Lifestyle Change or Diet - Stop Defeating the Purpose

Have you ever wondered why you feel tired after eating certain foods? Most people do not make the connection, but certain foods that you eat will either make you feel tired and sluggish, or like a bottomless pit, consuming anything and everything in sight.

When you commit to a healthy lifestyle you need to be aware of these feelings. Awareness will help you learn how your body reacts to certain foods and use this knowledge to achieve results without discouragement and ultimate diet failure.

When you deprive yourself of foods that you enjoy, you tend to focus more on the “diet” word, and ultimately begin to resent your efforts. Negativity will lead to discouragement and the next thing you know you are on an eating binge and have “fallen of the wagon”.

Understanding why these foods are bad for you and learning to make healthier choices is vital when you are trying to lose weight. Losing weight for the right reasons is also the key. Yes we want to look good, who doesn’t, but your goal for losing weight should ultimately be for your health. Looking good is just an added incentive.

Let’s look at how to make this happen in a positive way, focusing on the “lifestyle” word. When you commit to a lifestyle change, not a diet, you are committing to changing the way in which you live your life; a life that is based on enjoying quality time with friends and family, being active and in good health.

Foods that are high on the glycemic index, usually processed foods in which the original nutrients have been robbed, tend to cause you to feel lethargic and crave more unhealthy foods. These foods tend to make your blood sugar levels higher. When you crash, or come down from your sugar high, it results in lack of energy and feeling lethargic.

White Bread
Pasta
Rice
Low-fiber Cereals
Baked Goods

Foods that are low on the glycemic index; have less impact on your blood sugar. These foods are high in fiber and nutrients, help you to feel full with fewer calories, and naturally stimulate your metabolism.

Fruits
Vegetables
Whole Grains
Bran Cereals

So how can you continue to eat foods that you enjoy?

Change the way in which you prepare these foods. Baked goods, made with natural ingredients are okay to eat in moderation. Breads and dessert made with 100% stone ground wheat flour, fresh fruit and no sugar are a healthier choice. Using organic ingredients, honey to replace sugar, non- fat Greek yogurt and unsweetened applesauce are ways to create healthier recipes. You can Google recipes, or create your own.

Replace white rice, with brown rice. Replace potatoes with sweet potatoes or use red skin potatoes.

Pasta, use 100% whole grain noodles, organic pasta sauce, and low-fat or organic cheese. Low-fat ricotta or goat cheese are healthier choices.

Even pancakes, can be made with healthier choices. Use honey or fruit for a topping.

Avoid:

Read your labels and avoid products that contain refined sugars, bleached or enriched flours, high-fructose corn syrup, and anything that says hydrogenated or artificial. Research a term if you are not sure what it means. I am by no means a nutritionist or expert, I am only sharing the steps I have taken to make healthier choices and maintain a lifestyle I can live with, rather than the roller-coaster of continuous failure.

No it is not easy, it takes research, preparation and lot of creativity, but if you are serious and want to maintain consistency without failure, that is what it will take.

Instead of having “cheat meals” that are truly unhealthy, I try to make healthier options and use those as my cheat meal. It makes no sense to me, to work hard all week with fitness and eating clean, to blow it in one day but putting something into my body knowing it is completely unhealthy.

Some Helpful Resources to Use:

Looking to make a change? Start by keeping a journal of everything you eat for a week. You will be surprised when you look back over it and see what you have actually been eating. I have a diet calculator on my website http://fabin60.com that may help you determine what your caloric intake should be. Happy Journaling!

http://livestrong.com or http://myfitnesspal.com are two ways to journal your food without having to write it down. Livestrong, the one I use, not only records my food and calories; it also has a handy guide that lets me know if I have taken in too much sodium, fat, etc… I have used this to tweak and eliminate foods that sabotage my efforts.

Pinterest has numerous healthy recipes by creative people. http://eatcleandiet.com has great support and recipes as well.

WebMD and Mayo Clinic have beneficial information and articles to assist you in researching any health related topic.

Make sure to consult a physician or nutritionist before making changes to your diet, especially if you have diabetes, or other known health issues. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, research it for yourself. Avoid fad diets and seemingly crazy cleanses; and remember if you lose weight too quickly or in an unhealthy fashion, you are almost guaranteed to gain it, plus some, back.