They say that eating healthy takes too much work, but is does not have to be. Ideally, I recommend setting aside a few hours a week to plan weekly meals and do the grocery shopping. Once we get into a habit, it becomes so much easier to choose healthy items and cook at home, as opposed to always being pressed for time and resorting to going out to eat or grabbing something at a fast food joint. I am not saying that it is not ok to grab something quick to eat every once in a while, as that is life!

So if you are unsure as to where to get started, I am including a list of my top 10 items I always have on hand at my house. That way I always have an option, even when I am short on time. 

1. Nuts/Nut Butters - Spread on fruits, veggies, or toast. Have a handful of nuts as a snack. 

2. Eggs - Hardboiled eggs are so easy, and great to make in advance and always have on hand. Otherwise scrambled eggs and omelets are great sources of protein. Pair with some sautéed veggies. 

3. Oatmeal - Easy breakfast. Add fruit, flax/chia seeds, nuts, and milk/yogurt for a filling breakfast full of carbs, fat, and protein. 

4. Fresh Fruit - Always great to grab in the morning with a handful of nuts if short on time. Keep fruit on the counter so it is more likely to choose when looking for something to eat. 

5. Fresh Veggies - Carrots, Snap Peas, Cherry Tomatoes, Celery, etc. are great to have around as far as dipping in hummus, guacamole, or other dips. Perfect to add to salads or other dishes such as stir fries. 

6. Lettuce/Spinach/Kale - Always have salad ingredients around. They are easy to make, plus it is a great way to get your veggies in. Add protein, nuts/seeds, fresh fruit and veggies, and some fat for a hearty meal. 

7. Plain Greek Yogurt - Another easy breakfast or snack. Add fruit and nuts/seeds or granola for a snack consisting of fat, carbs, and protein. 

8. Canned Beans - When I am short on time, I always have canned beans around. I rinse them off and add to salads to get some quick protein in. 

9. Quick Brown Rice/Quinoa - I personally do not care for quinoa, but that is not to say it is not healthy. It is! I just prefer the taste of brown rice. Burrito bowls are an easy dinner to make - brown rice, beans/meat, grilled veggies, salsa, and guacamole/avocado. 

10. Sweet Potatoes - These are just one of my favorites. I grill and add to salads, bowls, or serve with grilled salmon and asparagus. I also serve in the morning with eggs. 

So here is a breakdown of some simple foods to have on hand. It is so easy to get caught up in not knowing what to do as far as eating healthy, unless we have a plan. So start looking for recipes, make a grocery list, and plan your week!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock 

If you have struggled with self-acceptance for a while, these tips are for you. Ideally I would love to see everyone stop judging themselves, and our own bodies, but it takes time, with regular attention. Here are nine tips adapted from The Moderation Movement to help you improve your relationship with your body. Read the suggestions and pay attention to them regularly. Happiness has nothing to do with how much we weigh.

1. Healthy Life Includes Balance. Some days we will overindulge and some days we will be inactive, and some days we will not. Try to let go of the guilt associated with exercise and food. This is a part of life.

2. Set Fitness Goals That Are Not About Weight & Size. Focus on how you feel rather than how you look. When we shift our focus from weight, we tend to me more successful in reaching our goals, whether it is to be able to do 10 pull-ups, run a marathon, or do 60 push-ups in one minute.

3. Don't Weigh Yourself. Your weight does not define you. How can your weight assess your worth?

4. Listen To What You Say About Others. Focus on talking about yourself with self-respect, as well as others. Our value is not tied to our appearance. Let's stop complimenting others on weight rather than their qualities and achievements.

5. List 10 Positive Things About Your Personality. Celebrate all the character traits that make you unique, and those that have nothing to do with how you look.

6. Appreciate Your Body For What It Can Do Rather Than How It Looks. The more you focus on what your body does, the more you’ll appreciate it regardless of your size. What has your body survived and achieved? What can it do? Take the focus away from your body as an ornament.

7. If You Feel You Need To Change Your Body To Improve Your Fitness Or Health, Do So, In A Reasonable Amount Of Time. Don’t diet, don’t skip meals, give yourself time to adapt to healthier habits instead. Be very clear about what is realistic change for your body type and what change you're really seeking in your life. Often people lose weight only to find they don't feel any happier.

