We understand the why and what to do when choosing to make healthier choices, but often the how is the limiting factor.
Let's look at simple ways to make choices easier to implement.
Environment
Plan ahead
Book an appointment with yourself every weekend to think ahead and make a plan for your time and your shopping
Friday night can be a great time for this while you remember what went right or wrong in the week and to signal the week is over
Sunday can also be a good one, so you encourage an organised, lower intensity day
Either leave you Saturday to enjoy life
Stock the fridge
It’s a fairly standard reaction to panic, or feel fear when we’re hungry, or we don’t know when our next meal is coming (blame our hunter-gatherer ancestors), so make sure that even if you don’t have a plan, you at least have a fridge, freezer and cupboards full of quality produce - i.e. not cereal, chocolate biscuits and super noodles
Change big pans and plates for smaller ones
Your brain responds to visual cues, so if you’re cutting calories by making portions smaller, but still using huge plates, your brain is going to think you don’t have enough food because there’s lots of empty space
Get a smaller plate
Fill the empty space with nutritious, low-calorie veggies
Eat from a plate, not a Tupperware or meal prep box
Food is meant to be enjoyed, not nuked in the microwave and then devoured from plastic
You could do one better and swap your plastic for glass or metal containers
Make the foods you should eat more visible
Put fruit in a bowl on the counter, not at the back of the fridge
Leave your water bottle next to the sofa, or at your desk (or both) so you remember to drink throughout the day
Focus on your meal, not your phone
You can’t listen to hunger cues if you’re listening to YouTube/Instagram/reading emails
Get your sleep routine nailed
Let your brain relax - remove stimulants:
Turn your phone off 30 minutes before bed, wash your face, have a light stretch, wear blue light blocking glasses, journal,
Make it dark:
Grab an eye mask, invest in good blackout blinds
Cool things down:
Open a window, invest in a good fan or lighter duvet

Food quantity and quality
Look at your daily empty calories
Flat white swap for a filter with milk
Full fat Coke for diet
Use a non-stick pan instead of copious amounts of un-tracked oil/butter
Mid-morning biscuits for a protein yoghurt and almonds
Swap some heavy carbs for veggies
I didn’t say totally get rid of them, I said make a sub of some (i.e. half or a third)

Feeling hangry mid-afternoon?
Grab a drink of water
Plan in a snack
Protein shake or bar
Sandwich (or half)
Yoghurt, nuts and fruit
Half portion of lunch
Smoothie
Slightly increase your breakfast and lunch calories by adding a little fat
Peanut butter in your oatmeal
Oats in your smoothie
Avocado to your salad
Cheese to your sandwich
Often fats help us feel more satisfied - look at this if you’ve already nailed your protein for the day (then look at carbs after that)
Go for a walk
None of these strategies are wildly complicated, which also makes them easy to implement and adhere to.
Give it a try this week.
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