For the average person it’s become increasingly difficult to eat healthy while in moderation.
We are all short on time. During the week there’s always someplace you have to be.
Whether that’s work, school, working out, taking care of kids, walking the dog, etc.
Eating good food in moderation is harder when you don’t allow yourself time during the day to eat.
And two things in our society make eating healthy difficult.
Those are:
- An overabundance of fast food restaurants on nearly every corner
- This modern idea that “busy is best” – the busier you are the more valuable you appear to some people
These two things are killing your goals for living a healthier life.
You may care what your boss thinks so you end up staying late at work, and skipping lunch.
So, by the end of most days you’re exhausted. Your body aches and your eyes glaze over as you come into the house after a long day at work and a long drive home.
All you want… all your body wants is to numb out. And find the easiest and quickest solution for some fuel- usually comfort food.
Then sit in front of Netflix and chill.
But those food choices cause you to eat unhealthy and overeat.
When your body gets used to this lifestyle, it’s hard to know how to eat in moderation.
These tips will help you stay healthy and on track with your diet by learning to eat in moderation:
Understand the meaning of moderation.
What does moderation mean for your body and diet?
- Although moderation can vary from person to person, experts agree that it generally involves limiting unhealthy foods to small amounts and rare occasions. This means that you eat cookies or doughnuts in small pieces and not every day.
- It’s important to figure out your own level of comfort with moderation. Are you able to avoid eating chips during the weekdays but find it hard to eliminate them on the weekends? You have to create your own set of rules to make moderation work for you.
Keep a journal.
It’s hard to remember everything you’ve consumed during the week.
You can easily forget that you ate half a candy bar at your desk or finished a small bag of pretzels while watching television.
A journal for your food intake can help you keep track of everything you eat.
The journal can help you figure out when and how to cut out unhealthy food.
It also helps you notice patterns, so your goal to eat in moderation is easier to reach.
For example, if you discover that you always reach for unhealthy snacks after work, then you can create a new after-work habit that supports your goal.
Control your triggers.
Do you reach for the doughnuts because you’re stressed or worried?
The most common triggers for overeating are stress and anxiety. However, fatigue and boredom are also triggers that encourage you to eat pizza instead of a healthy green salad.
Discover how to control these triggers:
First, identify your triggers and pay attention to the events that cause them.
For example, does talking to your mother-in-law make you feel anxious and cause you to eat a bagel?
Once you’ve identified the triggers, you can work on coping strategies to get rid of them.
By trial and error, you can find various techniques that help you handle the stress and anxiety, so you’re not reaching for junk food to make up for the emotions.
For example, breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques are all effective methods.
Hide or get rid of the temptations.
If you don’t keep pastries in the house, you won’t reach for them out of boredom during a TV show.
Temptations vary from person to person, but the most common items are sugary and salty snacks.
This includes cake, cookies, chips, pretzels, and other common food products.
If you can’t throw away all of the junk food, the next best step is to put it in a place that is hard to reach.
For example, you can store the food on a top shelf that requires you to get a chair or stool to reach. Another option is put it in a storage area that isn’t used often.
Moderation is the key to eating healthy without feeling deprived and hungry all the time. Use these tips to maintain your diet and avoid gaining weight or hurting your health.