8. There Is No "Perfect Body." The human body comes in billions of shapes and sizes. Just because the media portrays one look as ideal doesn’t mean we need to believe that. Look around you. Every body is totally different and very few bodies are like those of models. Celebrate the difference.

We are more than our clothing size! Focus on being as fit, strong and healthy as you can and spend time improving your own body image and helping others around you to do the same.

Source: The Moderation Movement, 2015. http://www.facebook.com/moderationmovement
Photo Credit: ShutterStock

We all know it is true, there is nutrition information everywhere, and many times we do not even know where to start, and even who to believe. So I am going to make it very simple for you by giving you some of the best nutrition tips out there. This is my no means a complete list, but just some tips to get you started on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

1.)  Set yourself up for success. Think about planning your diet as a set of small, manageable steps instead of one big drastic change. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories and portion sizes, focus on color, variety, and freshness. Start slow and make small changes over time.

2.) Moderation is key. Try not to think of certain foods as "off-limits" because when we ban or demonize certain foods, we tend to crave those foods more. If you find you crave certain foods more often, decrease the portion size and eat less my savoring the food with just a few bites.

3.) It is not just what you eat, it is how you eat. Healthy eating is not just the food on the plate, but it is also how one thinks about food, in terms of their relationship with food. It is important to not only slow down, but to think of food as nourishment and enjoyment. Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you feel full. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, as oftentimes we mistake thirst for hunger.

4.) Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies are the foundation of a healthy diet and should make up 50% of the plate. not only are they low in calories, they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. it is most important that we are getting these nutrients from real foods, as opposed to pills and powders.

5.) Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains. Choose healthy carbohydrate and fiber sources that are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants. Healthy whole grains take longer to digest so they help one feel fuller longer as opposed to white flour and refined sugar which should be limited. Look for the words 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat to avoid refined foods.

6.) Enjoy healthy fats. Good sources of healthy fats are needed to nourish the brain, heart, and cells, as well as skin, hair, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA are particular important for reducing cardiovascular disease. Be sure to incorporate monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil, avocadoes, nuts, and seeds) and polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in fatty fish (salmon).

7.) Put protein into your diet. Protein gives us the energy to get up and go. Protein is broken down into 20 amino acids that are the body's basic building blocks for growth and energy and are essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs. Be sure to incorporate quality sources of protein such as beans, eggs, nuts, seeds, fish, chicken, and turkey. Always buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics, more preferably, organic.

8.) Add calcium for strong bones. Calcium is an essential building block for lifelong long bone health in men and women. Incorporate dairy, non-dairy alternatives, vegetables, greens, and beans in order to get the proper nutrients in one's diet.

9.) Limit added sugar and added salt. Focus on fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. When we focus on these healthy foods, added sugars and salt tend to be naturally cut out of the diet. These items have said to cause many health issues and difficulty with weight management.

10.) Drink more water. Water is one of the central components to one's diet as it helps flush our system of waste and toxins. Staying hydrated can help one make healthier food choices.

Source: Healthy Ventura County. (2015). Top 10 Nutrition Tips. Retrieved from http://healthyventuracounty.org/healthy-eating/tips-for-a-healthy-diet/ 
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

It is the New Year and weight loss programs are everywhere, promising a "New You" in the New Year, and some go as far as promising 30 pounds of weight loss in 30 days. Wow! That is impressive, and highly unlikely that one who follows a program as such will lose 30 pounds of fat and keep it off.

But we hear it all the time, "eat less and exercise more," is the answer to weight loss. Science has proven that burning more calories than you consume will result in weight loss, but the trouble is, this only has short-term results. For long-term results, it simply does not work, and ultimately we must stop counting calories. Blaming the inability to lose weight on not changing our eating habits is not going to help. We must take into account our genetics, activity level, hormones, environment, sleep habits, and overall health.

Instead of counting calories, we should be focusing on the quality of food we consume. If we just try to eat less and exercise more, most people will lose that battle, and our metabolism will win. Simply looking at calories is misguided at best and potentially harmful because it does not take into effect how those calories are affecting our hormones and metabolism, and ultimately our ability to stick to a diet. Many diets fail to focus on the quality of food, it is all about the quantity, and as I mentioned, that is not always the answer.

