By: Suzanne Doerries RD, LD
When thinking about how you would like to improve your health it is important to do it with a positive perspective. If you think about trying to eat healthier as never having a certain food again or as taking away all the foods that you love, it will be almost impossible to be successful. However, if you focus on adding healthy foods into your daily routine, success is a lot more likely to come. No one wants to feel like they are constantly restricting and depriving themselves.
Think about it this way. Picture a pink and purple zebra. Picture all the stripes the zebra has, and its pointy ears. Now stop thinking about the zebra. Are you still thinking about the zebra? It is pretty hard to just stop thinking about something you are consciously trying not to do. If you try picturing something else, or adding another image, like a monkey, it is a lot easier to do.
This is the same as trying to eat healthier. If all you do is think about the food you shouldn’t eat, you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, set yourself up for success by adding fruits and veggies, lean protein, as well as, healthy fats and whole grains into your daily routine. By adding in these healthy foods you will naturally eat less of the unhealthy ones, setting yourself up to lose fat.