How is your 2013 going?
I hope it is off to a great start! I watch the end of a year from the sidelines as folks bring on the wild eating habits. That’s not my thing ~ the new year hits and it’s all about cleanses, guilty feelings and attempts at weight loss.
I prefer the sidelines and walking the same mindful path all year.
Have you considered never having that guilt? Enjoying the practice of eating healthful foods in proper portions all year long so you don’t have to ride the waves of frustration. Last year I posted 10 Secrets to Skinny & I figured now is the time to re-visit this subject.
For those of you who know me for reals, you know I am on my game no matter what time of year…Why? Because it works, my weight and energy levels never fluctuate.
1) Find YOUR plan.
Take a look at what you eat every day. What time do you eat it? Do cravings for sugary, fatty foods happen when you are in an afternoon slump? Do you have weekend binges to make up for a mindful week? Do your eating habits work for you or against you? Do you over exercise to make up for guilty habits? Do you not exercise because you are too busy? (By the way, none of us are too busy for 20 minutes of exercise)
What is your plan? Write down your good habits and bad ones. Make your own plan ~ not someone else’s. Your plan. I don’t make skinny new year’s resolutions because my plan never waivers.
I say “no” to foods that don’t suit me. That is my plan.
2) Be a clock watcher.
How many meals do you eat each day? What time do you eat them? Do you wait until 10am to eat breakfast? Do you go 6 hours between lunch and dinner? Hopefully you answered no to the last two questions. If you answered yes then you gotta change that. Eat every few hours (kinda like a newborn baby) Healthful snacking is great for kids and adults. It keeps your body energized and mind vibrant.
If you go too long in between meals chances are you are gonna overeat and feel yucky when you finally get food. Keep track of time and have smaller meals every few hours. You will notice how your body starts to rely on this new schedule and you will also notice how your overeating will become history.
3) Do what you KNOW is Right.
If something works for you, great then do it! Don’t let others talk you into diets, meal plans and trends that your instincts tell you aren’t cool. There is so much chatter out there, it can get really confusing…this confusion can easily cause one thing: binge eating out of guilt when you divert from that diet trend.
We are all built differently ~ for instance I would never do a juice cleanse. I need good amounts of food throughout the day to stay energized. I get sluggish and irritable with that kinda thing.
What works for me? Large volumes of real whole foods that make sense to my body.
 4) Go outside.
There are plenty of studies that show how AMAZING the outdoors is for your overall health and happiness. Break away from that computer. Get some sunlight and fresh air. Take a walk around the block. Before you know it you might circle the block 5 times.
You will also notice that heading outside will encourage creativity and positive thinking. All of which make for a happier and maybe skinnier you.
5) See your plate as a work of art.
What is on your plate? Is it full of bland colors or is it a vibrant rainbow of veggies, proteins and healthy fats? When you plate your food make it as pretty as possible. The more colorful, fresh ingredients on it ~ chances are you have made some good choices.
6) Don’t use exercise to make up for bad habits.
Do you exercise because it makes you feel good or because you need to work off excess calories? Speaking from experience when you exercise with a guilty conscience it is not pleasurable. You tend to over train, a binge eat binge exercise cycle becomes a vicious cycle. This pattern often leads to injuries.
These days I don’t have time to waste on eating the wrong foods or too much food. Nor do I have time to do multiple painful workouts each day.
7) Treat yourself like an addict.
You are thinking to yourself “What did she just say?!” An addict??
When people have problems with addictions whether it be alcohol, drugs or some other thing they need to keep away from it entirely in order to break away from that addiction. They cannot have that substance around them at all.
Can food be as addictive as a drug? Sure. When your body relies on over processed foods, sugar, cola and such it is a tough habit to break. How do you do it? Get your addictions outta the house. If you a baker, give your yummies to someone else to enjoy. I guarantee you, keeping it in the house will only cause you to obsess over it and binge eat eventually. Out of sight out of mind.
When I gave up sugar it was cold turkey. Did it feel good? Nope not at all. Did I crave it? Yup. These days do I want it? Nope. And I feel much better for making that choice.
8) Let small things become BIG things.
What is my treat? I love a soy or almond milk cappuccino. My drink has a touch of sweetness and the milk froths up into a puffy cloud of bliss. It tastes like a marshmallow on top of espresso. I top it with a bunch of cinnamon and sometimes a packet of stevia. If you think a treat has to be grand scale think again.
