Many of us have health goals we want to achieve, whether it’s shedding a few extra pounds, slimming our waistline, or simply wanting to feel more energized throughout the day. Regardless of your goals, finding legit nutrition advice online can be a challenge to start moving towards your health goals. What helps a person lose weight may not work for you, that’s okay. It’s important to remember that everyone’s body is slightly different.
So how do you take steps to reach your health goals?
Madilyn Sheerer, RD, LD, CDCES, a registered dietitian with IU Health, encourages her clients to start with small, sustainable changes that take shape over time. These changes will include changes to both your diet as well as changes to your eating habits or behaviour.
When changing your diet or the type of food you’re eating, start with small changes and build up over time. Sheerer encourages her clients to be realistic with their goals and expectations. By setting small, sustainable goals, you can find great satisfaction in achieving them.
Think of it like this – you wouldn’t decide to run a marathon on your own without training. It’s almost impossible to do that.
In the same way, think of your eating habits as a lifestyle change. Making changes in your life around eating habits is a marathon, not a sprint. You also have to train your body to adapt to the changes.
First, see how to change what you’re eating. There are a few misconceptions here that we need to address.
Myth 1: healthy food has a bad taste.
There are two sides to this misconception. First, you may not like a particular food that is considered healthy. You don’t have to force a certain food down just because it’s healthy. Sheerer encourages customers to eat foods they enjoy and supports their health goals.
For example, if you don’t like brussels sprouts but like broccoli, eat broccoli instead. There’s no reason to force yourself to eat Brussels sprouts when other options offer similar health benefits.
Second, you may not prepare the food in a way that suits you. If you don’t like a particular food, that’s okay. However, if there’s a dish you’re okay with but want to taste better, Sheerer encourages you to try a different way of preparing it.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to include boiled chicken and steamed broccoli with steamed rice. There are many herbs and spices (some sodium-free) that you can use to flavor your dishes. Making healthy foods that taste good is important to stick with any changes you’re trying to make.
Myth 2: Eating healthy is expensive.
While some healthy foods can be more expensive than unhealthy ones, there are ways to keep food costs down:
- Plan a grocery list and stick to it. Making a list will help you limit the unhealthy foods you bring home.
- Frozen fruits and vegetables are cheap and still as nutritious as fresh vegetables. Frozen fruits and vegetables can keep for longer, so you won’t have to worry about using your fresh produce before they go bad.
- Keep ingredient lists simple and reuse foods throughout the week or freeze leftovers.
A simple example is making a variety of chicken dishes throughout the week. By making a variety of chicken dishes, you can buy chicken once but create enough variety in your meal to not get bored.
Check out our video on shopping smarter, not harder, at the grocery store.
Simple Ways to Practice Mindful Eating
When it comes to aligning your diet with your health goals, it’s not just about what foods you eat. While it’s important to pay attention to what you’re putting into your body, that’s not all. One way to tailor your diet to your health goals is to pay attention to your eating behavior.
It’s very easy for us to develop poor eating behaviors that can quickly become habits if we’re not careful. However, there are some eating behaviors that Sheerer recommends incorporating into your life to help you achieve your health goals.
Slow down and sit down to eat.
Life can get busy. You can quickly gobble up a sandwich between meetings or on your way to your next appointment. But unfortunately, doing this can make it harder for your body to detect the signs of fullness.
Also, when you are in a hurry to eat, you may not chew your food as well as you normally would. Not chewing food properly can lead to indigestion and bloating. So, as best you can, try to sit down to eat and don’t rush to eat, and remember to chew your food well.
Put your phone away.
It’s easy to pull out your phone to catch up on sports scores or check what your friends are up to on social media while you eat. However, pulling out your phone allows you to focus on what’s on the screen, not what you’re putting in your mouth.
Instead, focus on the conversation with your friends or family during the meal. If you’re eating alone, focus on the dish in front of you. Remember the flavors you taste, or take time to escape the busyness of life.
Don’t deprive yourself.
When you know your cheat day or cheat meal is coming, it’s normal to fast, such as skipping lunch to make room for that cheat dinner and not feel guilty. Unfortunately, what ends up happening is overeating when the cheat meal shows up.
Instead of depriving yourself of food, remember to fuel your body with foods that support your health goals before eating that cheat. Doing this will help you maintain adequate blood sugar levels and prevent overeating later in the day.
Remember that reaching your health goals is a journey. There’s hardly a quick fix for most things in life, especially when it comes to being mindful of our food choices. However, if you are patient and incorporate small sustainable changes consistently over time, you will see results for your efforts. Soon, you’ll hit those big health goals and become a version of yourself.
If you are looking for a more detailed plan to achieve your health goals, contact your Primary Care provider. They can refer you to a registered dietitian who can work with you to achieve your health goals.
