52 Healthy Habits: Meal Prep That Actually Fits Your Lifestyle

Welcome to the latest edition of 52 Healthy habits when each week we talk about a new healthy habit that can be developed and cultivated for an overall healthier lifestyle. I am a big believer in habits, because they are the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle. It's not about willpower or self-discipline (if it was, I'd be in big trouble). It's about developing small habits one at time, slowly over time until your healthy lifestyle is effortless.

It's not about how fast you start, it's how long you stay consistent over time. Too much too soon can lead to overwhelm, burnout and failure. Each week we go in depth on one simple new healthy habit. You can follow along and try my habits or do one that works for you and your lifestyle. The first step is awareness. What is one small thing you can do today that will take you one step closer to your goals? 

MEAL PREP

The reason I like meal prep is because it takes the guess work out of your meals. When you plan ahead with healthy meals that you enjoy, you're less likely to feel frazzled and order pizza or takeout after a long day. Strategy trumps willpower. Having a plan in place in advance will make all those meal decisions just a little bit easier. 

Meal prep can seem overwhelming at first if you've seen the pictures on Instagram or Facebook of 21 tupperware containers perfectly portioned with grilled chicken, broccoli and rice. That can be an effective way to plan your meals for the week, but realize that it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. If you're thinking there is no way you can plan 21 meals in advance or eat the same boring thing every day all week, then there is a meal prep plan that will work for you too.

The idea is to make meal prep work for your lifestyle and preferences. Don't try to force something that won't work for your lifestyle. You're probably not a professional bodybuilder or physique competitor, so you don't have to meal prep like one. If you hate chicken and broccoli, then meal prepping chicken and broccoli will never work for you. There are plenty of ways to meal prep the healthy foods you and your family will enjoy. Find what works for you. Start small. Build over time. 

This always makes me giggle:

Meal prepping is easy! pic.twitter.com/z6940P2g7T

— Doug The Pug (@itsdougthepug) March 13, 2017

MEAL PREP BREAKFAST IDEAS (THINK OUTSIDE THE DONUT BOX)

I know what it's like. You hit snooze one too many times, your kids won't put on their shoes, your husband can't find his briefcase (or tool bag), the news is reporting an accident on the highway you take to get to work and the kid's school bus is due in 10 minutes. Sounds about right. What about breakfast? Everyone could get a Pop Tart for the road, or with a little planning ahead, you can prepare a few healthy portable options that work within your crazy life. 

OVERNIGHT OATS

In small portable jars add 1/3 cup of raw (uncooked) raw oats, 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt. Put in the fridge overnight and let the oats soak up the liquids. In the morning, the topping options are endless, try berries, fruit, ground chia seeds, cinnamon and natural granola or nuts for some healthy crunch. 

EGG MUFFINS

Mix together whole eggs or a combo of whole eggs and egg whites (keep in mind that the yolks are healthy), chopped veggies (try tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions, jalapenos, spinach, the possibilities are endless), shredded cheese, protein (turkey bacon or turkey sausage) salt and pepper. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour the egg/veggie mixture into the muffin cups until they are about 3/4 full (they will rise a bit in cooking). Pop it in the oven at 350 for 30-35 minutes until the eggs are firm. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat. Wrap in a paper towel and microwave them when ready to eat. It's a perfect grab on the go meal. Pair with a banana for a well-rounded breakfast.

HARD BOILED EGGS

If prepping overnight oats or egg muffins still seems like too much, you can simply hard-boil some eggs in advance. A couple of hard-boiled eggs is the perfect portable breakfast on the go. I like to pair with a piece of fruit for a balanced breakfast.

MEAL PREP LUNCH IDEAS (THINK OUTSIDE JACK IN THE BOX)

Work is hectic. Your boss is tough, your co-workers are whiny, your clients are demanding and that deadline is looming. Who has time for lunch? While the vending machine, cafeteria line or fast food drive-through may seem like enticing options so you can scarf down some food and keep working, taking a step away from the computer to have a quick nourishing lunch can actually make you more productive in the afternoon. Packing a healthy lunch in advance will take the guess work out of healthy eating for lunch and get you back to kicking @ss at work a little faster. 