There is no definitive answer to weight loss and we all have to find out what works for us, and it is most likely not found in a diet book. Here are some of my top tips to lose weight that do not involve counting calories:
Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
Drink plenty of water.
Get tempting foods out of your home.
Stay busy to avoid eating out of boredom.
Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table.
Don't skip meals.

Try to make one or two goals a week, limit stress, and focus on what you can eat, not what you cannot eat. Add in some exercise, and make small changes over time, not over night.

Source: WebMD. (2014). Weight Loss and Diet Plans.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

I have been feeling very frustrated with my job as a dietitian seeing as so many unqualified professionals out there thing they are experts. I stumbled across a blog post from another dietitian stating some of the things I had been thinking, so I thought it would be fitting for me to write a proper post regarding why having credentials matter, no matter what field you are in. In a time where everyone is a nutrition expert, I am especially against fad diets when endorsed by celebrities or someone without a nutrition background. Do you have to have a PhD in Nutrition to give out nutrition advice? No. But you do have to have a degree in something nutrition related. Actually though, anyone who is giving out nutrition advice has an ethical responsibility that the information they provide is 100% accurate. 

I am absolutely horrified by a lot of the nutrition information out there. The recommendations of a dietitian extend far beyond our beliefs and helping a person cut out refined foods and sugar, leading to weight loss. When you tell someone they are doing something wrong, that ignites fear into a person, and that can have psychological consequences leading to anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. We as nutrition professionals study psychology and counseling techniques for this very reason. Whatever we say can have an effect on our clients, so its not just about the quick fix and losing weight. When I speak with my client, I get as much information as I can and when I give advice, I ask myself if the information I am about to give them could help or hinder them, based on others stressors or issues going on in their life. 

All over social media there is anger against qualified professionals professionals giving out nutrition advice, yes, anger against dietitians. First off, I am not paid off by any sort of big food company and I am not told what to say by the USDA. Some of those comments I hear are absurd. When someone comes to me and they want to lose wight, but they drink maybe 5 sodas a day, I would not recommend they cut soda completely out. I would recommend they go down to 4 sodas a day, then 3, and so on. Yes, there are some health issues with consuming soda, but I am not going to tell someone to stop a habit over night, especially if they have had this habit for years. When we change too much, clients get frustrated and then may not be motivated to change anything. 

Many unqualified professionals post messages online to their followers about the foods they are consuming. Then people start to feel shame, for not following the perfect life or diet that these unqualified professionals do. The psychological harm that this can cause can actually be worse than the foods they are telling us not to eat. The frightening thing is, these people have no idea this is not how you educate the public on nutrition. They know what foods to avoid and they scare the public, but knowing what foods to avoid is not a sign of how knowledgeable one is about nutrition. 

Right now, fear mongering is everywhere in the nutrition world. It sells books, eating plans, and it even gets you your own TV show, and going against the norm apparently makes someone appear knowledgeable. It conveys the sense they have done extensive research and they are "exposing the truth." In fact, it is the exact opposite, and highlights their lack of knowledge. I do not doubt that a lot of these celebrities and unqualified professionals have a deep passion for helping people live a healthy life, but its not enough to simply have a passion for the subject of nutrition and educate people to their way of eating. Their personal views need to be put aside for the health of society. 

So what is the point of this post? Because many individuals out there are giving out very very bad nutrition advice that can actually cause harm. I went to university for 10 years, received a B.S. in Nutrition & Exercise Science, a B.S. in Dietetics, Completed a 900 hour internship, Passed a National Exam to become a Registered Dietitian, and took the NSCA Personal Training exam. I did the work because I want to be the best I can be in the field of nutrition. Am I jealous there are many people out there that are famous even without a qualification? No. It is because there is so much to learn about nutrition, and with all the education I have, I feel there is still more to learn. It is frightening that some of these unqualified professionals have a read a few nutrition books and websites, and they are not even aware of what they do not know. We all eat food, but that does not mean we are all nutrition experts. 

There are a lot of great social media accounts from many individuals out there giving out nutrition advice, but they know where to draw the line, and that is the difference. When reading nutrition information, always look for a source and see what qualifications they hold. If you look at my website, I state exactly what qualifications I have, because honestly, I have nothing to hide. Remember this: a professional will not judge or shame; will not tell you to eat their way; will not tell you all the bad things you are doing; will not scare you into eating healthy; and will not make you feel guilty. 

