This week I challenge you to really think about what food you are eating and when/why you are eating it. Are you eating to fuel your body with nutritious food or are you eating for other reasons?
This is definitely a challenge for me. I am a bored, stressed, lazy eater.
- Bored: Grab popcorn or something while I am watching TV. Especially those cooking shows. They make me hungry, but I LOVE them.
- Stressed: Had a stressful day at work or a stressful meeting. I “reward” myself with a snickers bar or something unhealthy. “I deserve it for putting up with it…”. lol. Or at least that is what I tell myself.
- Lazy: I know the way I should eat, but it takes work to do that. You have to plan ahead to make sure you have the food, cook the food, and then do the dishes. It sometimes easier just to go out to eat or throw in a frozen pizza.
Now am I this way all the time? Absolutely not, but I am self aware of my eating habits and when I am tempted I try to think before I eat or prepare ahead of time.
Fuel Your Body Tips:
- Use the weekend to plan your upcoming week. What do you have going on? What’s the weather supposed to be like?
- Make your lunches and snacks ahead of time so it is a grab and go. You will be less tempted to grab the unhealthy snack if you open the fridge and you can grab something ready for you.
- If you know you will be running around put a protein bar or bag of nuts in your purse or car.
- Don’t eat the same thing week after week. You will get bored and definitely stray off the path. Try a new recipe each week or new vegetable/fruit you haven’t tried.
- Remember that things that seem like a healthier option may be just a filler as the unhealthy. For example: a large muffin typically has the same amount of sugar and fat as a large cupcake.
- Think about the extras you put on your food. Extra dressing on your salad is diluting the fuel you are trying to eat.