New Year Nutrition

New Year resolutions again. Time to start exercising and eating healthier. How many times have you tried to either eat healthier or lose weight on a diet? If you are like most people, you start out with high hopes and good intentions, only to be disappointed in the end. When you go on a diet, you start restricting your foods and end up thinking more about the foods you can’t eat, rather than enjoying all foods in moderation. There is “the last supper” syndrome, the big meal before the start of the diet.  And the “all or nothing” tendency. If you break your diet with a cheat food, you decide since you blew it, you might as well go on eating, until you find you have binged. All this leads to little or no weight loss, disappointment, and feeling like a failure.

If this sounds familiar to you, why don’t you try a different approach this year? Instead of dieting or trying to fix everything about your diet, why not try setting some small goals?  

For example, if you find yourself skipping meals and then overeating, make a plan to carry healthy snacks such as crackers with cheese, nuts, yogurt, fruit, and sandwiches. Pack a snack bag every other day and keep it with you. Put some salad mix in Tupperware bowls. Using the pre-washed mixed lettuce and tossing in some baby carrots will save you time. You can add some protein with the packed chicken that is seasoned, cooked, and sliced, and in a ziplock bag.

Understand that there are no good or bad foods. You can eat everything in moderation. Don’t feel guilty because you ate something that wasn’t GOOD for you, or that was high in fat, carbohydrates, or calories. Just try to moderate how much you eat, and concentrate on all the healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Allow yourself a little of those “cheat foods”, enjoy every bite, and then move on. By allowing yourself this small treat, and knowing you don’t have to feel guilty or restrict these foods, you won’t feel like you have to binge since you “blew your diet anyway”.

Know your weaknesses and have a plan. Making small changes and striving for consistency can make a big difference over the long run.

Michelle