Queen of Quick - Diet Tips

I can’t remember a day going by with out a discussion of diet occurring with one of my clients. In fact, most people I work with want me to tell them exactly what they should eat. They want me to create a diet for them that will make them lose weight, produce lean, sleek muscles, sleep through the night, and reduce their stress level.

While I know it seems easy to have someone else tell us what to do, it simply doesn’t work for very long. In fact, I see this as the problem with any diet that doesn’t require a lifetime of change. All diets work while we are on them, but as soon as we drift away, our bodies return to pre-diet weight. This results the dreaded yo-yo dieting that causes us to gain and lose the same 10-30 pounds over and over again. 

I have learned the best thing I can do for my clients is to help them listen to their own bodies and discover their own boundaries.  The only diet that works is what you can maintain. So the first step is to identify what needs to change in our diet. Take a minute to think about it. What would your answer be, if I ask you “What is the one thing you know needs to change about your diet?”

The trick here is to pick ONE thing. Most people think they need to change everything all at once, which is basically like learning to play Mozart after one piano lesson, or to win a war in one day. There are a few basics principles to good nutrition, but it is only what we can incorporate for the rest of our lives that will make any lasting difference. So, as you look at the list of do’s and don’ts, think about one thing that you can change in your diet for the better. Incorporate it for a week or two. If you can maintain it pick another thing to change. It is important not to lose the ground you gain, so make each change gradually and you will reap the rewards for the rest of your life.

Here’s a list of the do’s and don’ts that are like learning the basic scales on a piano:

Do – drink at least 8 glasses of water

Do – eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day

Do – eat lean meats or protein sources

Do – eat/drink dairy

Do – eat whole grain breads/cereals

Do – eat a healthy amount of good fats, like olive oil, fish, and nuts

Don’t – over indulge in sugary foods (cookies, cakes, ice cream)

Don’t – eat fried foods

Don’t – eat transfats (anything that contains partially hydrogenated oils) (margarine, boxed cakes, cookies, crackers, or shortening)

Don’t – over indulge in alcohol

Don’t – over indulge in saturated fats

Don’t – over indulge in starchy stuff with no fiber (white bread, cereal, crackers, pretzels)

So if the above are the notes, how do we piece them together to make our bodies play a healthy tune?

• Eat appropriate portion sizes for our bodies, goals and  activity level. If you are unsure what your portion sizes should be check out the new food pyramid at http://mypyramid.gov/

• Don’t skip breakfast.

• Eat balanced meals (some protein, some carbs, some fat). A general rule is when looking at a plate of food the protein source should be the size of your palm, the same size of starch, and double that size of veggies.

• Don’t eat a huge meal then go to sleep.

• Eating smaller meals throughout the day teaches our bodies to use food as fuel.

• Plan and make a couple of healthy meals on the weekend, that can be eaten during the week.

• Have fruits and veggies ready to eat, and use.

• Clean out the junk food. Get it out of the house, off the desk or out of the “junk food” drawer.

• Curb emotional eating by making a change. If you find that you eat because you are stressed, anxious, or bored, you are not alone. Identify your weakest  moments and go for a walk, head to the gym, write in a journal, meditate, pray, talk to a friend, or just take a few deep breaths.
   

So if the above are the notes, how do we piece them together to make our bodies play a healthy tune?

Is there a change you are willing to make today? Drink another glass of water?  Eat an apple instead of those afternoon cookies or popcorn? Switch from white bread to whole grain? Try Canadian bacon instead of regular on your breakfast sandwich? A salad instead of french fries? Drink one less soda, glass of wine or beer? Have an ice cream cone with one scoop instead of a bowl with three? Order your salad dressing on the side? Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time? Grill some veggies to store & use during the week?  You are the only one that knows which change to make. Remember  what Jim Rohn said, “Success is a few simple disciplines practiced everyday. Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated every day.”

We’d love to hear your comments and share ideas. If you’d like to participate in a healthy eating blog, let me hear from you julie@bodylogicfitness.com or call me at 314.743.4453.