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Let’s face it — it’s hard to eat healthy all the time. While it’s important to have a balanced diet and not live a life of restriction, most of us feel better when we aren’t stuffing our faces with junk 24/7.
And, as we all know, cutting out junk food and saying goodbye to all those yummy snacks is tough and requires some serious willpower.
So, instead of removing it all from your diet cold turkey, take baby steps and make these small changes that will improve your eating habits one day at a time.
Rather than focusing on cutting out the foods that aren’t good for you, start by adding in the foods that are.
Make sure you are getting enough fruits and vegetables into your diet and that you’re having them with every single meal.
Plus, eating different color variations of fruits and vegetables will ensure your body is getting the vitamins it needs to do its job.
It may seem like a good idea to cut sugar out of your diet completely or say you’re not going to eat a single carb, but this just leads to binging later on.
Plus, who wants to say goodbye to sugar and carbs forever? Not me!
Instead of going cold turkey, be more mindful about how much of it you’re putting into your body. Rather than eating a sleeve of Oreos, maybe have one or two.
Allowing yourself to eat what you want, but in moderation, will prevent you from going crazy one or two weeks into your lifestyle change.
This may seem counterintuitive, but try eating more meals throughout the day. Instead of having three main meals, focus on having five smaller ones.
This will keep you fuller longer, so it will prevent mindless snacking, and it will also encourage you to eat foods that are good for you.
If you’re trying to make changes to your diet, make water your liquid of choice.
Cut out juices, sodas, and other sugary drinks as much as possible — or have one as a special treat maybe once a week — and drink water instead.
Not only will this keep your metabolism going and your body hydrated, but it will also keep you from reaching for those unhealthy beverages.
It’s so easy to grab fast food on the way home from work or pop a frozen meal into the microwave, but it’s not always the healthiest option.
Instead, try to eat as much real food as possible. Whether that’s a yummy chicken dish, a delicious salad, or even a homemade pizza, making your meals from real ingredients will be better for you in the long run.
