Healthy Eating Habits

Here are a few good eating habits that will help with overall weight loss/maintenance.  Sometimes how you eat can be just as beneficial as what you eat and there is a science to it that can help your metabolism run more efficiently and consistently, keeping insulin levels at bay and fending off cravings and helping with hunger control.

1.       Eat within an hour of waking in the morning.  This helps your metabolism get up and running too to last the day with you.  Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

2.       Eat every 2-4 hours.  Some people say 2-3, but sometimes that’s difficult and if it’s closer to 4 sometimes, that’s ok.

3.       With eating that often, that adds up to 5-6 meals throughout the day.  Some people eat that many small meals, but instead I eat 3 regular meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and then a healthy snack in between each and before bed.

4.       Eat a lean protein at every meal paired with a complex carb and add in a little healthy fats every several times a day.  (see some of the menu ideas for examples)

5.       Don’t snack in between ‘snacks’.  If you’re hungry try to do something to distract you from the cravings.  Drink a glass of water, chew sugar free gum, do something. 

6.       Drink lots and lots of water. 

Other Good Eating Habits

7.        Steer clear of processed foods.  This is pretty much everything that comes in a box or bag or frozen dinner tray.  This of course completely destroys the convenience factor of these items when you want to grab and go.  But preplanning and maybe a little time in the kitchen to prepare some clean, healthy meals will end up being just as convenient and much healthier.

8.       Stay away from sweets!!  This is where self-control, discipline, and mind over matter really come into play if you have a sweet tooth like me.  I have a killer chocolate addiction but I found a way to (mostly) control my cravings.  Each night after dinner I’ll allow myself one little square of Dark Chocolate (about ½ oz) to soothe my sweet tooth.  Throughout the day if I get a craving, I’ll just tell myself I’ll have to wait till dinner, then I get my daily treat.  If the cravings are much bigger than that I’ll make a healthy alternative like Protein Peanut Butter Balls or DIY Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars (see favorite recipes).

9.       This isn’t saying you never get to enjoy anything ‘good’ again.  I love the 80/20 rule (I actually try to practice 90/10 most of the time).  But the 80/20 rule means that you eat clean and healthy 80% of the time and then 20% you can ‘cheat’ or as I like to say ‘treat’.  But try to make the 80% consecutive days and then have a treat, like eat good for 5 days straight, then reward yourself with a treat meal on the 6^th.  But don’t over celebrate it either and binge the entire weekend, which will completely negate all the effort you put forth to eat right throughout the week.

10.   Plan ahead your meals.  That way you’ll know what to eat and not be sitting there hungry and grab the first thing you see.  It doesn’t have to be exact or a strict menu, but always have something healthy and clean to eat for your meals and snacks.