You will amaze yourself that you don’t need that box of cookies to satiate cravings. Your tastebuds will adapt to small things….do you love fruit? Make that your big thing.
Same thing applies to exercise. When I used to train for marathons I was always hungry. I would reward myself with foods that satisfied over trained cravings (big sugary things.) The benefits of all that exercise were quickly obliterated with poor food choices. These days I opt for less intense exercise and waayyyyy more mindful eating habits.
 9) Feel great about yourself.
Don’t worry about your friends weight. Don’t worry about their exercise plan. Don’t worry about your jeans size. Try to feel great about your attributes. Are you an early riser? Take advantage of that quiet time with a healthful breakfast and some light exercise. Are you a night owl? Take an evening walk and gaze up at the stars.
Look at your personal style and rock it. Smile at yourself in the mirror, wink at a stranger. The better you feel about yourself the more likely you are to stay on plan.
10) Embrace your inner child.
This is so basic, we believe we are awesome when we are kids. This magic disappear as we grow. Kids do what they want when they want. My daughter does cartwheels everywhere she goes. As adults we refrain from this kinda thing ~ but we shouldn’t lose sight of that freedom and JOY.
Just get out there and do something about it. Lift light weights while you walk. Get off the computer periodically and do some push ups sit ups and triceps dips. (I do this.)
Each little thing you do will end up making bigger, happy changes.
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist, meal planner, dietitian or MD. I serve up helpful solutions that work for me. Please consult with professionals if you have questions about your health and longevity.
Great inspiring post Marla! It’s all so true…all these crazy diets and quick solutions never work…it is a lifetime of work and change.
Cathy, the diets and strict rules can all go in the trash. You are right ~a lifetime of work and change~ we all need to accept the work to progress in life.
Loved these tips! I think once people relax and love themselves healthy habits come more naturally.
Jenna, when we relax into who we are all that great stuff follows. So glad you enjoyed this post 🙂
I just love this post, Marla! Even as a girl surrounded by cookies…I totally love your “do what is right for you, and stick with it all year” plan. It’s just plain smart.
Hi Bridget! We all need to do what we love, baking cookies is AWESOME & you are the pro. Enthusiasm that comes from love and passion is life’s greatest gift.
Loved, loved, LOVED this piece, Marla! While I agree that we are each individuals with our own path to and plan for healthy greatness, being aware of the nature of that path and plan is key. I really appreciate this call for personal mindfulness.
Thanks Meagan, it felt REALLY good to get this off my chest. Now I can head outside to ski 😉
these are all fantastic tips – I love the “addict” one – this is me with my fresh juice each morning, I NEED it. small things becoming the big, yes, this is good too!
get outside, embrace your inner child and PLAY! you are now in the ultimate playground, that is for sure!
Kristina, YES! Telluride is the ULTIMATE playground and I am forever grateful to be here 🙂 Love that your morning juice has become the BIG thing!
Great tips, Marla! I have to eat every few hours – my family teases me constantly about my eating “schedule”, but it really makes a huge difference in my mood and energy levels!
My Sweet Friend!
I love everything about this post.
I was hanging on every word as I was reading and shouting YES! YES! YES! deep down in my heart!
Every word of this makes total sense!
I love how SIMPLE you make it sound.
That’s what I love most!
You’ve just got to publish a Healthy Lifestyle Book!
Please! Please! Write a book!
You are my inspiration Marla!
xo
Thank you.
Really great post, Marla. It speaks to me on many levels, and the photos are gorgeous.
Great tips! I totally agree with you… I try to do what is right for me and eat consciously/mindfully.
Cheers,
Rosa
What a fantastic list of tips, advice and wisdom. Thank you so much for spreading the healthy love!
These are great tips, Marla. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are really great tips, Marla! Love them!
Great post! So many people follow the fad diets, lose weight and then go back to their old habbits and gain it all back. Knowing your body, and making positive changes to your whole life are so important!
Fantastic post, Marla. I try to follow these guidelines in my everyday as well. Juice cleanses and detox diets aren’t for me! I much prefer to exercise outdoors and it’s been too cold to do so lately, but I know I’ll bust off these few pounds of winter fluff once spring comes.
I really loved reading this, Marla! As someone who had a very hard time with her weight as a kid/teenager, keeping my eating consistent year round is something I strive hard to maintain. I’m glad to see such an honest and inspiring post that really encourages living and eating the best for YOUR body all the time.
