Healthy Eating 101 - Beginners Level 1

Let's face it; if you want to eat healthy or get that ideal body type, there is a lot of work to it. From counting calories to purchasing more expensive food, it can be time consuming as well as costly. But if you do want to eat healthier, you have to count calories and purchase the more expensive food. Let's take baby steps first before we jump into the more advanced stuff. Start by changing your food habits.

Level 1: Change your habits

Eat Right to Feel Right
 
Ask yourself this: How is my diet? If your thinking diet as in eating salads or starving yourself to get skinnier, YOU'RE WRONG!!! The definition of diet that I am referring to is what you eat and drink regularly. Now ask yourself again: What does my diet consist of? Let's take steps to change it for the better.

Eat real food, period. I know you know what real foods are: fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and nuts (just to name a few). So throw away and eliminate the junk food from your diet. Goodbye to chips, pastries, candy, chocolate, processed foods...........you know where I'm going with this. SAY NO TO JUNK! You might think, What is life without chips and candy? You must be crazy to tell me to stop eating chocolate. Everyone loves chocolate. Junk food is filled with, well, JUNK! It's filled with fat, carbohydrates, and calories. 

  

No more sugary drinks. Yes, that means no more soda, juice, and other drinks filled with a lot of sugar. These drinks, as I like to call empty calories, is nothing but a waste of calorie intake. You don't benefit from them at all as it contains high calories, carbohydrates, and little to no nutrients. Replace your sugary drinks with no-calorie or unsweetened drinks such as: water, black coffee, tea, etc. Try to drink water the most. Remember, your body is 60% water. Not only does it hydrate you, it can help you control your calorie intake. 

Stop eating before bed. Simple, right? Eating before bed does not cause weight gain. So why do you need to change this habit?  There is a possibility that you're more likely to over eat and skip breakfast the next day, or you reach for the junk food.

Shop smarter. What does this have to do with my diet? Um...everything! You have to buy food to eat. If you change your shopping habits, you can change your eating habits. Plan your trip and make a list of all the healthy foods. While you're in the store, stay away from the snack aisle with the chips and soda, and the bakery section. And of course, the number one rule of grocery shopping: Don't go shopping on an empty stomach! If you get hungry as you're shopping, you will be tempted to reach for junk food. So stick to your list and make sure you have self-control. Also, check out this post on tips for grocery shopping on a budget.
 
Now that I have provided you with suggestions, change your habits with these easy and simple steps. Not only will you begin your journey to reach your goals, you will feel better about yourself for taking the first steps. This is the start to your journey, so don't question it or yourself.