Food is incredibly emotive and it’s important we don’t ignore the social, cultural pleasures that food can bring. Include your favourite meals, treats, birthday celebrations within your plan and always be kind to yourself.
Do It Your Way:
Finding the Right Path for You
There is no quick fix or ‘magic pill’ to nailing your nutrition goals and there is no ‘one-way fits all’. It’s important to recognise that we all live different lifestyles and have different barriers to overcome.
The worst thing you can do is try and imitate someone else’s diet whether that be your best friend, training partner, elite athlete and especially the social media influencer with the latest fads and trends.
Imitating the diet and lifestyle of a girl and her dog when you have the school run, dog walk, work, the gym and multiple mouths to feed is quit the feat. Not to mention, not everyone will want to eat the same meal. Take the time to explore what works best for you, what support you need and what is a realistic time frame. By having a thoughtful and individualised approach to your nutrition, you can set yourself up for long-term success and well-being.
Set yourself up to succeed, empower yourself with knowledge and resources and you will grow!
Realistic Goals
Start by setting small realistic goals that you will enjoy and you can see yourself adhering to:
- Phase out skipping breakfast – A bowl of oats with milk on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
- Having a banana or cereal bar 30 minutes before training.
- Adding an extra vegetable to your evening meal.
- Aiming for 2 dairy servings per day – 1 yoghurt and glass of chocolate milk.
Once you are feeling confident with those then add another on.
Nutrition is trial and error, success is never linear and we learn our greatest lessons when we fail. So if you do forget to pick up those fuelling or recovery snacks, miss some food prep or ’fall off the wagon’ as they say then that’s fine, it’s all part of learning and behaviour change.
After all they say it can take 8 weeks to form habit so don’t be too hard on yourself. If you are hitting your goals 3-4 times a week that’s 3-4 more than before!
It’s about building that consistency so over time they become part of your lifestyle and then you have headspace for more.
“Nutrition is trial and error, success is never linear and we learn our greatest lessons when we fail. “
Allow The Simple Pleasures:
Food offers an array of pleasures and needs to be viewed as so much more than energy or a tool to hit a certain body composition goal.
Yes, it is fuel, recovery and health, but let’s not ignore all the other joys food brings.
Rigid meal plans typically don’t work and being strict and/or omitting the foods you love from your diet can lead to becoming preoccupied with food.
Restriction leaves you feeling deprived, you start to crave and then you cave, overconsuming the foods you love.
You then feel guilty and use those infamous words ‘I’ll start again tomorrow’. It’s called The Diet Cycle.
The way to avoid this is to factor in the foods and treats you love 2-3 times per week.
If it’s part of the plan then by eating your favourite curry or chocolate bar then you’re actually succeeding.
Navigating Social Situations:
If you do feel like you’re on one social too many (you party animal) knowing what to pick off the menu or ingredients you can switch in and out are handy tools to add to your food and drink arsenal.
Selecting leaner meats and white fish will be lower in fat than red meats or ribs.
Having tomato based sauces over white creamy ones.
As opposed to fried potatoes select boiled or even go for a side salad instead.
For desserts, select fruits or sorbet. If that’s not a feasible option for you (it might not be for me) then maybe there is someone willing to share the chocolate brownie.
With drinks, try and avoid cocktails they’re always very high in sugar. Instead select single white spirits with sugar free mixers or tonics or have a glass of wine.
If you’re cooking at home then consider alternative ingredients like Greek or Skyr Yoghurt in place of coconut milk in that curry. Or using Greek Yoghurt and flour to make that pizza base as oppose to butter will also serve as a healthier alternative.
If it’s part of the plan then by eating your favourite curry or chocolate bar then you’re actually succeeding.
Summary:
It’s easy to cave in to the social pressures around what you should or shouldn’t be eating. The reality is that food is essential for physical and mental health and wellbeing, and that includes the treats and social outings.
Finding a healthy balance that works for you is key. Exploring new recipes and ingredients can also be an enjoyable way to create meals that nourish both body and soul. Furthermore, cultivating a positive mindset around food and eating can also have a significant impact on overall well-being.
We eat 3 meals a day, that’s over 1000 meals per year, so if 20% of those are fun then that leaves 800 that support our health and fitness goals. Trying to eat 1000 meals that align to someone else’s lifestyle, likes, and goals is never going to be sustainable. So take the time to find a plan that is right for your unique self.
