I love the idea of adding healthy habits instead of feeling like you need to deprive yourself.
I have the most success and feel like I am in the right track when I focus on adding healthy behaviors. It naturally crowds out the bad habits I may want to fall back on.
So, I put together a list of 25 things we can add to our lives to help us live healthier and not feel deprived.
More Water!
There are so many benefits to drinking water! It helps your skin, the scale, feeling full, and a ton of other things! I’ve heard that a good guide is to drink half your body weight in ounces.
I downloaded an app called Water Your Body and it gives me a reminder – that sounds like a water glass being filled… or a toilet… – and it really helps me to stop drop and chug. This is my #1 for a reason! When my water intake is on point everything else seems to go well – I have more energy to get through my workouts when I’m hydrated, I don’t snack as much because it keeps me feeling full, and I feel great when I pass my goal!
Bigger Breakfast
Eating breakfast really is the key to starting your day off on the right foot, and keeping your metabolism going. It keeps the morning snacking away, or the poor food choices made out of hunger.
I’ve been making a point to eat breakfast each day, but that would often mean I grabbed a protein bar while I fed the kids or rushed out the door. That just doesn’t cut it. Eating a bigger breakfast, or a more filling one, definitely makes for a better day.
Some of my favorites:
- 2 over hard eggs with avocado and tomato
- garlicky shrimp and eggs
- overnight oats
- mini shrimp frittata
- hard boiled eggs
Prepped Veggies
More veggies are always good! Veggies that are prepped and ready to go are even better!
I know I’m more likely to grab some celery or carrots that are already cut and sitting fresh and crisp in a container with some water in the fridge. I love to cook some extra veggies when I have the oven going so I have something quick to add to leftovers or a quick meal.
Fruit Desserts
Fruit is awesome! It can satisfy that sugar craving and give you all sorts of great vitamins and benefits. This is another one that is easier when prepped and ready to go. I offer my kiddos fruit as a “treat” all the time, but I don’t do the same for myself too often.
Fruit can make an amazing dessert! A sweet, warmed banana makes an awesome dessert with yogurt or a very small amount of vanilla ice cream. Peaches and cottage cheese were always a favorite of mine as well. Recently, I’m loving having some frozen grapes on hand. Also, banana “nice cream” is a fantastic option! How about some strawberries or orange slices dipped in a bit of dark chocolate? The possibilities are endless!
Snacks
Planned snacks are so important! They keep you on track because you plan them into your day and you eat them before hunger has a chance to creep in and cause you to grab anything at hand.
This is one I need to work on. I always think, “I’m not hungry right now…” And then I end up making dinner for the family and snacking all along. Planned snacks that fit into my day are definitely key!
The Quick Workout
You don’t have to have the perfect workout clothes and equipment, plan for an hour, and hit the gym for a great workout that will help you reach your goals. The best workout is the one that happens! If finding the time is overwhelming enough that it doesn’t happen very often, try to get in several spontaneous workouts throughout the day.
If you’re scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest and you see a quick 10-minute workout, get up and do it. If you’re struggling with snacking, challenge yourself to see how long you can hold a plank or wall sit, or see how many squats you can do before the commercial break is up.
Adding these quick bits of activity can really add up, they may interrupt your snacking, and you’ll be much better off than if you skip it all together.
Social Connections
Any support on your journey can help a ton! Surround yourself with active people, follow inspiring people on social media, find a way to connect with others especially if you don’t have much support at home. Support others and you will find support in return.
Freezer Meals
Dinner time can be rough! It wasn’t easy when I lived alone but it is much harder now that I have to feed a family of four. The best is when you realize you have a healthy meal in the freezer that you can pop in the oven or crockpot. With a little planning, you can prep your groceries when you get home and have something ready in the freezer for busy nights or double a healthy dinner and freeze half for later.
Steps
This goes hand-in-hand with adding more movement. Tracking your steps can help keep you aware of how much you move in a day. It may encourage you to park further away from the door, take the steps instead of the elevator, or to for a walk.
Protein
Adding more protein to your diet has so many benefits beyond preserving muscle. It can help you feel full longer, supports brain health, gone density, injury recovery, etc!
I love a protein shake as a dessert – it tastes delicious, I can get my chocolate fix, sipping makes it take longer and less likely I’ll reach for something else, and I can mix it with unsweetened almond or cashew mild for a low-cal treat.
Move All the Time
Anytime you can add movement to your day instead of standing or sitting still will help you in the long run. If you just want to zone out with tv or internet, hop on the elliptical or treadmill with your ipad. Utilize the playground equipment for a quick workout instead of sitting and watching the kids. Find ways to keep moving!
Healthy Fats
It may seem strange to add fat into your diet for weight loss, but healthy fats have so many benefits and can satisfy a craving while offering healthy benefits.
