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1. Manage your stress
It’s easier said than done but if you can learn to manage your stress you are already one step ahead.
Stress has a huge impact on your productivity. When you’re stressed you feel like you have no time and as a result you poorly manage your health and lifestyle.
The point I’m making is, busy doesn’t mean productive. And feeling like you’re stressed and have no time will lead to settling for fast food or the “easiest meal”.
Also, overeating or under eating can sometimes be a coping mechanism to deal with stress. Finding a way to manage your stress will have a profound impact on your transformation goal.
2. Improve your sleep environment
Up to 45% of Aussie adults have poor sleep quality. Poor sleep quality or duration affects your hunger, cravings, mood and choices.
Two of the most common reasons why is Aussie’s get poor sleep is; One, environment and two, mindset.
Setting boundaries and removing distractions is a good place to start. Doing little things like removing your television, or having complete darkness requires little to no effort and has a lot of benefits.
I’d also recommend mindfulness meditation exercises at bedtime to help you stop thinking about past and future events.
The long term aim is to create an environment where as soon as you step into your body is completely relaxed and ready to rest.
Poor sleep or lack of sleep will affect food choices and hunger.
3. Plan your meals
I know you may have heard this a million times but it’s so important! If you fail to plan you plan to fail. Simple.
Allocate time to plan out your meals either for a few days or for the week. You don’t have to make it this crazy, daunting thing.
The meals and the way your prepare comes down to what you like best. Some of my clients cook big portions of meals to last them a few days. Others prefer to portion everything out for the entire week.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose it’s an enjoyable process and not something you dread doing at the end of your weekend.
4. Prioritise volume and variety
Meals that are nutrient-dense, with a good amount of carbs and protein is the ideal.
These types of meals will keep you full for longer so you don’t find yourself snacking on something every ten minutes. If you’re a binge eater, this habit will fade because each day you’re feeling energised and satisfied.
I highly recommend spicing things up so you’re not eating chicken, broccoli and rice everyday. This approach will 100% turn you off food forever. Having a variety of meals, mixing it up, will help you stay on track and will improve you relationship with food.
Don’t go crazy, you’ll have a much better quality of life if you actually enjoy what you’re eating.
5. Remove snacking from your day
Let’s face it, you ain’t snacking on celery sticks all day.
And even if you are, eventually that celery stick turns a so called “healthy” protein ball. Before you know it you’re consuming more calories in snacks than your meals!
Snacking can also mess up your body’s “meal clock” (or if you want the scientific term, it’s “circadian rhythm”). The process of eating only your meals and nothing in between builds mental strength, discipline keeps you in rhythm.
6. Keep a daily journal
A journal will help you identify occurring bad habits.
It’s already so hard to keep tabs on everything, you keep a calendar to keep track of your life so why wouldn’t you do the same for your health?
People that write their nutrition down tend to:
– Consume less calorie-dense foods
– Recognise poor nutritional habits
– Identify how their body reacts to certain foods e.g. skin breaks out after eating a fatty meal or bloating after dairy
– Have a higher chance of maintaining their progress
It might seem like a lot but starting somewhere is better than not starting at all. Start implementing these principles and improve your quality of life.
