I can’t believe we are a month into 2012 already! Hope everyone is sticking to their healthy eating and exercise resolutions, if you make them. I usually don’t make resolutions but try to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout the year. The one change did I want to make was to go back to keeping a food journal just to be more aware and accountable for the things I eat. This inspiring interview done with my friend, Sarah Jones, reminded me that a food journal was just what I needed to get back on track. Thinking back to when I had the most success, I kept a food journal but didn’t necessarily count calories. You could be doing an amazing training program but it won’t make a difference if all the other “stuff” needs tweaking. I want to share some tips on how you can make a few small changes that are going to give you big results toward your goals. These are in no particular order.
1. Keep a food journal. Write down the bad stuff too. The act of writing it down will keep you accountable. Just because you didn’t write it down doesn’t meant you didn’t eat it. Be honest with yourself.
2. Strive for 90% compliance on your eating plan. If you eat 5 times a day, you can stray from your eating plan about 3 times a week and still meet your goals. You can arrange that around social functions or have a cheat day. Both have worked well for me but having that little bit of cushion lets you enjoy some non diet foods in moderation.
3. Drink enough water. You know you should drink more but just can’t seem to fit it in? Make an effort. This will go far. I strive for 96 ounces of lemon water, which is my 24 ounce glass bottle filled four times. I also drink about 32 ounces of various teas during the day. All together, that’s a gallon of liquid.
4. Cut out the alcohol, at least temporarily. This is a big one. I love a glass of wine just as much as the next person, BUT I make such great progress without it. Cut it out for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference to you.
5. Improve the quality of your food. If you eat conventional vegetables, buy some organic. Especially the dirty dozen. They are: apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, imported grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, domestic blueberries, lettuce, and kale/collard greens. Don’t go broke here. If you buy a bag of organic apples, you are making an improvement. Better yet, save some money by growing your own organic produce or find a local farmers market at http://www.localharvest.org/. If you can find it, choose grass fed beef, pastured chicken, wild salmon, wild scallops, wild lump crab meat, organic pastured eggs, etc. Again, don’t break the bank. Choosing grass fed over conventional grain fed beef is going to be a huge improvement. To learn more about grass fed and where you can find it near you, check out http://eatwild.com/.
6. Adjust your carbohydrate intake to meet your activity level. No workout? Stick with protein, tons of vegetables, and healthy fats. Really tough workout? Choose quality carbohydrate sources to have with your protein post workout. Non gluten carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, quinoa, or brown rice work well for me. Then your next meal return to protein, tons of vegetables, and healthy fats.
7. Get enough sleep. Everyone is different but strive for 7-8 hours. So much goes on while you’re sleeping to repair your body, mainly the release of growth hormone, which contributes to the lean mass you have. So go ahead, go to bed early.
8. Observe how you feel after eating and make adjustments. This is really important. Rather than stick to a certain “diet”, observe how you feel after eating and even record this in your food journal. If you feel terrible after eating a certain food, by all means, remove it. I stay away from gluten and dairy because my allergies flare up. Eating an offending food is not going to get you further to reaching your goals. It will cause inflammation in the body and may cause skin problems, joint pain, skin breakouts, brain fog and countless other problems. If you are interested in reading more about my experience on an elimination diet back in March, 2010, check out this post.
9. Decrease your stress. I know, easier said than done. Take a meditation class, do some yoga, or spend time outdoors. I’ve been taking a yoga class once or twice a week just to clear my mind and get a good stretch and I really don’t know why I haven’t done it sooner!
This concludes my list of how small changes can equal the big results you’re looking for. Hope 2012 is off to a great start!
Sources:
Huffington Post, Dirty Dozen: The 12 Fruits and Vegetables with the most pesticides
