Have you started planning your New Years resolutions yet? Feeling grumpy just thinking about it? I know dieting is always a popular choice, but who wants to feel deprived when it comes to eating? Although calorie restriction can lead to weight loss initially, studies show that people typically are unable to sustain the weight loss because they think of diets as temporary. When the diet comes to an end, we often return to our old eating habits only to regain the lost weight and then some. 🙁
What if there was a way to manage your weight by actually eating more food instead of less? I am referring to a concept called “crowding out.” This is the natural process that occurs when you begin to add in more healthy foods in an effort to “crowd out” the unhealthy foods. By doing this you will naturally have less room for junk food. Over time, your cravings will diminish and your taste buds will now appreciate healthier foods. This, my friends, is one of the best ways to lead to a more balanced and sustainable way of eating. You will feel satiated instead of deprived.
So, what does it look like when you start to implement this way of eating? Well, there are the obvious choices like adding in more fruit, expanding your variety of vegetables, choosing whole foods instead of processed, expanding your protein choices and, last but not least, drinking more water. You can begin by adding a piece of fresh fruit in the morning or having fruit or a green juice as a mid morning snack. Replace your potato chips with raw carrots or celery, have a salad for lunch instead of a burger or sandwich, drink water or green tea instead of soda, have a piece of dark chocolate in place of a candy bar, eat raw nuts such as pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts as an afternoon snack and choose healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil and nut butters.
The point is to seek out healthier alternatives to your favorite not so healthy foods. Remember, I do not want you to feel deprived so if you absolutely cannot give up your chips, try baked sweet potato chips instead. You still get the crunchy, salty taste you crave along with the added nutrition of sweet potatoes. Or, if you love pasta, choose one made with quinoa or lentil flour and top it off with a fresh tomato sauce.
The best way to start this process is by making one small change at a time. I think an easy first step is to commit to drinking more water every day. When you are hydrated, you are less likely to feel hungry. During the winter months, you may not think about getting dehydrated. Truth is, we can actually become more dehydrated in the winter because we tend to drink less water and the air outside and inside tends to be very dry. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., you should consume 75 ounces of water per day. A little trick I learned to help your body better absorb water is to add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt a couple times throughout the day. Kind of like doing a shot of tequila only with water 😉
When you feel like you have successfully accomplished adding in more water, the next week you can try a new veggie when you go grocery shopping. The week after that experiment with adding in more plant based protein and eating less animal protein. Make your healthy habits specific and something that you can easily incorporate into your daily life. Don’t worry about timelines. Implement the changes at a pace that feels right for you. This is not meant to be a quick fix. You are creating a lifestyle change that focuses on health and happiness.
Once you have mastered the changes to your diet, try applying “crowding out” to other areas of your life. When you start with an open mind and a desire for wellness, you will naturally crowd out all the things that do not fit!
