Big dietary changes in six small steps.

by

This post is all about you.

The collective you.

The you I was fortunate enough to meet & connect with last weekend who asked me about all this.

The greater you who fill my in-box & twitter stream (which I adore) with your questions about health, fitness, tattoos, and more.

Lately Ive been asked variations on the questions below a *bunch*:

I’m ready to change my eating habits and don’t want to do a diet (I’ve done ww before and jenny craig and south beach).  I want to try and eat intuitively which I know you do. What can I do starting now?  Please don’t tell me to read a book 🙂 Im so busy.  What’s the first step in your opinion?

(I chose this specific email because it said “in your opinion.” My apologies to the rest of the emailers/peeps I met in Orlando but it saved me the dizclaimer yammer.)

Another reason I chose this email is because of the ‘what can I do starting now’ piece.

We all know how easy it is to do the “starting Monday I shall” or “on the first of the month I will…” & yet we all know (deep in our hearts. where it counts.) that it really is all about starting right.this.moment.

So I give you what I did.

What I DO.

When I had my AH HA! moment & finally decided the time had come to shed my freshwoman forty I followed about six steps & they’re the same type of thing I still do on a daily basis.

When I finally decided the time had come to shed my freshwoman forty I had no acronym with which to remember it all.

I give you an acronym good lord I love me some acronyms.

To use.

STARTING TODAY.

Mini-meals. Im a believer in spreading my calories throughout the day. For the most part none of my meals are bigger than any other ( I do find at times I eat more at breakfast out of hunger. Intuitively.)  Beyond the fact I think this helps me stay lean—-it definitely helps my blood sugar levels stay even. I have far more energy now and am less moody.

Intuitive eating. Start this one today. Slowly. Listen to what your body is saying. Pay attention to how you feel after eating certain foods. JOURNAL.  For me this isn’t journaling *caloric intake* but feelings.  Noting how, when I crave sweets, it’s mainly AFTER Ive had a high processed carbohydrate meal.

That sort of thing.  Perhaps you begin by not even CHANGING your foods—just logging your body’s reaction to them.

It changed my life when I spent a week NOT CHANGING my eating but merely writing how I felt after each meal & snack (satiated? triggered to crave sugars? bloated? cranky? still famished?).  It taught me to how to be the expert of my own body.

Zero HARD & FAST RULES.    Again, this is just what has always work for me. Im a rebel. Make a rule that I can not have or do something & it is immediately the ONLY THING I THINK ABOUT.

Fiber, Fiber, Fiber. At this point I think we all know why (want more info? still unclear? desire a list of fiberfoods? please to let me know in the comments.)—be sure you both KNOW and are acting on it.

Invest in YOU.  For me this takes the form of spending lots of money on quality foods & less money on (quality) clothing.  I love me some sushi grade tuna. Im happy with clothing from Goodwill type places.

For some this may be an investment in a personal trainer.  For others in a gym membership. I have more than a few non-wealthy friends who invested in cooking lessons in their homes so that they could learn a handful of easy healthy meals.  You are worth it.  Even if it means you save for what feels like eons to experience your chosen decadent treat (Hello crappy economy!) — make an effort to pamper yourself as much as you can.

Which leads me to…

Tried & trues. Have a few meals which you know you enjoy, which are healthy, &  which are easily prepared in your arsenal. I tend to have the T & T’s already prepared and waiting in the fridge for those moments Im too tired to cook. Other people prefer just to have ingredients on hand.

Whatever *you* decide Im a firm believer in the fact that these T & T’s help to set us up for food success.

That’s me, People.

M.I.Z.F.I.T

What I did starting out and what I do today.

When Im feeling completely scattered, out of my element and CRAZED I figure if I can stick to these six things Ill re-find my groove in no time.

Now you.

What would you tell the people who ask:

What’s the one thing I can do, starting today, to clean up/change my eating habits?

please to hit us all up in the comments.

