Making Changes to Your Diet - Part 1 (Getting Started)

August 06, 2022

Making changes to your diet in a lasting way is a process rather than an event.

To live your life energized and feeling well, it helps to “nutrify”, i.e. have a diet that is nutrient dense with the appropriate amount of calories for your body.

Perhaps you also want to reduce your calories to lose weight.

Whatever the reason that you have DECIDED to make changes, start making changes today.

When I am talking with people about making changes to their diet I follow a process.

This post covers Part 1 of the process to making changes in a lasting way is to get motivated and organised.

PART ONE

1. Have a Purposeful Goal – You need to have a very clear idea of what you are aiming for. i.e. lose 15kg is measurable and awesome. However lose 15kg so I can improve my blood sugar test enough to stay off diabetic medication is a more focused.

2. Write out the actual plan you will be following. It helps to have very clear guidelines for yourself (I find guidelines more helpful than a rigid meal plan but everyone is different so make sure you choose a way that feels right to you).

3. Have short cut ways of referring to your plan so you can easily remind yourself of what you are doing. For example since I only advocate healthy eating my guidelines for my clients use headings of “Super Healthy Days” and “Healthy Days”. I have also in the past used “Nutrient dense, water containing”. This is like a mantra and allows you to focus on what you are doing.

4. Now you have your Purposeful Goal (Why) and your Guidelines (What). Next determine the HOW – What day will you start? How will you make sure you have the food that you need? My clients have their guidelines and one of the first steps is to convert this to a weekly menu plan for themselves so their eating is within guidelines and yet works for them. For example, I recently had a client who was determined not to eat Kale, which is fine, there are lots of vegetables my clients can choose from as long as they are, in fact, prepared to choose vegetables. I have found that guidelines make it easier for clients to adjust to seasonal variations too – they are, after all, making changes for a reason but for much longer than a season.

5. As part of the HOW it’s a good idea to really consider what set- backs you might encounter. How will you avoid temptation? For example how will you handle unexpected social events? Or when there is cake at the office? What about when your partner eating your favourite food in front of you? (My partner is not allowed to leave his chocolate in view, even though I don’t eat the same kind of chocolate he does!). Do you have a simple option on hand for the days you are too tired? What about when you are “sick of being good and need a reward?”

6. Extra Purpose – My last step in getting organised is to have a backup purpose can also help you stay on track. Do you have a favourite pair of Jeans you want to fit, do you want the energy that eating well affords you? What matters to you, and motivates you emotionally? For me it's being an example to my children of what healthy eating is, how to manage temptation (and have occasional food be OCCASIONAL rather than regular).

So, getting yourself motivated and organised is the first step in the process of making healthy changes to your diet.

Part 2 of the process to making changes in a lasting way is to manage yourself as you put your plan in place. I will cover this is my next post. For now, good luck getting motivated and organised.

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