Flip-It!
So many dieters fail because they take a restrictive approach, but if they just turned the tables and focused on adding good food into their diet, they would be far less likely to eat rubbish.
Start rethinking your whole nutrition approach and use the following habits, to swiftly move you in the direction of your goals. Rather than think about what you are missing, “flip it,” to appreciate the new foods (and feelings) that you are enjoying.
1. Don’t let your blood sugar dip
Put simply, when you get hungry your blood sugars drop, you lose your inhibitions and you’re far more likely to make bad food choices. Keeping on top of your hunger makes decision making easy. You don’t need a full meal every three hours but planning ahead to include the snacks mentioned below will keep you on track.
2. Add lean protein to every meal you eat
Protein keeps you fuller for longer, helps growth and repair and can really boost your metabolism. Are you eating protein every time you eat? If not, make the change.
3. Don’t skip the veggies
That’s right, in addition to eating a lean protein source, aim to eat vegetables every time you eat. Throw in a piece of fruit here and there as well.
4. Earn your carbs to enjoy them
Well, not ALL carbs – eat fruits and veggies whenever you want. And if you want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like simple sugars, rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc.), you can – but it’s best to save it until after you’ve exercised.
5. Understand healthy fats
There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Forget about that old saying “eating fat makes you fat”. Eating all three kinds of fat in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health, and even help you lose fat. Get your saturated fat from your animal products and you can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking. Your monounsaturated fat comes from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. And your polyunsaturated fat comes from flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.
6. Drink to hydrate
Your best drink choices are water and green tea. These options contain zero calories they help flush out toxins and give your metabolism a boost. Fruit juice, alcoholic drinks, and fizzy drinks are all high calorie drinks which can ruin your weight loss efforts.
7. Choose wholefoods
There are a few times where supplement drinks and shakes are useful. But most of the time, you’ll do best with whole, largely unprocessed foods. Try and stick to wholefoods. A useful guide is: “If it can go bad it is good and if it can’t go bad it’s bad!’
8. Allow yourself some 10% foods
Be kind to yourself. 100% nutritional discipline is never required, nor is it realistic for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible.
Consider your list of “10% foods” – foods that break rules, but which you’ll allow yourself to eat (or drink, if it’s a beverage) 10% of the time. Just make sure you do the maths and determine what 10% of the time really means to you.
For example, if you’re eating 3 snacks and 3 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 is about 4. Aim to “break the rules” no more than 4 times each week.
9. Make time to prepare
You might know what to eat, but if isn’t available, you’ll blow it when it’s time for a meal. The hardest part about eating well is making sure you can follow the plan consistently. Get in to the habit of thinking about what you will need for the week ahead before you shop. A basic weekly menu, including snacks, can keep you on track.
10. Strive for balance
Let’s face it, when you’re busy during the week, you’re not going to be spending a ton of time cooking up gourmet meals. During these times you’re going to need a set of tasty, easy to make foods that you can eat day in and day out.
If you need some inspiration just: