June 5, 2022: Nutrition Decisions

My weekly Get Your Stuff Together Sunday email series gives you one actionable focus for the week that will make your life a little easier.

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You don’t need me to tell you that eating healthy will help you lose weight - you already know that. You also know that junk food is cheap and tastes really, really good. This week, we’re going to talk about the top decisions you’ll need to make when changing up your diet for the better.

These foods are what may be causing you to gain weight, and they are potentially damaging your health. But, no one is talking about this. Instead, they are talking about what you need to do to lose weight and fit in that bikini you have tucked away in your closet.

Before you even consider starting a diet or changing your nutrition plan at all, you have some decisions to make that could mean the difference between success and failure.

1. You Need to be Ready for a Change

The first thing you need to do is be ready for what’s coming. Changing your diet is going to take some planning, motivation, and a little willpower to keep moving through. That’s true of any habit change, but I find that nutrition changes are especially tough, since food is a necessity and has often been associated with celebration and comfort.

If you’re not completely ready for those changes, then you may not get very far on your progress. That’s okay! If you find that you aren’t ready for the changes, don’t force it. Your mind will always rebel if you aren’t in the right mental space yet for a habit change.

This is a great article on the Stages of Change, which pros like me use to help you determine if you’re ready to get started with a new habit.

2. You Need to Assess What You Need/Want to Change

Once you’re mentally prepared to change your diet, the next thing you need to do is assess your weak areas—so you know what needs to be changed first. There are two different takes on this topic.

The first is that you can pick the easiest place to start. For example, it’s far easier to add in a serving of vegetables at each meal than it is to cut out all junk food. The benefit to this method is that you start with some easy wins to get them out of the way and get some progress.

The second is to tackle the harvest thing for you to change first. The Eat the Frog Method. An example of this would be to find your biggest temptation and tackle it, like eliminating desserts if you have a sweet tooth. It’s harder for sure, but it’s also high impact.

3. Do a 3-Day Log

For three days, you should write down everything that you eat and drink—and how you felt in the moment before, during, and after. This will give you a better overall picture of your eating patterns, and what you may need to add, or subtract, to help you be successful.

Be honest, and don’t start making your dietary changes. We want a clear picture of the “problem” and where you’re doing well.

4. Make Small Changes

Changing your lifestyle has never been a sprint—it’s more like a marathon. Making small changes along the way will help you with your long-term success. Making drastic changes and complete overhauls could lead to failure to stick with your plan.

I know it’s tempting to jump in full force (been there, failed that). It has been proven over and over that “cold turkey” methods or taking on too much rarely leads to success.

5. Focus on Quality and Not Quantity

When you’re starting a new way of eating, you may first decide to focus on calories - and this is a mistake. Instead of focusing on how many calories you’re eating, shift your focus to eating better quality foods—like more fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and better quality protein sources. By adding in the good, you’re going to feel fuller and more satisfied. This will make it much easier to reduce your intake. It’s also low stress.

Some foods may be lower in calories—which often causes you to cut back on calories—by just switching out unhealthy foods.

Next Sunday, we’ll talk about the difference between nonessential and essential amino acids.

Want some expert help with reaching your health goals painlessly? Check out my programs! We’ll get everything taken care of in a way that fits into your current lifestyle so you never have to think about your health again.

Do you have a friend who could stand to G(her)ST? Feel free to forward this!

I hope you have a wonderful week,

Kelly

Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.

Tsirona - www.tsirona.com

My weekly GYSTS email give you one actionable thing to do for the week that will make you life a little easier. As "they" say, "Fail to plan; plan to fail." Get these emails (and more!) delivered right to your inbox by clicking HERE.