JAR SALADS

I wrote more extensively on mason jar salads, so check out my original post for more in-depth ideas. It's easy to prep multiple salads for the week that won't get soggy (I swear!). First cook enough lean meat for the week. I like to grill (or petition hubby to grill) a couple pounds of chicken on Sundays. Start with a large mason jar and pour a serving of healthy dressing in the bottom. Then add veggies, cooked meat (like grilled chicken) and top with spinach or other salad greens. When you're ready to eat, shake it up and pour it into a bowl. Ta-Da. Make five jars on Sunday and eat all week. Because the dressing is on the bottom of the jar, they don't get soggy. Pinky swear.

REGULAR SALADS

Some people just don't believe me when I tell them the mason jar salads don't get soggy. Some people don't want to take the time to make five salads all at once. That is just fine. It's not about what works for me, it's about what works for you. You can still meal prep your salads even if you don't make them all at once. The key is having the protein already cooked and ready to go. Grill two to three pounds of chicken at one time, refrigerate or freeze what you won't use right away. Each evening, chop vegetables and prep your salad for the next day. Bonus points for chopping all the vegetables for the week in advance and just throwing together the salad ingredients the night before. 

LEFTOVERS

The easiest way to meal prep for lunch is to make extra portions for dinner and pack your leftovers. It doesn't take much extra time to prepare a couple additional portions, so cook in bulk where possible. When planning your dinner, plan an extra portion or two for tomorrow's lunch. 

MEAL PREP DINNER IDEAS (THINK OUTSIDE THE PIZZA BOX)

It's been a long day. You're exhausted. The kids want pizza. Hubby wants pizza. Heck, you kind of want pizza. If you planned ahead you can have a quick healthy meal for the whole family and save the pizza party for a special occasion. 

The secret to effective dinner meal prep is to start with meal components: Cook the protein, some brown rice, potatoes or chop some veggies ahead of time. Come dinner time, this will make a huge difference in quickly getting dinner on the table. 

CROCK POT MEALS

I am a fan of crock pot meals because the crock pot does all the work while you're going about your day. It can be a simple as adding protein like chicken or turkey, then veggies, potatoes, and black beans, the possibilities are endless. Combine flavors to suit your preferences. We make a big pot full of healthy whole-food ingredients and eat it for dinner and lunch for a few days. If we have a lot left over and get tired of eating the same thing after a couple of days, we freeze it for a later time. 

CASSEROLES

Casseroles are a great way to make large portions of a healthy meal to freeze for later. I love this recipe from Slim Sanity for a Chicken and broccoli casserole. I know I kind of poo-poo'd chicken and broccoli in earlier in this post, but if you are going to do chicken and broccoli, this is the way to do it. I love how this recipe adds Greek yogurt and almond milk for a creamy healthy base. Search healthy casseroles on Pinterest for more ideas than you could ever execute. Make ahead of time and freeze for a quick healthy dinner for those hectic work evenings. (Note: evaluate the ingredients of any recipe that claims to be healthy. Look for whole foods ingredients. Just because it says healthy in the title, doesn't necessarily mean that it is healthy.)

HEALTHY MEAL DELIVERY SERVICES

If you are just too busy to do any real meal prep, another option for dinner is one of those meal delivery services. You could choose one that delivers the healthy meals ready to heat and eat or one that delivers all the ingredients in proper portions and the recipe for quick dinner with very little advanced prep needed. It may be a little more expensive than meal planning and shopping for groceries yourself, but it is worth the investment if you honestly can't find the time to meal prep.

