There’s not a lot of information out there that prepares you for eating healthy. Just like most things in life, if you fail to prepare, you’re preparing to fail. If you expect to start eating healthy out of nowhere, without a plan or the knowledge of what to eat, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Doing research, talking to people who know their stuff and reading this blog will prepare you better for the commitment of eating healthy.
Last time I covered the subjects of having bad nutrition while working out, the counter effect of a caloric deficit and other topics that arise that keeps people from committing to their healthy lifestyle. If you haven’t checked that blog out yet, you can do so here.
Expectation: Eating healthy is expensive
Reality: Although I don’t hear this excuse come up often, I know that it is a big reason why people keep themselves from committing to healthy nutrition. Just because highly processed foods are cheaper doesn’t mean that whole/healthy foods are expensive. If you buy what you need, look for sales and make smart choices, you can easily save yourself a lot of money while sustaining a healthy lifestyle. It might take a little bit more time to figure out what you need, what you want to cook and what products work best for that, but it’s worth it because it directly and positively effects your health. You will feel more satisfied throughout the day, get more nutrients in your system and keep yourself from getting in a lot of sugars and other processed foods.
In the end it’s all about what your health is worth to you. If you feel like spending 30 bucks on unhealthy/processed foods and drinks, but 40 bucks for healthy whole foods feels like a bridge too far, you will have to re-think your priorities when it comes to your health. Spending those 10 extra dollars/euros/pounds on healthy foods can make the difference between feeling healthy, a long-full life and a body that functions properly down the line rather than being sick all the time, a shorter lifespan and dealing with different types or injuries. The choice is yours
Expectation: Healthy food is boring
Reality: The only foods that are boring are the ones that you fail to make exciting and don’t enjoy. If you’re not trying to get your body fat percentage down to 3% for a physique show, there is no reason for you not to enjoy your food. Use different spices, foods, combinations and sauces that taste great and fit within your lifestyle and nutrition. I know it’s easy to think that in order to lose weight/fat and be healthy your nutrition needs to be bland and boring. The fact of the matter is that if you get enjoyment out of your meals, the chances of you sticking with that nutrition will be higher, that is the same with shitty nutrition too. One of the biggest reasons we’re not capable of holding onto a healthy nutrition pattern is because we get bored and don’t like the foods. It’s up to you to find different recipes and foods that you can use to make it more interesting for yourself.
It’s never a good excuse to drop a healthy nutrition pattern but especially this one. If your reason for dropping your nutrition is that the food is boring, that’s because you haven’t taken the time to either prepare those more exciting meals or haven’t done the research. Trust me, it doesn’t take a lot these days to find simple 20-minute recipes that make your mouth water by just looking at the pictures and the thought of eating that dish. Just search ”quick and healthy recipes” and there will be millions of them. If your recipe just so happens to not have a lot of protein in it, just add it in yourself.
Expectation: Eating healthy means no dining out
If your definition of eating out means going to McDonald’s and your definition of eating healthy means never having a cheat meal, than yes, you’re correct, those views will line up well.
Reality: I am not saying that dining out without seeing it as a cheat meal is impossible, I actually think it’s not hard at all, especially now a days. It’s all about the choices you make, not just food related but also the restaurant that you decide on. Obviously, if KFC is your restaurant of choice there’s no escaping the concept of cheat meals there. There are plenty of restaurants out there now that have a bunch of (slightly) healthy options on the menu, even ones that are not labeled as such. Especially the time that we live in right now it’s hard to run a sustainable restaurant business if you don’t include healthy/vegetarian/vegan options, unless it’s a fast food place (we already talked about that). Even most fast food restaurants have vegetarian/vegan and somewhat ”healthy” options now.
It all starts with your restaurant of choice; I am not saying you have to know the menu by heart but at least make sure they have got healthy options if you feel like getting that. The worst thing is being forced to order unhealthy foods when you don’t want to because you’re committed to your healthy nutrition. Yes, having experiences like that can turn you off from dining out, so don’t let it happen to you. I love 5 guys, but I rarely eat there, could I eat there every single weekend? Absolutely, but that’s not the point. The point is enjoying that every once in a while if you feel like it, if you don’t feel like it, don’t force it just to do it. Enjoy food and the choices that you make.
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