I am not a fan of diets! Most of the time they are not sustainable and you end up feeling like a failure. You know what I’ve talking about don’t you! You make drastic changes to your diet and create list of “forbidden foods” to never eat. Then it happens. Somebody brings a pan of ooey gooey brownies to work one day and you can’t resist. Before you know it you’ve had not just one but 2 or 3! You find yourself rationalizing that you will run a couple of extra miles later to burn them off!

Stop the madness! Don’t let this be you! You can have your brownie and eat it too! What is important is learning how to make small changes that you can stick with for a lifetime. Here are 3 small changes you can make right now to help you begin a realistic approach to good health, weight loss and better running.

Step 1:  Each day add one healthy whole food item that you don’t typically eat. 

I wasn’t a big vegetable eater, so a small change I have made is to include them with at least one or two meals a day or as a snack. Roasting veggies is yummy and easy and can be done while preparing the rest of your dinner.  (Click here for instructions on how to prepare and roast them.) Enjoy a quick easy salad by purchasing a pre-made salad in a bag at the grocery store. Then dress it up with dried cranberries, nuts or even canned beans. (I love black beans or chick peas!) Cut up a stalk of celery into finger size sticks and dip in salsa or guacamole. Pick up fresh fruit in season.  I like apples, oranges, grapes and bananas for their portability, but love to buy strawberries, blueberries and raspberries when in season. I have discovered that adding fruit to my salads makes the salad much more palatable and fun.

Step 2:  Cut back on some of less healthy foods and beverages that you consume! 

Notice I did not tell you to eliminate them completely! The point is not to make you feel deprived or punished, but to make small changes. Do you drink a lot of soft drinks or sugary drinks each day? Try drinking half the amount you normally drink and replace the other with water. Even better, limit yourself to one sugary drink per day if you want to have a bigger impact.  When you do drink your sweetened beverage, make sure you truly enjoy it. Take the straw out and sip it rather than quickly sucking it all down! 

Trade out one unhealthy snack for a healthy one. Here is a great way to add your healthy whole food from step 1. Replace that bag of chips with a handful of nuts or celery sticks and guacamole. Instead of cookies, slice an apple, spread with a little peanut or almond butter and have a glass of milk.  Do your lunches consist of whichever fast food drive through has the shortest line? Pack a healthy lunch instead a few days a week. With the money you save by not buying fast food, you can now splurge on strawberries or blueberries that aren’t in season!

Step3: Practice planning ahead. 

Often times we make poor food choices simply because we are tired and don’t feel like fixing dinner. We skip the meal and snack instead. Why is this bad? Your body needs a variety of nutrients at regular intervals to achieve optimal health. By snacking on whatever is at hand you may overeat or even under eat. Eating should be a pleasurable experience that leaves you feeling nurtured and satisfied.  If you are mindlessly easting in front of the TV you deprive yourself of this feeling which can be just as important as the foods you choose to eat!

Experiment with planning ahead even if its just one day or one meal a week. Figure out what you want to have for dinner, see what ingredients you have on hand, then make a list and pick up what else you need on your trip to the store to get your healthy fruit or veggies that you are going to add in this week from step 1. One of the benefits of preparing a home cooked dinner is leftovers for lunch or another dinner, so if you are going to take the time to cook, make enough that you and or your family can enjoy a second meal. (Click here for some tips on preparing some of your ingredients ahead of time.)

Now it’s your turn! Leave a comment below and share what one small change you are going to make this week to eat healthier. Let me know how I can support you in making healthy changes!