I hope I gave you some ideas to start prepping healthy meals. Remember it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. Start with breakfast, once that becomes a habit, move on to lunch. Once you decide you want to make healthier choices and do a little planning ahead, I think you will find that meal prep can become just another healthy habit in your lifestyle. 

Will you give it a try? Let me know how it goes. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

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52 Healthy Habits: 10 Easy Healthy Nutrition Swaps

Have you been following along with my 52 Healthy habits series? Each Monday we talk about the habits we can develop to in order to live a healthier life. Habits are the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle. You don't have to change all your bad habits or attempt to develop a ton of new healthy habits all at once. In fact, trying to do too much at once can cause overwhelm and ultimately, failure. We, as humans, don't respond well to a lot of changes at once. A better strategy is to tackle one new healthy habit and take the time to cultivate it. Once you have a handle on it, add in another. The slow build approach is a much more sane and sustainable approach over the long term. After all, this is a healthy lifestyle, not a healthy 21 days, healthy 12 weeks or even a healthy year. We want to make changes that stick for life. Are you in? Let's get to it. 

Sometimes the easiest way to change those behaviors that don't bring us closer to our goals, is to make healthy swaps instead. Good or bad, we have already have developed the habit, now we can work on how to make that habit healthier. 

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link in this post and make a purchase I make a small percentage of the sale with no additional cost to you. No one is getting rich here, it just helps with the costs associated with running (pun intended) this blog.

TEA INSTEAD OF COFFEE

I may be biased here because I am on a break from coffee and feeling great, but I have found swapping my regular morning coffee for hot tea was an easy transition (I mean, after the debilitating headaches went away, of course.) Drinking a hot beverage in my favorite mug was a habit, I replaced that hot beverage for a healthier alternative and now drinking hot tea is my new habit. I go on a break from coffee once a quarter in order to reset my caffeine tolerance, so I am not so dependant on it for those early morning wake up calls. (I was going to say early morning workouts, but let's be real, I haven't been up for an early morning workout in months.)

CINNAMON INSTEAD OF SUGAR IN COFFEE

I love my coffee (which is why I do a reset once a quarter, so I can fully enjoy it again after my break). Drinking coffee is not a bad habit in itself. Caffeine has its health benefits. Usually it's what you add in your coffee that can be the problem. When you add processed flavored creamers and sugars, or order the 500 calorie barista-made drink, you're just consuming empty calories. There's nothing wrong with treating yourself once in awhile, It only becomes an obstacle to achieving your goals when it's a habit.

Swapping cinnamon for sugar is a great way to add flavor and spice to your black coffee without adding sugar. 

SELTZER WATER INSTEAD OF SODA

I was a Diet Coke fanatic for most of my adult life. I wasn't able to quit my several-a-day habit until I found a suitable replacement. Enter seltzer water. I swapped my daily Diet Coke for the fizzy goodness of seltzer water. It's important to note that seltzer water isn't sweet like soda because it doesn't have sugar or artificial sweeteners. It took some time for my taste buds to adjust, but now it is an easy choice for life. 

PLAIN YOGURT WITH FRUIT INSTEAD OF YOGURT CUPS

I've said this before, but it bears repeating now. Most of the yogurt cups you find in the grocery store are not health foods. They often have as much sugar as ice cream (It's no wonder they taste so good!) and riddled with processed ingredients, but are regularly marketed as a healthy choice. Of course, there are exceptions. I like the Siggi's brand for a healthier alternative, it is lower in sugar and higher in protein. Most of the big name yogurts on the grocery store shelf are junk foods masquerading as health foods. 

Swap your yogurt cups for a tub of plain Greek yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt is high in protein. Add fresh or frozen berries, fruit or natural granola. I bought a 8 pack of reusable small plastic cups with lids in order to pack my healthy yogurts for lunch. 

GREEK YOGURT INSTEAD OF SOUR CREAM

Yeah, I thought it sounded a little weird too, but you'll hardly know the difference. Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes, salad dressings, dips and of course, on tacos. It has more protein and fewer calories than sour cream. Our favorite way to use Greek yogurt in a recipe is in our turkey mushroom caps.

