Learn How to Easily Take Back Control of Your Eating
Do you sometimes feel like your eating is out of control? And do some days feel as if you’re wading through mud? You’re busy at work, the kids need picking up and then they have activities so you’re grabbing food on the go, eating a meal deal at your desk and sticking something quick in the oven or the microwave when you get home.
This kind of food will keep you going but in the long term it won’t make you feel good, in fact it will make you feel worse – when you don’t get the nourishment that you need you won’t sleep as well, you’ll feel tired and days will be harder as you lose concentration and repeat tasks. The longer this goes on the harder it is to change because you just don’t have the headspace and the focus to think what to do.
The solution is to keep it simple, to stop beating yourself up for not doing what you’ve told yourself you ‘should’ and to focus on one thing at a time. Here are my top five tips for getting you out of the eating rut and starting on the road to better sleep, more energy and a feeling of ease.
Start The Day Right
Instead of reaching for a tea or a coffee before your eyes are fully open have a glass of water. We’re 60% water and our brains need it to concentrate and focus – it also boosts energy levels. Make it easy for yourself by keeping a glass on the bedside table – you’ll have forgotten by the time you get downstairs!
Step Away From The Meal Deal
It’s a habit and to change a habit you first need to stop yourself in autopilot and consider the other options. Spend five minutes longer in the shop and look at what else is available. Maybe grab a mezze of pre-cooked falafel, houmous, olives, rocket, stuffed vine leaves, cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks. You’ll have enough for a few days and all you need to do is pop it on a plate. **This also works well when working from home.
Think Simple for Dinner
Because simple is always best. A piece of grilled fish or chicken and half a plate of steamed vegetables (buy pre-chopped if you need to) – if this is boring try some shop bought pesto loosened with olive oil to drizzle over the top. Or an omelette made with whatever bits and bobs of vegetables you have left fried in the pan before you add the eggs and crumble some feta cheese over the top – add a pre-prepared green salad. Or a stir fry with tofu or prawns and again you can use a bag of pre-prepared stir fry vegetables if you need to – just add some ginger, garlic and soy sauce. All of these meals can be on the table within 15 minutes of walking through the door and require minimal chopping.
Start With One Thing And Build On It
A small change that lasts is always more effective than a total overhaul that only lasts a week because you’re tired/hungry/grumpy and ends with you feeling bad about yourself. Start with the water, allow yourself a few days for it to become a new habit and congratulate yourself for achieving it. Then move on to lunch and again give it time to become a habit before you move on to the next thing
Perfection Is Never The Goal
Don’t give up if things don’t go according to plan! The worst thing we do from a healthy eating point of view is to commit to a course of action and tell ourselves we’ve failed as soon as we have a blip. The ‘I’ve eaten a biscuit so I’ve failed and may as well eat the whole packet’ scenario that you may be familiar with. A blip is not a failure, it’s a bump in the road, and the best thing we can do is acknowledge that it happened and move on. It doesn’t make you rubbish, it doesn’t mean you have no willpower- it means that you’re human. A good diet is about balance and not about eating perfectly all the time.
If you know it’s time to take back control of your eating but you don’t know where to start just choose one thing at a time and run with that. When it becomes a habit add another thing in and don’t label it a failure when it doesn’t go according to plan.
If you’d like some support deciding on that one thing to run with there’s still time to join me for my free New Year Basics Masterclass on Wednesday 6th January at 18:00. https://mailchi.mp/a85dc3ef8560/new-year-basics-masterclass
If this resonated with you please share with others who you know would benefit. And if you need further support making a positive change you can contact me on the details below.
Take charge of your health...
Joanne
If you found this helpful why not share it with others so that they can also benefit. If you need support making small, manageable changes to your health get in touch, I’d love to talk.