Reality Check: Nutrition Edition
It doesn’t matter how hard you push during your workouts or how often your exercise. If your nutrition isn’t in check, you can kiss your goals goodbye.
You’ve been told to eat ‘healthier.’ What does that mean?
Maybe you heard about the food pyramid in elementary school, or you learned about MyPlate later in life: lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins and stay away from ‘fatty’ foods. Throughout our whole lives we’ve been told that a glass of milk a day keeps your teeth and bones strong.
These are all great recommendations, but what about when food restrictions kick in? What about that new crash course diet you heard about on the radio: drink this before bed and BOOM instant weight loss? Or the hundreds of articles that state “why you should never eat this or always avoid these.” How about the amount of times health ‘experts’ have swayed back and forth regarding red meat, dairy, and gluten? What does ‘eating healthy’ even mean anymore?!
Breathe. Healthy eating looks a little bit different for everyone. Whether due to food restrictions, income, cuisine preferences, or the like, no two people’s diets are carbon copies. If you’re looking for a magical solution, you won’t find it here. But, if you came here for help to live a healthier, happier life, you’re in the right place.
How many calories should I eat?
A generally recommended consumption for a healthy adult is 2,000 calories per day. For some people, this is not enough, and for others, it is too much. There are many different factors to consider when calculating your caloric consumption: weight, height, sex, activity level, etc. The best thing you can do for yourself is reach out to a certified nutritionist or dietician. Don’t ask Siri, and please, whatever you do, DON’T take recommendations from ‘fad’ diets.
Truly individualized caloric recommendations are based on what YOU as an individual require. I understand that not everybody has access or the desire to reach out to a nutritionist or dietician. Rest assured, you may not have to. There are plenty of changes you can make to improve your overall health without following an exact plan.
Track your food for one week.
No matter how you go about changing your habits, the first thing to do is track your food. MyFitnessPal has been my personal go-to food-tracking app for the last ten years. At this point, it’s second nature to me, but it wasn’t always like that. In order to make your life easier, and trust me on this one, track your food as soon as you’re done eating. If you’re in the car or at work and can’t pull your phone out, make a voice note or jot down everything you just ate.
Recalling your entire day of eating once the day is done is another option, but remember, the more accurate you are, the better. If you wait until the end of the day, you may forget the little things: the soda you drank at lunch, the dressing you poured over your salad, the sugar and cream you added to your coffee, and the pieces of chocolate you snuck from your coworker’s desk.
The little things add up. Don’t feel bad about it, just make sure you log them for a truly comprehensive view of your nutritional habits. After tracking for one week, your habits and preferences will become clear. Only when these are established can you make an effort to change them.
I’m not super concerned about calories, I just want to ‘eat healthy.’
Regardless of your caloric goals, there are ways to make overall healthier decisions.
1. Cut back on the alcohol: It’s easy to consume calories when whatever we’re consuming doesn’t make us feel full. Liquid calories, especially those from a few drinks, add up fast. I’m not saying you need to cut out all alcohol, but if you’re having more than a couple drinks a day or if your go-to is mixed drinks, try cutting back a bit and see how that alone makes a difference.
2. Use cooking spray instead of oil: Whether you’re spraying vegetables to then season, or you’re coating a pan to cook your chicken in, try making the switch from oil to spray. In a zero calorie cooking spray, there are about 12 calories in a 2 second spray (brands can market the calories as 0 because the amount in each ¼ second spray is negligible.) In just one TBSP of vegetable oil, there are about 120 calories. That’s 10 times the amount of calories just to COOK your food. So, next time you go to pick up that oil, ask yourself: is oil crucial to the recipe (i.e. exact measurement for baking) or can I use spray?
3. Drink more water: Water alone can aid in weight loss, but that’s a story for another day. One reason we often feel hungry is because we’re actually thirsty. Our body seeks hydration from food, so we eat more and more to satisfy our thirst (which may feel like an insatiable hunger.) Next time you want a snack or are about to eat a meal, start with a glass of water. Chances are, more often than not, you’ll realize water was what your body needed, not extra helpings.
4. Eat less packaged foods: The closer our food is to its original source, the better. Fresh meats, produce, and dairy haven’t had their nutrition ‘processed out’ so to speak. Frozen dinners, or foods that never seem to expire, are a different story. Large amounts of sodium and additives are what keeps these miracle foods preserved. Again, I’m not saying cut out everything that’s processed, packaged, or canned. Trust me, I have no shortage of those in my own pantry. I’m just saying don’t make them the bulk of your diet. They’re convenient for late nights and busy days, but they shouldn’t become a crutch.
Take Away:
The key to eating healthier is consistency and sustainability. If you’re eating in a way that makes you miserable, it’s not going to last. If you have great habits during the week but binge eat/drink each weekend, you’re undermining all of your hard work. Whichever changes you choose to make, make them a little bit at a time.
Nothing about your diet should be extreme. If you want to change, and I mean TRULY change, wean yourself off of your old habits and ease yourself into new ones. Your chances of success will be much greater both in the short and long term.
Citations
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Calories on the New Nutrition Facts Label.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 11 Mar. 2020, www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/calories-new-nutrition-facts-label.
**Find Your Ambition LLC is not in any way affiliated with MyFitnessPal. All anecdotal evidence is purely opinion-based.