Ready to make a change for the better in 2018 and finally start those healthy eating habits? Then you’ve come to the right place! No matter what your goal is, whether that’s to feel better in your body, excel at a certain sport, live a wholesome lifestyle or have a more nutritious diet, your success depends on starting healthy eating habits that last. Here are the FizzUp trainer’s top secrets to get your 2018 off to a fit start.
What’s the best way to improve the quality of your diet? To make everything yourself! When you watch what’s on your plate, having more control over your health is simple. But besides taking the time to cook, you should take the time to plan out those meals, too. By knowing exactly how much fat, carbs, protein, vitamins and minerals you’re putting into your body, you’ll up your chances of sticking to your new eating strategy.
But if you don’t have the right guidance while making this positive change, you might feel a strong urge to quit. If you’re short on time, don’t give in to easy solutions, like fast food and junk food.
Just try to simplify your diet. For instance, cook your vegetables and side dishes (like quinoa, pulses, rice or pasta) in large amounts so that you have several servings to eat up over the course of three or four days during the week. Invest in solid, airtight plastic containers to store your meals in the fridge. When you prep them in advance, you’ll only have to cook once or twice a week!
Not sure where to start? Out of meal ideas? FizzUp makes it all a cinch with over 150 recipes and an in-app meal planner*! We recommend taking 30 minutes (especially on a Sunday) to plan out your meals for the coming week.
Soda, alcohol and sugary drinks are a no-go. If you want to make it a whole lot easier to lose weight and maintain your good health, then you need to drink mostly water. Drinking enough water throughout your day (at least two to three liters, depending on your weight and level of physical activity) is critical no matter who you are.
Remember, your body is about 65% water! Water keeps your body functioning and contributes to everything it does. That’s why staying hydrated all day long is a must, not only when it’s hot out or when you sweat while exercising.
Did you know that when it gets cold, your perception of dehydration is weakened, which means that you might not be drinking the water your body needs? As a result, this can hurt your athletic performance and make you feel hungry or even nauseous.
So keep a bottle of water on your desk or in your bag to always have water by your side. Don’t forget to drink before and after you eat. A good way to tell if you’re dehydrated is to examine the color of your urine. If your urine is clear, then you’re drinking enough. If not, then you need to be drinking more.
If you want to make 2018 the year you turn your health around, then try eating mostly whole and raw foods. These include fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and whole grains. The choice is yours!
Even if you’re following a diet that restricts or cuts out certain food groups, you should structure your eating habits so that they’re primarily based on whole foods and not pre-made meals with processed ingredients. Make sure 80 to 90% of your diet includes raw foods. Cooking them yourself is a way to guarantee that you’re improving your health in every way through a higher-quality diet.
Save processed foods for special occasions. They often lack micronutrients and can be detrimental to reaching your health goals. You don’t have to cut out processed foods from your diet completely, but you should always try healthier alternatives to know exactly what you’re fueling your body with.
Starting healthy eating habits is always worth it, but if you put things into perspective and gradually start to make a change, then you’re likely to stick to them for the entire year and well beyond it. Most of the time, if you go from one extreme to another, your resolutions won’t last long after January. Getting into better and lasting eating habits is without a doubt one of the cornerstones of your fitness success, but progressing over time is what will eventually get you there.
Although you should keep eating wholesome foods every day, don’t ban the foods you love. If you do, then you’re much more prone to failure at some point. Instead, remember that it’s OK to indulge every once in a while, but the trainer really means only once in a while!
Now that the holiday season is behind us, it’s a prime time to rework your resolutions! If you’ve already started thinking about making some major changes to your eating habits this January, then you’re on the right track. Reach your body goals with less time and effort with FizzUp Nutrition*. 2018 already promising to be a year of change!
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