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Comments

  1. LOVE it!

    Here are some for me:

    1. Let go of guilt
    2. Be patient
    3. Enjoy your food
    4. No seconds
    5. Try not to eat after dinner
    6. WATER

    I hate dieting and find myself falling back on it when I feel like I am falling off the bandwagon. However, I have come to the realisation that I can and will succeed. It’s through this reclaimed and new-found peace that I am beginning to listen to my body.

    Thanks for writing this. I heart your wisdom and I think it goes at the core of where all of us want to be ‘free from food’ and enjoying life.

  2. LOVE it!

    Here are some for me:

    1. Let go of guilt
    2. Be patient
    3. Enjoy your food
    4. No seconds
    5. Try not to eat after dinner
    6. WATER

    I hate dieting and find myself falling back on it when I feel like I am falling off the bandwagon. However, I have come to the realisation that I can and will succeed. It’s through this reclaimed and new-found peace that I am beginning to listen to my body.

    Thanks for writing this. I heart your wisdom and I think it goes at the core of where all of us want to be ‘free from food’ and enjoying life.

  3. I like your tip with regards to intuitive eating
    I have been told frequently that that is how I “should” try and eat but not many people seem to be able to help me with the first step.

    I like the concept of not changing anything initially and journaling how foods make me feel.

    Have a great weekend.

  4. We are allowed to ask about the tattoo? 🙂
    THat photo you posted on tuesday was badass!!!

    Anyway, my biggest tip is to not play games with food and empower it.

    Do not make it a form of punishment (deprivation) or even too too much of a pleasure or REWARD.

    It is only food.

  5. My best tip is to let it all go for a bit.

    NOT thinking about food or calories for a few weeks helped me to relax about the entirely thing.

    It sounds crazy and it works.

  6. What made the difference for me:

    1. Throw out your scale
    2. Don’t demonize any food or food group
    3. Realize that food will always be there
    4. Eat for healthy not for skinny
    5. Don’t count calories
    6. When you eat, sit down and really experience your food as opposed to scarfing something down on the way out the door, or while you’re working on the computer without even tasting it. That has to happen sometimes (we’re busy, I know), but don’t make it a habit.

    It took about 2 years for me to get off of the diet/starve-binge roller coaster, but life is so much happier now.

  7. Very good advice MIZ,

    My two shekels;

    If you are really giving it a go, there is no question that you will be eating a little less the you usually do. Because of this DIAL BACK YOUR EXERCISE. I know it’s a bit counter intuitive, but exercise increases your appetite.
    So for the next 3-4 weeks, while you are eating more intuitively, making smart choices, sticking to your guns etc, WALK instead of your usual exercise.
    It will help you during the most important transition period…the start of it.

    Have a great weekend.

    Marc

  9. I blogged my tips earlier this week, so I’ll save the re-run and offer the one thing that made the biggest difference for me: incremental changes. Trying to change everything about the way I lived in a single day never worked for me. But when I eased into it, making healthy changes here and there, I was finally able to drop the weight for good! (Well, by good I mean 16 months and counting.*G*)

  10. Love this post! Here would be some of my answers:

    1. Let go of the dieting mentality. This isn’t a diet; it’s a change in lifestyle.

    2. Eat without distractions. No watching TV or checking email during a meal…really pay attention to your food.

    3. Don’t deny your cravings, or they’ll just keep coming back with a vengeance.

    4. Remember that every body is different. You need to figure out what feels best for YOU. No diet book or website can tell you that; only your body can.

  11. Lots of water! Makes me feel hydrated, refreshed, and keeps me feeling full! Also, eat what you want in moderation, don’t restrict!

  12. The *one* thing people could try today is to have a fruit and/or veggie at every meal – mini or maxi. Or allow snacks, but make sure that they’re a fruit or veggie . . . allows you to satisfy hunger, but also starts to incorporate more produce into your diet!

    Great post!

  13. I love this!

    I would say the most basic thing to remember is to listen to NO ONE but yourself.

  15. great question. For me if life is routine (read not traveling ot entertaining etc) my first meal of the day is the biggest (cuz I’m frickin hungry 😉 and it has just ended up that way intuitively) but after that no mini-meal is any bigger than any other.

