One thing many of us don’t need in our lives is more complexity.
The second anything has too many words or doesn’t tell me what I need right away, the less chance I have that I will contemplate, do or even maintain any of the habits I’m trying to use while nourishing myself and changing my body.
If you read things thoroughly, you will get the answers you’re looking for but it takes time and literally, I know how time-poor I am and you are too.
I ask 99% of clients to spend less than 5 minutes daily, planning their meals and logging the foods they eat.
Why?
1. You remove decision fatigue – AKA staring into the cupboards not being able to think about what to eat.
2. You can eat any food you like and stay consistent with the targets that matter (hydration, food types, timing and totals) – your lunch may have been Coke, Pom-Bar and Maryland cookies but you’ll know what you can catch up and sort out later when you have more control.
3. You know there’s always great food around to support your goals.
4. When you plan it, you will act on it, rather than reacting to ‘*anything*’ as the day goes by.
5. You omit the chance of what I call *‘snaccidentle maintenance’* – those 2-3 biscuits whilst waiting for the kettle that knocks out your 250 kcal deficit.
6. When you nail your targets, you can make the best decision later on with what you can change.
However, not everyone wants or needs to track their food if they are willing to look at portions and keep up great habits.
Here are 10 key habits you can do daily that will help you get what you want:
- Make Protein at Every Meal a Non-Negotiable: Focus on eating more protein-rich foods like lean meats, fish, eggs, lentils, beans and dairy. Protein helps you feel fuller longer, helping reduce your overall calorie intake. Yes, every meal, even breakfast and Saturday lunch.
- Eat Your Vegetables: Incorporate more vegetables into meals. They are low in calories but high in fibre and water, which helps with satiety. Big salads, stews, soups, stir-fries.
- Remove Liquid Calories: Avoid sugary beverages like sodas, energy drinks, and fruit juices. Opt for water, herbal teas, or black coffee instead. Reducing the caloric load is one thing but we aren’t very satiated by liquid calories, nor do we really ‘register’ fullness and having eaten them.
- Portion Control: Use smaller plates and bowls to reduce portion sizes. This can help prevent overeating without needing to count calories. Away from workouts, fill 1/2 the plate with plants, 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs and fats. Around a workout, fill 1/2 the plate with starchy carbs, 1/4 protein, 1/4 fruit and veg.
- Mindful Eating: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Eat slowly and savour each bite, which can prevent overeating. Some days your food will be ice cream with the kids but mindfully that is the choice you’re making. Remember, you and they can also choose to balance that with fruit sometimes too.
- Cut Down on Processed Foods: Reduce consumption of processed and fast foods that are often high in calories, fats and sugars. They are also ‘*pre-digested*’ or ‘*broken down*’, meaning they do not fill you up very quickly and instead, you may over eat them until you feel a bit sick. They also have lots of salt and sugar which are *appetite stimulating*, AKA you eat more, you want more and you digest them quickly.
- Healthy Snacking: Choose healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, crackers with cream cheese, houmous and crudités, falafels, protein balls and nut butter bites instead of high-calorie snacks like crisps and biscuits.
- Drink Water Before Meals: Drinking a glass of water before meals can help you feel fuller, leading to reduced food intake. *N.b.* This will dilute your natural stomach acid and enzymes so if you have digestive upset and complaints, this might not actually be a great tip for you and instead, focus on hydrating well 20-30 minutes after your meal.
- Increase Physical Activity: Incorporate more physical activities into daily routines, such as walking, cycling, or taking the stairs, to burn more calories and give you more calorie ‘headroom’. To be clear, you will not out-exercise a bad diet, drinking competitively and eating like a child. It will only add more stress trying to do that and bite you back (injury, going in circles, yo-yo’ing).
- Sleep Well: Ensure adequate sleep, as poor sleep can disrupt hormones related to hunger and appetite, leading to increased calorie intake.
Lack of sleep stimulates our desire for sugar, fat and salt (see point 6).
