Sometimes the Toughest Choice is not Making a Choice 

September 21, 2011

Why is it that we know what we need to do to reach our goal, but simply don’t do it? Having the freedom to eat and do what we want most of the time, means that we have a choice to make. Take a bike ride or read a book? Go to the gym or go shopping? Eat a cheeseburger for lunch or a salad with fresh veggies and lean protein? Many factors such as time, availability and simply desire affect those choices. It is important to make the healthiest choice when trying to lose weight. This means consciously saying you will skip the bread that arrives first at the restaurant or choosing to plan when you will exercise because you know your actions control the outcome. Take ownership of your health because you have this freedom too!

So, how can we work at making the healthier choice more often? I’d like to recommend monthly and weekly steps you can take to tangibly reach your goal. You will need some sort of log, journal or calendar to get started.

For example, consider cleaning up your diet for weight loss (but you can use this method for increasing exercise or reducing stress).

Monthly
Choose one goal for the month (eat more vegetables, avoid foods with added sugar, etc.) Then work this goal into your weekly food log

Weekly
1. Write it down - write what you will eat for each meal of the week.
2. Portion out your food - do this ahead of time for meals at home and away from home.
3. Record your feelings about what you ate, your hunger level and if you were satisfied.
4. Repeat each day!

Remember, taste buds are malleable. You can, and should, retrain your taste buds to prefer healthier food choices that are close to nature. Start by incrementally making over familiar recipes -- breading a chicken cutlet in ground whole-grain crackers instead of white bread crumbs, or substituting a ground turkey and lentil combination for your next hamburger. Even indulgences can be prudent: next time you're looking for a special dessert, try strawberries or almonds dipped in dark chocolate. Your sweet tooth and your diet will be equally satisfied.

There will always be obstacles -- a busy schedule, family obligations, holidays -- but we can plan accordingly. The goal is to strike a balance between the pursuit of wellness and the pursuit of pleasure so that each helps you find the other.