I am not a big fan of the word ‘Diet’ which according to me, conjures up an image of someone starving, drinking on juices and chewing on greens. However I strongly believe that to be healthy one needs to be disciplined in his/her food intake and always keep a sharp eye in what one is eating.
I put in a lot of focus on eating healthy because we are what we eat; in fact there is a direct relation with respect to your thought process changing drastically when the focus shifts towards eating healthy. However some thing’s as we all know are easier said than done. One needs a small excuse to get derailed out of this healthy habit and it is difficult to get back on track, especially with the not so conducive environment around us. I’m not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination and often will give in to temptations. However I’ve gotten better over time, because practice makes perfect and have learned a lot of great tips from different sources over the years.Today we’re going to look into some of tips and habits that I’ve found useful in sticking with a healthy food plan in my own journey.
Know your motivation: I met a good friend of mine who has completely changed his eating habits. when I did asked him what made him work on this, I was jazzed when he mentioned that he was looking to do a health seminar shortly .Wow that got me inspired and made me realize that if you get a grip on your biggest motivation then you can easily avoid temptation. When you have a powerful motivation like this and remember the same when you’re facing temptation, it’s easier to be strong when you’d otherwise give in.
Choose foods you love: What works for one might not necessarily mean anything to you. So if you are not a raw salad person then do not beat yourself into making it your staple diet. I believe that there is a huge difference when you change the image of the food projected in the mind’s eye. Don’t eat foods just because they’re good for you — eat them because they’re healthy and you love them. For me fresh fruits,vegetables and mostly home cooked food is way to go forward. For someone else it might be fish, eggs and lean meat. Spend some time in figuring out the foods you love, that are healthy and you’ll stick with this much longer.
Out of sight and out of mind: This is an amazing logic when it comes to having junk food at home. If you have junk food in your home you’re more likely to give in at some point and eat it. However if you clear your home of these foods you won’t have that temptation. Work on not having anything around you. I have observed that what is bought for the kids in a house is consumed mostly by the parents. Ensure that you get rid of stuff which is sugary, salted and loaded with Tran’s fats. You will not only be doing yourself a huge favor but also for your family too.
Eat every couple of hours: This is an amazing way to spike your metabolism and keep it up at a constant level through the day. What this does is, it not only helps you burn more calories but also helps you in regulating your hormones which kicks in when you begin to starve. Starving plays havoc with your mood swings and decision making especially with the women folks. Work on eating small meals every two to three hours and do not allow your system to run empty at any cost.
Finally if you indulge, then burn it off: Being human, the best of the strategies may fail for one and that is perfectly ok. Do not fret and go on a self sabotage ride. Just get back on track and re-align with your focus. Look at this as a small one off incident and go out there and burn off the calories. It could be by doing the things you love the most be it walking, running or any exercise for some time.
I am sure most of you will go off the track at some point of time in your life. The most important thing to do is to get back on track asap.I would Love to hear from you on how you work on eating healthy. If you feel there is a better way of eating healthy then reach me on my Face book Fan page or even on my mail Id coach@satishrao.in