Deep down, you know you need to do it. You know in your heart that it can be the solution to so many of your problems. Tight pants, sore knees, tight chest, all conditions that can be made better with this one simple task. But, while it might seem simple on paper or even easy to say out loud, the truth is it can seem like an impossible task.
Making the commitment to eat healthfully is a brave one, and it is no small undertaking. Food is the universally acceptable form of substance abuse, and to stand up and face down such a behemoth is no small task. It is easy to say you’re going to start eating healthy, but it becomes very hard to actually do it and make it stick.
It isn’t impossible though, and in reality, the reason you’ve probably failed in the past is because you weren’t going about it the right way. Here are three quick ways to start eating healthy TODAY.
- Get Rid of the Junk We’re not kidding. Go through your cupboards. If it is processed, if it is a trigger food, or if it is not in line with your healthy eating plan, get rid of it. Much like an alcoholic has to remove all alcohol from their lives, you too must get rid of the healthy foods that you want out of yours.
- Stop Making Life About Food When you get together with family, do you go to spend time with each other? Or to eat? The last wedding you attended, what did you eat? What did you have for a snack the last time you were at an amusement park with your kids? We use events and people as an excuse to make bad food choices, but at the end of the day, our memories are not built on food. They’re built on each other. Stop letting food rule your social life.
- Find Foods You LOVE Not like. Not endure. Not choke down. Start with finding one healthy food choice that you love, and focus on that. The key to making it a long term solution to what ails you is to make it a long term love. Don’t choke down carrots just because you heard they’re good for you. If you don’t like carrots, don’t eat them. Find the food that DOES make you smile, and then have it accessible to you always.
No matter how you do it, always keep your end result in mind. Ask yourself every day why you want to eat healthy. Whether it is to live happier, longer, or look better naked, it is crucial that you never forget your “why”. And lastly, remember that healthy eating isn’t a punishment, it is a celebration of your life everything in it. It is not impossible, and the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll realize it.