OATMEAL INSTEAD OF CEREAL

No one ever mistook Fruity Pebbles as a health food, but even the healthiest-marketed boxed cereals usually have too much sugar, too many processed ingredients or are too low in nutrients. If you enjoy it, it's fine as an occasional treat, but there are better choices for your daily breakfast habit. A great swap for boxed cereal is old fashioned oatmeal flavored with cinnamon, berries and/or fruit. Add a scoop of protein powder and chopped nuts for a balanced breakfast of healthy carbohydrates, proteins and fats. 

TAKE A WALK INSTEAD OF DESSERT

We all love our dessert and it should be enjoyed once in awhile, but a better after-dinner habit is a daily walk. I know a walk doesn't sound as enticing as a piece of pie, but hear me out. A quick daily walk after a meal helps with digestion, gets you moving and burning calories with minimal impact on your body. You get some fresh air, quality time away from electronics and your dog will thank you too. If you think you don't have time, start with five minutes. Walk to the end of the block and back. Then over time you can work on building up duration and distance.

FROZEN BLENDED BANANAS INSTEAD OF ICE CREAM

Seriously, have you tried this? Take two to three frozen bananas and let thaw slightly before adding to a food processor or blender. Blend slowly until they have an ice cream-like consistency. Add protein powder, cocoa powder or peanut butter powder for flavoring. Share with a friend. A delicious healthy swap for ice cream. 

SPINACH INSTEAD OF ICEBERG LETTUCE

Swap that iceberg for a nutrient-dense alternative, like fresh spinach. Spinach has vitamins, minerals, fiber and even boasts a bit of protein. It is much more nutritious than iceberg and less expensive than those pre-bagged lettuce mixes. We buy a few bunches of spinach and use in our salads all week. 

SPAGHETTI SQUASH INSTEAD OF PASTA

I saved the best for last. I love spaghetti squash as an alternative to traditional pasta. We add low-sugar pasta sauce, parmesan cheese and ground turkey and we can hardly tell the difference from our regular spaghetti dish. If you have a spiralizer, you make spaghetti-like noodles out of almost any vegetable. 

What are your favorite healthy swaps? Did I miss any? Did I give you any ideas? Pick one to try and let me know how it goes. 

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52 Healthy Habits: Pantry Cleanout Challenge

Welcome to the latest edition of 52 Healthy habits when each week, we tackle a new practice to improve our healthy lifestyle. It's not about changing all your bad habits at once, but making incremental improvements over time. Working on developing healthy habits, rather than trying to overhaul your whole life at once, is a much more sane and sustainable approach to healthy living. When we're trying to eat healthier, sometimes the problem lies not in the decisions we make today, but in the choices we made in the past. When we load up refrigerators, our freezers, and our pantries with unhealthy food, it can make it more challenging to reach for healthy ones. When you're hungry, will you reach for a handful of potato chips or an apple? What if the chips weren't there? The first step in changing our eating habits for the better maybe in cleaning out our existing food supply. If you keep unhealthy foods out of arm's reach, you are less likely to eat them.

THE PANTRY CLEANOUT CHALLENGE

Take everything out of the pantry and place it on nearby kitchen counters or tables. (This may also be an excellent opportunity to wipe down the empty pantry shelves because if you are anything like me, this doesn't happen very often.)

THROW AWAY EXPIRED FOODS

Look at the expiration date and 'best by' dates on the foods in your pantry and start by throwing away aged food. It's an easy first sweep through the contents in your pantry. I often find items from 2004 that I swear I was going to get around to eating someday. Throw it away.

