Are you making these diet mistakes?
Here are a few “diet“ mistakes that I have made that really set me back instead of making me feel good about myself. I say “diet” in quotes because this is not to indicate a restrictive short term eating plan, but instead what you eat to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Not drinking enough water
Water is life, we are made of water, and we need plenty of it daily. Honestly, drinking the correct amounts of water everyday can help your digestion, your skin and really the entire body will receive its benefits. When I was younger I hated water because “it tastes like nothing” but it’s really a matter of practice. You might have to force drinking it at first but with time you will be drinking the necessary daily amount. My goal is to always finish a bottle (1L) of water before my next meal. The reason I do that is to ensure I am drinking plenty of it and by drinking before eating I am likely to feel satisfied sooner.
Eating until you are full
Sometimes the food is just so delicious that we don’t want to stop, but if we eat until we are so full we cannot move, we increase stress in our digestive system. Normally the stomach expands and then contracts, but if we overeat constantly the stomach will expand and stay that way in order to save energy. What I do to become aware of when I feel satisfied is to eat slow and enjoy every bite, chewing it well and taking deep breaths between mouth fulls and once I feel satisfied I stop. If I don’t finish the plate that’s ok, I put it in a container and finish it another time. Another thing I like to do is eat in a cereal bowl so I stick to the same amount of food daily, and I don’t end up getting more food than I can eat and wasting it!
Anxiety snacking
If you are anything like me you know exactly what I am talking about, when I get anxious nothing seems to calm my nerves and all I want to do is eat. However, eating fruits or veggies do make great snacks that will give you energy, satiation, and have minerals and fiber. This kind of snaking can be really good, but I am talking about the times that I resorted to snacking on not so healthy foods. It’s like I can’t think straight and before I make sense of it I already ate and I’m stuck with the consequences, stomach cramps, and I feel awful afterwards. A good trick to prevent this is to focus on something else like exercising or writing, that way you are not thinking about snacking and instead you focus that energy on something productive. I try to understand what is making me anxious, usually that is a sign that we feel threatened, so by figuring out what that is you can get ahead and stop the feeling if it is within your control. Breathing exercises can also be a great ally here.
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep is crucial for recovery and if we are not sleeping well it can slow down our metabolism. Studies show that there are correlations between sleep deprived individuals and obesity, suggesting that the longer we stay awake we tend to eat more and consequently choose carbohydrate rich foods to increase our energy. Less sleep also equals less energy meaning that you probably won’t want to exercise. Things you can be doing in this case is to try not to eat a heavy meal before you go to bed, try a calming tea like chamomile, and if you are having a hard time relaxing, try to do some breathing exercises while listening to meditation songs before bed.
Obsessing over how you look
I understand this, especially if you are making life changes you become desperate to see results. Stay positive through daily affirmations and instead on focusing on how your body is transforming, which takes patience, focus on how your mindset is changing first. Are you focused, committed and working hard? Or are you giving up? Do you eat healthy one meal and then eat something full of sugar to reward your self? Are you blaming others or victimizing yourself because you are not getting the results you want? Are you educating yourself on what healthy foods really are? It’s not easy but we must start by loving ourselves by staying committed to the promises we make when we set our goals. It takes patience and persistency but only you can make them a reality if you want to. In addition obsessing on how you look can have very bad effects on your mental health and you must know there is so much more to you than what is on the outside. Cheer yourself on making positive changes everyday and the results will come!
Every life change starts and ends with you and self care can help not only your physical health but your mental health as well. And if you are struggling, get help, find a trainer, a nutritional coach or doctors to help you, watch daily motivational videos, and do whatever you have to do but don’t keep neglecting your health because you need it in order to live a long life and chase your dreams!!