    If I had to venture a guess id say maybe 400 cal?

    No clue as to cal count but more that they all end up about the same size!

    I can do a more specific post if you’d like!

  17. Great tips. I also like Marc’s suggestion in the comments above.

    My one tip: Try something new. This whole adventure has been about trying some new food I never would have eaten before. The world is full of amazing, delicious foods, and some of them are even healthy for you!

  19. short version? Thumbtyped from phone?

    You…stay regular. Feel more FULL from eating less. Your cholesterol profile is better/healthier. You metabolize glucose better. Purported to decrease fat absorbtion.

    If memory serves (jump in if I’m wrong!) wmn are encouraged to get 20-25 grams per day via whole grains veggies fruit and if yer me chia.

  20. My aha moment? You will be more successful with a healthy eating plan + a healthy training plan. One without the other will not produce the results you’re hoping to achieve.

  21. Your acronyms are great.

    “They” always say that we should eat every 4ish hours, but I find that I need to eat smaller “nibbles” every 2-3 hours (usually). Eating fairly continuously throughout the day keeps my blood sugar stable. That’s just me. Some people can go longer, but I find that ESPECIALLY if I’m going to be active or needing to do brain work, I have to eat every couple hours. Otherwise I just get sleepy or sluggish.

    It’s truly amazing, when we listen to our bodies, what we can learn! But my intuitive eating, when it comes to portion sizing, needs a bit of work. I KNOW what a portion size is… I just have some difficulty putting the tools into action.

    Great post!

  23. I so badly need to refocus and your six small steps sound like a great place to start. Sorry I haven’t commented in so long. Been in a kinda hermit stage I think. I’ve been reading and enjoying though.

  25. I have to go with 1) Know Yourself. That’s the thing I tell anybody. I cannot have things like chips around – I go crazy and eat it all at once. That said, my boyfriend drinks a little bit of soda everyday – if he restricts himself, he ends up buying a 2 Liter and finishing the entire bottle in an hour.

    2) Start making simple less caloric substitutions to your foods. Like instead of whole milk, 2% or 1% – or even almond milk; double churned ice cream instead of the full fat thing. Dial back on the amount of meat on sandwiches & dial up the veggies. Eat veggies with every meal (makes you even more full).

    3) Go to sleep earlier – less time awake – less time to eat.

  26. Great Tips!!

    I so agree with your ideas! IT was the “hard and fast rules” that kept me twenty five pounds heavier and yo-yo- dieting for years!! Not to mention in a really negative mental state about myself and my body.

    Now I try to always focus on where I am headed (or my goals) WHILE accepting where I am. I’ve found if my mind in in a stressed place – my body always follows. It’s literally impossible for our bodies to do any form of healing (including weight loss) while under stress SO for me the biggie was self love, patience, and acceptance!

    Another biggie that I have been working on is slowing down and sitting down when I eat! I am so guilty of standing and scarfing down a meal faster than you can blink it’s like I forget that I just ate!

    Oh boy… what can I say, I am definitely a work in progress:).

    AND I know I’m a little late with this one but congrats on the half marathon Mizfit!

  28. Love the “Z” tip. SO many times I started diets and there would be things that were off limits. It only made me crave them more! Now, nothing is off limits. It has made such a difference. I just don’t have those “naughty” things as often or I make them “healthified.” I love pizza. So I make pizza at home for far less calories and use better ingredients. I even add fresh spinach leaves to the kids’ pizza and they say they can’t even taste it. So they’re getting fresh veggies too!

    One piece of advice that I would give someone that you gave to me once is stop eating so many processed foods. Try to eat cleaner whenever possible. I’m not 100% clean eater but I’m much better than before.

    Binge eating and emotional eating is a problem for many people. For those times when you’re starving and feel a binge coming on I’d say give yourself permission to eat but promise yourself that you’ll only eat healthy foods. Scramble a big plate of eggs. Go nuts with the fruit. I know this sounds a little silly to tell someone who is about to go off on a platter of brownies but it has helped me when I’ve felt like eating down the house to give myself permission to eat as much as I want as long as it’s healthy. It has made a big difference. Of course, your mileage may vary.

