Alas, many of us will stray from their resolutions almost as quickly as they made them. Can you believe I forgot to do my workout this morning? I was so focused on coming to my computer to write this blog entry! Now, how’s that for an excuse?
Anyway, with temptations all around us, and fast food joints often making eating unhealthy seem like the easier choice, the odds just aren’t in our favor.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
If you want to stick to that resolution and lose weight this year, there are some excellent choices you can make in regards to diet. If these choices happen to be combined with exercise and an overall healthier lifestyle, you’ll be all the better for it.
So, to help out, I’ve dedicated the next three blog entries to help you keep that weight loss resolution.
First, let’s talk about food choice. Sometimes just choosing the right thing from the menu can make a big difference. Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Grains
Try to select whole grains and non-processed flour whenever possible. Food such as whole wheat bread and long-grain rice tend to be more flavorful than their processed counterparts anyway, and they typically are much better for you. Plus, in many cases, they come with fewer calories attached. Reserve the slice of white flour cake for special occasions.
Fruits and Vegetables
It can be difficult to go wrong with almost anything in this particular group. Just try to avoid frying vegetables and focus a little more on raw or steamed to keep mineral and vitamin content high. Fruits can serve as excellent substitutes for sweets, too.
Meats and Legumes
Select lean, skinless meats and try to add some more fish and shellfish into your diet. Certain legumes are also incredibly flavorful and meet the muster in regard to protein requirements. When eating meats, leave the greasy cheeseburger for a once in a while treat, and opt for baked, boiled, broiled or broth sauteed instead.
Dairy
Beyond low-fat milk, choose other low-fat, low-cholesterol dairy products. Although, it is important to keep a sufficient amount of fat in your diet, so splurging on reduced-fat milk isn’t so bad. Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, and other items can stay in a healthy diet. I’m particularly fond of 4% Fat Cottage Cheese! So, too, can ice cream as an occasional treat. Have you tried Breyer’s Slow Churned yet? It tastes better than — and has fewer calories than — their Low-Fat line!
Fats
As I mentioned before, these actually are an important part of a healthy diet — but not in the way most people take them in. When adding fat or using it in cooking, select oils that are low or have no cholesterol and are healthier in composition. Olive, peanut, canola and other similar oils are excellent choices when oil must be used. However, I have read that canola oil is closely related to rapeseed, and therefore may cause some people to develop allergies.
Eating healthy in the New Year is not as difficult as many people think. Choose foods wisely and pay attention to preparations and portion sizes. If you do this, you’ll stick to that resolution and enjoy it, too.
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Take Charge of Your Health!
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
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