How to start a healthy eating plan
Set your goals:
When you are clear about your reasons for starting a healthy eating plan, it is time to set your goals. What is your long-term objective? A long-term goal is something that you want to reach from 6 to 12 months. For example, your long-term goal may be: Lower your blood pressure and / or cholesterol or reach a healthy weight for your body type.
What are the short-term goals that will help you reach? Short-term goals are the things I want to do tomorrow and the next day. For example, you can decide: Switch to low-fat or fat-free milk or soy milk instead of whole milk in your cereal to reduce the amount of fat you drink. Reduce the consumption of fast food once a week, or eat red meat only 3 times a week.
Here are some quick tips on the goals of healthy eating:
Instead of changing your diet overnight, do it step by step. Try adding something to your diet instead of removing something. Add the foods you think you need more, such as fruits and vegetables. If you start a diet by removing foods that are high in fat or sugar you may feel deprived. This will make it harder for you to change.
Choose more of the healthy foods you enjoy. Make a list of the foods you like, and see how you can change your preparation to make them healthier. For example, make pizza at home with low fat, with mozzarella cheese and lots of fresh vegetables.
Write 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 quickly. Rapid weight loss is not healthy and is hard to keep doing.
Track your progress
Tracking your progress helps you see how far we have come. It also helps you continue with your plan.
Use a notebook, diary or food registration form to keep track of healthy things to do. Turn to it when you begin to doubt yourself or feel discouraged.
Pay attention to how you feel. Can you tell any difference when you are eating better? Or do you notice any difference when you eat badly?
See if food preferences change. As we change what we eat, we can learn to eat new foods. You may find that you don't like some of the foods you ate before you started making changes to your diet. And you've learned to eat new foods that you thought you didn't like.
Try to look over any laboratory test you might have if you are following a special diet. You may notice improvements. Blood sugar tests will tell you if your diet is helping to control your diabetes. Other periodic blood tests can measure cholesterol and triglyceride levels. You can measure your blood pressure to see if dietary changes are improving.
Every time you meet a goal, try to give yourself a reward.
Think about your barriers
Take the time to think about what things could get in the way of your success. We call these things barriers. And thinking about them now, you can plan the future to know how to deal with these, if they arise.
Here are some tips to deal with barriers:
It is perfectly normal for you to try something, make a stop, and then be angry with yourself. Many people have to try again and again before they reach their goals.
If you feel like giving up, don't feel bad about yourself. Remember that your reason for wanting to change is to think about the progress you have made, and try to encourage yourself to move forward. Then you can continue with a healthy diet again.
When facing a barrier, seek support. Talk to your family and friends to see if anyone wants to eat healthy with you or encourage them to continue their efforts.
Do not forget about small rewards. Look for something that helps you stay on the right track.
Expect to encounter some obstacles. And remember: The idea is not to get rid of barriers, but to identify them so you can know in advance how to deal with them. It can help you to have a written personal action plan in which you list your goals, your obstacles and your plans to overcome those obstacles.
Get support from others and from yourself
The more support you have, the easier it will be to change your eating habits. If your family members tell you that they love how you are becoming a healthier person,