NEXT, IDENTIFY RED FLAG FOODS

Red flag foods are heavily processed foods with a lot of added sugar, sodium, and processed ingredients. Carefully evaluate items like chips, cookies, crackers, candy, high-sugar cereals, high-sodium soups, and most packaged snack foods. Who in the family consumes them? Is there a healthier alternative? Are they a temptation? That's not to say you shouldn't save a few treats, but be honest with yourself and only keep the foods that know you can maintain control over. If you've never opened a bag of chips without polishing the whole thing off (raises hand), it might be a good idea to get rid of them. For a healthier pantry and less risk of temptation, reduce these types of foods.

LEARN TO READ NUTRITION LABELS

Once you have rid your pantry of expired foods and red flag foods, it's time to take a third sweep through and look for sneaky foods that may be masquerading as healthy foods but are not. Food marketing labels sometimes use buzzwords that claim foods are all-natural, organic, gluten-free, sugar-free, all-natural, vitamin-enriched, or multi-grain, but these labels are often meaningless marketing.

Organic fruit rollups are not healthy; gluten-free cupcakes are low-nutrient junk food, low-carb cookies are...well, cookies. The key to not being misled by food marketing labels is to understand how to read a nutrition label. 

Read the ingredient list first. It will tell you almost everything you need to know. Ingredients are from highest amount to lowest, so if sugar is the first ingredient, it has more sugar than anything else. Other names for sugar in ingredients lists are corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, maltose, malt syrup, cane crystals, evaporated cane juice.

Look for ingredients that you recognize. If the ingredient list has partially-hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, or long words you can't pronounce or understand, it likely doesn't fall into the healthy category, no matter what the marketing label says. 

Then look at the nutrition label and make sure the sugar, sodium, and calories are in line with your goals. Pay attention to portion size listed on the package; often, one small package will claim to have several servings to make the calorie count seem lower. I'm sorry, but three crackers are not one serving in my world.

Take everything you learned about reading nutrition labels and make a final sweep of your pantry.

BE REALISTIC

Not everyone can afford to throw away all the food in their pantry and replace it with new healthy food. There are often foods in my pantry that are not the healthiest choice, but not the worst either. My husband likes to buy those packaged flavored rice mixes and boxed pasta salads. Last week he purchased Star Wars mac & cheese because he wanted the box. Hah. There are definitely healthier choices for side dishes, like vegetables, plain brown rice, potatoes, or quinoa.

However, I live in the real world, where every morsel I consume is not worthy of a health food standing ovation. Honestly, I'd rather not waste these foods by throwing them away. I'd rather eat through them in moderation, in proper portions, then make a choice (or convince hubby) not to rebuy them in the future. I know I can eat Yoda-shaped macaroni without my whole, healthy living plan falling apart. It's not about being perfect; it's about making good choices most of the time. My boxed pasta salad in proper portions in moderation (occasionally) is still probably better than a restaurant meal. One less-than-perfectly-healthy side dish is not going to ruin my health or fitness progress. Moving away from the perfect-or-nothing mindset is the first step in living a healthy lifestyle. 

CREATE A SHOPPING LIST RESTOCK WITH HEALTHY STAPLES

• Once you've followed the steps above, it's time to restock your pantry with what is left and create a shopping list for healthy staples. 

• beans

• lentils

• tomato sauce, tomato paste with no sugar added

• canned vegetables

• canned fruits in water

• raw nuts (watch out for added sugars and oils in 'flavored' nuts)

• oatmeal

• rice

• quinoa

• whole wheat flour, almond or coconut

• healthy fats like extra virgin olive, grape seed, avocado, coconut oil

• vinegar

• low-sodium broths like chicken, vegetable, beef

• pouched or canned protein like tuna, salmon, sardines, chicken

• low-sodium turkey jerky

• honey

• green tea

• protein powder

• natural peanut butter and other nut butter

Once you tackle your pantry, you can follow the same process to clean out your fridge and freezer...but one step at a time. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to do too much at once.

Just looking at all the labels in your pantry and evaluating them to become more aware of what you are consuming is a fabulous first step, even if you don't throw away or replace a single item. 

