Tips to help you maintain a healthy diet
Maintaining a healthy diet can be tricky for many people, especially if you’re just starting out on a new routine. Often people get stuck finding something that works for them, and something that allows them to still feel as though they are enjoying their life. As a trainer I often have conversations with clients about not going to hard at the start with both exercise and diet. This doesn’t mean don’t change your diet at all, however it means you need to make gradual changes and ones that are sustainable long term. For example: If you just decide to cut all carbohydrates and sugars from day 1, your body is going to crave them at some point and you may then find yourself falling off the wagon very early!
From my own personal experience and that of what I help my clients with, the best way to stick to a healthy routine is to come up with a plan that is both realistic and sustainable long term. Here are my top tips to help you find your plan:
As I mentioned above don’t cut out everything or restrict anything down to the bare minimum that is perceived as “bad”. When you tell yourself you can’t have something it makes it much more challenging to stay away from it. Instead reduce your intake and tell yourself you’ll “avoid” naughty foods.
Alongside this, it is ok to indulge sometimes! Even if you are trying to lose weight. Set yourself a goal like “once a week I will have X meal” this way you have something to look forward to, then go back to normal the next day. This allows your body to not feel restricted. It is ok to have these foods often as long as it doesn’t become the norm everyday because that is when it can become problematic.
If you are working in a calorie deficit, ensure you are checking in with your Personal Trainer or health professional that you are sitting on the right metrics. If you are aiming for a particular target and you are feeling hungry or low on energy through the day, then chances are it needs reviewing because your body isn’t receiving enough energy even with a deficit. There is a difference between feeling hungry and feeling like you can “just eat more”.
Keep training! Keep up your new or regular exercise routine. Diet and exercise work hand in hand. So keep going to your personal training sessions, bootcamps etc, and keep working out. When you are eating right you will feel much more energetic and able to perform better in your workouts!
Make sure you’ve got the support of your friends and family. Help them see the importance of why you are training and eating right, this makes it better for you. You may even influence them to make some changes to their own lifestyle!
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