One meal cannot determine your nutritional status!

?It would be fair to let you know that one meal cannot determine your nutritional status. You have to be consistent in what you eat to get whatever results. Taking a plate of vegetables, carbs, proteins, and fats once or in a single day will not give you a positive nutritional status. Those French fries you are scared of eating will not change your nutritional status in a day. You have to be consistent!

But let's first define nutritional status.

?What is the nutritional status?

Nutritional status can be defined as the body's condition due to nutrition intake, absorption, and use and the influence of disease-related factors.

Most people take a balanced and healthy diet once and expect a positive health status. They take note of their calories, move their bodies in one day or week, and stop. The good news is you tried to get on the right track. And the bad news is this will not change a lot in your body.

It is not enough to move your body and pay attention to your mental health and diet for a day, week, or month. You have to be consistent in living well. You choose to live a healthy lifestyle every single day of your life.

This can explain why most people lose weight and gain it almost immediately. The habits you created while on your weight loss journey, you have to keep them even after losing the weight you wanted to lose. If you did exercise three days a week, you have to make that a lifestyle. If your plate contains all the food groups, maintain that lifestyle even after achieving your health goals.

You should avoid unsustainable and restrictive diets because of the need to be consistent in making healthy lifestyle choices. You cannot live with a no-carb diet for a long time. It is hard to fast, and at some point, it becomes unbearable. Sad to say if you trip you will gain all the weight you had lost and this will be very disappointing.

On the flip side, though exciting,? that burger, delicious pizza, and French fries you are scared of eating because you are watching your calories have nothing on your nutritional status if you are not consistent in eating them. One burger every other week will not make you obese. But a burger every day will impact your nutritional status negatively.

Crying yourself to sleep that time of the month because you are craving soda and French fries and you cannot have them because you consider them unhealthy is not fair. Go out and eat that, which the body wants.

But remember, you cannot have French fries and carbonated drinks every other day and not suffer the consequences. Likewise, taking your protein as recommended for one day will not build your muscle mass. You have to be consistent in your eating habits to see results.

I find the 5/2 eating plan manageable. Eating healthy and balanced meals five days a week and eating whatever you want for two days a week is a manageable meal plan. Why do I think this is a sustainable plan?

As much as we have to provide our bodies with the most nutritious foods, we do not live in a bubble. Also, we do not eat only to stay healthy. We eat for many other reasons like feeling good, status, and socialization. You need to know what a double cheeseburger tastes and if you like having it once in a while, is essential to your happiness.

?Take home

Take note of what you eat. Eat many times which will give you a positive nutritional status. Don't worry about eating that which will negatively impact your nutritional status. Just do not eat it every day. Your nutritional status cannot be determined by one meal or a single day.

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