Does your pantry need a healthy makeover? Have questions? I'd love to help!

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Eat to Run: Nutrition 101 for Athletes (That Means You)

I am working on my running and strength training program that helps runners find that balance between a solid running program and the needed strength training. If you follow along on Wednesdays, I am releasing a new component of the exercise portions of the program each week. 

As important as it is to get in the workouts, it is just as important to get in your rest, recovery and nutrition. As an athlete (yes, you.) you want to eat to maximize your performance. No matter what your goals are, nutrition is one of the most important factors in success.

Think like goldilocks. Not too little, not too much. Just right. 

If you eat too little then your performance will suffer, your runs and workouts may feel sluggish and difficult. You could risk injury, illness or burnout. Without adequate calorie intake you could be missing out on important macro and micro nutrients and that will make anyone feel worse than Snuffleupagus running uphill in the heat in Texas.

If you eat too much, you could be promoting fat storage. Often when we exercise intensly our hunger signals go crazy, so we end up eating more than we need.

The key is finding the right balance to sustain your activity levels, which may take some experimenting. Some people who track calories find the formula of between 11-12 calories per pound of bodyweight a good place to start, while tracking outcomes and adjusting as needed.

Others try to eat mindfully, focusing on portion sizes, tuning into hunger signals and eating slowly. This takes some practice and experimenting and can't be fully summed up in one sentence. I wrote a post about mindful eating here that may be helpful if you want to learn more.

The key is to track and pay attention to outcomes and adjust your intake accordingly. Feeling sluggish during your workouts? Try adding more calories and see how you feel. Feeling bloated and uncomfortable? Scale moving in the wrong direction? Make adjustments as needed. 

If you are thinking, "D'uh, Lea. I got it. Don't eat too much and don't eat too little, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out" but still are having trouble finding that balance, talk to me about nutrition coaching. I can help guide you through the process because knowing and doing are not always the same thing. Most of us know what to do, but executing over the long term is the hard part. Often a support system is the missing piece. I am here to help. 

Focus on food quality

All the foods we eat are made up of macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat. While popular fad diets may try to convince us that eliminating carbs or fats from our diet is the secret to losing weight, I'd argue that to look, feel and perform your best, you need them all. The key is the focus on the quality and portion size of each macronutrient.

Let's try to choose whole food sources for each macronutrient. If it comes from nature, it's usually a great choice, poisonous berries and snake venom notwithstanding. hah.

Carbohydrates

Most athletes need carbs. Carbohydrates are our body's preferred energy source. While some people may lose weight in the short term on a low carb diet it is not ideal for athletic performance.

However, our body's tolerance to carbohydrates is largely individual, which means some people may thrive on a lower carb diet while others may morph into a slightly scarier version of the Wicked Witch of the West (raises hand). But this isn't about what works for me, it's about what works for you and your individual needs and preferences. 

On the other hand, If you heard about carb-loading and think you need three servings of pasta the night before your next 5k, things may not be as they seem. While carbohydrates are important, we shouldn't use carb-loading as an excuse to over-indulge. If you are running a half or full marathon, gradually increasing your carb intake over a few weeks before race day can increase glycogen storage, which may help with performance on race day. Eating a whole pizza the night before your race will likely make you feel like crap, and you may have to literally crap on the course. (Sorry. hah.)

The key is to focus on carb quality and portions. Choose nutrient-rich carbs that come from nature in appropriate portions. Healthy foods like fruits, potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal and vegetables are all good choices. Cut back on processed carbs like crackers, chips, bread, sodas, packaged foods and added sugars. You don't need to eliminate completely if you enjoy these things, just reduce your overall intake so they are occasional indulgences, rather than daily staples. 

If you are trying to lose weight while exercising intensely, try timing most of your carbohydrate intake to before and after your workouts and limiting starchy carbs (potatoes, rice, etc.) on non-exercise days. 

