Feed Yourself Smarter Articles

How are those New Years Resolutions going?

Let me guess, you are going to get stronger, be leaner and feel healthier. You are going to be completely transformed by spring. And then, well life gets in the way and you fall back into your old habits by, the first or second week of January.

Changing food habits IS easy, trust me, I’ve helped hundreds of clients do exactly that.

First, you need a vision; have you got a clear vision of yourself leaner, stronger, healthier, without the bloated painful belly, energised? How do you feel in that vision of yourself? Why is it important to you. This is something to keep referring back to any time you get close to hitting the f**k it button.

Second, have a plan. If you know what you are eating for the next few meals it is a simple case of just doing it. One of my favourite discoveries last year was PlateJoy. I used them when I did a 7 day Keto Diet and I loved it. You plug in your requirements and PlateJoy will make up a meal plan for you. You can select variables such as gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, low carb. You can also pick how many meals you want in a week, maybe it is only 4 dinners because you are out the other two nights. PlateJoy gives you options on recipes and then send you the recipes plus a shopping list for the week. I requested only dishes that could be done in 15 minutes or less, and they were delicious and as simple as they claimed. What’s super clever about PlateJoy is that it saves on food waste. When you follow their shopping list you are buying what you need (not what looks good in the supermarket or was on offer), so you avoid getting to the end of the week and finding all that limp broccoli and kale at the bottom of the fridge (hands up, we’ve all done that). It is a subscription service and you pay $8-10/month depending on how you long you sign up for. If you use the code AWN10 you will also receive a $10 discount. Go try it, you won’t be disappointed.

Third, have a comfort meal that is easy to make. This is your go-to meal, the one that will comfort you when you have had a bad day and the one you can easily pull together. I have a two I use at the moment, Courgetti Puttanesca (with sardines) or a sweet potato and chickpea curry. The curry I batch cook and will last me a few days or goes into the freezer, the Vietnamese yellow chicken curry with carrot & sweet potato & Vegetarian stew with quinoa & cauliflower rice. They are great value for well- sourced ingredients. These are only available in London at the moment, but if you are London based, think about stocking up your freezer some www.gingerparsley.com.

These ideas should give you some extra inspiration and help to maintain those new habits. Don’t forget to check out my posts on Mastering the Diet Maze as well as Breakfast Is Dead.