Healthy eating: How to start a change plan
If you have decided to start a healthy eating plan, congratulations! Making that decision is an important step to be a healthier person.
Keep these key points in mind:
When you try to form new habits, whether you have a healthy diet, exercise more or quit smoking, you are more likely to succeed if you make a plan in advance.
Knowing why you want to follow a healthier diet can help you make changes in your eating habits. And writing down your motives will be a good reminder later if you get discouraged.
A plan to form new habits includes long-term and short-term goals, as well as ideas to overcome past barriers, factors that can stand in your way to success.
Start with small, short-term goals that you can achieve quite easily. It is easier to continue doing something new when you succeed frequently from the beginning.
The support of family and friends can contribute greatly to help you achieve success by following a healthier diet. Don't be afraid to let them know what you are trying to do and ask them for help.
How to start a healthy eating plan?
It is important not to make a big jump too fast. Slow, but steady steps will prepare you for success. In this section, you will learn about the steps to follow to develop a healthy eating plan:
Set goals.
Keep track of your progress.
Think about your barriers.
Get support from other people and from yourself.
Set goals
When you have clear reasons to start a healthy eating plan, it is time to set goals.
What is your long-term goal? A long-term goal is something you want to reach between 6 and 12 months. For example, your long-term goal may be:
Reduce blood pressure and / or cholesterol.
Reach a healthy weight for your body type.
What are the short-term goals that will help you get there? Short-term goals are things you want to do tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. For example, you can decide:
Change whole milk for semi-skimmed or skim milk or for soy milk in your cereals to reduce the amount of fat you consume.
Reduce the number of times you eat fast food once a week or eat red meat only 3 times a week.
Change a habit by setting goals
Here are some practical tips about the goals for healthy eating:
Instead of changing your diet overnight, make your changes one by one.
Try adding food to your diet instead of eliminating them. Add foods that you think you need in greater quantity, such as fruits and vegetables. If you start eliminating foods from your diet - such as foods high in fat or sugar - you may feel dissatisfied. And that will make the change more difficult for you.
Choose more of the healthy foods you enjoy. Make a list of the foods you like and see how you can change them to make them healthier. For example, make pizza at home using semi-skimmed "mozzarella" cheese and lots of fresh vegetables. Are there any particular raw vegetables that you like? Have a supply of that vegetable and turn to it whenever you want a snack.
Write down your goals and hang them where you can see them. Reading your goals can be a useful reminder.
Do not set goals that involve losing weight fast. Rapid weight loss is not healthy and is difficult to maintain.
Keep track of your progress
Keeping track of your progress helps you see how far you have come. It also helps you fulfill your plan.
Use a notebook, diary or food registration form (What is a PDF document?) To keep track of the healthy things you do. Check it when you start to doubt or feel discouraged.
Pay attention to how you feel. Can you tell any difference when you feed better? Or do you notice any difference when, sometimes, you feed poorly?
Notice if your food preferences change. As we change what we eat, we begin to like new foods. You may find that you don't like some of the foods you used to eat before you start making changes to your diet. And they may have started to like new foods that he thought he didn't like.
Review any laboratory tests that may have been done if you are following a special diet. You may notice improvements.
Blood sugar level tests will tell you if your diet is helping to control your diabetes.
Periodic blood tests can measure your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
You can measure your blood pressure to see if dietary changes are improving it.
High blood pressure: How to check your blood pressure at home
Every time you reach a goal, reward yourself.
Think about your barriers
Take the time to think about the things that can stand in your way to success. We call these things barriers. And, if you think about them now, you can plan ahead how to handle them if they appear.
Here are some tips to manage the barriers:
It is perfectly normal to try to do something, suspend it and then disgust yourself. Many people have to try again and again before reaching their goals.
If you feel like giving up, don't waste energy feeling bad about yourself. Remember the reason you wanted to change, think about the progress you have made, give yourself a talk to instill encouragement and slap your back. Then, you may feel like following a healthy diet again.
When faced with a barrier - and most people do - get help. Talk to your family and friends to see if someone wants to follow a healthy diet with you or encourage you.
Do not forget the small rewards. Having something to aim for can keep you on the right path.
Hope to find some barriers. And remember: The idea is not to remove the barriers, but to identify them in advance and plan what you will do to manage them.
It may help to have a personal action plan (What is a PDF document?) In writing where you can list your goals, barriers and plans to overcome those barriers.
Healthy eating: How to overcome barriers to change
Get support from other people and yourself
The more support you have, the easier it will be to change your eating habits.
If your family members tell you that they like how you are becoming healthier, you are likely to feel motivated to continue on the right track.
And there is more support that is waiting for you. You can even ask to be encouraged. Here are some of the things you can keep in mind:
Change your eating habits with a partner. It is motivating to know that someone shares the same goals. That person can also remind you how far you have come. And that person can even motivate you with what she has achieved.
Your friends and family can be an excellent resource. Your family members can follow a healthy diet with you. They can encourage you by telling you how they admire you for making difficult changes. Your friends can tell you how good it looks because your eating habits have changed. Don't be afraid to tell your family and friends that the encouragement they give you makes a big difference to you.
You may want to join a class or a support group. People in these groups often have some of the same barriers as you. They can provide support when you don't feel like complying with your eating plan. They can lift your morale when you need a boost.
Do not forget to reward yourself. When you reach one of your goals - for example, eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day for 1 week - give yourself a gift. Buy a new healthy cookbook. Attend a cooking class. Or just take time for yourself. Do everything you need to remind yourself that you have been meeting your goals. You achieved success!
Support is everywhere. Just look for it.
Healthy eating: How to get support when you are changing your eating habits
