Practical Tips for Healthier Eating
I recently had someone reach out and ask me this:
“I need some tips on healthier eating. I want to continue keto but I always fall off the wagon because I stay hungry. I can never get full.”
Here’s what I told her:
Embrace Healthier Eating Habits
Okay, awesome. So! The first thing I would say is it’s dope that you’re trying to be healthier and changing ways you eat to do that. It’s very smart and it’s also a good thing to model for your girls. I’ll be honest though, it sounds like keto isn’t the right option for you.
Understanding Keto as a Tool
Don’t get me wrong, keto isn’t necessarily a bad or good choice. Keto itself is more of a tool to achieve a goal – the goal here is eating a bit healthier. Usually, when people eat keto, that means they remove all the things they consider bad. I’d challenge the idea that some foods are bad/good, too. Food is food, it just is. With keto, people tend to cut out a lot of very calorie-dense foods (like cake, ice cream, snack foods, etc.) because they consider them “carby,” and therefore bad. I’d even go so far as to say you can have some of these snack foods if you enjoy them because, well, you only have one life, why spend it suffering all the time?
Why Keto Might Not Be Right for You
That leads me to why I don’t think keto is a good choice for you. If you can’t stick with it, then it isn’t a good choice. Remember, keto is just a means to an end. There are plenty of different ways we can eat “healthier,” and improve our diet while still enjoying the foods we enjoy.
Incorporate More Vegetables
So how do we do that? Well, first, I’d suggest that you add vegetables to at least 2 or 3 of your meals a day. The more vegetables you eat, the more nutrients you’re getting AND the more fiber you’ll be eating which makes you feel more full. I used to hate eating vegetables but then I learned how to cook them a bit better or put them into better recipes and it became much easier. Heck, if anything, just use a blender and make a protein shake with spinach in it. I like to do peanut butter, banana, 2 handfuls of spinach and a scoop of protein. Cover it with almond milk (not that milk is bad, it just fits my calories a lot better) and blend it up and drink it. The flavor is amazing and I’m getting a full serving of leafy greens easily. Win-win.
Stay Hydrated
The second thing I’d suggest is to make sure you’re drinking enough water. I know these sound very obvious or simple, but a lot of times we can’t see the forest because we’re too close to the trees. By stepping back and focusing on a few major things, we can get so much done. So with water, a lot of times we don’t realize we’re not getting enough. Our brains tend to mask thirst with hunger so we eat more and thus get more water. Sometimes if I’m absolutely ravenous and it feels like I can’t get full, I realize I haven’t drunk enough water for the day. I drink a bottle of water and boom, I’m full and feel fine. This doesn’t mean chug gallons of water a day, but make sure you’re properly hydrated so you’re sure you’re hungry and not just thirsty. How much water should you drink? I’d suggest 75% of your bodyweight in fluid ounces. So, for example (and easy math) if someone weighed 200 lbs, they’d drink 150 fluid ounces of water a day. Space it out throughout the day and casually sip on it. It’ll help you not feel so hungry all the time.
Boost Your Protein Intake
The next thing I’d suggest is making sure you’re getting enough protein. A lot of times (especially for women) we aren’t getting enough protein to keep us going and help us feel full. I’d suggest eating protein (meat, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.) at least 3 or 4 times a day. Say, the size of your fist of meat or a cup or so of the dairy options. Protein helps keep us feeling full and it’s great for your health.
Incorporate Regular Exercise
One more quick thing I’d say is to exercise 3 or 4 times a week. Go for long walks, ride a bike, do some yoga on YouTube, hit the gym – it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re moving 30 to 45 minutes each time 3 to 4 times a week, it’ll help you be healthier overall. This will also be something good to teach your little girls so they know it’s a normal and good thing to do during their lifetime.
Understand the Value of Carbs in healthier eating
Now, I want to bring up eating carbs and still being healthy. Carbs aren’t a bad thing. They’re very good for you actually. They’re a great source of energy and help build muscle (which the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is overall – this is why it’s important to exercise). Eating carbs doesn’t mean eating rice crispy treats and junk food all the time. Things like whole wheat bread, rice (white or brown, both are fine), potatoes – foods like this are good. We don’t have to eat an entire loaf of bread, but having a few slices with a meal is good. I eat roughly 350 to 400 grams of carbs every day. I love them. Eating some will help you stay more adherent to your diet goals and won’t leave you feeling so empty, hungry, and void of energy. How much should you eat? I’d say maybe like a serving of carbs each meal (think one slice of bread, ½ a cup to a cup of rice or potatoes, something like that – these are very loose suggestions of course because I’m not sure your exact needs but these suggestions aren’t anything crazy).
Enjoy Your Favorite Foods in Moderation
The last thing I’d say is to make sure you still eat foods you enjoy from time to time. Let’s say you really enjoy Oreos. Great, they’re a good treat. BUT! That doesn’t mean eating them at every meal. Having a few Oreos (I’m unsure the serving size but I’m assuming it’s something like 3 cookies) every couple of days as a small joy is wonderful, but stick with only the serving. This is where strong will comes in, and we all have it, it’s just hard to do sometimes. Keep in mind your goals and ask yourself what’s more important to you: the joy of a lot of cookies in one sitting or the health goal you’ve set for yourself? Only you can answer that.
Quick Reference Guide to Healthier Eating
So this was a lot! Here’s everything organized a little better to make it easier to remember:
- Vegetables at 2 or 3 meals a day (if half your bowl or plate is vegetables, you’ll get full fast, trust me).
- Drink enough water (75% of your body weight in fluid ounces is a good goal to shoot for).
- Have a fist-sized serving of protein 3 or 4 times a day.
- Exercise 3 to 4 times a week (make it a family thing!).
- Carbs are not bad! Have a serving of carbs (potatoes, rice, whole grain bread, etc.) with each meal.
- Enjoy your life and have foods you like periodically. You don’t have to eat them every meal (probably shouldn’t so you can get in the other carbs and vegetables) but don’t deprive yourself the joy of certain foods. Just practice restraint around them and you’ll be fine!