  29. I’d have to add what you always tell me with a twist.
    You say make exercise accessable. I would say make healthy eating accessible.

    I now surround myself with good choices.

  31. This is great! I am actually going to take this to heart and study it a little bit more and come up with my own steps. I will take the time to sit with it before I jump in there and come up with off the top of my head.

    THANK YOU!

  32. These are great tips!! I too eat intuitively and is EXACTLY what I teach my clients.

    In fact, I get so many questions about HOW to Eat Intuitively that I’ve created a brand NEW CLASS for folks

    It’s about helping them learn HOW to listen to their body, get rid of the guilt, let go of the diet mentality, and all the other principles of Intuitive Eating.

    (In case anyone is interested in the upcoming Intuitive Eating class, they can check out:
    http://www.IntuitiveEatingSuccess.com ).

    Great post Carla and excellent insight!!

  33. For me?
    No guilt.
    Food should not be more than it is…

    I have been trying to heat healthy and unprocessed foods this month and now I’m finding I’ll crave what I need…but it’s usually *not* crappy foods. 🙂

    For me the hardest thing is realising when I’m full and stopping.
    You’d think it was simpler…

  34. Put half the amount of food on your plate than what you think you want. (i.e. 1 scoop of ice cream instead of 2, 1 piece of toast instead of 2). You’ll be surprised that you’re actually satisfied. Keep doing that and you don’t have to “give up” any foods.

  35. I would say to take a day and write down every single thing you eat. Don’t make any changes yet, but just to *notice* how much you actually consume in a day. Many of us have food amnesia. Once you do that for a couple days, it’s easy to see how to make a few small tweaks without feeling like you need to do a complete 180 and be miserable.

  36. I take a fiber supplement almost every day. I don’t have a rule, but I found out by accident that oatmeal–with raisins– curbed my cravings for salty and sweet snacks. I’ve cut out most junk food. In fact, I can hardly tolerate salty stuff anymore. Except potato chips. They’ll be the last thing to go.

  37. My main mantra is :

    It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.

    Tripping yourself up on a slip up and letting that color the rest of your day, week, month won’t get you to your goals. Forgive yourself and move on at the NEXT MEAL. 🙂

  38. My main mantra is :

    It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.

    Tripping yourself up on a slip up and letting that color the rest of your day, week, month won’t get you to your goals. Forgive yourself and move on at the NEXT MEAL.

  39. Great tips! I would say, keep track of what you eat for a while so you can see what you are ACTUALLY consuming.

    Measure portion sizes! Especially things like cereal and pasta.

    Let go of guilt over eating! So you had a cookie, so what?!

  41. Great tips Miz! The one thing that has worked for me is asking myself if this is emotional, mindless eating or am I hungry and need food. Am trying to fill some sort of “void” or hurt or boredom, anger and on & on with food. Funny how we eat food to make ourselves feel better yet in the end feel crappier!

  42. Good thoughts! I also think it is about experimenting until you find a routine or foods that work for you. I’ve recently started my own dietary journey and experimenting is a big part of that for me.

  43. For the last two months I’ve been counting calories until one day earlier this week I realized that counting cals brings out The Crazy, so if I just focus on eating more veggies and less crap I do so much better!

    Also challenging myself to No Sweets for 10 days, or Daily workouts for 10 days really seems to help me get my head back in the game. It’s a short do-able goal and let’s me focus on my health.

  45. all of your comments have made me realize something I am doing with my daughter that Id not realized before.
    If she whines that she’s hungry and I really dont think she is (more bored) I always proffer uberhealthychoices.

    UBER.

    If she jumps at those I know shes hungry (and she frequently does and IS HUNGRY and Ive not realized this) if she turns it down I know shes bored.

    tangent?
    kind of 🙂

    youll have that….

