It’s not everyday that I go to the grocery store to shop for all things green, and yes, healthy.
With so many delicious food that are up for the taking these days. What with red meat, steak, bags of chips, burgers, and all those processed and easy to cook food, you can’t help but be tempted to just trade your greens for the tastier ones.
True enough, it's hard to resist temptations. And, I can always go for these alternatives at any time of the day.
But today, I chose health over trash.
Talking about delayed gratification where you try to resist any form of immediate temptation in favor of long-term results like better well-being definitely entails sound decision-making.
I could have easily filled my cart with all the things that I REALLY WANT as a reward for all the hard work these past few weeks, but then I opted for nutritious food instead of giving in to my cravings. Easy, you say? But, no, it isn’t.
My tour to the grocery store continued and as usual, there are loads of temptation everywhere. But then again, I reminded myself that if I am not going to do it now, when will I ever dare do it. So off I go from one aisle to another, thinking only of the greens and all the healthy stuff I could find.
Now, this is how my cart looks like. And yes, I’m just getting started.
On days when I feel like giving up, I always try to remind myself that it's okay not to be perfect. Sticking to a healthy lifestyle can be really challenging. But given the right mindset, it will eventually become easier.
So, to help myself be on track, here are some of the ways I’m trying to do:
Plan ahead – Meal prepping is the “holy grail” in maintaining and sustaining a healthy eating habit. Doing so prevents giving in to unnecessary cravings and impulsive eating.
Focus on Whole Food – You’ll never go wrong if you pick fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Be flexible – There are ways to avoid feeling deprived and allowing flexibility greatly helps.
I hope I was able to inspire all of you to just get things started even if it feels uncomfortable. If you fall, just get back up and don't be afraid to start over again.
You choose, 1 day or Day 1?