Today I am sharing 6 simple ways to help you get honest about your eating habits
6 Simple tips to get honest about your eating habits and what could be holding you back from achieving your weight loss goals
So that you can continue making progress on your weight loss journey and living your best life
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Why our eating habits matter
We all know the basic formula for weight loss success: eat right, workout and you’re good to go
Simple enough right? then why does it seem so much harder than that!
What it truly comes down to is the habits we play out every day when it comes to choosing what to eat
Working out and being active is great
I believe working out is necessary for overall weight loss success
But where you find the most success with weight loss though is a calorie deficit and what you are consuming
You physiologically need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight
and I am sure you’ve heard many people before say “you can’t out run a bad diet”
Or “abs are made in the kitchen”
Because it is the truth!
Getting Honest with Ourselves and Our Eating Habits
I feel personally one of the hardest things about weight loss is recognizing or admitting that our habits could be sabotaging our goals
I really want a second cup of coffee every morning
And I have fallen into the habit of having that second cup…with creamer 😅 (more on that later)…
Sugary and delicious it gets me going and I find myself making excuses for why I need that second cup!
Convincing myself it’s not that bad or “I’ll just make up the calories later”
Oh the things we tell ourselves!
I can think of so many more reasons not to have that second cup
Too much sugar, dehydrating, heavy feeling, coffee breath!
But the few positives lure me every time
I am resisting the truth, and doing myself a disservice
We are by nature resistant to change
Though if we can recognize our old habits for what they are… and recognizing that they could be sabotaging our goals
We can move forward on healthier habits that will become second nature to us
As second nature as a second cup of coffee once was 😛
Sharing 6 tips to get honest about your eating habits
Today we are covering 6 habits that have helped me become more aware of my eating behaviors and habits
And how that helps me make better choices that align with my weight loss goals
These tips can help you spot areas in your overall diet that you may be sabotaging yourself without even realizing it
or maybe you’ve chosen to ignore a certain behavior…
No worries, we’re covering today:
- What are you resilient to
- How do you feel
- Liquid calories
- Oblivious Grazing
- Not saying no
- Environment
Get Honest About your Eating Tip 1: Resilient to Change
- Are you having a hard time giving up your favorite go to habits and routines that sabotage you
These are the habits we know are probably not good for our goals, but find ourselves holding onto them at all costs
and to the cost of our weight loss progress
When we first start losing weight our bodies respond quickly
We increase our activity and start making better eating choices, and we start to lose weight
And then eventually the weight loss slows down and we can hit a plateu
Our bodies have adapted to our new lifestyle
Depending on what your goals are
You will need to decide to start recognizing eating habits that could be holding you back from achieving your goals
Some of the biggest habits that set me back personally are:
- Not planning ahead for my meals
- Snacking instead of eating a meal
- Not getting enough protein
- Excessive sugar
- Prioritizing coffee over water
I have managed so far to lose 30 lbs, so it is not like I have not been successful so far
but I stopped losing weight for a couple months during December and January
That let me know it is time to get really honest with my eating habits and behaviors
Make a game plan:
- Recognize and track what habits you feel (or know) are setting you back
- Count your calories for a couple weeks to identify possible differences in what you think you’re eating vs what you actually are eating
- Work on one habit you want to change at a time, it is about gradual changes over time that are sustainable
- Set intentions on how you want to serve your body, how you want to look and feel
- Journal and track the habits you want to work on, keep the changes you want to make fresh in your mind as you travel along your journey to wellness
Get Honest about your Eating Tip 2: How do you Feel
2. How do you really feel before and after you finish a meal
A huge indicator for me being on the right track is that when I am eating optimally I feel my best
I wake up feeling lighter and truly hungry because I ate foods I know my body uses efficiently
My body does not feel bad physically after meals, weighed down or sluggish
Overall I feel more energetic
And I am able to eat with intention and stop when I am actually full, listening to my hunger and satiation cues
Notice how you feel before and after you eat
Make a note of what foods cause what feeling inside you, physically or mentally
When you go for not so ideal options do you feel out of control? Are you really hungry? How will the current options serve your overall goal?
For me personally, when I am not making the best choices for my goals I often experience excess gas, bloating, disruption in my bathroom flow etc.
When I eat foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar like cake and cookies I feel it IMMEDIATELY 😫
Also when I overeat I have that uncomfortable fullness that lingers
Then I get frustrated and not only do I feel bad physically, I beat myself up and feel emotionally bad
Your habits can cause a chain reaction, ask yourself do I want a positive chain reaction or negative chain reaction… I am guessing positive!
Discover what foods make you feel your absolute best
Recognize that they make you feel your best and use that as motivation and inspiration to keep eating those foods
Will you always eat the foods that make you feel 100%, 100% of the time?
Probably not!
We are not striving for perfection but we are working towards healthier habits to lose weight, feel fit and energetic!
