This one is an oldie, but I thought it would be good revisit because we are in the midst of the Shred. And let’s be honest: even when we are not shredding, we can benefit from making our fitness journey easier by eating better at home.
————————————————————
When it comes to this whole weight loss thing, your diet is extremely important.
Let me repeat that: When it comes to this whole weight loss thing, your diet is extremely important.
I know several people who want to lose weight and decide they’re going to try Insanity or P90x or start going to the gym five days a week, and end up disappointed because the number on the scale hasn’t moved (not that the number is the be-all, end-all indicator, but that’s a different post for a different time). Upon closer inspection, I learn that their diet hasn’t changed much, if at all. And the diet is the real culprit behind any sabotage of your workout routine.
The first thing to note – and this is so much of a gimme that it’s not really a tip – is that you should be cooking for yourself. It’s really hard to control how much oil or butter or whatever a restaurant is using to cook your meal. Unless you have the willpower of a monk (or are eating half-poritions of relatively healthy salads with dressing on the sideevery time), the portions are likely going to be wayyyyy more than a single-serving. So your first step is to take it home and start in your own kitchen.
Eat real food. Eating clean is all about eating real food. I haven’t done any scientific studies or read any of them, but I am convinced part of the reason the Paleo diet is so successful is that it forces you to eat real food (I disagree on some of the parts about grains and don’t get me started on the authenticity). If you eat real food that you enjoy – not just grapefruits – you’re more likely to stick with healthier eating. If you can make a meal that’s out of things that come out of the ground, or don’t use foods that contain chemicals that make organic chemistry a prereq for reading an ingredient label, then you’re on the right track. This doesn’t mean that you only have to eat salad, obviously. You can make a meal that doesn’t look, sound, or taste like health food by using real ingredients. Now, isn’t that better?
Plan ahead. This tip knocks out two concerns. First of all, if you’re busy, any ideas and hopes and dreams go right out the window. You forgot to pack food because you ran out the door. You decide that you’ll just grab something on the way home. Hours later, you’re about to eat your steering wheel or punch out the next driver who looks at you funny because you’re so hungry. We actually call this “hangry” in my household, and yes, I am describing this from personal experience. But your decisions made while hangry are not necessarily going to be healthy ones – by the time you get to a place that serves food, it’s probably going to be a fast-food place. And it’s probably going to be something that serves up 1200 calories instead of 400.
So what do you do? Plan ahead. This means that you plan out what you’re eating for the week, or the next few days if you find a week too intimidating. If I make a big dinner, I can have the leftovers for lunch, saving my steering wheel from teeth marks. It also means that I don’t go out to Trader Joe’s and buy a ton of produce that will go bad in my fridge because I’ve been too busy to actually do anything with it. Planning helps keep you from making bad decisions while in the grocery store and helps you stay on track with your eating throughout the week.
Trick your eyes. I have these big, giant plates at home. Whenever I use them, I feel compelled to cover it in food. This works if I have a salad with my meal, because then I’ve just upped my veggie intake considerably. But if I’m not eating a salad, I’ll fill it up with a bunch more food. I know this sounds crazy, but a covered plate makes me feel good, and I discovered that I’m much more likely to eat less if I put my meal on a smaller plate. If you look down at your meal and think it looks measly in comparision to your appetite, you are way more likely to overeat. And it turns out I’m backed up by science on this one. Score one for me! Anyway, if you put your meal into a bowl or a smaller plate, you’ll feel fuller and happier than if you place a reasonable portion size on a regular plate.