Fat

The key to healthy fat intake is monitoring the quality and portion size. A gram of fat has 9 calories, which is more than the 4 calories per gram for carbs and protein, so while healthy fats should be included in an athlete's diet, be mindful of portion sizes as fats can be easier to overeat. Some examples of healthy fats are fatty fish, nuts, dairy, olive oil and avocados. An easy and effective way to measure fat portions is to add a thumb size of fats at each meal. How many pistachios are the same size as your thumb? How much of that avocado is a thumb-sized portion? That's a good place to start. 

Protein

We need protein to maintain, repair and build muscle. Start by adding .5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, depending on your goals (weightlifters need more than endurance athletes). If you have not been tracking protein intake, you may find you come up a little short. I did. Lean meats are great high protein sources, you can also find protein in eggs, Greek yogurt (I prefer plain, no sugar added) and cottage cheese. Protein supplements like powders are great for filling out your protein needs if you are coming up short, but always aim for whole food sources first. Check out this post I wrote on protein intake for more information.

Putting it all together

When planning your meals, opt for a whole-food serving of protein, a serving of fat and a serving of starchy carbs (workout days) and/or vegetables at each meal. 

A breakfast might be two whole eggs, an egg white cooked with spinach, a serving of old-fashioned oatmeal flavored with cinnamon and fresh berries.

Lunch may be a spinach salad with lots of vegetables, grilled chicken, a thumb-sized portion of avocado and a piece of fruit.

Dinner could be salmon, a serving of sweet potatoes and stir-fried vegetables. 

I am a big believer in balance and variety, so eat the delicious natural foods that nourish you, but find room in your diet to enjoy the indulgent foods you love in moderation. There is room for it all when we are mindful about making healthy choices most of the time. 

Need help with your nutrition strategy? Tired of dieting? Want help developing healthy habits while staying sane and balanced? Looking for long term results? My nutrition habits coaching program is a 12 month habit-based system expertly designed by Precision Nutrition for people who are tired of quick fixes, empty promises and are willing to put in the effort to make lasting changes.

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52 Healthy Habits: Overcoming the All-or-Nothing Mindset

Welcome to the latest edition of 52 Healthy habits where we tackle a new healthy habit each week. A healthy lifestyle is built on a foundation of healthy habits. If we work on building healthy habits slowly over time then a healthy lifestyle and its benefits will emerge. 

You can try to work on the habits I write about each week or adopt your own. Look to make incremental improvements and over time they will snowball into big changes. Slow and steady, baby. 

watch your habits, not your weight.

This week we are talking about a subject that is near and dear, the all-or-nothing mindset. It was something that I struggled with for the better part of a decade. I was all-in or all-out and my weight reflected the inconsistency. I would run a lot and only eat "clean" foods for as long as my willpower would allow, all while telling myself that I was living a healthy lifestyle. (I was not. A healthy lifestyle includes the body and mind.)

I couldn't execute moderation because anytime I fell off the 'perfect' wagon, it turned into an endless pit of unhealthy behaviors. "I already screwed up today, why stop now?" "I shouldn't have ate that. I'll start over fresh on Monday and enjoy the rest of the weekend." "I'll finish this bottle of wine, then I won't buy anymore."

"Hard-core starts Monday" we repeated so many times week after week with no real changes, it became laughable. 

But hard-core isn't sustainable. The problem with all-or-nothing is that if you are not on your diet and exercise routine, then you're completely off.  It's akin to getting one flat tire on your car and then slashing the other three. It's already bad, why not make it worse?

But a truly healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be that way. A healthy lifestyle involves caring about your health and making mindful choices all while enjoying the pleasures of life in moderation. There is no "wagon" to fall off. You do the best you can every day and your best is good enough, even when (especially when) it's not perfect.

