Eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult!

Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you have to eat foods that you don’t love.  It's not tofu and brown rice all the time. My sister in law likes to call healthy food “rabbit food”; since she thinks it consists of only celery, salads and extremely small portions, which is not the case. To see results of your weight loss, it is definitely not a requirement to drastically modify your eating habits, but it sure does help. You don’t need to change everything at once or completely eliminate certain foods that you lovefrom your diet. Just modify them a little.

Do you believe you are what you eat? I do to a certain extent. I think our health is determined by what we put into our bodies. Skipping the junk food, sugary sweets, artificial drinks, and high-cholesterol foods—or at the very least, taking them in moderation will show you the way to a healthier you.  I like to try and go natural and pile up on the fruits and vegetables, and ensure that I am taking in a well-rounded and balanced diet. During the months that our local Farmer’s Market is open, my husband and I stock up on locally grown fruits and veggies. We support our local farmers and businesses and it benefits me with my weight loss and I find that it really is less expensive than shopping in the grocery stores.

When it comes to eating healthy, trying to take in more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet is best. When choosing meats, it’s best to go for fish and white meats like turkey meat or chicken (without skin). For red meats, choose the leaner cuts. For example, use 93/7 ground hamburger rather than 80/20.  It’s best to avoid refined grain items like white breads and white pasta. Choose the whole grain version which is more complex to digest and that way it won’t go straight to your belly as fat. Use skim, almond, or rice milk rather than whole or 2% milk when eating cereal. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables rather than canned. Making these small changes will eventually make you prefer to eat healthy foods. If you can stick to this habit of eating healthier foods, you will find that you won’t want to eat the bad things anymore.

This may be time consuming but if you can, start reading nutritional information on your food packages.  For example, did you ever think to check how much sugar and salt are in your favorite cereal? I bet you don’t. Have you ever heard to just shop the outer aisles of your grocery store?  That is so true. Everything natural and healthy is on the outer aisles. All processed/boxed foods are located in the middle rows.  Do research and educate yourself. You will be surprised at your motivation to eat healthy. You’d also be surprised at how little effort it takes.

My biggest issue is that I think everyone should watch the portion sizes of meals. Just because you’re eating healthy doesn’t mean you should wolf down as much of it as you can. I eat 5-6 times a day, but they consist of small meals. My schedule normally goes like this: Breakfast (200-300 cals), AM Snack (100-150 cals), Lunch (400-500 cals), PM Snack (100-150 cals), Dinner (200-300 cals), and Late Snack (100-150cals). Eating this way keeps me from getting hungry.  I try and follow the every 2 hour rule: 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, 5:00, and 7:00. I try and not to eat anything 2 hours prior to me going to bed. Most nights I don’t eat the late snack, but its there for me just in case I want it.  Now I know with busy schedules it doesn’t always work that way, but it’s just a guide that I follow and I accommodate to however my day is going. Planning meals daily helps a lot. I try and keep away from junk food; instead I will snack on fruit, veggies and hummus, beef jerky, nuts, or yogurt, but if I am craving a cookie or chocolate, I won’t deprive myself of that.  I look for healthier versions, like Skinny Cow® candy or ice cream.  I read the portion sizes and eat only half of the candy bar or the recommended size of cake.

Holding myself accountable for what I put in my mouth makes it easier for me to get through the day. Believe me I am not a saint when it comes to eating healthy. If you want proof check out my food diary on Myfitness pal. But I think it’s not too terribly hard to begin to incorporate healthy eating into your lifestyle. You just have to do the research and try. Eventually you will become a pro at it and you won’t want to go back to your old lifestyle.