Eating food should follow some key factors. It should provide health benefits , and meet energy expenditure requirements that align with your goals. Nutrition should also be sustainable, for both the person and the planet. But it doesn’t need to negatively impact your lifestyle and happiness. Creating healthy eating habits doesn’t mean following a ‘diet’ as such.
I’m not a big fan of the word diet because it creates a certain feeling of restriction. And when people feel as if they can’t have something, it’s never going to last…
Many people struggle with their nutrition from a mindset point of view and often feel stressed, unhappy, and guilty about their eating. As a personal trainer, I have found it common to see a lot of people carrying this guilty feeling around with them on the topic of nutrition.
This can lead to emotional eating, binge eating, and in some cases – eating disorders.
Why Diets are Bullsh*t
The problem with the term ‘diet’, is that many people think of it as a short-term miracle that is designed to help them achieve overnight results, at the cost of hating every single meal and wanting to gouge their own eyes out because they can’t eat a single carb. And although the food itself may be healthy, the habits are often not.
There are certain times when we can look at an individual and make allowances to the norm. For instance, if an athlete such as a bodybuilder is competing for a competition, then those individuals can go to the extreme to get their bodies at its absolute leanest possible condition. However, for the average person who just wants to create healthy eating habits, wants to lose a little fat, or build a little muscle – we can be, and should be, much more flexible.
This doesn’t mean eating whatever you like, whenever you like. But it is important to not let your nutrition take over your life.
Think Long Term
My personal view on this is that we should be looking at the longer term picture in our health, fitness, and lifestyle. With a flexible approach, we can select nutritious food choices and create healthy eating habits, whilst allowing ourselves to occasionally have those more enjoyable not-so-healthy foods.
It tends to be the short-term quick-fix diets that cause the biggest issues. When we see the bigger picture, we can allow ourselves to have a less intense approach to self-imposed eating restrictions.
Variety Is Key
There are plenty of diet philosophies out there mainly designed for fat loss. If we follow one particular way, there’s a high chance we are missing out on essential nutrients for our bodies. Therefore a wide range of foods are recommended.
Contrary to that, it doesn’t mean consuming a variety of junk food. You wouldn’t put diesel in your petrol engine or vice versa would you? The same goes with food. If we put junk into our bodies, we will feel worse, lethargic, tired, and can develop many nutrient deficiencies over time.
If however, we are providing our bodies with a good balance, from a wide range of foods, on a consistent basis – we can allow ourselves to enjoy some of our favorite treat meals with very little impact on our results.
In terms of how often, this depends on your current situation and also based on your goals.
A good rule of thumb for achievable healthy eating habits
My advice would be to stick somewhere in the region of 80:20. That is, 80% of the food you eat should be nutritious and aiding our healthy bodies. The remaining 20% can come from some of your favorite foods such as pizza, ice cream, doughnuts, or whatever you crave. But the less ‘crap’ you eat, the less you’ll want it anyway. I wouldn’t advise people to consume any of that processed crap in an ideal world, so just try to limit your intake.
When we don’t allow ourselves some flexibility in our eating, it can actually do more harm than good. It can lead to various eating disorders, cause us to have extreme cravings, and give in completely, eating everything in sight.
Some people will disagree on this, but I have found when you allow some freedom and flexibility, it keeps your mind in a good place because you’re not punishing yourself. You are simply controlling the process and being aware.
It still requires effort
On a final note, the leaner you become then the easier it will be for your body to handle the ‘treat’ meals, with less chance of storing fat. Another way to put it is – work hard and earn your treats. The more often you eat healthier and exercise, the less you will want to eat the bad stuff. Because you’ll realize how much better your body feels when fed nutritious food.
Don’t stress too much, you can enjoy your favorite foods occasionally. Just understand that moderation is the key here. You’ll be on your way to a healthier version of yourself both physically and mentally, and for the longer term too.
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