How do you stick to eating habits?
In one of the client sessions recently, we talked about how challenging it can be to stick to healthy habits. My client was pleased, as she made a bunch of doable changes in her routine. But, whenever there was a bump on the road or she had a ‘bad day’, the motivation went right back down and the old ‘all or nothing’ feeling was creeping in.
How to return to better eating habits after you go off-track?
When you find yourself falling off the wagon, have a set of simple things you can do to bring yourself back on track. From chatting to my clients, friends and my own experience, these were the ones that seem to usually be useful!
- bring it back to basics – drink your water, don’t skip meals to ‘punish’ body, chew your food mindfully, move your body
- keep it colourful- eat a variety of fruit and veg; focusing on various colours will provide you with many different nutrients and antioxidants which will nourish your body and keep it in good form
- focus on unprocessed, simple ingredients food – remember, the less there’s on the label the better. Aim for plants and whole foods; you can create a healthier & unprocessed version of almost any processed dish
- create your default healthy meals – for us at home it’s a few including my go-to lentil soup, an omelette, quick pasta pesto or bake tray-type meal. Have 2-3 recipes that you make on repeat and can whip up quickly when you’re low on energy or need something to steer you back on track, without extra thinking or effort
- plan your breakfast (and other meals, if you like) and exercise in advance – it removes the decision fatigue and you’re more likely to choose a healthier route when it comes to executing. Also, by deciding in advance and sticking to it, you back yourself up and showing self-trust. It can feel powerful!
- allow room for mistakes and adopt a flexible mindset – falling off the wagon doesn’t mean it’s all over; choose to accept it and use it as an opportunity to get back up. Like with anything else in life!