At the lowest point in my life, I was more than fifty pounds overweight. And as (one) part of my Personal Growth strategy, I released that weight in less than eleven months. While certainly not at that level today, I have put a few extra pounds on again, so I’ve also been actively learning more about how I can still enjoy food while releasing that weight. Our friend Alexa Fishback, who is a nutritionist, registered dietician, and author of The Daily Fix, decided to weigh in (so to speak) and recommended five great ways to jump-start your healthy lifestyle and still enjoy the food you love.

1. It’s got to start from within. The “battle” with eating issues typically is related to unresolved emotional issues. The same holds true for money, relationships and most challenges that a person is facing.

2. Internalize the saying “You are what you eat.” Be more conscious of what you consume, what it’s made of, where it came from, and what it’s doing to your body. Do your research and learn the environmental, human, and animal costs to what is sitting on your plate.

It’s about eating consciously when the food is in front of you, too. Slow down for your meals. Don’t inhale your food. Stop for conversation and put your fork down. Chew and enjoy each bite thoroughly. Eat only when you are hungry and stop when you’re satisfied, not stuffed.

Yes, everyone knows this—it’s enacting all of it that’s hard, but that’s where the inner game (see #1 above) of Personal Growth comes in.

3. Don’t diet, just make habits. Fad diets are destined to fail—we all know that. Habits, on the other hand, are hard to break. It takes just three weeks to build a healthy habit. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not too long. Introduce a vegetable or two more glasses of water per day, and before long, you’re on your way.

4. Take your time with weight loss. In our instant gratification culture, we’re used to, well, instant gratification.

Studies show that slower weight loss is likely to be more sustainable over time, though. Any diet that guarantees a large amount of weight loss in a short amount of time might work…for a little while.

Real weight loss occurs pound by pound, over weeks and months, not with juice cleanses, fasts, or crash diets.

5. Plan ahead. A plan is the most important thing you can have when embarking on a nutrition jump-start. Take a few minutes each week to work on planning your meals, and also going grocery shopping.

Write down ideas for meals for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks and then shop for ingredients (Bonus: by grocery shopping instead of eating out, you’re going to save a lot of money).

Also, pack your lunch every night and bring it to school or work, along with a few healthy snacks for during the days. Vending machines and fast food will be things of the past.

6. Treat yourself, but only by half. Try this little trick: if you’re craving something “bad,” like, for example, that big M&M’s cookie from Starbucks, buy it, break it in half, and immediately throw one half away. You can be satisfied by knowing that you’re only indulging in half the calories you normally would.

7. Be accountable. If you fall off the nutrition wagon, don’t give up entirely. Tomorrow is a new day, so get right back on. There will be setbacks, but you can eventually replace them with personal responsibility.

What are your secrets to good nutrition? Let us know by clicking “Post Your Comments” and leaving a response!