Marla,
This is wonderful, thoughtful, common sense yet well-needed advice. I was nodding my head at parts and learning new things at others.
Thanks!
Such wonderful and unique tips, Marla! Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on your recent move to Telluride – I bet you’re in heaven!
Loved your tips, all are so very spot on and things that I recommend to my clients all the time. Especially the addict piece, you’re right. Don’t get near it, avoid it at all costs until you’ve severed your relationship with the item. Huh, sorta like a bad breakup!
Marla this is an incredibly well-written and well-thought out post. I remember your other post like it was yesterday (time flies!) and this one is every bit as good if not better! And that one was amazing.
Every single thing you said, I concur with. From exercising for the right reasons to making colorful happy plates to going outside to removing food from your life that you know isn’t doing you any good and for each person that’s different. I knew you were low sugar, but I guess I didn’t realize you are no sugar. Wow. My hat is off to you for realizing what you needed to do…and doing it, and sticking with it!
I keep popping back to read this post again~and again.
See why you need to publish a book!
xo
I love this post!!! Great tips and ideas, thank you!
I love your positive, upbeat approach to healthy eating and life in general:) Thanks for the great post!
You are so inspiring 🙂
Loved this, totally right on!! 😉 I especially LOVE getting outdoors & keeping the mindful way of eating year round. Food is GOOD and nourishing and to be enjoyed. There are no bad foods unless they don’t agree with your body, so yes we all need to just learn what makes your body feel good. We’re all different!
It’s funny how “eating styles” can become like religion and politics to some people. I don’t like to debate. I don’t like a good argument, and I certainly don’t want to feel like someone puts me on the defensive for what I choose to put into MY mouth. Most people in my life are good about this….we (as moms) have too much else going on to “worry” about what people do and don’t eat (other than helping our kids to eat healthy).
But I really dislike how legalistic people can get about what they eat, what others should eat and then bring the topic up repeatedly in trying to make you feel guilty. Lol…can you tell this has happened to me before? It’s a family member I love dearly, but since their food views differ from mine I usually feel attacked when they question my food habits. Hasn’t happened in awhile, but it’s not fun. 😉
This is such a great post. I’m going to share this with all my friends on FB.
Very inspiring. well I guess the common and basic thing that we must do is to find our plan. We should plan everything we must do so that we can somehow anticipate on what could happened and can somehow cope up with it.
Thank you sooo much. I kind of have a rather healthy lifestyle since I moved to the university, but my family at home is still struggling. I just showed them your post and they l o v e your ideas and inspiration!
Marla, I follow you on pinterest and absolutely love everything you pin! I made ton’s of you healthy items for thanksgiving with great success and I strive to meet the healthy year round plan. I come from a eating disorder background and I’ve really kicked a lot of that habit in the bud…. two years+ no bulimia. However, I still harbor over exercise to the point I can’t walk for the next three days. I’ve been great this year working out without weights when I’m sore and not over doing it.
Why I’m posting this is… I see you have a similar frame to you… but I’m uber muscular. I’m trying to find a good role model for my size since I’m 5 ft 0 and I will never be long like a ballerina. I’m sure you’re taller but I have an issue with wanting to be model thin, long legs etc. and you’re the closest I’ve seen who’s “real!”
Thank you for posting things like this. It really does make a difference… you make a difference with your blog and I really appreciate it!
I love this post Marla! Such amazing tips and ideas. I need to take them into account into my life. I definitely agree about the juice cleanses. I need more substance than that in my diet, and I am going to take your ideas and put them into practice. Thank you for your tips!!
Marla you really an an inspiration…I love you’re work, ideas and recipes- all are fantastic, I love your ethos on life and eating well for you’re own self! good on ya! I cant wait to try out all the amazing recipes. I was wondering whether you could post you’re exercise regime? I’m intrigued I also do weights, yoga and a bit of cardio. thanks in advance.
Hi Annabel, thanks for your sweet comment. My daily exercise regime tends to vary based on my mood, however I could write a fun blog post based off your idea. I’ll add it to the list.
Wow – what a great and UNIQUE post! So refreshing to read something that gives you the simple, honest truth to feeling good about yourself and your health. Thank you!!
eatwelltraveloftenblog.blogspot.com
Awesome! Love it! Such great insightful tips.
xxoo, Andrea
Just came across your site , i think its fantastic and i couldn’t agree with you more ,. I really enjoyed reading this , thank you for that 🙂