So choose foods frequently that represent what you want out of life, and don’t stress when you don’t
Again learning new habits is a process and a journey, and we do better as we go!
Get Honest about your Eating Tip 3: Liquid Calories
3. Do you struggle to avoid liquid calories
Ok, I am gonna pop off on the coffee thing one more time! (as mentioned earlier 😛)
One of the biggest habits for me personally was liquid calories/ drinking sugar calories
A hot drink by my side as I get some work done or errands… Starbucks I am looking at you!
A refreshing cold, sweet and sour lemonade while enjoying a sunny afternoon
Those freaking Pure Leaf Hibiscus Herbal Brewed teas… just too GOOD!
I always thought I could balance it out by eating less later to fit my calorie goals
But I find that leaves me hungry or easily surpassing my calories for the day causing me stress
Getting honest about those liquid calories…
My two cups of coffee each morning with the creamer I added literally topped 200 calories per cup!!!
So 400 calories in just coffee and creamer before I even touched food!
That is a whole meal in sugar juice
And don’t get me wrong I think having some sugar is totally fine if you can fit it into your eating plan
But part of changing our not so ideal habits is being honest about where we could be excessive in our eating
These drinks add calories for no volume and no hunger fulfillment
So you can overconsume very easily because you are left hungry even though you consumed possibly a meals worth of calories in liquid!
You don’t have to give it all up though!!!
You most definitely can still enjoy your favorite beverages in moderation
The point is to become more aware of your consumption and cut back where you can
Start making simple swaps such as a more macro friendly creamer or an unsweetened iced tea
What has helped me the most is switching my second cup of coffee for a cup of hot unsweetened vanilla decaf chai tea with a splash of milk
This still gives me the comfort of a hot beverage while I work without bombing myself with calories and sugar!
Try some fruit infused water or just commit to drinking more water!
There are fun ways to track your water consumption too such as using a habit tracker, marking your calendar each day you achieve your water goal
Or if you don’t mind investing a little money you can use fun containers like this motivational water jug or fruit infusing water bottles
Get Honest about your Eating Tip 4: Oblivious Grazing
4. Do you find yourself grazing and snacking without thought?
This one hits home for me because I love a good snack
Snacks EXCITE me!
There are so many fun and cool snacks out there nowadays and I sometimes get carried away…
Another confession I also love to graze on food before a meal, ya feel me 😛
Little bit of shredded cheese here, a little bit of bread there…maybe a pat of butter showed up who knows anything is possible!
What I have discovered though
I tend to do this when I am very hungry before lunch/dinner (grazing) and when I don’t eat full meals (snacking)
I mean…
Snacks are the lazy girls favorite, you just grab and go
Don’t feel like making a meal, a few snacks will do!
The problem is we are not nourishing our bodies or fulfilling our hunger by grazing on snacks all day
And it boils down to a lack of planning and forethought
Losing weight does take a plan of attack, and when we fail to plan, we fail to show up for ourselves
When we don’t provide our bodies satiating meals that fuel us it then can lead to grazing when you finally start to make a an actual meal
Plan ahead:
Am I asking you to go all out on creating a super detailed menu and eating plan?
No, you don’t have to get all wild and crazy planning!
Just get an idea of what you want to make a day ahead of time
Usually the night before, while I am making a to do list for the next day I will just think of what I want to eat the next day
And how it will align with my weight loss goals
I think of what produce needs using up, this helps with food wastage too!
Meal prep a protein like shredded chicken or ground turkey, or rice that can be the base for different health focused meals and is ready to go
As mentioned in previous tips write down or journal the days when you snacked or grazed excessively, did you miss a meal or not feel satisfied that day?
Brainstorm ways you can challenge that habit, what steps can you take?
When you put in the work to change these habits success will happen
Just remember to take small steps and forgive yourself along the way, we learn as we go and do better each day
Get Honest about your Eating Tip 5: Not Saying No
5. Do you find yourself struggling to say no when others want to go out to eat or offer you high calorie treats?
Don’t get me wrong I love a good meal out, and I am definitely a fan of Mexican food and Starbucks!
And we can totally fit our favorite foods into weight loss, but sometimes it is easy to keep saying yes when you are constantly put in positions to eat high calorie foods
I mean I have really hard time saying no…
We don’t want to disappoint our friends and family when they invite us out or make us large helpings of our favorites
Me and my family are originally from Texas, need I say more 😛
So what to do?
