The Benefits of Healthy Habitual Eating
Whenever I talk about meal prepping or establishing healthy eating habits this question comes up a lot:
OMG…I’m supposed to eat the same meals everyday?!? How boring!!
Or…
I never know what to make. I need some new ideas!
In response to that I’m going to share with you an excerpt from Chalene Johnson’s best-selling book, PUSH. In the book she describes the 10 Eating Habits of the Highly Successful and Fit. She shares what thousands of successful people told her about their daily eating habits.
#1 on the list is: THEY TEND TO STICK TO THE SAME DAILY MENU.
Here’s what Chalene has to say:
“I’ll go out on a limb and tell you something that approximately zero weight-loss experts are willing to share with you. If you Google “weight loss tips” or “healthy eating habits” nearly every blog and article you find will suggest that you “eat a variety of healthy foods to prevent boredom.” Undoubtedly, eating a variety of foods may very well be exciting. But my job is to tell you what fit people do, not what they should do or what sounds good to a registered dietician…
I’ve spent nearly 20 years studying people with exceptional eating habits, and this particular habit was perhaps one of the most telling. The majority tell me they eat virtually the same meals every day, mostly the same breakfast, same lunch, same dinner, and when it comes to snacks and beverages…well, you guessed it, very predictable food. To clarify, they did not suggest that they eat exactly the same entree for every meal, but they often chose from three, maybe four things that they like for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For months on end, mealtime feels something a bit like the film Groundhog Day.
Whether I was speaking to fellow fitness professionals, those who have been trim all their life, or individuals who have succeeded at taking off 100-plus pounds and keeping it off for years, this one habit always came to bear. For me, it was reassuring. I’m a creature of habit. I too like to have the very same thing for breakfast day after day after day. As a I drive home from the gym at 6:30 am, I’m delighted to enjoy my first meal of the day. It’s not a chore or a “Oh, I have to eat that again.” Rather, it’s something I quite look forward to.
I have my own theories about this shared habit.
First, it allows “careful” eaters to predict their daily calorie allotment without much effort. Second, perhaps the most fit among us are entrenched in habit, including the habit of taste. Third, effortlessly fit folks are in tune with the energy and calorie needs of their bodies. When they find foods that deliver what they need and that they enjoy, why look further?
Keep in mind, there’s a fine line between careful eating and disordered eating. The careful eater’s diet is a habit and not a matter of control or obsession.”
Interesting right?!
I’ll share with you my own personal experience of “habitual eating.”
I find that when I eat basically the same thing everyday, after a few days I start craving those foods and meals. My taste buds forget about the “unhealthy” meals and snacks. It doesn’t matter whether the food is healthy or not, your taste buds crave whatever it is that you eat the most. Those treats and meals that you once thought were so wonderful and tasty, all of a sudden don’t sound that appealing any more.
It also takes a lot of the guesswork out of eating and meal planning! I don’t have to worry about always having a variety of things in the house and it makes grocery shopping SO much easier (and cheaper too)! If I get tired of something I’ll simply change to another one of my “staple” meals from my Master Meal List and stick with that until it’s time for another rotation.
I also find that my tastes seem to change with the seasons or around every 90 days and plan accordingly. That’s NOT to say I’m totally on top of my meal planning and prepping 365 days of the year. Because I’m NOT!! I guess what I’m saying is…if you’ve struggled with meal planning and prepping in the past maybe it’s because you’re expecting TOO MUCH from yourself?
If you love to cook there’s still plenty of room to experiment to add more staple meals to your rotation. But yes, it does take a bit of time, commitment, and experimentation to establish a groove that works for both you and your family.
But it’s totally worth it though, don’t you think?
And if your family complains about eating the same meals all the time, I suggest asking them to help you with the meal planning and prepping process. It’s pretty simple! If they flat out say NO then they have nothing to complain about!
Also, don’t forget that a lot of our food choices are based on our habits. And your habitual thinking (both positive and negative) can definitely affect your food choices and your long-term success with meal prepping. If you say to yourself, “I always get bored when I eat the same thing two days in a row” then you are already setting yourself up for failure. On the other hand, if you say to yourself, “After I eat this salad for lunch I’m going to feel so much better and I’ll be one step closer to reaching my goals” then you are setting yourself on the path to success.
When making a change in nutritional habits, often the hardest part is breaking our old habits. And the best place to start is always with building a NEW healthier habit instead of trying to stop the old one. Simply stopping a habit generally creates a sense of longing for the thing we cannot have. On the other hand, building new healthier habits can be both empowering and FUN!
I recently lost 20+ lbs. of pure body fat in 90 days by simply changing the way I think about food and the scale. I know it probably sounds a little hokey-pokey, but even though I’m certified as a nutrition coach and have a ton of knowledge and book smarts when it comes to food and nutrition, I reached a point in my life where I was REALLY STRUGGLING with my body image and my relationshop with food.
I think most of us know WHAT we need to do to lose weight, but the HOW is where we get stuck. HOW do we do this in a way that is both empowering and fun and doesn’t take over every other aspect of our life??
What turned it all around for me was a program called 2BMindset and if you want to learn more about it I recommend checking out the video below and the course materials over at 2BMindset.com.
Here is some of the food I ate, and to be perfectly honest…the meals were so simple and easy to prepare that there wasn’t a whole lot of planning or prepping involved!!
What I loved most about this program (besides the HUGE portion sizes!!) was that I didn’t have to count calories and macronutrients (the only other way I’ve been able to lose weight in the past) or give up any of my favorite foods like bread, pizza, chocolate, etc.
If you think this program might be something that could help YOU get to where you want 2B…please feel free to contact me or message me on Facebook and I’ll walk you through the different packages that are available.
I believe in this program so much that I’m in the process of becoming a certified mentor so I can pay it forward and help other people experience similiar results!!
/// QUESTION OF THE DAY ///
What do you think…is healthy habitual eating a concept that you’ve ever heard discussed before? Do you like the idea? Please share your thoughts in the Facebook group under our daily thread here –> https://www.facebook.com/groups/290505694685477/permalink/608049672931076/