February Feelings - How Far Have You Come?
Let’s talk about Accountability
Today is 2/22/2022 which means that we are 53 days into the year. This means that if you set goals back in January you should be about seven weeks into working towards these goals and should have made some progress. So, let’s talk about where you are at. Are you still focusing on your goals? Are you following a plan? Is this the year that things will be different or are you done? Did you forget or fall back into bad habits already? Either way, how are you going to keep things going?
February is mentally one of the hardest months to get through. In the northern hemisphere we are still darker longer, the motivation is low to get outside and get active when the temperatures drop and the draw to comfort food when its cold is real. When we are fighting all these factors it can make getting active and eating healthy feel HARD!
I am offering some tips today to help keep things moving and keep things on track. Each month this year we are going to do our best to help keep you accountable and making progress!
Tip #1 – Choose Veggies First. – If you are feeling snacky or if you are putting together a meal the best thing you can do is build your meal around your favorite veggies. If you are snacking think about some carrot or celery sticks with a dip like hummus or guacamole!
Tip #2 – Eat your proteins earlier in the day. - We live in a very carbohydrate-based breakfast society. There are cereals, toast, granola, waffles, pancakes that come to mind when breakfast is mentioned. But did you know that if you start your day with more protein-based foods like eggs you will feel fuller longer and eat less throughout the day? Yes! Even a protein packed shake can help you feel less hungry at lunch and dinner!
Tip #3 – Record your food. – It may seem like a hard task and that it will take up a lot of time, but once you get into the habit, like anything else, it’s not that bad. Recording your food, if only for a few days at a time creates accountability. If you are writing down, or entering your food into an app, you are AWARE of what you are putting in your body and how that food feeds you! Are you eating because you are hungry, because you are bored? This habit gives you the ability to reflect on your eating habits. If you want to use an app it can also count calories and macronutrients but honestly, it’s all about the awareness for me!
Tip #4 – Drink your water! – I know you have likely heard this a million times so why aren’t you drinking your water? If you don’t like it, add a splash of lemon or infuse some berries or cucumber into it. Drinking water ensures that you are well hydrated and this will greatly reduce your cravings and keep your energy up! Try to drink your water between your meals and not during your meals so that you don’t dilute your gastric juices. It’s also a great idea to slow down the water intake about 2 hours before bedtime so you aren’t interrupting your sleep to get up and pee all night long.
Tip #5 – Don’t fear fat! – There are still some out there that are afraid that eating fat will make them fat! Yes, fat is a little more calorie dense than protein or carbs, but did you know that the majority of your brain is fat and that you need good quality fats to help keep inflammation down and to feel full and satisfied? That’s right, good quality fats like the ones you get from wild caught fish, olives and nuts and seeds are an important part of balancing your macronutrients and fats are slower to pass through the digestive tract so you will feel less hungry if you include them in your meals!
These are just some quick tips to keep you accountable for the month. Check back next month and let’s see how far you have come! If you are struggling to stay accountable and want to get even healthier let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with us today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation. We at No Shoes Nutrition work with people from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!
