So you’re ready to get on board and start taking this LIFESTYLE CHANGE thing seriously…

But you have no idea where to begin.

Once you figure everything out, buying the right food will seem like the easy part, but handling cravings and our ever fickle “Will Power”  can seem like it can stop us in our tracks before we ever get started!

Desire alone isn’t enough either.  It can either work for you or against you as in: “I desire to eat clean so I’m going to do everything I can to maximize my chances of success” or “I desire that spinach and artichoke dip and since I worked out so hard this week I’m going to have it.”

The fact that you’re here, reading this post, means you most likely “desire” to do everything you can to maximize your success. But “Will Power” likes to complicate things. Some days you can walk down the candy (or cookie, snack or ice-cream) aisle of a grocery store with superhuman powers and not even flinch and the next you’re riffling through the kid’s rooms to see if you can find anything left over from Halloween.

It’s human nature to behave this way and I could list a solid week’s worth of posts as to WHY we do (hormonal changes, stress, sugar addiction, depression, boredom), but until you change your approach to eating, you are NOT going to get the results you are looking for. I can say this with absolute authority, because I spent my entire adulthood unwilling to change my own approach, that is, until about three years ago. It took me until this past year before I got tired of spinning my wheels and got on board 100%. Getting on board 100% is going to be scary to many of you. It was for me. “What if I want ice cream?” “What if we have a cook out?” “What if I want to go out to dinner with friends?” “What if my family doesn’t like what I cook?” I’m here to tell you that you ARE going to face those obstacles, but if you PLAN and EDUCATE yourself, you CAN OVERCOME THEM.

START IN YOUR OWN HOME

I began by replacing what I knew my family already liked with their healthy versions: 1 % milk instead of 2%; whole grain pastas instead of enriched, bleached ones; all natural peanut butter instead of Skippy or Jiff; fresh fruits and veggies instead of canned ones (and if I absolutely had to buy canned, fruits packed in water or veggies with no added salt). I transitioned from 80/20 beef to 96/4. I bought sweet potatoes more often than white potatoes. I bought water bottles instead of juice boxes.

STOP BUYING JUNK FOOD

Out of sight may not always be out of mind, but if you have to get in your car instead of walking into your kitchen, chances are you’ll pick a healthier alternative. If cravings are what get you, eat smaller meals more frequently. I eat 4-6 meals per day every couple of hours to keep cravings to a minimum. A banana and peanut butter is considered a “meal” to me, other people say “snack” in which case three meals and 2 or 3 snacks per day.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Once you’ve made basic changes, you need to CHANGE YOUR MINDSET. You are making a choice here to change. If you’re going to do this, you need to go all in! Go into this with a plan to succeed. If you fall down, get back up and brush yourself off and keep going.

PLAN YOUR MEALS IN ADVANCE

I know several women who often struggle when trying to prepare healthy dinners for their families and here’s what I tell them: Each of your meals should have
• Lean meat (chicken, beef, turkey, fish, pork)
• Fresh vegetable (spinach, broccoli, squash, peppers…you get the picture)
• Starch (sweet potato, couscous, quinoa, whole grain pasta).

That’s it! Your meats should be baked or grilled. Your vegetables steamed, grilled, baked, or occasionally sautéed (in Olive oil) and your starch without butter, heavy cream, sour cream, cheese sauce, cream sauce, or sauce from a jar. Use herbs and seasonings to flavor your food instead of sauces and spreads.

COOKING OUT?

Make foods you can eat without guilt. Throw some chicken on the grill or cook a 96/4 ground beef patty. Make a salad and skip the dressing, choosing a fig balsamic or a measured tablespoon of Olive oil and salt and pepper. I personally use a lemon wedge, with salt and pepper on my salads.

EATING OUT?

Eat a snack high in protein 30-60 min. before you go to avoid the urge to bury your face in the basket of bread. Skip the appetizers and if you must have a drink, choose wine over cocktails. Most restaurants have websites with their menus online. Find what you like and then order the healthy version. Tell your waiter BEFORE YOU EVEN ORDER that you have dairy allergies (many places cook their food—yes even the ones labeled “grilled” or “blackened”—in butter). Ask for your vegetables steamed and opt for rice or roasted potatoes, instead of garlic smashed potatoes or sauteed veggies.

FAMILY CONCERNS?

Change is hard for most people. We like what we know. If you can’t get your family on board you may just have to push forward without them or take your approach more slowly. My own family was not initially receptive and buying food was a huge struggle. I’d by “my stuff” and “their stuff”. It made me resentful and it made them resentful, but I persisted. What happened over time, is that they slowly began to implement into their own lives, principals I was living by in mine (the old learn by example). In fact, I credit my 12 year old with helping me get rid of juice boxes completely and switching to bottled water in their lunches. It was slow and subtle, but when they found out that what I ate actually tasted good, gave them energy, and left them satisfied, they ended up asking me to buy more so they could eat the same things. It took about four months to make this transition, but the impact on my family has been phenomenal.

BUSY SCHEDULE?

A busy schedule can sideline even the best of plans. Keeping foods in your house that you know are good for you is ½ the battle. When I competed, Sunday afternoons were when I would do meal prep for the week, but my husband likes his dinner cooked not reheated. My compromise was to prepare all my lunches for the week, then plan 3-4 days worth of dinners twice a week, buying only the ingredients I needed each time, to make a healthy dinner. I know, for example, exactly what we’re having for dinner tonight, tomorrow night and Wednesday.

NEED CONVENIENCE?

Take-away or takeout food is loaded with more chemicals than there are elements on the periodic table. It also costs about 3-4x more than what it costs to make a meal for a family of four. I’m making beef tri-tip tonight for me and 3 children. The 2 ½ lb. piece of meat cost me $15. At 4-6 ounces per person, I will have more than enough left over for sandwiches on another day. Pair that with a tossed salad and sweet potatoes and I’ve just spent about $5-$6 dollars per person for an entire meal. My average takeaway bill can run me anywhere from $35-$60 depending on the type of food. Sure, ordering out offers convenience, and maybe the extra time out of the kitchen makes the cost worth it, but if you’re trying to change your habits, this is an EXCELLENT place to start.

FIND THE SAME OLD FOODS BORING?

Let the internet be your oyster! Check out my Pinterest Board for ideas Try new combinations. When Tilapia and chicken were the two major sources of pre-comp Protein, I got creative with seasonings. Some of the things I tried ended up becoming family favorites. Use salsas or make your own, to jazz up your meals. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about eating clean, it’s that I actually taste my food now. It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to tweak a few seasonings–changing the whole meal.

EAT LIKE A COMPETITOR

You don’t have to BE a bikini competitor to LOOK like one!  Stick to your plan for at least 10-14 days before you indulge and then when you do, have a CHEAT MEAL, NOT A CHEAT DAY or a CHEAT WEEKEND. ONE MEAL. You may find as you progress that the urge to cheat may lessen or almost entirely disappear. I know that it has for me.

PLAN. PREPARE. IMPLEMENT

In short, think about what YOUR goals are. Take things one step at a time and don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than you expect. Do the best that you can with the knowledge that every step forward gets you closer to your goals.  If you’re ready to take things to the next level, or you just out sure where to begin, check out my flagship Program:  Six Weeks To A Better You®