There are too many benefits to name but, for me, adding good fats helps me cut down on eating other less-desirable options. Avocado replaces so many unhealthy options for me and I put it on eggs instead of cheese, in salads instead of a creamy dressing, on sandwiches instead of mayo… I also use olive oil to replace butter with many veggies.
Mason Jar Salads
I love salads! However, a lot of the time, I will struggle to use all the lettuce and spinach before it goes bad because of the time it takes to make up the salad. It is so much easier to spend that time to make a couple salads in a jar – or in my case, in a fancy old yogurt container.
How to Construct a Mason Jar Salad from the Bottom Up
- Dressing / Vinagrette
- Meat / Beans
- Veggies
- Lettuce
Medals
Getting more active and healthier can inspire you to set big goals. Running races is such a fun way to get active and reach some goals – it’s pretty fun to add those medals to your wall as well! Find something you like to do to help you keep up your healthy lifestyle and see if there is something you can compete in to set a goal for yourself. It is so fun and a great feeling of accomplishment.
Overnight Oats
Have I stressed the importance of prepping for success enough yet? Well, in case I haven’t, Overnight Oats are my favorite for having a healthy breakfast prepped and ready to grab on the go.
My favorite recipe
- 1/4 cup of oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or cashew milk
- 1 tbsp peanut cutter
- 1 tbsp chai seeds
- dash or cinnamon
- 1/2 banana
Slice the half banana and add to the jar with the peanut butter. Heat for 30 seconds and add the remaining ingredients and stir. Place in the fridge overnight and heat for 1 minute in the morning.
Lemon Water
Just like drinking water helps to keep you full and focused on something else instead of mindless snacking. Drinking water with lemon has a bunch if other benefits from digestion, clear skin, weight loss, etc.
I like to drink a mug of hot lemon water in the morning for these benefits, and to take a moment to focus on myself while I’m busy getting the kiddos ready for the day. It’s something quick I can do to benefit myself and start the day off on the right foot.
Sleep
It is so important to get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep can effect every other area of your day.
This is one area that I need to improve on. With a two and three year old who both have a habit of waking up at least once a night and “office hours” of 9pm to midnight or whenever, I’m seriously lacking in this area. With how important it is, it is time to make sleep a priority.
Soups
I’m not a soup person, but then I became obsessed with two soups my mom started making. They are full of veggies, so low in calories I can eat a TON, and a really easy option for when I’m feeding the rest of the family something and I would like a healthier option.
I shared the Turkey Veggie Barley Soup recipe the other day, and the other is a Broccoli Cauliflower soup that I’m eating today for lunch. Such a great to-to option, and so healthy!
Spice
Adding a little kick to your meals can make them more exciting, flavorful, and speed up metabolism. Capsaicin can cause a relatively small increase in your metabolic rate, but it also can help you to feel full and prolong the desire to eat.
Prepped Meals
There is a reason frozen meals are so popular in the grocery store. They are fast and easy and you feel like you’re having real warm food quickly. However, even the lean cuisines I ate everyday in grad school are full of ingredients that I don’t want to be eating.
It is so easy to make your own meals for the fridge or freezer! I love spent a day cooking up a bunch if fish, broccoli, sweet potatoes, mushrooms,many brown rice and I keep some in the freezer for anytime I want something quick. It was so easy to do everything I a. Big batch and I know exactly what went into it!
Fun Containers
Adding ways to make eating fun can be a great way to stay on track. New water bottles make drinking water fun (hello, my Halloween cup with a ghost and the saying, “I’m here for the boos” always makes me happy), new containers make prepped meals cute and exciting, and small containers are perfect for portioned snacking.
Active Outings
When you’re planning activities with the family or some friends, choose something where you will be moving. Go for a walk through a cute town, visit the zoo, walk around a shopping center, bike to a fun destination, etc… Pull double duty and have fun!
New Clothes
The best thing to add to keep you motivated is new clothes! As you drop sizes it is easy to be apprehensive about buying a new size because you’re hoping to blow right through it, but clothes that fit are a great motivator and it’s hard to see how far you’ve come in old baggy clothing. Not to mention, new workout clothes can make getting dressed for that workout so much easier and fun.
Vision, Plans, Goals
Instead of focusing on all you have to give up, look forward to your goals, plans, and visions for the future. Making plans is HUGE – “fail to plan and plan to fail” – right? It is also fun to plan and put those plans into action. It is also fun to make big goals for yourself and think of how you are going to achieve those goals. Add a vision board to your wall to help inspire you and look at it each day.
Fun!
This is what it is all about! It can be really fun to take control of your health, notice changes that have been made, and feel better. Feeling good can lead to fun activities, energy to do more in the day, and the confidence to give things a try.
Your health is the key to a happy and fun life! Focus on how fun it can be to get healthy and you’ll never feel deprived.
What are your favorite additions that help you not feel deprived?
Which of these 25 additions are you working on?
Only registered users can comment.