8 Strategies To Help Your Healthy Eating Plan Stick!

Sticking to a healthy eating plan can be hard some days.

One of the common problems with sticking to healthy diet plans is that when push comes to shove, many of us are simply not willing to give up some of the more sinful, less healthy foods we love.

Understandable, especially if you’re passionate about certain foods.

You feel deprived when you can’t enjoy them and guilty when you do!

Deprivation is often the killer of most healthy eating plans!

More often than not, it’s the cause of all of our best intentions going out the window in one fell swoop – the ‘all or nothing’ approach.

Personally, I’m passionate about chocolate and although I don’t eat it every day (I would if I could), it’s one of those indulgent foods that I’m not willing to give up forever.

The problem is that it’s not really part of my “healthy eating plan”.

So, am I doomed to never savor the taste of creamy chocolate melting in my mouth again? Not at all….

Here’s the good news…

A report put out by the American Institute for Cancer Research spoke about this specifically and pointed out that in fact, even a few positive changes in your diet plans have value and will go a long way in improving your health.

In other words, sticking to a healthy weight loss meal plan need not be an all or nothing affair and there’s value in even the smallest changes you make towards a healthier lifestyle.

You don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods, but a little pre-planning and a few substitutions for cleaner, healthier versions of your favorite ‘sinful’ foods will go a long way in helping you stick to that healthy eating plan.

Here’s 8 effective strategies that I’ve found to be helpful in making those healthy eating plans stick AND avoid feeling deprived.

1. If your favorite food is high in fat or sugar, try the low-fat, light or sugar-free version of it.

2. Take a day off, but be vigilant the remaining 6 days.

Many years ago I adopted the ‘day off’ system where 1 day weekly I allow myself to enjoy those sinfully fattening foods. For example, chocolate is packed full of sugar, so I save it for my ‘day off’.

That ‘day off’ helps keep me on track during the remaining 6 days because I know I can have it and enjoy it without guilt on the 7th day!

The idea is to avoid feeling deprived from enjoying the foods you love and are not willing to give up – what can make the strongest among us break down or abort our diet plans completely.

I suggest you consider trying this strategy, only be careful of your portion sizes. Your ‘day off’ isn’t meant to become a pig-fest. Don’t undo all the hard work you did during the week!

3. Some foods have healthier versions available. Try them.

For example, in the case of pizza, order a whole wheat pizza, add vegetables to your pizza toppings and cut back on cheese and pepperoni in place of a regular pizza crust with gobs of cheese and pepperoni. It’s far healthier and you’ll still enjoy the pizza!

4. Increase its nutritional value without adding more calories.

Eat your favorite food with a side salad or vegetables. I always have a large salad with my pizza!

Or if it’s chocolate I want, I usually eat a handful of almonds along with my chocolate. It increases it’s nutritional value and is more satisfying.

5. Practice portion control and avoid overeating.

Re-think your portion size and consider eating a smaller portion of your favorite food.

Using pizza again as the example, eat fewer slices and add a side salad or steamed vegetables as a side dish or buy a small or medium pizza as opposed to the larger size.

We’ve got a chronic case of “portion distortion” these days and many of us over overeating without even realizing it.

Use smaller plates. Portions look bigger on smaller plates – yes, it’s an illusion, but we’ve all been trained to ‘see’ portions as well.

6. Watch your eating habits.

Which foods are you eating on a daily basis just out of shear habit?

Try eating them less often and when you do, really enjoy them.

Are you a late night snacker? Do you eat out of boredom? Is binge eating or emotional eating a problem for you?

7. Here’s where a diet journal comes in handy, so keep a detailed account of every meal and snack and the time of day that you ate it.

Pay special attention to how you were feeling emotionally (upset, bored, etc.) and physically (tired, sleepy, etc.) both before and after each meal – this will tell you a lot.

Often we’re not consciously aware of the psychological and physical motivation behind our cravings, habits or food triggers.

Your food journal however doesn’t lie…and will point this out if you don’t already know it.

8. When watching TV (a time when most of us tend to snack and forget about our healthy eating plan entirely) prepare a few healthy snacks beforehand.

Divide portions of nuts or low glycemic, low carb raw vegetables into small plastic bags. When you feel like snacking, grab a plastic bag rather than rummage through the cupboards or the fridge.

A little advance preparation will help you avoid snacking on less healthier foods later when you’re in low gear mentally.

Good choices for snacks are fresh berries, celery, cherries, cucumber slices, edamame, or a handful of most nuts, with the exception of cashews.

Remember, you’re changing well ingrained, lifelong habits, so be kind to yourself!

Cut yourself a little slack once in a while and rather than sabotaging your weight loss meal plan altogether, enjoy your favorites occasionally and without guilt.

Just be smart as to when and how you enjoy them.

Life will throw you a few curves now and then and a life long healthy eating plan needs to be flexible otherwise it's doomed to failure.

Provided you stick to your healthy eating plan at least 90% of the time, you’ll still get good results.

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