  46. Great tip on focusing on eating more veggies! My tip is along the same lines: add a healthy salad (dark greens, veggies, with a little dressing ) a day to your meals.

    Whether you use a salad for a substitute for your normal meal (instead of your usual sandwich at lunch) or have it as a snack before dinner, your body will be grateful for all the added nutrition it’s getting.

  47. Here’s a little tip on the back of your first I for Intuitive, kind of related to slowing it down and paying attention to you.

    Sounds stupid, but… Make sure you have swallowed before you take another bite. That way, you have the time to contemplate your eating. Pay attention to what you want. And you don’t eat too fast to let the meals become a blur.

    I was shocked that I do not do this regularly. It is an easy way to plug into your body while eating. So I’m practising this and getting better!

  48. GREEN TEA!

    I am not sure if this is ok to say but green tea has really helped my metabolism and is my go to now when I feel like snacking.

    Thanks for this post, Miz.

    I printed it out.

  49. I heard somewhere that if it’s handed to you through your car window, it’s not food that you should be eating. So that’s my tip to add to your wonderful ones – I especially like mini-meals, invest in yourself and tried and trues!

  50. Life is always a struggle and sometimes hard to manage. With that said, these are a few tips that always bring me back to basics.
    1. keep a food journal: write the food down, the mood you were in and how you felt afterwards. (I found out by doing this that I had some food allergies.)
    2. take out your measuring cups and spoons. Portion control is it! we all know with certain fun foods, we need portion control.
    3. chew food slowly, taste it and enjoy what you are eating. when I do this and drink my liquids after the meal, i feel great.
    4. take walks whenever you can. do activities that require you to do some physical exercise. park further away, take stairs. Make it fun!
    5. shop at your local farmer’s market, if possible. Eating fresh salads is awesome. make your own dressing. I do try to eat a fruit or veggie at every meal, it makes a difference.
    6. finally, use the internet for healthy tips. that’s what’s great about the internet, help is there if you need it. 🙂

  51. The biggest thing for me is “Don’t obsess.” The minute you start telling yourself what you can and can’t have, you kick your cravings into overdrive. You can have whatever just listen to your body (am I hungry?), practice portion control, and try to eat whole foods like fruit, whole grains, etc. It’s OK to occasionally indulge. If it’s between indulging once in a while and totally failing because you can’t stick to a strict regimen, then give in on the rare occasion!

  53. Awesome. I’ve been struggling with intuitive eating–mainly just the whole getting started process. I know I need to write down what I eat but that is always too diety. However, journaling how I feel after I eat makes sense because I have a written record of how I feel after what I eat. (Instead of “huh, I just ate Mcdonalds and now I really want ice cream. Then I ate the ice cream and feel really sick and bloated–don’t do that again” then repeat the whole meal two weeks later because I’ve forgotten what I learned.

  55. I never thought to journal how I feel after eating. That’s a great idea. I should try that.

    I do implement most of what you’ve said. I’d say the most important are to eat breakfast and start spreading those calories out during the day.

    I make no ‘can’t haves’ either. I’m same as you. I’d otherwise obsess. Funny how now most times I don’t want any of that stuff.

    To feel like you’re pampering yourself is a key. I do the same. The quality of my life is worth it.

    The T&T is a must.

  56. I like the idea of writing down how the food you just wrote down and gulped down, makes you feel. I’m going to try that.

    I think another good tip is to change the way you shop at the grocery store. Shop the perimeter of the store where the real food is.

  57. I need to do the tracking the feelings/cravings/hunger thing, as the calorie counting is no longer working for me to the point where I can’t even make myself do it.

    My advice would be a little more specific:
    -Drink at least 64 oz of water per day (this is to keep you hydrated AS WELL AS eliminating other types of drinks from your diet)
    -Add frozen veggies to every meal. If you normally have mac and cheese for dinner, add a cup of frozen veggies on the side or even in it.
    -Try to cut down/eliminate caffiene. After the initial trauma, you’ll feel more even and awake ALL DAY (rather than UPDOWNUPDOWNUPDOWN).