Source: Katz, David. M.D., (2013). Opinion Stew. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/nutrition-advice_b_3061646.html

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Recently, all over the internet I have seen photos of male and female athletes, focusing mainly on the person's body, which is impeccably perfect, including chiseled abs, toned arms, and protruding collar bones, with some sort of quote covering it. Some of these quotes include:
"Sweat is Just Fat Crying."
"Lifting Weights Make Women Huge? False. Cupcakes Make Women Huge."
"No Matter How Slow you are Going you are Still Lapping Everyone on the Couch."

To me, this is just "thinspo" or "thinspiration" in disguise, which is an online world of thousands, even millions, of people, mostly females, who share and collect pictures of very thin women as inspiration to keep up their eating disorders. Rather than promoting a commitment to exercise for the sake of one’s health, Fitspirational messages equate exercise with ‘perfecting’ one’s body – contributing to negative body image and compulsive exercising behaviors. "Thinspiration" and "Fitspiration" both promote unrealistic ideals, both contribute to negative body image, and both are equally harmful.

Some fitness inspiration can be healthy and motivating, but others can be very harmful. Ask yourself how these "fitspiration" quotes and photos actually make you feel. To me, I honestly feel they are objectifying women and motivating people to exercise through fear and guilt. For some this may work, but for me, this is not motivating. Comparing oneself to others does not help with self love and does not help you on YOUR path. Learn how to love your body, eat healthy, and exercise, for YOU, not for anyone else.

I recently discovered a movement called #stopfitspiration. The goal is bring awareness to the harm of "Fitspiration" messages and to offer support for those recovering from exercise addiction while providing information and tips for a more healthy, balanced, and body positive approach to fitness.

Sources: Stop Fitspiration. (2014). Retrieved from http://stopfitspiration.com/
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Welcome to the final week of the MOVEmber Challenge. The idea behind this was to get people moving during the entire month of November! So, I offered 5 workouts per week. I believe in rest days, so 5 days of exercise per week is a challenge! If you do not have 60 minutes, you do no thane to spend an hour at the gym to get a great workout. With a warm up & cool down, you can be finished in about 20 minutes!! Ideally, since these workouts are only about 20 minutes they can be done 3-5 times per week, depending on your overall goals. 

The theme with HIIT is intervals, and thats what we will be doing again. There are many different styles, and Tabata is one of the most popular ones. I will be going back to that original workout minus the breaks in between sets, so a sample workout looks like this:

Exercise 1 20 Sec, Rest 10 Sec
Exercise 2 20 Sec, Rest 10 Sec
Repeat 4 More Times
Exercise 3 20 Sec, Rest 10 Sec
Exercise 4 20 Sec, Rest 10 Sec
Repeat 4 More Times
Exercise 5 20 Sec, Rest 10 Sec
Exercise 6 20 Sec, Rest 10 Sec
Repeat 4 More Times

*Be sure to include a warm-up, such as jog, jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks, etc., and be sure to stretch. 

Workout 1
Exercise 1: Frog Jumps (Forward & Back)
Exercise 2: Uneven Pushups
Exercise 3: Jump Lunges
Exercise 4: Knee to Elbows + Push Up
Exercise 5: Plie Jump Squats
Exercise 6: Plank Push-Ups

Workout 2:
Exercise 1: Burpees
Exercise 2: Dips
Exercise 3: Tuck Jumps
Exercise 4: Bicycles
Exercise 5: Jump Squats
Exercise 6: Push-Ups

Workout 3:
Exercise 1: Mountain Climbers
Exercise 2: Squat Jacks
Exercise 3: Shoulder Taps
Exercise 4: 4 Push Ups + 4 Dips
Exercise 5: Step Ups
Exercise 6: Star Jumps


Workout 4:
Exercise 1: Squat Thrusts
Exercise 2: Rocking Plank
Exercise 3: Reverse Lunges
Exercise 4: Pike Push-Ups
Exercise 5: Lateral Lunges
Exercise 6: Walking Plank


Workout 5:
Exercise 1: 4 Jump Lunges + 4 Tuck Jumps
Exercise 2: 1 Burpee + 2 Pushups
Exercise 3: 4 Mountain Climbers + 4 Slides
Exercise 4: Knee to Elbows (In Plank Position)
Exercise 5: 4 Skater Hops + 4 Squats
Exercise 6: Russian Twists


Feel free to refer to the Fitness Library under my Resources, and the bodyweight exercise chart from the previous week. Enjoy!!

