stay on TRACK

On the Right TRACK

Here are a couple tips & tricks I use to stay on track!  I get asked a lot about how I stay so disciplined with my diet & how I make the right choices when it comes to food. So listed below are my tips & tricks!  Enjoy J

1.       Drink lots of water!

Our body needs water for very important bodily functions like digestion, metabolism, bowel movements, temperature regulation etc.

2.       Don’t eat the same thing every day

This is probably the number 1 reason people can’t stick to a diet or meal plan.  They eat the same thing every day, at the same time.  I definitely have staple foods in my diet that I stick to BUT I also incorporate new things.  Eating salad with grilled chicken every day for lunch & dinner will get old & temptation will start to set in.

3.       Change the way you cook your food

Instead of grilling your chicken ALL the time try baking it or using a slow cooker.  Do you do roasted sweet potatoes a lot?  Try boiling them & mashing them!  You can even do this with veggies.  Roasted cauliflower or broccoli with lemon juice…delicious!  Switch up the spices you use, get different types of cooking oils like coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, sesame oil etc. 

4.       Figure out if you’re a volume eater

What does that mean??  Well do you enjoy eating bigger meals or are you more of a snack-er?  For example would you rather load up your plate with lots of veggies, a lean source of protein & a complex carbohydrate OR do you want to eat less at each meal but more frequently?  This can also depend on your work schedule.  Personal trainers, hair dressers, nurses all usually don’t have an hour long break so they might grab a handful of nuts or piece of grilled chicken between clients. 

5.       MEAL PREP

This one is pretty self-explanatory… Pick one or two days a week (depending on your schedule) where you have some time to cook for yourself.  Yes, it takes some time to do, especially when you first start out BUT you get better & better!  What I do is cook all my protein, veggies & carbohydrate sources in one day.  Cut it all up, put it in baggies or tupperware & stick it in the fridge.  If I know I have a really packed few days & won’t be home for hours I’ll pack all my meals the night or day before.  It takes the guess work out of the equation & the temptation to eat a candy bar for lunch.  TRY IT…you won’t regret it J

6.       Listen to YOUR body

If you didn’t notice I really tried to stress the “your.”  EVERYONE is different, I can’t say that enough.  Some people have super-fast metabolisms & are hungry every 2-3 hours.  Other people eat closer to every 4 hours but the point is YOU have to LISTEN.  Hungry?  Eat!  You can never go wrong reaching for a lean protein source & a healthy fat.  Chicken & avocado, a whole egg, steak tip salad with olive oil etc.  Fats don’t make you fat.  Eating an excessive amount of carbohydrates & processed foods do.  But like I said before, your body is special in its own way & knows what it needs so LISTEN TO IT.

7.       Spices

Bland food is boring, use sodium free spices on your chicken, steak & fish.  Add cinnamon to your oatmeal & sweet potatoes.  Hot sauces & mustard are all low calorie so add some SPICE to your life!

8.       Eat every few hours

This is very important to keep your metabolism burning.  Think about it…if you don’t add wood to a fire what happens to it?  It starts to go out.  Your metabolism runs similarly.  If you go 6 hours without eating your metabolism begins to slow down which is not a good thing for calorie burn & digestion.  So my advice eat every 3-4 hours.  I mean if you’re stuffed then don’t eat but every few hours. Again….if you’re hungry eat! 

9.       Eat breakfast…seriously

10. Substitution 
Switch up the ingredients in your favorite “unhealthy” meals.  Love lasagna?  Take out the ricotta cheese & replace it with cottage cheese.  If you want to go SUPER healthy replace the pasta with zucchini slices or eggplant.  Eating healthy can be FUN but sometimes you do have to be creative & think outside the box.

  
11..  Treat yourself

Craving sweets?  A glass of wine or beer?  Have a little bit.  You can still eat the “not-so-good” food you love just NOT every day or every meal.  If you constantly deny yourself & go months eating the same/similar foods then you’re going to start to get the urge to “cheat” & guess what??  That’s normal & part of life!  Eat your broccoli, chicken, sweet potatoes but don’t deny yourself a cookie.  Life is all about BALANCE & MODERATION.  Enjoy it.  Exercise, eat well & LIVE. 

Stay strong & lift on xoxo #torinatortakeover