Nutrition is the MOST important part of becoming fit and healthy and unfortunately it is also the hardest part for people to stick to. I can exercise 30 minutes to an hour every day. It sucks, but its done in 30 minutes and I can relax afterwards. Eating healthy is a 24/7 task. It's not something that you do once and you are done...it is an ongoing lifestyle choice.
I don't claim to be a nutritionist, so I'm only speaking to you from personal experience. If you have a chance to go to a nutritionist and get a detailed diet plan then you should definitely do it. In the meantime here are tips that I have picked up along the way.
Keep Your Kitchen Well-Stocked
Figure out a meal plan for the week and make a shopping list. Think about breakfast, lunch, dinners, snacks...etc. For a day, I plan for breakfast, a mid-morning snack (usually some kind of fruit or vegetable), lunch, mid-afternoon snack (greek yogurt or something with protein...this helps with energy for my workout later in the day) and dinner. If you have your snacks & meals planned out, you are less likely to grab that candy bar from the vending machine and less tempted to stop by McDonald's on the way home!
Buy Snack-Size Ziplock Bags
As we all know snacking can get out of hand really fast. Resist the temptation to eat that whole bag of chips by portioning out your snacks in snack-size ziplock bags. You can still eat the food that you love, but just in a smaller amount. I also like to make up several baggies of fruits and vegetables at the beginning of the week. Each morning I will just grab a couple of bags and take them to work to snack on during the day. By making up several baggies ahead of time, you have made healthy food more convenient for you to grab and go. Who doesn't love convenience?!
Keep Track of What You Eat
If you don't already have the "My Fitness Pal" App on your smart phone...Get it or something similar!! It's a great and EASY way to keep track of how many calories you consume in a day. Just log in the food you've eaten and it will tell you how many calories each item is and will let you know how many calories are left in the day. This should be a huge help...but only if you log in EVERY thing that you eat. I've been known to leave off a cookie or two, so I wouldn't go over my calorie intake for the day. If you do this, you only end up cheating yourself. Log everything and work to keep it close to your recommended daily intake.
Drink Water
This is probably the easiest thing you can do to become healthier! Water helps keep skin healthy, flush toxins from your kidneys, regulate digestion and so much more. It also helps you feel fuller longer. Make an effort to drink more water each day! I drink at least 64 oz. of water each day. I use a 32 oz. Nalgene water bottle that I usually take when I go hiking. I fill it up in the mornings before work and keep it at my desk. I drink 32 oz. in the morning and then fill it up again for the afternoon. I am done with my 64 ounces by 5 pm each day. Just be sure you have a bathroom readily available...because all that water has to go somewhere!
Eat Something New
Each week purchase a new food item that you haven't tried before. This is a good way to add variety to your meals. I hate to admit it, but I never had asparagus until a few weeks ago. I tried it and LOVED it, so now we eat it all the time. I also tried Kale for the first time. Don't be scared to try new things!
Don't Get Discouraged...
I'm not a cook...I will never claim to be a cook and I don't think I will ever really WANT to cook....I know...poor Josh! When trying new things or cooking techniques don't get discouraged if it doesn't come out perfectly. Start with recipes that have fewer ingredients...I get overwhelmed when the ingredient list takes up the entire page. Ask your friends about their favorite recipes. At least you know the recipe will taste good and you can always call them if you have issues. I get ideas from my sister-in-law all the time! ;) Also look online...there are tons of healthy recipes.
Add Shakeology to Your Daily Diet
Replace one meal a day with Shakeology to give your body one meal that is supercharged with ingredients that will give you natural energy, curb your cravings and help you stay full for at least 3 hours. Shakeology is equivalent to 5 salads in one meal, not to mention it has 70 super foods. I drink Shakeology every day for breakfast. I use one scoop of the Tropical Strawberry flavor, along with 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1/2 banana and a handful of raspberries. It's so easy and quick to make in my Magic Bullet and it tastes just like a smoothie. If you have any questions about Shakeology please let me know or go visit this link.
As I've stated in my previous posts I am a Beachbody coach...hence my shameless plug for Shakeology there at the end. ;) A coach is a person who can (if you choose) help you reach your fitness & health goals by being there for support and accountability. It is also a great way to make extra money. Just to be clear I do not promote products if I don't believe in them. I'm having success with these programs and I want to be able to help others have success as well. Sign up for your FREE Beachbody account today! I promise I won't bombard you with emails! If you have any questions please let me know. Even if you aren't interested in a Beachbody program, please decide that today is the day you will start eating healthy and getting in shape.
I hope you decide to join me on my journey to get fit, eat healthy and live lovely!
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