EATING YOUR WAY UP TO A HEALTHY DIET

EATING YOUR WAY UP TO A HEALTHY DIET

The concepts to be discuussed here are very simple but take a little work on your part to make them part of your lifestyle. These concepts include do what you have to do to make the food you eat enjoyable for you, trust and believe in the diet concept or eating concept you have chosen whether it is South Beach, Atkins, Jenny Craig, low fat, high protein, or a diet of your own making, and practice self-control but in moderation.

Enjoy the foods you have chosen

If you don’t take pleasure in the food you are eating then you will not continue to do it. That is a given. So choose the eating plan that appeals the most to you. Whatever you choose, this needs to be part of a commitment to change your lifestyle not just your eating habits. If you cannot live without cheese and meat then don’t pick a diet that doesn’t include them as a main part of the eating plan. Take a look around and see if you can find an eating plan that includes at least some of the things that you really enjoy eating. Obviously if there was a diet that produced healthy weight loss and made us fit from eating nothing but cheeseburgers, chocolate cake and ice cream we would all be on it but that doesn’t appear to be an option.

Once you have chosen an eating plan that looks doable then go about making the choices in the plan work for you. Most of our eating choices that we enjoy are part of a learned behavior. You probably didn’t like coffee or shrimp or or maybe even eggs the first time you tried them. Foods that you enjoy were part of culture or attached to activities or family events that you took pleasure in. You can learn to take pleasure from healthy foods in the same way.

Experiment

Try new recipes, watch food channels on television for ideas, and go to gourmet shops for ideas on cooking healthy. It is amazing how wonderful good healthy food can taste if it is properly cooked and seasoned. Take your time in the grocery store and try different fresh fruits and vegetables that you have never had before – you might find a new favorite food. And make meal times enjoyable. Take your time eating and when you have the time making meal times an event – set the table, have a glass of wine and savor your meals.

Believe

Whatever eating plan you choose to use you must believe that it will work for you. If you are not sure the diet or healthy weight loss plan will work you are setting yourself up for failure. Recognize that overeating is an addiction and self sabotage is part of that mindset. Overcome that by trusting in yourself and in the success of the diet you are doing.

Practice self control but in moderation

Self control is going to be the determining factor in whether you can be successful in losing weight and getting healthy. It is up to you to cut down on the amount of food you eat and to find food that you can enjoy without binging or gaining more weight. However, if the eating plan is going to be successful you also have to allow yourself to eat the things you really like in moderation every once in awhile – not a binge day just a cup of ice cream or a piece of cake when you really want it, once a week or once a month. The idea is not to deprive yourself but to find foods that you can enjoy that are healthy for you and to eat the problem foods you used to eat in moderation with self control.