NEVER on A DIET!

“You work out so you can eat whatever you want, right?”
Wrong! I have an eating strategy.

Many of my clients started to keep track of what they were eating/drinking. Some were quite amazed by the amount of calories they were consuming. A lot of empty calories too! If you want to do a reality check, start writing down what you consume. You can use an app like MyFitnessPal or Lose It! if you are into technology. A pen and paper still work. Keep a log for a week. You will find out if you are a weekend indulger and/or a Monday starver. You will see a pattern. Write down the time and how you feel too to get a real snapshot of your eating habits.

With this information, make decisions, and create your eating strategy. Do you want a glass of wine or do you want dessert? Do you really need seconds? Do you need to eat out of a big bowl? How much cheese do you really need? Once you get a grasp of your eating and control your portion sizes, stick to your strategy. It will quiet your mind and make eating more enjoyable and food planning a lot simpler.

But how do you maintain your healthy food intake without feeling like you are always “on a diet?” Always deprived and hungry? You can try my eating strategy. It is called ADD IT!

Change your mindset: make vegetables the stars of your meals. Every day, along with your lean protein, grains and dairy, aim to eat 9 different vegetables. (I eat some fruit too, but mostly veggies.) Be creative. You will see this strategy will leave you truly satisfied. The feeling of deprivation that “dieting” people have will be non-existent. It will be the opposite. You will need to pile it up! All colors, all textures, in soups, salads, on the grill with a little olive oil or steamed. The constant though is that the veggies are prepared in a healthy way. No fried zucchini!

So go ahead. Play with your food and don’t be afraid to do crazy compositions that will truly fuel your active life! You will never be on a diet!