Let’s face it diets are sexy and enticing.  You walk into the bookstore and they are a dozen books on the South Beach Diet, the Atkins diet the 17 day diet, all with pictures They pull you in with their promises of 10 pounds in 10 days, no need to workout, with checklists and times when you can eat certain foods.  I am sure that you have heard it all-I know I have.
One thing is true….Diets don’t work.  No for the long term. Sure they work for the initial week or two, the sense of accomplishment is motivating, but then you cheat.  First it’s a day then two, they pretty soon you feel like a failure and have gained back the 10 lbs you lost, plus two.  Or maybe you stick it out but then start to eat “real” food again and the weight creeps back on.  It’s an endless cycle of diet, progress, backslide, which leads to dieting again.  What if you could say good bye to that hellacious cycle and make lifelong changes that will help to change you…both physically and mentally?  Luckily you can and there is no deprivation, no hunger pangs, no feeling of failure if you eat a cookie.  Sounds sexy and appealing right?

5 changes you can make today to feel better tomorrow.

#1 Drink more water…
The benefits of water are often overlooked.  Water helps detoxify, lubricate our joints, stave off hunger, boost our metabolism and our immune system.  Add lemon, lime to help make it more palatable if you desire but be careful the additives aren’t out weighing the benefits by containing too much sugar.

#2 Crowd out
Eating well is like a muscle-you have to use it to make it stronger, and the more foods that you eat that are good for you, the less appetizing junk foods will be.  Don’t deny yourself just add more beneficial foods in like fruits, veggies and whole grains.  You will be surprised how quickly your palate reawakens.

#3 Say “I Don’t” not “I Can’t”
Saying “I Can’t” disempowers you, it slows progress and it will stunt your success.  “I don’t” puts the control in your court, it says that you are making a choice.
I can’t eat fast food…surely you can.  I don’t eat fast food…oh ok well thats another story altogether.

#4 Grocery Shopping
The grocery store is a health and wellness nightmare.  If you can shop at farmers markets, however if you must shop at a supermarket make sure you make a list & stick to the perimeter.  Be an educated shopper, know the deadly dozen, know how to read a label and beware of GMO’s.

#5 CHEW your food
We are always in a rush.  But eating quickly is puts us at a disadvantage for eating well.  Chewing is the first step of digestion and an important one.  If we chew slowly we give the digestive system ample time to do its stop-that is to tell us when we have had enough.  Next time you eat try and chew your food 50 times-difficult isn’t it?  But notice how many more flavors and textures you experience and how much quicker you feel satiated.

Lifestyle changes are lifelong changes and what works for someone else may not work for you.  Experiment try new things.  Make notes of what works and what doesn’t.  Remember why choose failure when success is an option!