If you’re feeling good and can fit a higher calorie meal into your day/week then enjoy the food and move on to better balanced choices your next meal
The other option is you’ve been relying on high calorie choices lately and feel that another higher calorie meal will be a disservice to your goals,
or maybe you set a goal that week you want to meet and another heavy meal will not get you serve that goal
First off set up a positive mindset
These foods are not off limits, but need to be eaten more in moderation to meet your weight loss goals
List why you are grateful to be in the situation you’re in, what positives are present in these situations:
- I am so grateful to have friends and family that want to show me love and I know they will understand when I respectfully decline
- I am so grateful for the abundance of foods in my life and that I have the choice and power to control what goes into my body
- I am so grateful to be on this journey and learning new habits such as when to say no
- I am so grateful to be learning how to understand my body and create boundaries when it comes to eating
Shifting your mindset
A shift in our mindset can do wonders for how we see ourselves and our weight loss progress
You are not a bad person for saying no or making choices that are different from you friends and family
If they love you and are support you, saying no will not offend them
or if you want to set boundaries talk to them about your weight loss journey
Ask them not to offer you extra treats and helpings as it is difficult for you to turn down
Go out to eat with your friends and commit to choosing a healthier option
And if you don’t feel you can resist certain foods ask to change restaurants or offer other alternatives like cooking for them, make an evening of it!
Alas, challenge yourself to always be looking for alternative habits that align with your goals
And if you feel trapped think to yourself how you can set your mindset and actions up for success by seeing the positive, not the negative
If you would like another positive mindset resource check out my positive affirmations for weight loss prompts to get inspired
Get Honest about your Eating Tip 6: Your Environment
6. Does the food and environment you surround yourself with not align with your goals?
Maybe you’re currently living back with family that loves good food, you have junk food roommates
Or you tend to buy the fun snacks and treats at the grocery store because they looked too good to pass on
Some of these things we can control, some we cannot
What you can control:
First off we can control what is coming into the kitchen and the house (for the most part)
If you’re not at a point where you can keep certain foods without eating them all up in a jiffy
Then choose to not have foods like that in the house while you are learning new eating habits
Once you feel comfortable with your food intake and weight loss progress you can incorporate these things back into your pantry
For me personally if I get too many goodies sitting around the house I want to eat them!!!
The late night snack hunt is my favorite night time routine!
So I try to limit what sweets are even in the house because out of sight, out of mind (well somewhat out of mind)😂
What you cannot control:
So what if you’re surrounded by delicious treats and heavier food consistently?
What has helped me the most is shifting my routine around to better help me manage cravings and late night sweet attacks
And I am surrounded by sweets all the time, my family loves sweets…a lot, like a lot a lot
First off I told myself dessert is not off limits! and from there I went to find alternatives and routines that fit my new lifestyle
My simple plan of attack has been:
What desserts can I put in the house that better fit my goals?
One of my favorites has been the Lily’s Chocolate Bars
Another is my favorite candy Kinder Bueno
These aren’t healthy but the packaging makes it convenient to have half of the package for 120 calories
And its the perfect little night cap if you desperately need a sweet fix!
Oh, and I can’t forget my favorite Fiber One Brownies!
These are some options that work for me to indulge my sweet tooth without blowing my calories for the day
Also when the people around me are going all in on a brownie and ice cream sundae you can grab something to enjoy and not feel like you are missing out
What routines can I change to avoid unnecessary eating that does not fit my goals?
Another way I approached being surrounded by temptations to over eat was switching up my routines
So that I keep busy during down times when my brain starts telling me I want to snack
This was critical for me later in the day and evening when I tended to start hunting for something to satisfy my need to munch
First I wanted to commit to the routine of enjoying more satiating meals during the day
Then I don’t get hungry later and start munching on whatever is in my near vision like a Tasmanian devil on a mission
I also struggled to avoid giving into high calorie sweets late at night, and they were literally blowing my progress from during the day!
How I got honest and changed those eating habits
I decided to switch up my night routine to include other activities such as journaling and planning my day ahead, spending more time with my rabbit
Finding new self care routines or working on new things to occupy that time like watching informative videos on YouTube
It also physically distances me from other family members eating foods around me and physically distances me from the food itself
This was helpful to me because when something I want is right in front of me I want to just reach out and take it!
My old routine was settling in for some tv, zoning out and munching out, so finding new routines was vital
Step out of your comfort zone
I encourage you to try new hobbies and routines to help you occupy your time vs drifting towards food for comfort and familiarity
If you’d like more inspiration check out 3 easy habit changes to start your weight loss journey
There you will find more habit changes to shift your yourself into weight loss mode with ease in everyday situations; including how I take heavier meals and dilute the calories
Progress will come when you break from the familiar and step into new ways of thinking and challenging old habits
Are you ready to use these 6 simple tips to get honest about your eating habits?
There you have it my beautiful people!
6 simple habits to get you honest about your eating habits
I hope you have found these take away tips to be helpful to you during your weight loss journey
And have better understanding of the ways you can challenge old eating habits and thought patterns to achieve your goals
Recap of the areas we covered today:
- What are you resilient to
- How do you feel
- Liquid calories
- Oblivious Grazing
- Not saying no
- Environment
If you are ever struggling with your eating habits, recall back on this list and utilize the journal prompts throughout this post
And as always I am here to support you in any way I can, my email and DM’s are always open!
Find my Instagram here @diamondinthekale_co for more inspiration and to contact me directly
Take care for now my lovely people, and until next time!
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