The problem nowadays that we are facing when it comes to nutrition and eating is our relationship with food.
How many times you were starting the diet and after a few days you had something you “shouldn’t”. You were disappointed with yourself, felt guilty and decided to start diet again, in the best case scenario… tomorrow, but most of the time from the next Monday. I have been there in the past so many times.
And now I know that this approach to food is just WRONG. We should not feel guilty after consuming any type of food. We also should not categorize food as BAD and GOOD. Food is just a food. Of course that will be food which is healthier and better for our body, our health and one that is not as healthy. Some food has got more and some less vitamins. Some food is more caloric dense and some less. Some food will be more beneficial for our health and some less. That is the fact.
The worst thing we can do to ourselves is to feel guilty because we have eaten something which in our opinion is “bad”.
We have to change our thinking about the food and in the same time, change our relationship with food.
Rather than saying ..
“I have eaten this product A, and I feel like shit because it was a bad food, all is ruined now and I need to start my diet again from tomorrow or even next week ” .. , instead you should be saying:
“I have eaten this product A, which is not the best choice for me now, and for what I want to achieve with my health or body composition. It is still OK but I have to have it less. I carry on with my nutrition plan and probably eat less for dinner to still stay within my caloric allowance.”
There will be food which is healthier and food less healthy for us. We should answer the question .. What is my goal now ?
Is it a body composition? Improve health ? Gain weight ? Loose weight ?
And after knowing your goal, you should aim for food which will get you closer to achieve it.
Stop blaming yourself because you had slice or two of pizza or ice creams. This is still food but probably not the best option for you at the moment.
Most of the time the relationship with food is getting worse with people who want to loose weight. That is because you have to stay on caloric deficit and eat less than you would normally eat. You will miss the food that you like and food that makes you happy. Because you are being told that you MUST NOT EAT the food you enjoy. All of the sudden you binge on food you like to satisfy the psychological aspect and you feel guilty, hate yourself and food you have just eaten.
When dieting you can still have food you like, but others telling you to not to have or you won’t loose weight. Have it in moderation and maybe only once per week. Sticking to your plan in 85% will still give you a great results and the chances that you follow your diet for longer are higher. The rest of 15% should be allowed for the food you enjoy.
That is why go for a food which is a better choice for you right now. Don’t look at the food as Bad and Good. If you are on a caloric deficit, you eat less (that is obvious). Because you eat less you will be getting less vitamins. You will be getting less good nutrients that is required for your body for the optimal health. That is why in the time when you are on caloric deficit you should be having nutritious food which is also less caloric dense because you still need to be on caloric deficit to loose weight. So when you have for example pizza .. it is not bad food, but not the best choice at the moment. It contains more calories, saturated fat sources and not a lot of vitamins. And having this less nutritionally blessed food and packed with calories, you are leaving yourself with fewer calories left for the rest of the day. And with not a lot of calories left for the rest of the day you will be getting less food and less good nutrition in the same time. But the thing is .. it is not the end of the world. You DID NOT do a bad thing, the food you have eaten is NOT BAD, you only made a wrong choice. Choices that will delay the process of achieving your health / body composition / fat loss goals. What you have to do now is to stick to the plan and be more aware about the next meal and carry on.
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON ..
The food which is not the best healthy option still has its place in our diet and our life. If you want to loose weight you need to avoid it at the moment as it contains too many calories and it is not the best choice if you are on caloric deficit. When you will be in a better position and can afford to have more calories in your diet .. you can definitely have this food. Otherwise the process of loosing weight will be delayed.
The problem nowadays that we are facing when it comes to nutrition and eating is our relationship with food.
How many times you were starting the diet and after a few days you had something you “shouldn’t”. You were disappointed with yourself, felt guilty and decided to start diet again, in the best case scenario… tomorrow, but most of the time from the next Monday. I have been there in the past so many times.
And now I know that this approach to food is just WRONG. We should not feel guilty after consuming any type of food. We also should not categorize food as BAD and GOOD. Food is just a food. Of course that will be food which is healthier and better for our body, our health and one that is not as healthy. Some food has got more and some less vitamins. Some food is more caloric dense and some less. Some food will be more beneficial for our health and some less. That is the fact.
