Food moderation

 Moderation is key guys!!!

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is seriously all about moderation. But what is moderation?? How much is a moderate amount?? That really depends on you and your overall eating habits. The goal of healthy eating is to develop a diet that you can maintain for life, not just a few weeks or months. If you plan on sustaining any weight that you lose you cannot go hardcore at the gym and eating healthy only until you reach your goal weight and then go back to all of your old habits. NO! that is not how you do it. You WILL gain the weight back!  So try to think of moderation in terms of balance. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body, totally cutting out one kind of food group is not a good idea. Why? Because you probably not going to go the rest of your life without eating any carbs. Which will lead you to gain your weight back and probably even more than you started with. From experience thats exactly what happen to me. For most of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now. More specifically, it means eating way less of the unhealthy stuff and more of the healthy stuff. Try not to think of certain foods as "off-limits" When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are really craving ing something sweet, salty, or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often, substituting unhealthy snacks for similar healthy snacks is a great idea !! Instead of chips with dip, try crunchy carrots and cucumber slices with a healthier version of ranch. Most likely you will find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasion.Think smaller portions. When dining out, choose an appetizer or eat off of the kids menu instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don't super size anything. Back in the old days there were no "super size" or "extra large" which is why the obesity problem has gotten worse as the years go by! The generation today does not realize a normal portion of something is about the size of your fist. When at home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. If you don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with fresh fruit also drink tons and tons of water throughout the day to help keep you full :)