- LOTS of water. You should have to pee right now.
2. Small meals often. Nothing will slow your metabolism down faster (other than lack of exercise and no muscle mass) then going long periods of time without eating, or consuming huge calories in one meal. Regularly timed, portion controlled snacks and meals prevent binging, fast food freak outs, huge portions at night, energy drops, mood swings, sugar cravings, headaches, etc.
3. A plan! We cannot eat well if we do not have healthy foods with us, or are counting on restaurants or corporations to cook our food for us. Cook! Keep it simple, but cook! Opening a can of tuna at home counts. A plan means knowing when you’re going to the grocery store, having a list when you go, setting aside time for food prepping and meal planning. Use my simple plan. People think that lack of willpower is what causes bad choices. Usually it is just bad planning, and not having the systems in place that create good habits-Like specific shopping times and go to snacks ready to grab.
4. Avoid simple sugars and trans fats. Surely by now you’ve heard that these ingredients are filled with empty calories your body loves to store on the butt belly and thighs. Notice that if you are craving sugar you might not be eating enough fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. If you are craving salt fried foods or red meat, you’re probably not eating enough lean protein and healthy fats.
5. Find other ways to feel better, other ways to be happy other than food and drink. Eating chocolate ice cream and drinking beer can make us feel better, but only in the short term. Having a strong healthy body, extra energy, a better mood, and fitting into our clothes feels good 24 hours a day for decades.
6. Do not diet. Diets have a beginning and an end. Quickly list some healthy habits you think you could focus on and make your own, then put the list on the fridge.
