WHEN EATING HEALTHY ISN'T FAIR

When it comes to weight loss and nutrition, sometimes you can’t always get what you want.

This has come up several times in my coaching with clients, and I’ve decided to go ahead and write a post about it.

If you are used to eating a certain way, meaning you have always been able to eat WHATEVER you want, and suddenly find yourself in a situation where you can no longer do that (medical condition, baby weight that won’t come off, just want to eat healthier, etc.), the changes that are necessary to reach your goals can seem overwhelming.

To put it mildly.

In some cases, it can seem downright impossible!

Going from a burger, fries, and a soda for lunch to salad with grilled chicken and water can be a shock. And it can seem even worse when family, friends, and coworkers are still eating how they want to, and you feel “stuck” eating carrot sticks and celery.

Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy answer or fix for this situation.

However, there are multiple “options” to help you navigate this frustrating stage of your healthy eating journey.

First, Start Small. I say this ALL THE TIME, but I can’t reiterate it enough. When you are starting out and feel completely overwhelmed like nothing is ever going to change, this isn’t fair, etc. (and PLEASE believe me, we have ALL been there!), start with something SMALL to change. For Hubs, as we started to change his eating habits, we switched to olive oil instead of vegetable oil. There are NUMEROUS health benefits to using olive oil so we made the switch. It took a couple of weeks to get used to it, but once the vegetable oil was gone, we just don’t buy it anymore and use the olive oil for pretty much everything. By finding one small thing to change first, it makes the next change (and the next) not seem so overwhelming or impossible.

Second, Pick YOUR Top Priority. If you are trying to lose weight or improve your nutrition, going all in on EVERY change you’re trying to make is going to lead to disaster and quitting. You are going to read articles, blog posts (like this one), watch videos, talk to others, etc., who are going to tell you that you need to cut all carbs (false); eat only certain ways (Keto, Vegan, Paleo, etc., also false); drink only purified water from a glacier in the Arctic (definitely false, but cool!); and a bunch of other stuff. And while being informed and prepared to make changes is all well and good (and NECESSARY), the best thing you can do is pick YOUR number one priority. If getting off soda and drinking more water is the most important aspect for you to focus on right now, then that’s where your changes should be. Pick the EASIEST and SMALLEST changes you can make in that area and stick with it until you have reached your goal.

Third, Make Incremental Adjustments. Only about 5-6% of people ON THE PLANET are able to make changes “cold turkey”. To one day decide they don’t want to eat sugar anymore, so they simply stop. For the rest of us, that is a difficult process of quitting, relapsing, and starting over again. But, for those who make smaller, steady changes, their success rate is much, much higher.

To use the Soda-to-Water Example: if you’re trying to switch completely it might look something like adding an extra glass of water in your day, subtracting a soda from the day, adding a flavor packet to your water and then doing it again, switching to tea or sugar-free iced coffee, and eventually phasing out the sodas altogether while adding more water options.

Fourth, and probably the harshest factor to consider, Prepare Yourself to “Make Sacrifices”, or….for things to be unfair. When you are changing your lifestyle in order to lose weight or eat healthier, there are going to be times when it SUCKS! Your favorite restaurant may not have options that work for you anymore. Your family might be enjoying a treat while you are “stuck” looking for a healthier option or not getting to eat what they are AT ALL (looking at you, birthday cake!).

And the truth is, you’re right – it’s not fair. It hurts to watch others enjoying foods you used to be able to without any thought or concern. But the reality is, IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. Whether intentionally or not, you are going to find yourself in situations where you’re not going to be able to have what everyone else is eating, or you’re going to have to “settle” for a less appealing option, and you need to prepare for that – figuratively and literally.

As long as it is not a MEDICAL NECESSITY, give yourself some wiggle room in your new eating goals. Work to meet your eating goals during the week so if you do end up going out for the weekend and find yourself in a situation where healthy options aren’t available, you haven’t completely derailed your efforts for the week.

If possible, plan ahead. This can take on MANY forms – checking menus before you go out; packing meals or snacks in advance; taking healthier options to gatherings that you can enjoy as well; keeping a supply of healthy options on-hand for yourself; etc.

Find alternatives you can live with. If your family are set on pizza after a practice, game, or other event, look for the best option you can find while still sticking with your goals. Or maybe they can eat pizza and you can find another place to grab something healthy afterward. I understand this option might not be convenient, but it doesn’t have to be an every time thing.

Compromise. As Hubs’ options have changed (medical necessities), so have our food options when we’re on the go. We have done a lot of planning ahead, taking our own meals and snacks, and trying to find restaurants that work for him. This does not always go well. Sometimes we end up someplace Mini-Me wants that doesn’t have a lot of options for him. We’ve started working on compromising where she gets to choose a place, and next time he gets to choose. We make our options work the best we can, but it doesn’t run smoothly 100% of the time.

As much as you want those around you to be supportive and understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish, ultimately this is YOUR JOURNEY, and the hard choices are going to fall on your shoulders. It doesn’t mean you have to do it alone every time, but if you KNOW your family is going to be eating junk food, it’s best to prepare when you can to avoid hard feelings.

This isn’t a forever thing, but getting to the point where healthy eating comes naturally is definitely a process. You can make it happen by taking the steps necessary to set yourself up for success.

And if you would like to learn more about how Health and Nutrition Coaching can help you make healthy choices and meet your wellness and weight loss goals, Book a FREE Consultation call.