kids, are you really going to take the time to wash and chop up veggies and fruit for a healthy snack?
Or are you going to grab a few handfuls of chips from the cupboard that are just going to make you feel worse in the long run?
After grocery shopping, get ahead of the curve by preparing healthy snacks so they are ready to grab anytime, any mood. (P.S. Out of nutritious and filling snack ideas? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive 25 incredible recipes.)
Shift your mindset
Focus on how nutritious food makes you feel, rather than how it makes you look.
Fad diets that promise quick weight loss often make food the enemy. They also fail 95% of the time.
Food is fuel. What you eat directly impacts our mental and physical health.
Instead of dieting to “look good in a bikini,” commit to making lasting lifestyle changes that allow you to get the proper nutrition you need to honour your mind, body, and soul day-in and day-out.
Balance is key
Life’s too short not to enjoy your favourite foods – so ease up on the restrictions.
When you cut yourself off from them completely, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Intense restriction can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and can cause you to over-indulge or binge on less nutritious foods once you give yourself the green light.
Instead, allow yourself to enjoy your favourite foods in moderation throughout the week to stay on track in the long run.
Move your body
Believe it or not, exercising is a great motivator to help improve your eating habits.
A 2019 study by the International Journal of Obesity found that most participants who worked out also changed their diet to include more nutritious foods like fruits, veggies, and lean meats, and fewer fried and snack foods.
This might be because healthy foods allow your body to perform as best as possible and don’t derail the progress of your killer workouts.
If you’re considering making a diet change but still aren’t sure where to start, book a free consult with me. I’d love to help you make a plan to help you along your way!
If you’d like more information on how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, click here for a free consult.