Fall Into Health!

Time flies, right? It’s already back to school time for many. Back to school and coming up on the holidays for kids can mean back to prioritizing you and healthy eating! Now that you have some time for yourself, concentrate on making some small, sustainable changes in your eating habits leading to healthy living!

Small changes make a big difference.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither can a healthy lifestyle! What small change can you make in your diet? One change I made years ago was having tomatoes or spinach as a side when I go out to breakfast instead of potatoes. It is automatic now so I don’t even think about it. I definitely don’t feel like I’m depriving myself. Could you have fruit instead of potatoes? When eating out, try to eat only half of your entree? A piece of whole wheat toast instead of a bagel? Fully commit to whatever you decide to do and make sure it is realistic and sustainable FOR YOU! It might be a little difficult at first, but in no time your new behavior will be second nature!

“Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going…”

Don’t forget snacks.

Snacks are definitely OK! One cardinal rule of thumb to help with weight management is to never let yourself get too hungry! When this happens, most of us overeat as we eat faster than our stomach can get a message to our brain that we are full. Here is a list of some of my favorite snacks to keep on hand.

    • Apples with yogurt dip
    • String cheese
    • Carrots and low-fat ranch dip
    • Cinnamon rice cakes (or flavor of your choice)
    • Rice crackers
    • Nuts
    • Cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes
    • Pita chips and hummus
    • Justin’s individual packets of nut butter
    • Popcorn
    • Cucumbers and Tzatziki

Why you don’t want to “diet.”

Definition of diet – A special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons. One cannot go on a “diet” to lose weight and then revert back to their old eating behaviors expecting weight loss to be sustained. Those with a medical condition (i.e. diabetes, heart disease, etc.)  cannot go on a “diet” and revert back to old habits expecting their improved health to be maintained. The good news is that changes in eating behaviors can often be more successful when we have support! Now might be the time to register for a one-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian! Contact info@andersonsnutrition.com.

Hope some of these thoughts resonate with you and provide some motivation to make some sound nutritional changes this Fall season!