Put on a few extra kilograms over the holiday season?
Put on a few extra kilograms over the holiday season?
March 02, 2017
Week 1. Try 1 new nourishing recipe or ingredient this week. Often due to time and convenience we have the same old meals on rotation. This can lead us to feeling less satisfied with our meals and searching for less nourishing foods between meals (e.g. biscuits, ice cream or chocolate). Nourishing food can be exciting, find some inspiration by picking up one of the recipe books collecting dust on your shelf, use social media such as Pinterest, collect a free recipe pamphlet at the supermarket, or take a quick look on the many healthy recipe websites that are available. Pick one, simple, nourishing meal or snack to try out. Rather than a whole recipe you might like to just try one new ingredient (e.g. grated beetroot or quinoa in your salad).
Week 2. Start to listen to your body. What we believe is hunger, can often be confused with other messages from our body such as thirst, boredom, comfort or habit. Try and listen to your body and rediscover what messages your body sends when it is hungry (e.g. grumbling stomach, poor concentration, low energy levels). Once we rediscover what our hunger signals feel like, we will be less likely to confuse them with other messages and participate in “Non Hungry Eating”.
Week 3. Create enjoyment and mindfulness of our eating. Try to focus on eating one meal or snack each day mindfully. Ensure you are sitting for your meal, with no electronic distractions (e.g. television, computer, phone) and focus on how your meal tastes and feels in your mouth and body. This might seem easy but when you start you might come to realise how preoccupied we often are when we are eating. Being distracted while eating often leads to over eating and can be a big contributor to weight gain.
Week 4. Shop for the healthier version of you. Stock your fridge and pantry with foods that nourish the body and reduce purchases of less nourishing options (e.g. biscuits, chips). This will not only reduce the temptation to over indulge in snack foods but will also provide an exciting range of nourishing alternatives. Often we reach for the biscuit barrel purely because it doesn’t require any preparation and there are limited enticing alternatives.
Would you like some more support with achieving your goals and building the healthier version of you? Book an appointment with our Tyack Health Dietitian, Kelli Hale, who can provide the extra kick start you need and support and encouragement to keep things moving in the right direction.
