For those of you joining us for this 7 day New Year Slim Down series today please make sure you check day the previous days here.
This year I wanted to do something a little bit different on the blog, by focusing 100% on setting that New Year’s intention correctly and making the most of your New Year’s motivation. We are after a lifestyle change rather than something that you do for a few weeks and then give up. When we give up we often feel bad for quitting but know that everything will be okay as you’ve quit every other year as well. The thing is, we spend half the year feeling pretty average about ourselves due to giving up and not reaching that goal we set for ourselves.
We all know that good nutrition is one of the keys to living a healthy life. What we don’t realise is that there are some simple nutrition mistakes many of us make, and they are ruining your progress! Many of them are simple things which you can change in your daily routine which will make a big difference.
I have previously written about 5 gym mistakes that are ruining your progress so today I thought it would be nice to let you know the 5 Nutrition Mistakes which are ruining your progress.
// Skipping Meals
You don’t eat breakfast, realise it’s dinner time and you didn’t even eat lunch or perhaps you go to bed without eating. It’s actually a lot more common than people realise, we often get busy or stressed and simply just skip meals. Skipping meals often leads to overeating later in the day so really isn’t doing you any favors when it comes to your health and well being.
// Not giving in to cravings
Yep, you read that right. Not giving in to your cravings every now and again generally lends to binging on whatever tasty morsel it is that you have been craving. I’m not saying to give in to every craving as that is not going to do you any favors. Occasionally it’s okay to give in to those cravings, just remember to keep it to a couple of squares of chocolate and not a whole block. Giving in every now and again will help stop you from gorging yourself next time you feel stressed or upset.
// Hydration
Regular readers will know that Hydration is a big thing, I mention it a lot because it is so damn important! Our bodies are made up of mostly water and function a lot better when well hydrated. Often you may find that when you think you are hungry you are actually dehydrated so next time you feel the hunger pains drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes, often you will find that you are no longer hungry as it was really thirst that was the issue.
// Not eating ‘real’ foods
Low fat, processed and zero calories food items are generally of very little nutritional value. Some of these items are easy to spot; chippies, biscuits and chocolate bars for example we know are not the best for us nutritionally. What about items like muesli bars, flavored yogurts and cereals? These are items we eat often out of convenience when in reality they contain a lot of ingredients I can’t even pronounce, let alone would keep in my pantry. While they are convenient, real foods contain more nutritional value, help keep you feeling fuller for longer and provide you with essential vitamins and minerals.
// Avoiding Specific Macronutrients
Avoiding carbohydrates appears to be all the rage in the nutritional world at the moment, where a few years back avoiding fat was the topic of conversation. Completely cutting out a macronutrient group means that we are less likely to actually get the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we require to be healthy. Macronutrients are generally carbohydrates, fats and protein however some also call chemical elements such as calcium, potassium and magnesium macronutrients. Eat a balanced diet containing all of the macronutrients for the best nutritional bang for your buck.
So what exactly is the best way to ensure you are getting the most out of your food?? Eat a range of foods in different colours and eat regularly, don’t skip meals. Keep yourself adequately hydrated by aiming to drink at least 1.5l of water a day. Eat mostly foods which you could source yourself if you had the resources and largely avoid processed foods which have ingredients in them which you can’t pronounce.
7 Day New Year’s Slim Down – Homework
- Choose one of the above mistakes that you are currently making and put a plan in place so that you create a new habit and no longer make this mistake.
Which mistake do you find yourself prone too? – For me it’s keeping hydrated on the weekends as I don’t have my drink bottle on my desk reminding me.