Photo Credit: Shutter Stock

Welcome to the 3rd week of my MOVEmber challenge during the month of November. If you are unaware, I have promised to post 20 workouts during the month of November, all for free!! All the workouts can be completed in 20 minutes and only require your body, a mat, and access to a step or chair!! 

The first week was Tabata exercises, which is one of my favorites, 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest. It really drives your heart rate up! The second week we did 50 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest- much harder!! Well this week we are going to be doing no rest! The workout is going to be alternating 30 seconds of cardio with 30 seconds of strength/core. The first 5 minutes will alternate 2 exercises, the 2nd 5 minutes another 2 exercises, and the 3rd 5 minutes will alternate the last 2 exercises, doing a total of 6 exercises for each workout!!

Sample Workout  
30 Sec Exercise 1, 30 Sec Exercise 2
Repeat 4 more times

30 Sec Exercise 3, 30 Sec Exercise 4
Repeat 4 more times

30 Sec Exercise 5, 30 Sec Exercise 6
Repeat 4 more times

Feel free to take a 30 sec recovery in between each 5 minute circuit if needed. Don't forget to warm up with a jog, high knees, jumping jacks, butt kicks, etc., for a few minutes and cool down with some stretching. The entire workout should take about 20-25 minutes with warm-up and cool down. 

Workout 1
Exercise 1: Touch Down Jacks
Exercise 2: Pike Pushups
Exercise 3: Skater Hops
Exercise 4: Dips
Exercise 5: Step Ups
Exercise 6: Incline Plank

Workout 2
Exercise 1: Mountain Climbers
Exercise 2: Bicycles
Exercise 3: Plank Jacks
Exercise 4: V-Ups
Exercise 5: Tuck Jumps
Exercise 6: Plank Push-Ups

Workout 3
Exercise 1: Slides
Exercise 2: Side Plank Dips (R)
Exercise 3: Jumping Jacks
Exercise 4: Side Plank Dips (L)
Exercise 5: Squat Thrusts
Exercise 6: Shoulder Taps

Workout 4
Exercise 1: Burpees
Exercise 2: Tricep Pushups
Exercise 3: Dead Man Burpees
Exercise 4: Plie Pulse Squats
Exercise 5: Spidermans
Exercise 6: Bridges

Workout 5
Exercise 1: Frog Jumps
Exercise 2: Knee to Elbows
Exercise 3: Jump Lunges
Exercise 4: Lateral Lunges
Exercise 5: Low Jacks
Exercise 6: Lemon Squeezers

As I have mentioned I have included a fitness library in my resources section and I am also attaching this handy table I found on the website, BodyRock.TV. If you are ever looking for high intensity workouts, that is the place to go!!

Enjoy!!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

I hope you have enjoyed the previous workouts from last week. This week will be similar in that it will be HIIT, but this time each exercise will be 50 seconds long with a 10 second rest. There will be 5 exercise total, repeat all the way through 3 times. Feel free to go at your own place and do what you can!!

Sample Workout:
50 Sec Exercise 1, 10 Sec Rest
50 Sec Exercise 2, 10 Sec Rest
50 Sec Exercise 3, 10 Sec Rest
50 Sec Exercise 4, 10 Sec Rest
50 Sec Exercise 5, 10 Sec Rest
Repeat 2 more times
Do not forget to warm-up for 5 minutes and stretch at the end of the workout.

