Goals, diets, and workouts, oh, my!! Isn’t the new year fun?  We look ahead to new beginnings, goals, dreams, and aspirations of what the next 12 months will hold.  January…the time when the gyms fill up, the grocery stores run out of cauliflower, and we start planning our summer bodies.  I’ve decided to give you 3 of my favorite tips for how to WIN with what you’re trying to do.

Often, when I talk with people about their nutrition goals, I hear a long list of things they don’t eat and food prep methods they don’t use.  For example, “Well, I don’t eat fried foods, red meat, or white bread, and I never eat out unless it’s a special occasion.”  So many times, we focus on what not to do, instead of things to do.

I’m not going to give you a list of “do nots” or a list of foods to avoid.  Rather, I’d like to give you some tools to help you be successful.  Let’s stay positive!

Plan, Plan, Plan

I cannot stress this enough.  It sounds a little cliche to emphasize planning, but it’s so important to staying on track!  You wouldn’t begin building a house without a floor plan because it’s crucial to getting all the pieces to come together just right for the best finished product.  The same is true for your diet (and so you know, when I say “diet,” I’m not referring to a restrictive, temporary way of eating to achieve weight loss, or gain, for that matter.  I’m talking about your eating habits, no matter what they may be).

Pick a day that works best for you to sit down and map out dinner ideas.  Consider which days you go to the grocery, which days you have free time without major distractions, and also consider what you have going on throughout the week that may cause a roadblock for the goal you’re working to achieve.  I know that my Sundays are usually quiet and that I usually go to the grocery on Sunday to stock up for the week.  So I sit down with a meal planner (you can do this with a plain sheet of paper) and my schedule.  If I know I may be working late on Tuesday, then I may need to do some prep ahead of time or arrange to eat something that is super quick to throw together.   I could do a whole post just on meal planning–I love it!

Include foods from all the “Groups”

Going back to the example I gave above on what people tell me they don’t eat, it doesn’t tell me what they do eat.  And focusing on what you DO eat is every bit as important as what you don’t eat.

DO include fresh, raw fruits and vegetables as much as possible.  As a reminder, fruit is not bad for you.  Some conditions may require that you limit the amounts you have at one time, but it’s much better to get those thousands of amazing nutrients from the fruit itself than to not get them at all.

DO include fat in your diet.  It’s important for a healthy immune system and a healthy nervous system!  Include healthy fats, such as that from walnuts, avocado, olives, and wild-caught salmon.

DO include starches.  Potatoes provide many health benefits, and are just one of the great examples in this group.  Peas are another…you know your mom told you to eat your peas, and moms are in the know!

Keep Reasonable Expectations for Yourself

When you tell yourself you can’t have that piece of chocolate or that you can never eat a cookie again, that is when those very things will appear out of thin air and tempt you until you give in.  Have healthy snacks on hand–fruit is the ultimate to-go food–to help satisfy a sweet tooth and allow yourself options.  Grapes, bananas, oranges, and apples are all excellent foods that will travel well to work and help you say no to the goodies at the office.  Setting a limit on how many sweet snacks you will allow yourself per week may also help.

Set one small goal at a time.  Placing multiple restrictions on yourself and changing your whole routine often becomes difficult to sustain.  Focus on small changes.  I keep a container with me at work that helps me drink more water.  It’s so much of a habit now that if I don’t have it, I can’t wait to get home and drink water!  There are several apps on the market to help keep you accountable to goals you’ve set for yourself.  Explore different ones and keep what works for you!

As you work in new habits and build upon each of them, in no time, you will have a whole new lifestyle that includes healthy habits.  And when you’re doing things that keep you healthy, you feel better and happier and are more likely to keep up those lifestyle changes.  It really is about lifestyle, something you can maintain.  It’s your finished “floor plan.”

Please feel free to share with me how any of these concepts have served you well!  I love hearing your success stories and well, just hearing from you!  I know 2017 is going to be awesome, and I plan to give encouragement and ideas for healthy living all year long!  That’s my plan and my promise to you!

xoxo!