    I’m still figuring out how to refine what I’m doing to be healthy and still ME, but I’m almost there.

  58. Love all the great tips! I’m still figuring this all out myself, even after living a year and a half of intensive lifestyle changes. What tends to work for me:
    – Use smaller plates and bowls. I like the little Pyrex bowls, because I know their capacity. I know, it’s a mind game, but a full plate just feels like MORE, even when the plate is smaller.
    – Watch my carb consumption (non-veggie), and eat some protein with my carbs (more of a diabetes-specific thing, but it helps anyone with keeping blood glucose levels steady).
    – Replace starches with non-starchy veggies as side dishes.
    – 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days per week. It does not have to be super intense every day, because there are benefits for me other than calorie burn (reduced blood glucose levels).
    – Watch portion sizes. I need to get back to regular weighing and measuring my foods, it’s a habit I’ve slid on for proteins and fats. (Chef Hubby is good about measuring for me at dinner, though.) When I can’t weigh and measure, I use the “plate method” (assuming 9″ plate): 1/4 of the plate for protein (about the size of a deck of cards), 1/4 for carb, 1/2 non-starchy vegetables. (OK to ditch the carb and go 3/4 non-starchy veggies, of course.)
    – When I was in big loss mode, I used broth to help myself “feel” like I had something to eat. Unsweetened but nicely flavored herbal tea (or mint tea) helped with sweet cravings.

    I loved Quix’s tip of adding frozen veggies to things (I do that to cans of soup and chili). And what Lori said about observing…I tend to be one of those who gets “food amnesia.”

  59. Add a good habit every week, or every month, whatever works for you.

    As you add good habits, like more vegetables and cooking more often, the bad habits will get crowded out.

    It took me two years, but that’s how I lost the weight, and it’s been off for almost two years now.

  60. I love this post:) I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: you are a voice of reason in an entirely unreasonable industry.

  62. I liked everything you pointed out in your post. I think the major challenge people may have with those tips is knowing initially what will curb their hunger or give them the energy they need to finish the day strong.

    The only tip I would include is to make sure you are eating carbs, protein, and fats with those mini meals.

    I love and totally believe people need to start listening to their bodies and understand hunger all over again.

  63. So with you Miz! Advice… baby steps. Start replacing bad habits with better habits little by little & before you know it, you are acting & being a healthy person!

    Liek you, I am all about mini meals, making it my own, listen to my bod, pay attention to me.. you are right on!

  64. My things are for ME:
    Eat varied
    eat fresh
    drink more juices, teas, milk, water and less pop, energy drinks (hard for me!)
    sneak in fruit whenever possible…make sure its fruit I really love (apples and bananas for sure!)

    *Note*I’m sick with the flu so I can’t think of anymore and don’t really want to think about food.

  65. Wow MizFit–your tips are awesome. I have discovered through trial and error that everything you say is so true. My biggest mistake has been trying to be perfect–having a hard core specific diet to follow left me feeling 1. like a failure when I deviate from it and 2. restricted/denied pleasurable foods which only serves to make me want them more. Now I have a ‘plan’ but there are no hard and fast rules. I read the book Intuitive Eating a couple of years ago and knew it was what I’d been looking for.

  66. I so need to print it and remind myself. ove and over again.

    I always slide on the eating thing and even when I am careful, I eat bad becasue I have no time, I grab whatever I can and shove it down my mouth.

    And the zero HARD and FAST rules is SO ME.
    If I decide I will not do such and such thing, my mind thinks about nothing else but that. So that I have successfully adopted.

    Great post Miz. Thanks. HAPPY WEEKEND!

  68. So many good hints, tips and tricks here. And some contradict and so many things work differently for different folks.

    From others (and you) I got flexible, not perfection, non-judgmental, ease up on rules, and for myself, prepare the kitchen with nourishing foods and leave the crap at the store. Love your acronym idea too. Great post.

