As a nutrition coach, talking about food is an everyday thing; whether it be with clients, friends and family, or day to day with my husband. But it really ramps up this time of year because most people try to make bigger changes with the new year.
But what makes it so hard to stick to new nutrition routines?
The mental aspect.
Lets face it, you all know how to eat healthy. If you have a choice between 2 foods, you can tell me immediately which one is healthier. The real issue seems to be the mentality around food. Here are a few:
Social Aspect
Our society uses food for everything from comfort to celebration. People are expected to participate in socially eating and drinking on a regular basis but if they choose not to drink alcohol, or to eat something healthier, they are often bullied and shamed. This is where having social support in making healthier choices is paramount. Having a frank discussion with friends and family requesting support in your new lifestyle can be a game changer. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't want to be supportive because it highlights where they may need to make healthier changes. At this point only you can decide if you need to limit association or if you can stand up to the peer pressure.
Food Waste
One thing I hear consistently is 'I needed to finish the snacks before the week starts' or 'I didn't want to throw the leftovers away so I ate pizza all week', etc. The thought of wasting food can be a huge obstacle. A few things to think about:
Food can be frozen: Portion food out before eating and freeze extra for later. Most food is perfectly good reheated after freezing.
Don't order with your stomach. Order a reasonable portion (ie a small or medium pizza) in the first place and you won't have excessive amounts of leftovers.
This is not your last meal. So many people eat like they'll never get to have this food again. Opening a bag of chips doesn't mean you have to finish it. You can seal it and eat more tomorrow or the next day. We need to get past the mentality that you have to finish something once it's been open.
Sometimes, just throw it out. Pizza isn't great frozen and eating it all week likely doesn't mesh with your healthy eating plan. So maybe that last piece or two just needs to be thrown out.
Children
One of the biggest excuses I hear is that the unhealthy food is in the house and they can't resist it. When I ask why it's in the house at all, the response is often that it's for the kids.
First of all, let's not forget that kids are growing and developing and that healthy food is almost more important for them than for you. Stocking the house with unhealthy snacks is only going to set your kids on the same unhealthy path you are trying to get away from!
Here are a few tips:
It is nice for kids to have a few fun snacks. However filling the pantry with nothing but fun snacks is teaching them terrible nutritional habits that they will have to fight for their entire lives. Stock one or two fun snacks and the rest should be healthy snacks the whole family can benefit from.
Make sure those one or two snacks are things you personally do not crave. That way they can be left for the kids and you won't touch them.
Keep on hand fun snacks you enjoy but are able to have control around.
Unhealthy View of Food
This is the most important one. A lot of us were raised with very unhealthy views of food. Whether it's from parents who lived the diet culture or just general society telling us we should hate our bodies and feel guilty over food.
Let us please remember that food has no morality. Food cannot be good or bad. Food is just food. It is nutritious, or tasty, or calorie dense. Some food can be eaten with abandon, some food should be eaten in moderation. All food has its place.
Let's stop villifying food. Carbs are not bad; meat and dairy are not bad; cake and sweets are not bad; deep fried food is not bad. What's bad is having no balance and no dicipline around food. What's bad is feeling guilt over food. What's bad is guilting other people over food.
If you feel you could use some help developing a healthier mentality around food, reach out to me. I'd love to help!
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