10 effective ways to motivate you to eat healthier

Here's how to create a lasting change, say the experts.


There is no shortage of reasons that eating healthier is an interesting prosecution. In addition to helping you Manage your weight , eat a healthy diet can Lie your life By reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and more. That said, it can always be a challenge: we decide to eat healthier, do our best to follow the plan, then lose our resolution and return to the old food models before real progress is made. Experts say that TRUE The success depends on our ability to overcome this initial inspiration to make a more significant and sustained effort. Ready to finally make a lasting change? Read the rest to learn how to motivate you to eat healthier, according to wellness coaches and nutrition experts.

In relation: 11 "healthy" habits that make you gain weight .

1
Note smart goals.

a list of goals, over 50 fitness
Dropout

The first thing you should do when you start a new healthy food plan is to write a list of smart goals, says Bryan Davis , A Nasm certified nutrition coach . These are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time -related objectives.

While many people measure their success by aiming for a particular number on the scale, experts suggest creating objectives surrounding your habits instead. For example, you might decide that you want to eat two cups of green leafy vegetables daily or limit processed snacks once a week - two healthy habits that would probably cause weight loss and better overall health.

You can keep track of how it takes place by checking each goal every day while you reach it. At the end of the week, look back on your progress to celebrate your successes and find areas that need improvement.

2
Purge unhealthy items in your kitchen.

Woman looking into her fridge while taking a study break.
istock

When you decide for the first time that you are ready to eat healthier, it is often easier to revise your kitchen than to upset your diet itself. By serving unhealthy articles from your refrigerator, cabinets and pantry, you will prepare for success by aligning your environment with your goals. That is why Mona Kirstein , PHD, a certification Holistic health and well-being coach , suggests starting any new healthy food plan with a kitchen makeover.

"Erase all these tempting treats and processed snacks and reaffect your shelves with fresh and healthy foods instead. Fill your fridge and cabinets with fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains", She Better life. "When the healthy choice becomes the easy choice, you can seek nutrient options without even thinking about it. The deletion of unhealthy articles eliminates temptation and constant indices to eat badly."

In relation: 15 habits that change life to add to your wellness routine .

3
Explore substitutions of healthy ingredients.

couple spending their first date at a cooking class
Floor image / trigger

The diet is to deny the food you love and diets almost never work in the long term. Instead of focusing on the restriction, try to exchange unhealthy ingredients for healthier alternatives, suggest experts. In this way, you can always enjoy most of your favorite dishes without having the impression of missing - or worse, to exhaust yourself.

"Exchange butter and oil for non -sweet apple compote or pumpkin puree in pastries. Mix frozen bananas in a beautiful creamy cream instead of eating regular ice cream with higher fatty material." Knowing how to know. " that you can have a healthier version of a satisfactory indulgence that wants to motivate you more easily to eat better overall. "

4
Know your "why".

Man getting his blood pressure taken.
Fatcamera / Istock

Vered Deleeuw , a certified nutrition coach based in Memphis and Healthy recipe blogger , said that to stay motivated, it is also important to dig deeply and understand Why You want to eat healthier. It was the greatest motivation of her own house, she said.

"For my husband and I, he regularly looked at my husband's blood sugar and reached the pre-diabetes point," she says Better life . "The low carbohydrate diet has been wonderful for him, and we are grateful. This" why "very powerful is what has kept us on the law and closely almost every day in the past 12 years. that your Why?"

In relation: 5 signs that you do not eat enough green leafy vegetables, nutritionists say .

5
Hold a food journal.

Woman writing in journal
Dropout

Keeping trace of some data from your meals can be another way to motivate you to eat healthy foods. This may include types of food, portions, information on macronutrients or anything that helps you stay on the right track.

"Take a notebook and start writing everything you eat and drink every day. Save meals and snacks in a food journal increases your eating habits," says Kirstein. "Liability is essential to make positive changes. The act of documenting your contribution helps you remain motivated to achieve nutrition objectives."

6
Try new recipes.

Grandma and Granddaughter cooking Together
Floor image / trigger

Eating healthy foods does not have to signify sacrifice the flavor. In fact, your new interest in a healthy diet could help to arouse the love of cooking.

"Look for healthy and exciting recipes and find nutrient meals that you like to eat. Incorporate more colors, flavors and textures to improve nutrition and satisfaction," suggests Kirstein. "Discovering tasty and fun recipes makes a healthy diet rather than a chore, which is essential to stay motivated."

In relation: 4 best ways to lose weight (without using Ozempic) .

7
Plan your meals every week.

Asian senior couple cooking in kitchen
Kiwis / Istock

Planning your meals in advance can also help withdraw the conjecture from meals. This will make you less likely to make impulsive food decisions. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"Do not allow yourself to go home at 6 p.m. without plan for dinner," explains Deleeuw. "It is best to have a plan for the week and pre-cooks some of your meals once or twice a week, then repair them and refrigerate or freeze them."

8
Don't dwell on what you can't eat.

Avocado toast with eggs
Dropout

When you get it to a healthy food plan, it can be easy to get a vision of the tunnel on foods that not On the menu. However, Deleeuw says you should try to focus on all the delicious foods you can eat rather than getting to your restrictions.

"My university daughter recently started to eat paleo style," said the nutrition coach. "This morning, she sent me a photo of her delicious breakfast: two fried eggs in butter, a roasted sweet potato and a magnificent mature lawyer. And leaves me good and energy for hours! '"

In relation: 12 best foods to relieve anxiety, say the experts .

9
Start small.

Healthy vegetarian dinner. Woman in grey jeans and sweater eating fresh salad, avocado half, grains, beans, roasted vegetables from Buddha bowl. Superfood, clean eating, dieting food concept (Healthy vegetarian dinner. Woman in grey jeans and sweater
istock

Davis says that if you engage in a healthy food routine first, it is wise to start small by choosing some key habits that you would like to approach. For example, you can start by eating several of the same foods, but change the size of your portion by eating smaller plates. Alternatively, you can start by moving the proportions of your plate and presenting vegetables as a main dish and minimizing meat as an accompaniment dish.

"I recommend that people make small changes instead of completely redoing their nutrition," said Davis. "If someone has eaten too much for years or not to eat healthy, ask them all of a sudden, making a change will be difficult to respect. Decomposing into small feasable steps."

10
Use non -food rewards.

couple at a spa together
Ufabizphoto / Shutterstock

Finally, you can motivate yourself to eat healthier using non -food rewards to celebrate the achievement of your goals. For example, if you successfully take it to your plan for a week, you could take you to see a film in the theater or make follies on a new nail polish that you may not buy otherwise. When you reach more important goals - for example, stick to your plan for a month - give yourself an even greater reward.

These are particularly effective if they are oriented towards personal care Or approach impulses that could cause dietary or unhealthy food diagrams. For example, if you notice that you eat unhealthy as a way to appease stress, get a massage for each week of healthy food can help reward your good behavior while helping the underlying problem.

For more well-being advice sent directly to your reception box, Register for our daily newsletter .

Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. If you have health questions or concerns, always consult your health care provider directly.


These two people learned that they were brothers and sisters 34 years after being separated
These two people learned that they were brothers and sisters 34 years after being separated
Side effects of marijuana smoking every day, according to science
Side effects of marijuana smoking every day, according to science
Doing this at night could lead to heart failure, study warnings
Doing this at night could lead to heart failure, study warnings