Wellness Wednesday: 6 Tips for Sticking to Your New Year's Nutrition Goals

So, you’ve established a solid workout routine, and you’re feeling mostly great. BUT your diet choices may be delaying your progress. I get that eating healthy can be hard, for I love weekend Dim Sum brunches and late-night pizza runs after tasting some micro-brews as much as the next Seattleite, but I also have that voice in the back of my head telling me “you know diet is just as important as exercise, right?” So how can we practice mindful eating while still enjoying our meals and not losing our minds?

 1. Don’t Force Yourself to Eat Foods You Hate  

       Hopefully, you’re not as picky as my freshman roommate who literally ate sandwiches with just turkey and bread, and you only have a handful of foods your taste buds despise. (I’m serious about my roommate: no veggies, no condiments-just turkey in between two slices of bread.)

You should still enjoy your meals even if you’re eating healthy, so if brussel sprouts make you gag, don’t eat them! However, don’t forget to try new things. For example, there was an ungodly time when I thought I hated avocados (I know. What kind of millennial am I?) Just because you didn’t like something when you were 12, doesn’t mean you can’t give it another chance.

Amber (SKC co-owner) has found that nutritional yeast makes a tasty popcorn topping. 

        2. Prep and Plan

        I think that this one can often be daunting because the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear “food prep” is those Instagram fitness models who post pictures of two weeks-worth of color coordinated and beautifully prepped meals, but food prep doesn’t have to be photogenic, it just must be practical. It could be as easy as hard-boiling a bunch of eggs or putting some fruit and veggies in containers (Seriously, invest in some Tupperware). If you have meals and snacks ready and on hand, you’re less likely to reach for something unhealthy when you’re hungry.

SKC trainer Hailey notes that to prevent reheated food from getting mushy, she freezes some of her prepped meals.

            

            3. Use the Internet

Look beyond Grandma’s recipes (because they usually include loads of butter and sugar) and Google some recipes. I think one reason we break a diet pattern is because we simply get bored of eating the same recipes, and I’m not saying that cookbooks aren’t useful, but it’s incredible how many internet resources there are for foodies of all meal philosophies. So, take a break from cat videos and memes, and surf for not only new recipes, but also find healthier alternatives to foods you’re craving. For example, try this recipe for Rosemary beet chips in lieu of potato chips.

4. Get Others Involved to Avoid Isolation

Whether you’re spending time with friends, family, or colleagues, food is often a big part of socializing, so it can be easy to isolate yourself from a social event in order to avoid temptation. Instead of dropping your social life, find ways to get others involved on your journey: cook a meal with a friend or significant other, or plan a fun way to get the kids cooking.

          Instead of avoiding parties because you’re afraid of the copious amounts of chips and dips, bring some healthy alternatives like these stuffed mushrooms, and show your friends that healthy can also be delicious.

          5. Stop Saying “I Can’t Have That.”

    Unless you’re deathly allergic to the foods you’re trying to restrict, technically you can eat whatever you want. Fun fact: when you’re an adult, you can totally eat ice cream for dinner, but you probably shouldn’t.

 Instead of saying “I can’t eat this,” say “I choose not to eat this and choose to eat that.” Cutting back on junk food intake actually expands your meal repertoire because you’re forced to think about what you eat. 

         6.  If Your Plans Go South, Forgive Yourself and Move On

   Habits are hard to break, and they take time to form. Celebrate the small victories and don’t beat yourself up over mistakes. You’re going to need to workout consistently to see results, but missing one gym session isn’t going to take away from your progress. These same philosophy applies to your diet. You’re not going to see results by eating one salad, but you’re also not going to undo everything by having one bad day. We’re only human, and there is a reason who crave certain foods, so if you slip up and find yourself face deep in a Big Mac, don’t dwell and obsess. Tell yourself, “I’ll do better next meal," and move on!”

-Camille Borodey