I have jumped from diet to diet for most of my life, trying to find that magic formula to lose weight. It has been my constant battle. I actually know quite a bit about what foods are healthy and what foods work for my body. However, I don’t always use that knowledge! I need to create better habits, and I’m hoping these small things I can do to eat healthier will motivate me.
To give you an idea of what goes through my mind, I journaled about a recent rant!
Can you relate? What can we do about it?
You can start with these ten small things you can do to eat healthier. See if you notice any similarities with your eating and if these small things can help you too.
10 Small Things You Can Do To Eat Healthier
Throw out all trigger foods
The biggest trigger food for me is chips and dips. If I have a bag of chips in my house, I will eat it no matter what it is. Not just a handful, but possibly the whole bag. I can’t have them in my house. Smaller triggers might be muffins, crackers, or granola bars. Things that are easy to grab and eat quickly. Throw them out, don’t have them in the house!
Write down what you eat, and do not cheat!
I have been writing down what I am eating for about a year now. So far, all it has done is remind me that I don’t eat very well. The purpose of keeping a food diary is to know what you are eating and when, so you can recognize changes you can make and detect what foods may be triggering unpleasant body responses. My body tells me when it doesn’t like what I am eating. Whether the bathroom is my best friend or my jeans are a little too tight. If you tailor your eating habits to how your body responds, it has to help, right? And, don’t cheat; write everything down. Even that french fry you stole off of your husband’s plate or that second piece of Dove chocolate.
If you are hungry, but you just ate an hour ago…
You should drink some tea or water or go for a walk. Distract yourself and see if the hunger passes. If not, grab a piece of fruit!
Develop new habits
Someone once told me to eat the same healthy meal for breakfast and lunch daily, so I don’t have to think about it. It becomes a habit to eat healthily. This will take some meal prepping on Sundays. Another habit I need to develop.
Find some new recipes
I want to find a few easy healthy recipes to have on hand each week so I have a go-to if I am in a pinch. Dave and I eat a lot of meat and veggies, which is great, but I’d like to have a few alternatives. I am saving many recipes on my Pinterest page, and I will grab one or two each week when I am meal prepping on Sundays. ? I also just read about a new app called Mealime that helps you find recipes and makes a grocery list for you. I might give that a shot!
Have healthy snacks prepped and ready
I am a snacker, so I need to have healthy options available. Buy, wash, and cut up fruit and vegetables. Healthy nuts are a good substitute for chips. Small pieces of dark chocolate. This also takes planning and some meal prepping. Do the work!
Eat more salads with meals
I love good salads, but I don’t like making them. The bagged salads are awesome. You can add tomatoes, cucumbers, or avocados. If you eat more salads with meals, you can be assured that you are getting your vegetables in your diet and may choose less of the other stuff.
Enjoy what you eat
You need to sit down and enjoy your food. Do not eat standing up or on the run. Make conscious decisions about what you are putting in your mouth. Do not just grab a granola bar and eat it while walking around the house or working on your computer. Make sure it is a part of an eating plan that day, and really enjoy it.
Know your why
My why can’t be only to lose weight, because that really doesn’t motivate me. My why has to be something bigger. Like I wrote in my rant, I want to feel good while I am alive. I want to be strong and active so that when I have grandchildren, I will enjoy them. Write those “why’s” down on post-it notes and hang them in your kitchen or on your refrigerator!
A few extras
Make sure you are getting enough sleep, so you make better decisions. Do not drink too much because that causes you to crave awful food the next day. Get enough exercise every day. Drink lots of water.
One of my goals is to know what it feels like to be in perfect health. That will be different for everyone. For me, it means I feel good, I am active, my clothes fit me, and I eat a diet of healthy food. I need to get to work. I know better, so I should do better. I’ll start with these small things I can do.
One last rant, we need to support each other. Don’t guilt others into eating unhealthy foods because you want to. If I choose not to eat the dip or the dessert at your party, it’s not because I’m rude or making you feel guilty; it’s because I am trying to make good choices for myself. Also, if I eat meat, bananas, or pasta that is not part of your healthy eating plan, don’t make a funny face and make me feel bad. Let’s allow each other to make our own choices.
Do you have any small changes to add? What are your why’s to eating healthy?
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“A healthy diet is a solution to many of our health-care problems. It’s the most important solution.” John Mackey
Other posts you might find helpful.
Intuitive Eating Tips that Make Sense
My Daughter’s Experience With the Whole 30 Lifestyle
Love this! This is also my goal. It’s amazing how much of what we do is habit. Hitting the road today for work and eating better and getting exercise is on my list of priorities.
Totally agree! Doing it on the road can be hard though, I hope you are going somewhere warm so you can run!