Would you put potato chips in your dog’s food dish and Monster Energy Drink in their water dish? Of course not! It would be considered cruelty to animals! Then why do people eat and drink this every day? So many people take their bodies for granted and don’t realize these foods have consequences.
There are many elements to eating right. My dad used to sum it up in one word-moderation. Too much of anything, even if it’s good for you, will have an adverse effect. What should you eat? A variety of foods is needed but in future posts I will advise what I think is good, bad and overrated.
I cannot explain healthy eating habits in one blog post, so I’ll start with one of the most basic guidelines: I always try to eat healthy during the week but then treat myself on the weekends. Again, this may sound simple, but as long as I eat healthy during the week, I can still indulge in some of my favorite foods.
What do I eat during the week? I try to eat salads or soups for lunch and then a sensible dinner during the week. This system is easier to maintain since I have a work mentality when I start my job on Monday. I just direct this mindset to also consuming the right foods. Eating healthier on Monday also reboots my system from all of the rich foods that I had over the weekend. It’s hard to top that deep-dish pizza or rack of ribs that I had Saturday or Sunday, so I bring my taste buds to simple flavors on Monday and continue that trend during the week.
Please know that I do eat a dessert every night after a meal. This could mean a cookie or two or a small bowl of ice cream. How many calories you’re burning during the day will dictate what amount is right for you. I’m not one of these people who thinks sugar is poison. It’s one of the greatest parts of eating and living. I will explain in later blogs that as long as it’s a natural sugar and not processed, you can still enjoy it in reasonable amounts.
You will not immediately lose a ton of weight from this system, but you will create long-term habits that will help you become healthier and eventually lose weight. You can speed up the process if you exercise more or eat less calories. But remember, this is not a quick fix blog. I’m a believer that if you lose weight, it should be done slowly. Losing weight fast is not beneficial; it’s a shock to your system. It will also increase the chances of the weight coming back. It’s important to have balance in your body. Yo-yo weight changes will only put more stress on your body and stress will age you faster. I think one of the reasons why people like losing weight fast is because besides seeing results right away, they won’t have to fast as long. They just want to do it quickly and get it over. This is not how getting healthy long-term works. It’s creating long-term habits to create long-term good health. Once you create these behaviors, you won’t even feel like you’re on a diet, you’ll just be doing it out of habit.