Ah, unhealthy food. It’s so tempting and (sometimes) delicious, yet we know that it’s bad for us. If you’re someone who is on a dieting journey and is trying to avoid foods that aren’t good for you, we salute you. We know just how hard it can be to keep unhealthy food out of your diet. It’s relatively simple when you’re at home, but how can you keep it up when you’re out and about? Here are five tips for doing exactly that.
Don’t Feel Obligated to Eat
One common problem that many people run into is feeling the obligation to eat whenever your friends decide to go out. Eating with friends can be very rewarding socially, and it makes food a lot more fun. But you don’t need to succumb to the tempting powers of unhealthy food just because your friends are. You might think that they will judge you for opting out of a meal or a snack when out on the town, but they will understand if they are actually your friends. Simply say something like, “I’m trying to only eat at home right now” or “I’m good” when asked if you want to eat somewhere. You can still join them for the food; just don’t eat it yourself.
Always Check the Nutrition Facts
Another great way to make sure that you avoid bad foods while outside of your house is to make sure that you check the nutrition label. It’s a simple idea, but many people fail to do it. The nutrition facts can really reveal the truth about food: an item might seem healthy because of its packaging or where it’s sold, but you might find that it’s loaded with sugar and fat. Don’t let marketing fool you! Get down to the facts and see if you actually want to put that food into your body before doing so.
Do Your Research
While checking the nutrition label is a great way to stay healthy, it can also be a bit overwhelming. How do you know if the facts that are listed on the label are actually healthy or not? And how much is too much when it comes to sugar, fat, and other building blocks of food? The only way you can know is to do research. Food is a very personal thing, so look around on the Internet to decide what you’re comfortable with eating and what seems like a no-no. This will also help you decipher those big, confusing words on the label.
Make a Nutrition Plan
Plans are much easier to stick to if you actually make them concrete. You can have an idea of the nutrition ideals you’d like to stick to in your head, but they can become easy to discard once you’re out and about. Actually writing down your nutrition plan makes it so that you can have a real and physical plan to adhere to. You can be very specific or slightly vague when you create it, but actually making it in the first place will really hold you accountable and make it much easier to skip foods that you don’t actually want to eat.
Give Yourself a Cheat Day
As virtuous as sticking to a diet is, you shouldn’t punish yourself for wanting a healthier lifestyle. Having a cheat day is a common method to let yourself act on your temptations so that it’s easier to avoid unhealthy foods on all of the other days. If you don’t have a cheat day, you might find yourself cheating on many different days! Having a few rules still in place on your cheat day is good, but don’t be too hard on yourself. At the end of the day, you deserve to be happy. If certain foods make you happy, you can indulge a bit.
