Ok. Let’s just get right into it .. 🙂
First, please take the word ‘diet’ and throw it out the window!
Do you want to change your life? Don’t ‘diet’ and don’t take up a fitness routine. In order to succeed you have to change the way you look at it all.
Make a lifestyle change .. and not a lifestyle sacrifice.
Let me explain, as far as the eating part of it (I may dive into the fitness part in another post) …
Start small with ‘changing’ your eating. You want to change your relationship with food without it feeling like a sacrifice or punishment.
Today, eat better than you did tomorrow. Even if it’s just slightly better. Make simple swaps that you are ‘mentally’ ok with. Then, maybe add a little more activity to your day than what you did yesterday. In the end, we make a better eating decision and we are more active .. both things working in our favor.
Simple swaps?
Here is an example.. I have the WORST sweet tooth on the planet. No joke… it calls to me constantly. If I ignore it, one day I’ll buy one of those single ice cream containers at Kroger and probably eat the whole thing. In ten minutes. Seriously. Then be up all night with Alka-Seltzer in hand…
While having a sweet tooth can be miserable at times I won’t lie .. I LOVE sweets. I don’t want to give them up. Really … So, instead of “punishing my urges’ i have found things that are ‘better’ sweet options. A couple of examples are yogurt, fruit (I LOVE blueberries and grapes right now), or even frozen yogurt popsicles. They give me my sweet ‘fix,’ they taste *really* good, and are a healthier option than sugar and more sugar. So … it is a simple, healthy swap and in the end I don’t feel like I am sacrificing anything at all. Trust me, I am ALL ABOUT my key lime yogurt when I come home from the gym.
One of the keys to success is realizing that we are humans, we have the un-compromisables (I doubt that is a word but go with me!), and we need to find a realistic ‘new’ path in order to succeed.
Look at your eating and be realistic about it. If you want to change and can let things go, start slowly. Give yourself time to change. If you have un-compromisables that may make you rebound (like my sweets would be to me), try to instead find something that is a healthy option that you would enjoy.
Don’t punish yourself for being you, just find a way to enjoy things in moderation that were a little more healthy than they were yesterday.
If you have questions, let me know! I would love to help or give advice. Thanks for reading!
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Great tips! I’ve been doing a moderate clean eating/detox diet for over two years now and it has changed my life! I know that I can’t do it everyday for the rest of my life, but in moderation is where I find consistency. I no longer eat dairy or sugar most days and avoid white flour. I have taken sodas completely out of my diet, which I once thought was impossible.
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I have actually swapped dairy milk out recently for almond milk and can tell a difference. Also, apparently somewhere along the way I stopped drinking soft drinks about 2 years ago. It is amazing how much better we feel when we clean up just one small thing! Thanks for sharing!!
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It’s so funny that I read this now. We just started making a lot of small changes in our diet this weekend.
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I like to swap one thing out at a time.. that way it does not feel overwhelming. Sure it takes longer but for me it has been a successful path. Thanks for sharing and good luck on your quest 🙂
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Love this post! Being healthy is totally a lifestyle change, for the long run! 🙂
http://www.skinnybelle.com
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Thanks so much and thanks for commenting! I agree completely 🙂
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These are fantastic tips! I need to do a complete overhaul of my diet.
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I am sure that cleaning up our diets is a non-stop journey on its own. I figure that if we clean it up gradually, we can emotionally handle it better, and it’s chance for success may improve. Any improvement is better than nothing, eh? 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
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You are absolutely right when you said – Make a lifestyle change not sacrifice. Many of us really dont understand that & fall in to the trap of the famous word “Diet”. But honestly simple swaps in eating will do wonders in life for sure.
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I tried the dreaded ‘diet’ for years and this is the first thing that has stuck .. for so long now that I cannot remember. It’s nice to be eating better without feeling like you gave anything up!
Thanks for commenting!
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Small measurable changes daily make a world of difference in the end. It becomes like saving that is compounded over years. Here is to the healthy lifestyle changes! We can do it.
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Yes, we can! When we do it incrementally it really does not seem as extreme, either, which is nice! I always say that I ‘wear’ my bad diet .. the more I’ve cleaned out the kinks the better I’ve felt, including to just my skin improving. It’s definitely worth it! Thanks for commenting!
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We’ve been trying to eat more really good food, like the kind that you get at a fancy farm to table restaurant lately. We love food and I’ve found that our swapping has been for better home cooked meals. Last year I cut out all boxed meals, using fresh and local ingredients more often, even shopping in ethnic stores where there are more international options! It takes a lot of work and planning, but the results are fabulous!
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That is definitely the next item on my list .. do better with simpler ingredients. I’ve been starting to do that for my work lunches but, like you said, it takes planning and time. In the end it’s worth it. I need to start doing the same for my evening meals as well .. hopefully soon!
Thanks for sharing!
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This is awesome! I definitely have to go small or else I don’t do well at all!
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Thank you! Small does not feel like it is such an adjustment too! Thanks for commenting!
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