Revive Your Diet

Instead of making a vague New Year's resolution of "eat healthier" or "go on a diet", why don't you try to make a few small changes first. Maybe drastically changing how you eat all at one time will work, or it might not. So how about making gradual changes that you'll be more likely to continue throughout the year?

Here are some ideas for changes you can make to the food you're currently eating:

Snickers : trail mix, mixed nuts
Reese's : apples & peanut butter
Chips : unsalted/unbuttered popcorn or pretzels
Pastries : fresh fruit, smoothie
Cookies : protein bar, meal-replacement bar

Wow, dessert sounds pretty good right now! You might not have as big of a sweet tooth as we do, so here are some other thoughts:

Try trading in your current carb-filled items with the whole wheat/grain option: whole wheat bread & pasta.
Reduce the amount of meals with red meat down to 1 or 2 a week.
Serve fruit and/or veggies with every meal. We usually split an apple or orange with dinner.

Obviously you can't completely cut all of the unhealthy items from your diet. You're going to find yourself in situations where there might not be a ton of healthy options (birthday parties, office celebrations, date nights, etc...). But the point we're trying to make is that you can always choose the best of what is in front of you. You need to decide what will work for you. By all means, celebrate with loved ones and enjoy a large meal or dessert once in awhile. But don't let one decision snowball into a day/week/month of poor food choices.

Drink more water! I'm sure you've heard/read this so many times. I know I have and I tend to ignore it. Then at the end of the day when I can't figure out why I'm so thirsty and my head hurts, I remember I've only had a cup of coffee all day. Yikes! Trust me, the added trips to the bathroom are very much worth it! Try trading in your second cup of coffee/soda/tea for a cool glass of water. There are many products out there that can help flavor your water for little to no added calories.

Gradually try these small changes. We hope you'll be able to stick to your goals! We're always here if you need encouragement!

What diet changes do you have planned for the New Year?

God Bless,