Some say moderation doesn't work. And I agree that there are times that one may need to abstain from certain foods. Just like you wouldn't tell an alcoholic to just drink in moderation, sometimes certain foods can be red flag foods. If you have never opened a family-sized bag of chips without polishing the whole thing off, it might be best not to ever open that bag (or only buy single serving bags). If you can't stop eating the pizza at two slices, you may decide it is best to not order the pizza. The key is to know your limits.

If you have eating issues that are beyond your control, I recommend that you speak to a Registered Dietitian to help you work through it. Sometimes the roots of food issues aren't about food at all and a professional can help you get them resolved. There is great strength in asking for help.

FROM ALL-OR-NOTHING TO JUT A LITTLE BIT BETTER

We often don't think about mindset as a habit, but establishing a healthy attitude towards food is a habit that can be trained. 

As a recovering All-or-Nothing thinker, these days I aim to look at my choices on a continuum. How can I make this a little bit better? 

You see, it's not about making perfect choices all the time. It's about making the best choice possible in the moment. 

It's a friend's birthday and group of close friends are meeting at a burger restaurant to celebrate. Friends and celebration are an important part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Human connection is essential for happiness. You want to enjoy time with friends but you want to make healthy choices to reach your health and fitness goals. You are not going to show up with tupperware of chicken and broccoli. Don't be that guy (or gal). You don't have to choose between time with friends and a healthy lifestyle. You can settle somewhere right in the middle. 

You have options:

You could order a burger with bacon and cheese, large fries and three beers and then declare that the week is screwed up now and continue to eat poorly for the rest of the day, the rest of the week, until a new Monday rolls around when you can pinky swear to yourself that you will start over.

You could order a burger with bacon and cheese, large fries and two beers and consider it your indulgence meal for the week. 

You could order the burger, skip the bacon, but ask for a whole wheat bun, share the fries with a friend and order one beer.

You could order the burger, skip the bun, order a side salad instead of fries and a diet coke.

You could order a salad and water.

There is no right or wrong answer when you look at your options and ask, "How can I make this choice a little bit better?" It doesn't have to be perfect, just better. 

Another example: A co-worker mentioned to me that he knew he should be eating healthier at lunch. He would usually run out to a fast food restaurant out of convenience, but he said he wanted to save money and eat a little healthier. He said he could bring a sandwich from home and a small bag of chips because it was inexpensive and easy to throw together before work, but he said he thought eating bread and chips every day wasn't that healthy either...might as well keep ordering fast food. 

Yes, maybe eating a sandwich and chips everyday is not the perfect balanced healthy lunch, however, it is a big improvement on a fast food meal. It is better quality food with less processing and calories. It's not perfect, but it's better. Maybe after the habit of bringing a sandwich from home is established, he would be really and willing to upgrade his choices. Just a little bit better. Inch forward slowly.

He didn't need to overhaul his lunch routine with Sunday night meal prep of perfectly balanced macronutrients, because that would likely be too overwhelming and he ultimately wouldn't do it. Making a sandwich, trying to choose healthier components (whole wheat bread, natural meats, vegetables, etc.) is the first step. After the habit is established, maybe he can ask himself again, "How can I make this a little bit better?" Maybe he could replace the sandwich with a salad or the chips with fruit...when's he ready. 

"How can I make this a little bit better?" is the solution to the all-or-nothing mindset. Forget perfect. Work on just a little bit better. Maybe it's portion size. Maybe it's food quality. Maybe it's food selection. There are always ways to make it just a little bit better. 

And just so you don't get too hard on yourself when you are not perfect (news flash: no one is), just for fun, look at the foods you are eating and ask yourself, "What would make this a little bit worse?" It's about perspective. I'm not saying to act on the worse version, just think about what it would look like.

If you are mindful of your choices, try to choose healthy options when they are available and look for ways to make small improvements in all your choices, you'll be well on your way to a healthy body and mind.

Need help with your nutrition strategy? Tired of dieting? Want help developing healthy habits while staying sane and balanced? My nutrition and lifestyle coaching program begins in June, get on the list for a big pre-sale discount. 

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Coach Lea