It’s time for a bit of tough love. It’s love because we care enough to help you leap over the obstacles that stand in your path. It’s tough because even though it’s true it’s still going to sting a little.
Look, you enjoy chocolate (popcorn, nuts, candy, pretzels or any other snack). In fact, you probably enjoy eating those snacks between meals, after meals, and in a lot of cases for meals. Sure, nuts are healthy, bragging loads of healthy fats, fiber, and even protein. They’re not so healthy when you don’t control your portion and have a tendency to mix them with chocolate, though.
Still, you’re trying. Right? You hit the supermarket’s health food aisle and you fill your cart with protein bars and healthy supplements. Are you really doing everything that you can?
If you’re serious about losing weight, then you can do better.
The Biggest, Most Important Change
When it comes to nutrition, there’s a major change that you can make, but you’re not going to want to hear it. You want a silver bullet, the easy way out. You want to eat anything and everything you want, but still look like you belong on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That’s not how life works. The biggest, most important change you can make nutritionally is to keep tempting foods away from you.
Don’t keep them in the house, don’t hide them, don’t stash them, don’t have them in your life. You will make the wrong choice if it’s available to you. Keep healthy snacks handy so they are the options you turn to when you need a snack.
This doesn’t mean that you’re never allowed to enjoy treats. It just means that you have to limit your interaction with temptation and only buy the treat when you plan to eat it.
Lists Make Life Easier
You know where you are most likely to slip up. We recognize our weaknesses. For example, you know how easy it is to grab a protein bar even though you’ve been doing really well. Sure, it’s a healthier choice when compared to what you could be eating.
It’s not the healthiest choice, though. It’s not the right choice. So, make a list of your nutrition weaknesses. Once your list is complete, you can go back through it and add an alternative (or two) to each one. You’re creating solutions for your obstacles. Keep your list with you always.
Deal With Life
Perhaps the toughest aspect of eating well and losing weight is doing so while you’re trying to deal with real life. You have a long commute, a demanding boss, and while you’re juggling your full-time job, you have a family at home. It’s easy to understand why life can derail the weight loss efforts of so many. In a world of complications, the easy choice is… well, easy. This is where you need accountability.
Use the people around you to hold you accountable for your actions. You’d be surprised at how helpful it is. When you know you have to report to others on your choices and behaviors, you’re more likely to stick to the plan. If you knew you’d need to file a report on your eating habits to your doctor on a daily basis, would you choose the berries and natural yogurt or would you grab the candy bar anyway?
Final Thoughts
The hardest truth of weight loss is that it will take time and effort on your part. There isn’t an easy path to follow. There is only one, long-term solution. It’s eating right, exercising, and looking after your health. As you embark on your journey and consistently make the right choices, you will boost your self-discipline, which will inevitably benefit your life in every area.