Everyone can learn to eat healthier and eat the right-sized portions. Some people grew up with horrible eating habits and are still burdened with trying to break these habits. Where you are on the eating food chain is not as important as learning how to eat right. Once you learn, you must take the steps to make it happen day by day. Good habits can be formed in 14-21 days.
Don’t let one bad day of eating lead to one week or one month of bad eating. Get right back on track the next day. Perseverance is the key when it comes to replacing bad eating habits with healthy eating habits.
The replacement method works well with food choices. If you have a “sweet tooth,” replace candy, pastries, and sodas with healthy sweet foods like fruits and natural fruit juices. Taking the step to severely limit sugars from your diet will lead you on the way to fat loss and weight loss success.
Here are some other nutrition tips:
1. Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your nutrition plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal. By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better. It will also help protect you from binge eating and emotional eating if you write down why you eat what you eat.
2. Find out your basal metabolic rate (amount of calories you would burn if you did nothing all day). You will use this rate to set the amount of calories you need each day to maintain a caloric deficit (burn more calories than you consume).
Learn how to eat the right amounts of a foundational menu. A foundational menu includes the macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates). Your body needs these nutrients. When your eating habits are under control, you can try special eating methods like carb-cycling, to burn more fat and fine tune your eating.
3. Drink water and unsweetened drinks (like tea) most of the time.
4. Add volume to your diet (eating wet). Eat as many foods as you can with high water content/low calories. Foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables are examples. These types of foods help you to feel fuller (satiety) while eating fewer calories. For instance, grapes with the same caloric amount as raisins will provide more satiety and theoretically help you eat less the rest of the day.
Energy density of food is a key component when trying to add volume to your diet. Energy density (ED) is defined as the amount of calories of a food divided by its weight in grams. Focus on foods with low ED value such as fresh fruits (apples, etc.) and vegetables (such as tomatoes and broccoli) whole grain pastas, rice, whole grain breads and cereals, soups, salads and skinless white chicken/turkey.
5. Don't starve yourself (severe calorie restriction). This will only encourage your body to store fat because it thinks you are starving. Eat small meals every three to four hours to keep your body energized and to keep your metabolism humming!
6. Forget the quick weight loss gimmicks (they lead to yo-yo dieting and even more weight gain). There are no quick solutions to permanent fat loss and weight loss. Change your eating habits permanently.
7. Severely limit these type of foods: fried foods, fast foods, foods in a bag, sugary sodas, candy, cookies, donuts, processed foods, etc. And, watch your alcohol intake! Alcohol has calories too---7 calories per gram to be exact!
8. If you comply with your healthy meal plan 90 percent of the time, you will be successful with fat loss and weight loss (provided you are exercising as needed).
You have to make changes to your eating habits! If you don't know what changes to make, then get help. Scheduling a fitness and nutrition assessment with a personal trainer will get you started in the right direction.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES, CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer and former NCAA Division I athlete. Mark’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System has been proven to give his clients the fit, sculpted and athletic-type bodies they want. Visit Mark’s sites:
My Fitness Hut http://myfitnesshut.blogspot.com
Her Fitness Hut http://herfitnesshut.com
Sports Fitness Hut http://sportsfitnesshut.blogspot.com