(845) 802-004712 Steps for Better Health and Nutrition
Health
Let’s face it, we all lack self-discipline. Sustained weight loss and self-discipline are really hard for all of us. You are not alone in this struggle for better health.
During the last year, I placed an emphasis on the most important thing in life: health. I had more than my share of mistakes and indulgences, but over the course of 12 months, my body weight dropped from 193.6 lbs. to 166.4 lbs. Truth be told, I didn’t think this was possible; I just thought I’m getting older and excess weight is something that I had to live with. But that’s not true.
This is what I’ve learned over the past year.
#1: Read Nutrition Labels: Nutrition Labels are a goldmine of information. What you believe is healthy food, might not be. You might think that soup is healthy and nutritious, but soup is loaded with sodium.
Prepackaged, processed foods are almost always very high in sodium, which will raise your high pressure and retain water in your body. Stay away from processed foods whenever possible.
#2: Salads are God’s Gift: Want to eat in greater moderation? Make a salad a part of lunch and dinner.
When you eat a salad first at every meal (except breakfast), you won’t be tempted to go back for a second or third serving of the main dish. Eating a healthy, nutritious salad is also great way to clear out your digestive tract.
#3: Limit the Indulgences to One: When you go out to dinner, just have 1 indulgence. If you want to have a beer, then you will not have other indulgences, e.g., chips and salsa or bread.
#4: Avoid Cereal: Cereal is loaded with sugar (it has almost the same sugar levels as candy). Substitute oatmeal in place of cereal. Add mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries) and non-dairy creamer, and oatmeal can become a delicious and healthy choice.
#5: How to Deal with Temptations: When you are tempted to have a treat, e.g., chocolate chip cookie, PAUSE and wait a couple of minutes, and see if the temptation passes. You might ask, “Do I really need this indulgence?” After you PAUSE for a minute or two, you might realize that you’re okay without it.
#6: Never Get Hungry: Never head into a meal hungry. Plan snacks for late morning (11 a.m.) and late afternoon (4 p.m.), so you’re not starving at meal time.
A protein shake is a delicious and healthy choice for a snack (“MRM Veggie Elite” is a delicious and healthy choice). Raw nuts and “No Cow” protein bars are a healthy snack for the middle of a workday.
#7: Have an Emergency Plan: When you’ve had a long day at work and you’re tempted to eat anything when you get home, have an emergency plan in place. Specifically, what will you do when you’re hungry and you don’t have any plans for a meal. This is where we can get into trouble and will be tempted to snack on garbage food (potato chips).
I have “Impossible Burgers” ready for emergencies. Vegan burgers are high in protein and taste great.
#8: Make a Plan for Travel Days/Special Events: When you have a vacation or travel plans, make a plan.
Airports and sports arenas have virtually no healthy options, so you have to plan in advance and bring your own food. Most sports venues will allow you to bring food, so you can cook a healthy option (vegan burger) and bring it to the game. Then, you can enjoy the game guilt-free!
#9: Become an Expert in Nutrition: Read “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. The China Study is the most comprehensive book every written about nutrition and it changed the way you think about nutrition forever.
Food is medicine. What you eat will either help or hurt you. Treat your body like you will live forever and your body will reward you.
#10: Consistency is the Goal: Slow and steady weight loss is the goal. If you lose too much weight too fast, it will not be sustainable.
Do not starve yourself. This is not sustainable weight loss. Eat normal healthy meals and aim for ½ lb. of weight loss/week. The progress will be slow and you won’t notice much difference at first, but over 4-6 months, you will see a difference and in 8-12 months, your world will change.
#11: Track What You Eat: Track everything you eat. This only takes 2 minutes/day. When you track what you eat, you become more conscious of your decisions—good and bad, and you will become more deliberate and mindful.
There is no need to track points (although that works for those in Weight Watchers). Make things easy and simple. Otherwise, you won’t carry through.
#12: Have an Accountability Partner: Having an accountability partner is the key to sustained weight loss and health. Find someone who is willing to speak with you for 10 minutes/day at a specific time and who you accountable to the process.
More than anything else, this will make an enormous difference. “MyBodyTutor” (www.MyBodyTutor.com) is a fantastic program for sustained weight loss that features daily personal accountability. Every day, you will document what you eat and your exercise and your body tutor will call you every day to hold you accountable. In my view, there is nothing more effective for sustained, long term weight loss.
If you know someone who needs to lose a few pounds, or just get in better health, you won’t find a better option than My Body Tutor, run by a great guy, Adam Gilbert in NYC. My Body Tutor has changed lives and it can do the same for or one of your friends/family members.