Action Steps
1. Get a Calendar, and Commit to Eating Natural Foods 18 out of 21 Meals per Week.
A bit of pizza, pasta, and ice cream is OK as long as the majority of your meals are composed of tasty, nutritious natural foods. Try to make 18 of your 21 meals each week, and most of your snacks, out of totally natural, whole foods. See Choosing Healthy Food for for a comprehensive guide to healthy natural food shopping.
2. Find your “Nutrient Zone” to control your appetite and find optimal energy Every wonder why some people do great on Atkins or South Beach, and other people feel lousy and gain weight? Each of us has a unique metabolism with a specific ideal “nutrient balance”. What this means is that some people get full on normal portions, feel great, and lose weight getting most of their calories from fat and protein. Other people do better getting most of their calories from carbs. To find your balance, sign up for you Free ReEvolution Fitness Action Plan today.
3. Treat Yourself
Rewarding yourself for a job well done is critical to staying motivated. Making changes in your diet, and your life, takes a lot of focus and effort. Indulging yourself every once in a while will help you stay motivated and on track. Ultimately, you may get to a point where even your “treat” foods are all natural – lobster slathered with butter, bacon and eggs, or berries with heavy cream. While high in fat and calories, these kinds of treats can be a part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation – say once per week. But chocolate, ice cream, and more traditional decadent foods can have their place as well.
The best way to work these foods into your diet (as long as you continue to want them) is to make them rewards for the achievement of specific goals. For instance, after a whole week of eating all natural, whole foods, allow yourself some ice cream on Friday night. If you do eat ice cream, go for full fat (preferably organic) – you'll be satisfied with a smaller portion, and it won’t disrupt your metabolism as much as fat free but still high sugar ice cream would. Or treat yourself with 4oz of dark chocolate after your hardest workout of the week – your leg lifting day. Regardless of what treat you choose, try to steer clear of trans fats and artificial ingredients. In addition to undermining your health, these foods ruin your taste for healthier foods. Consider choosing pizza (whole grain crust is crunchier and tastes great), ice cream, chocolate, or cheesecake, all of which deliver some actual nutriiton, and steering clear of doughnuts, snack cakes, boxed or bagged cookies and other baked goods, snack chips, soda, and brightly dyed sugary candy.
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