Easy hacks for a balanced diet all year round
Healthy eating shouldn’t just be for a few months - it needs to be a lifelong commitment, helping you to lose weight and increase your energy. It can also improve your general wellbeing, and reduce risk of disease.
Yet despite being aware of the benefits, maintaining a balanced diet all year round can be difficult.
So, to help you stick to your diet, and therefore potentially live the happiest and healthiest life possible, we've put together some easy hacks.
Start a food journal
Starting a food journal is hugely motivating because you can look back at where you first started and how far you've come; even after a couple of weeks it’s likely you’ll see some progress. It’s a great way to pinpoint what’s working and what’s not. You'll soon start to see patterns in your eating habits and moods.
You can choose all or just one of the following things to track in your food journal:
- What you’re eating
- Workouts you've done
- Changes in mood, skin hair and sleep
- Any other stats that feel important to you during this process
Think about what really motivates you
Remembering all the reasons why you’re making healthy food choices will help you stay on course. It can be helpful for you to keep a list of the specific reason why you want to get healthier and stick it to your refrigerator, this way it can stop you from being tempted with bad foods and you can refer to it when you feel as if you need a reminder.
Have a positive attitude
If you spend your time feeling deprived, unhappy and complaining about what you have eaten all the time, there’s a high chance you will be miserable. Instead of focusing on what you cannot eat, think about what you can - try new foods, have family cooking evenings, do anything that makes it a positive experience. You will be amazed at what you can eat and how good it all tastes.
Carry around healthy snacks
Getting hungry when you’re out and about can be a challenge, leaving you tempted to grab anything that’s available to you. This is often food that’s bad for you and won’t satisfy your hunger in the long run.
To avoid this, have snacks that are healthy and high in protein on hand to keep your appetite in check until you have your next meal. Snacks like these examples are ideal:
- Almonds
- Hard boiled eggs
- Fruit
- Rice crackers
- Protein bars
- Granola bars
Find a friend
Sometimes it can feel like you’re the only one trying to eat well and everyone around you is eating whatever they like. Dieting is tough, especially when you do it alone. Find someone to diet with whether it’s a co-worker, family or friend with similar goals to keep you both on track.
Remember, alongside all of these dietary tips you need to do some physical activity to help with your weight, muscle strength and generally to keep you healthy. Once you get into the routine, there will be no stopping you and you’ll have a summer body all year round.