Most people think that in order to lose weight, get in shape, and maintain your figure, you have to give up everything you love, from chocolate to pizza. Believe it or not, that is far from the truth. Of course, if you eat fast food every day, you’re not going to improve your health.
However, if you only stick to certain diet and deny yourself all the less-healthy food, you’re likely to cause a yo-yo effect the moment you stop dieting. In other words, as with everything else in life, there needs to be balance.
So, here are five ways to eat like you truly love yourself.
Enjoy your food
In this day and age, it’s not uncommon to eat on the go, while watching TV, or while working on something job-related. Now, there’s nothing wrong about that if it happens occasionally, but you should try to eat in peace as often as you can. Chew slowly and consciously, try to savour every bite, and take time to breathe while eating. Look at your food, observe it, and enjoy it. The food will taste better, and you will have an easier time feeling when you’re full and stopping.
Have fun with your food
Appearance matters, even when it comes to food, so try to make your food actually look good. Imagine that you’re making it for someone you love, and put some extra effort into making it visually appealing. This doesn’t mean that every meal should look like it jumped out of Pinterest, but paying attention to the appearance of your food can make you enjoy it just a tiny bit more.
Similarly, you should enjoy the whole preparation process as well. Take time to prepare healthy meals, find different interesting recipes, use different tools like blenders, and come up with your own dishes. Play music while you cook, do it together with your loved ones, and turn the whole process into a ritual that is all about loving yourself.
Create your own diet
The problem with diets is that even though they might help you lose weight, they often lead to the yo-yo effect. This is because every diet will make you give up something that you love, so when you finish dieting, you can’t wait to eat everything you had to give up. Unfortunately, this makes you eat more than you would have before dieting, regain all the lost weight, and even add a few extra pounds.
For example, there are numerous diets that urge you to stop eating carbs, as if carbs are always bad. Granted, yes, you should limit the consumption of carbs, but there is no reason to cut them out completely. They are a part of your life just like any other type of food.
In other words, change your diet and reduce the amount of unhealthy food, but don’t worry about eating a slice of pizza when going out with your friends. If you crave something sweet, have something sweet – a bit of it, not a lot. It’s all about balance and calories, there isn’t an inherently “bad type of food”; the only thing that can be bad is the amount of food you eat. This is also why you should try the ONE3ONE program, since it is designed in the way that would fit you.
Go easy on yourself
Loving yourself also implies that you should not judge yourself. Don’t feel guilty about eating something you shouldn’t or eating more than you think you should; accept that it happened and let it go. You can also go for a relaxing walk to make up for it and burn some calories.
Think of it this way – if you do eat something you shouldn’t have, it is because you needed it at that moment. There is nothing wrong about it, and feeling guilty is not going to do you any good. Nobody can eat healthy all the time, and your own attitude does play an important role in being healthy. Moreover, if you do eat healthy most of the time, there’s nothing wrong in treating yourself from time to time. So, feel free to get excited about food, and don’t beat yourself up over it.
Focus on the process and not the goal
Keep in mind that losing weight, getting in shape, and becoming healthy in general takes time. It’s not something that just happens – it is a long process, and it will take a lot of patience and effort. So, instead of focusing on the goal, focus on the process itself. Moreover, you can track your progress more easily by setting some short-term goals and rewarding yourself after reaching them. This is also a great way to maintain your motivation.
Eating like you love yourself allows you to truly enjoy food without constantly feeling stressed out. So, don’t worry too much about what you eat. Everything is allowed as long as you make an effort to eat healthy most of the time. Moreover, focus on the process of becoming healthier and not just on the final goal. This way, you will feel much better about yourself, and you will improve your health in no time.
Love yourself!
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Sophia Smith is beauty and style blogger, an eco-lifestyle lover and a food enthusiast. She is very passionate about natural skincare, yoga and mindful living. Sophia writes mostly about beauty-related topics in her articles. She has contributed to a number of publications including: High Style Life, Eco Warrior Princess, Mother Earth Living, How to Simplify and Carousel.
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