Have you heard of the pancake diet?
No? Sounds good though right?
Ok seriously… there’s so many different diets out there… but the big question is which diet should you choose?
Keto? Weightwatchers? Slimming world? Low carb? (How???) Low fat?
Well today mine is coming with a dose of pancakes for pancake day!! (And no.. none of those “protein pancakes” - I’m talking the real deal!!)
I was even excited talking about them with a friend yesterday envisaging mine topped with either lemon & sugar or banana & Nutella - Oh yeeeerrrr!! (I enjoy talking about food in case you hadn’t noticed!!)
So tonight’s dinner… PANCAKES!!
And yes, before you ask, I’m still on my cut (slowly shedding my fluffy stuff around the edges) but I am still making room in my life for pancakes!
Why? Because life is for living and enjoying… And you shouldn't need to feel guilty for doing that!
So… How about instead of choosing a “diet” that restricts certain foods, you start building some healthy habits that you can keep doing once you reach your goal?
Now, don’t get me wrong… these diets can work to help you lose the weight… but what are you going to do once you reach your goal and stop your diet? How many times have you been on a diet, lost the weight, start eating “normally” again and the weight piles back on?
I’ll put my hands up and say that this has happened to me a fair few times in the past but it gets to a point you realise this isn’t the way to be happy and healthy in the long run!
Heard the saying “good things come to those who wait”?
Well it’s true for getting that body you want - I mean, mine is still in progress… but I’m quite enjoying experimenting with the process!
So where could you start creating healthy habits?
Pick a habit to work on and master it, then add another one to the mix.
Here are a few ideas to think about:
Get at least 7 hours sleep - If you haven’t already read it, check out my blog on Sleep for the benefits and tips of doing so!
Drink at least 2 litres of water a day - I bought myself a cool Frank Green water bottle to carry around with me which reminds me to drink and always have water available; I also try and have a glass of water with each meal which I now do automatically without even thinking about it! (Does wonders to make you feel full too!)
Bulk your meals out with nutritious veggies - The easiest way I get some veg in if I dont want to prepare any is to buy the microwave veg bags which are ready as a couple of minutes - easy peasy!
Eat lean protein with each meal - Now Protein is a biggy for me in the sense that I see the biggest changes in my body composition when I ensure I get sufficient protein into my day. If you are tracking calories then another thing I would pay particular attention to aside from calories is protein levels - then the rest can be made up with whatever carbs and fats you prefer!
Choose minimally processed wholefoods - Scrap the packeted stuff and eat fresh where you can… You’d be surprised how much cheaper it actually is for one and also how easy it is to do once you have found those recipes you like!
Eat slowly and stop when 80% full - This is the one I personally struggle with the most as I’m a quick eater and used to eat until the food was finished; but this is something that when I take the time to focus on this actually make a huge difference in tuning into my appetite - and the number of times I actually didn’t feel like finishing the meal when I try this is amazing (and if you don’t finish it and you had accounted for it in your calories then you have something saved for later if you fancy it!)
If you are a scoffer like me and find yourself overeating then this could be just the one for you to focus on!
Enjoy your treats in moderation (think 80/20 rule - 80% quality, nutritious food; 20% indulgent foods you enjoy!) - There’s no need to feel guilty about eating foods you enjoy… I like the odd creme egg here and there, a Gin & tonic on a Saturday night, and the occasional takeaway!
Find suitable portion sizes - Basically know how much you eat to maintain your current weight. You can use easy hand sizes (a palm of protein, cupped handful of carbs, a thumb of fats & a fist of veg); or I often use those scoops you get with protein powder which I like as I know that a scoop of my morning oats is about 40g so hardly have to even weight them out anymore!
If your weight is staying level on those protein sizes you have worked out and you want to lose a bit of weight then just reduce the number of portions of the carbs or fats that you eat; Like for my oats, when I started cutting I just changed my morning oats from 2 scoops to 1 scoop!
If you find yourself getting a little peckish between meals, increase the number of portions of protein you eat!
Losing weight is about the quantity of food you eat.
Losing body fat and feeling healthy is about the quality AND quantity of food you eat.
Health & happiness is about finding a quality lifestyle you can maintain.
Something to think about…