  69. These are great tips. I have had one of those less than stellar weeks with food but have come out of the week determined to enjoy the food that I do eat and to be more gentle with myself. I am going to try the feelings journal. Have a nice weekend!

  70. I love that “It’s Only Food” tip. I will try to remember that. It’s sometimes much more to me!

    I recently decided to really limit my snacking by eating well at breakfast and lunch. I am committed to having a small dinner, more like “tea”, maybe even before I go off to pick up the kids (around dinnertime) from school. I can sit with them while they eat and have a cup of tea or something.

    Can’t throw away the scale…but I don’t weigh myself every day anymore!

  71. Love your steps! “Zero HARD & FAST RULES” – so true, and I think it’s really the key to sticking with healthy choices forever. The moment I tell myself that I will never ever do something again, I get myself into trouble… And yes, one would think that I’ve learned by now, but I still sometimes find myself trapped in “rules”…

    One thing that changed the way I eat was planning every meal around whole, unprocessed vegetables. Instead of thinking I’m having pasta with veggies, I think of veggies & pasta. It changed the way I eat (more veggies, less pasta, etc.), and I feel a lot better.

  72. Your version of food journal hit home for me. I think focusing on my body’s reactions to foods might help me focus (obsess) less on calories and more on how food nourishes my body. Something I struggle with a lot.

  73. Great post, it’ll really help people starting out looking for some no nonsense advice on how to get the ball rolling following a realistic approach.

    I think the most important is Investing in Yourself. Far to often people make changes to their surroundings or food but don’t look inside and work on themselves solving the problems that got them into their mess in the first place.

  74. So far, I’ve lost 76 pounds by
    1. Eating six small meals a day
    2. Banishing sodas
    3. Banishing sugar (it’s addictive for me)
    4. Drinking more water
    5. Greatly limiting white flour (allergies)
    6. Healthy Protein and Carbs at each meal.

    And while it’s not food-related…EXERCISE!

  75. I worked with a sports nutritionist last year for a while, and the big aha moment for me was making sure to eat a balance of healthy fat, carbs and protein in 4 small meals a day. I had a tendency to cut out fat, then would be hungry 2 hours later. So a quick lunch on the run could be jerky, handful (3 Tbls) of trail mix (nuts are counted as the fat in this case) and an apple. The combo keeps you full for at least 3 hours. Without the fat, not so much. If you eat a good balance, your blood sugar stays even and you have enough energy for exercising – I try to eat an hour before I exercise.

  76. Very helpful post. Hmmm, one thing I would tell people…Pay Attention. Whether that be tracking or just being more mindful of what they are putting in their body. It is amazing what we consume just not paying attention.

  77. Awesome post! Food is such an obstacle for me. You nailed it! The one thing I would probably say is stick to it even if you stray for a meal or day. Don’t slip back to old habits.

    Winks & Smiles,
    Wifey

  79. Genius, as usual. I love your comments about observing how your body responds to current habits, before making changes. So often we hear messaging about doing things differently, but without the context to make those changes… they’re hard to uphold.

    I find planning ahead (especially dinners after long days at the office), whenever possible, keeps me on track. If I grocery shop with those plans in mind, I avoid buying random junk like Cheese Doodles (and the Enquirer).

  80. Great ideas! For ideas on how you can take charge of your own health care costs, check out Whatstherealcost.org.

  81. What a GREAT resource this post is for those who are new to intuitive eating as well as those who are veterans. I smell a bookmark coming. Anyhow, my two cents have already been contributed by others. But I love love LOVE:

    1. No guilt.
    2. ENJOY your food. TASTE it. SMELL it. Really EXPERIENCE it.
    3. Nothing is off limits.
    4. Eat for health, not for skinny (can’t remember who said that in the comments, but GENIUS!)

    Thanks!

  82. Wow, that is a valuable post. I definitely agree with the “no hard and fast rules”. And with all of them actually.

    Also the fibre one – I’ve just bought some rye bread and some rye pumpernickel bread – both these breads are delicious and keep you feeling really satisfied for hours! They make white bread look like it comes from a whole different food group!

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