Workout 1
Exercise 1: Burpees
Exercise 2: Squat Jumps
Exercise 3: Uneven Push-Ups
Exercise 4: Step-Ups
Exercise 5: Dips

Workout 2
Exercise 1: Dead Man Burpees
Exercise 2: Plié Squat Jumps
Exercise 3: Plank Jacks
Exercise 4: Skater Hops
Exercise 5: Push Up + Knee to Elbows

Workout 3
Exercise 1: Slides
Exercise 2: Spidermans
Exercise 3: Diamond Push-Ups
Exercise 4: Box Jumps
Exercise 5: Plank Push-ups

Workout 4
Exercise 1: Squat Thrusts
Exercise 2: Rocking Plank
Exercise 3: Lateral Lunges
Exercise 4: Push-ups
Exercise 5: Mountain Climbers

Workout 5
Exercise 1: Star Jumps
Exercise 2: High Knees
Exercise 3: V-Ups
Exercise 4: Jump Lunges
Exercise 5: 1 Burpee + 4 Push-Ups

Please consult the exercise libraries with any questions. I mentioned before, next time I offer a workout challenge I will have my own video library. Enjoy!!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

I can guarantee that I hear about a new fad diet every single week. With the amount of time I spend researching on the internet or meeting with clients, or just talking to individuals at the gym, there is always something new! From low-fat to low-carb, diets come and go and they just keep re-inventing themselves over time. I know that we hear that fad diets do not work from others, but I want to say it right here, right now. Fad Diets Do Not Work!! Even Weight Watchers, one of the most popular weight loss programs. Apparently their diet is known to be focused on real life and real foods. Well that is just fine, but why do they need an entire Weight Watchers line of food if their focus is on real, whole foods? That is a red flag to me. Any time a diet is associated with a product or supplement line, it's not real food.

I am in the business of health, do not get me wrong, but I am here to sell a lifestyle, not a product. I want people to eat healthy! I do not want to take advantage of uneducated individuals, that is not my philosophy or personality at all. I want to see people succeed and it kills me when I have clients that choose not to work with me anymore because they are not getting fast enough results, and they go join some weight loss challenge or start a fad diet or some other quick fix, and it goes back to the yo-yo dieting where it all began.

Losing weight is not always easy. Sometimes we might take two steps forward and one step back, and that is ok. It takes time to develop new habits. Many of us have developed these habits over 30, 40, or 50+ years and it is hard to change. Fad diets usually are programs that is to be followed for a few weeks, not a lifetime. The reason being, is usually because they are not sustainable. Unfortunately, many people do want the quick fix, they want the satisfaction right away.

Although, I will have to say, people are very confused about nutrition, and that is one of the very reasons fad diets exist. If we all knew how to eat, there would not be any diet or nutrition books. I do believe that many people might feel out of control and are unsure what to do and where to start. Some of the fad diets can be very regimented which can make people feel more comfortable because it takes all the guesswork out.

One of the most common features of a fad diet is rapid weight loss. Any program that is promising more than 2 pounds per week is one that is probably extremely low on calories. At this point, we tend to lose water weight, not fat. and if we are going too low on calories, that puts us at risk for a loss in lean muscle mass. Our body will start to metabolize our muscle if we do not eat enough, no matter how much weight we have to lose, especially if we are chronically taking our calories well below 1200.

If we tend to get in the habit of starting a fad diet to jump start our weight loss, it may eventually lead to weight gain if we continue to do it over and over, never getting to where we actually want to be.  In the long term, keeping the weight off is more important than getting there quickly. The best way to wean off of fad diets and start moving toward a healthy weight and lifestyle is through small changes. Below are my favorite tips:

1.) Move. Exercise 4-6 days a week, even if it is just a few minutes at a time. Eventually work up to 20-30 minutes and even longer. But just getting in the habit of parking farther away from the grocery store, taking a lap around the office every hour or so, and just making a conscience decision to be more active.

2.) Set one or two small goals per week. More than that is overwhelming, and that is why most people do not stick with a particular diet. This will help gain confidence, and do not expect to succeed at every single goal per week.

3.) Drink more water. Many times we may confuse our thirst for hunger, and that may cause us to overeat. Invest in a water bottle and carry that all day long, making a choice to be more aware of water consumption.

4.) Eat fruits and veggies. Try a new fruit or veggie every week. It is probably likely we have not tried every single fruit or veggie at the supermarket. Find out what tastes good and what doesn't. We never know what we will like until we at least try.

5.) Allow for treats. Enough said. When we label foods off limits we tend to treat it as a bad food, and I like to steer away from that mentality. When we allow ourselves to have certain foods whenever we want, we do not carve them as often.

So, after I have presented this info, I hope we can all finally consider giving up on the fad diet mentality, even if it takes time. The constant up and down is not good for our mental health, our metabolism, and our bones. Please consider investing in a healthy lifestyle, not a quick fix!!
 
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