Where to start with healthy habits

These tips and tricks are by no means researched by a professional, but they are helpful ideas that I have self-taught and picked up along the way, when trying to stay on track with healthy eating and healthy habits.

Our lovely bootcamp group commences its' next 8 Week Challenge in one weeks time. General discussions on progress, measurements, most improved etc got me to thinking, that there could be so many of us with great habits, that could also work for a bunch of us, if only we continued to share this info with one another. Why keep your fab tips to yourself, if these could be benefitting others too.

So with this in mind, i'm sharing the love with some habits that work for me.

Hangry

This is a real condition*. It's caused when you become so hungry, that you turn angry - Hulk style. When I start to feel hungry, I try to ask myself, why am I hungry? Am I bored? Do I need something whilst watching TV and/or reading? Or am I legitimately hungry? Drink a glass of water first before you eat something you may regret, it can keep cravings at bay and help you decide whether you actually want that snack or not. Try to drink at least two litres of water a day, and opt for coconut water and herbal teas over sugar-loaded fruit juices and soft drinks.

For those soft drink cravings, I try to get around this by drinking sparkling water, or some soda water and lime juice.

*This is not a real condition. But it should be.

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Grocery Shopping

Never, ever go grocery shopping when you are hungry (or hangry). It never ends well. I end up putting so much crap and unnecessary items in my trolley, purely because it's all the items I could consume right then and there. Shopping Lists are handy for multiple reasons:

 1) I get to use my pretty Kikki.K notepaper

2) A well thought out shopping list helps eliminate the aimless wandering of the supermarket aisles because you can't remember what you needed. Ohh how did those Tim Tams get in there?

3) Write your list when you're at home, in front of your fridge and cupboards. The most annoying thing is to come home with that one slightly expensive but healthy item, only to discover you have 2 of them already in the cupboard.

4) Don't forget said shopping list on pretty notepaper on your desk at work, and turn up to the shops with a blank brain. Thoughtful colleague will only send you a photo of the list after they have defamed it with crude drawings (you know who you are)

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Keep Track

It need not be a fancy iPhone app, maybe just a word document on your work PC, or a notebook you keep in your handbag/manbag, but writing down what you eat in a food diary type format could really help you stay on track with your eating habits. I for one am certainly a lot more careful with my week of eating if I can see what i've consumed written in front of me. This can also help tie in with your reasons for eating, in my first point. Did you have it because you were hungry, or bored?

Start to notice patterns, such as the afternoon snack you reached for more often than not, and your portion control that you may not have realised at the time of making it.

Breakfast

If Healthy Harold said it, it must be true...Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research by Imperial College London shows that people who skip breakfast are more attracted to fatty, unhealthy food in the day - and eat more of it. Try to start your day with something filling, like oats, greek yoghurt and muesli, scrambled eggs on toast etc

The better you eat at breakfast, the longer you remain full, eliminating un-healthy snack cravings, and helping you extend the time frame until lunch time, so you can slowly enjoy your lunch, rather than pushing past people to get to the fridge. 

Emma Dillon

Body Fuel

Keep on track with a food plan that helps eliminate the chances of getting sick. All colourful fruit and vegetables eg oranges, tomatoes, berries, pomegranates are full of nutrients that help your immune system.

The best way to get your quota of this, is a yummy stir-fry, which even the fussy eater in me enjoys!

Support

Talk to friends, ask questions, share information. People might have great tips on how they stay on track, or get back on track after an indulgent weekend or holiday away. Motivate one another and compliment people if you've noticed them working hard and making great progress. A compliment acknowledging someones hard work could make their day, and be the motivation that they need to keep going

Prep

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

Try to resist waking up every morning and then being productive with your food. It never works. Prepare the night before so you can eliminate that lazy feeling when you've just woken up. I have some fit sista's who are very dedicated with their meal prep, which helps eliminate bad decisions mid-week.

Emma Dillon

Words: My Own

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