The worst thing we can do to ourselves is to feel guilty because we have eaten something which in our opinion is “bad”.
We have to change our thinking about the food and in the same time, change our relationship with food.
Rather than saying ..
“I have eaten this product A, and I feel like shit because it was a bad food, all is ruined now and I need to start my diet again from tomorrow or even next week ” .. , instead you should be saying:
“I have eaten this product A, which is not the best choice for me now, and for what I want to achieve with my health or body composition. It is still OK but I have to have it less. I carry on with my nutrition plan and probably eat less for dinner to still stay within my caloric allowance.”
There will be food which is healthier and food less healthy for us. We should answer the question .. What is my goal now ?
Is it a body composition? Improve health ? Gain weight ? Loose weight ?
And after knowing your goal, you should aim for food which will get you closer to achieve it.
Stop blaming yourself because you had slice or two of pizza or ice creams. This is still food but probably not the best option for you at the moment.
Most of the time the relationship with food is getting worse with people who want to loose weight. That is because you have to stay on caloric deficit and eat less than you would normally eat. You will miss the food that you like and food that makes you happy. Because you are being told that you MUST NOT EAT the food you enjoy. All of the sudden you binge on food you like to satisfy the psychological aspect and you feel guilty, hate yourself and food you have just eaten.
When dieting you can still have food you like, but others telling you to not to have or you won’t loose weight. Have it in moderation and maybe only once per week. Sticking to your plan in 85% will still give you a great results and the chances that you follow your diet for longer are higher. The rest of 15% should be allowed for the food you enjoy.
That is why go for a food which is a better choice for you right now. Don’t look at the food as Bad and Good. If you are on a caloric deficit, you eat less (that is obvious). Because you eat less you will be getting less vitamins. You will be getting less good nutrients that is required for your body for the optimal health. That is why in the time when you are on caloric deficit you should be having nutritious food which is also less caloric dense because you still need to be on caloric deficit to loose weight. So when you have for example pizza .. it is not bad food, but not the best choice at the moment. It contains more calories, saturated fat sources and not a lot of vitamins. And having this less nutritionally blessed food and packed with calories, you are leaving yourself with fewer calories left for the rest of the day. And with not a lot of calories left for the rest of the day you will be getting less food and less good nutrition in the same time. But the thing is .. it is not the end of the world. You DID NOT do a bad thing, the food you have eaten is NOT BAD, you only made a wrong choice. Choices that will delay the process of achieving your health / body composition / fat loss goals. What you have to do now is to stick to the plan and be more aware about the next meal and carry on.
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON ..
The food which is not the best healthy option still has its place in our diet and our life. If you want to loose weight you need to avoid it at the moment as it contains too many calories and it is not the best choice if you are on caloric deficit. When you will be in a better position and can afford to have more calories in your diet .. you can definitely have this food. Otherwise the process of loosing weight will be delayed.
Sample Diet Plan
| Breakfast Omelette with porridge oats and banana |
| Morning Snack Handful of nuts (if you are not allergic to it) |
| Lunch Sweet potatoes with the meat of your choice and vegetables |
| Afternoon Snack Protein shake with banana or any other fruit |
| Dinner Salad with tuna, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and olive oil. Slice of the bread on the side |
I will always recommend food rich in minerals and vitamins. Food which contains good amount of fibres, protein, good sources of fat and less sugar. This food comes first because it is highly beneficial for our health and it should take 80-85% of our diet.
The rest 15% should be allowed for food that we really enjoy and the food which contains fat which is not the healthiest one (saturated), less fibres, more sugar. Something we enjoy but should not have too much of it.
Having both types of food (85% healthy and 15% not so healthy) in our diet will make sure that we can stay healthier for longer and won’t be reaching or binging on the food which is not nutritionally dense.
Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. While weight loss is not a magic bullet for health, and not everyone needs to pursue weight loss, it might be something you want to work toward to feel your healthiest.
Coupled with regular movement, activities and exercises, your diet can affect your health outcomes. (Just make sure to talk with a healthcare professional before making drastic changes!)
If losing weight is your goal, these 15 foods may help support a healthy weight loss journey, according to science.
1. Boiled potatoes
2. Eggs
3. Oats
4. Fish
5. Soups
6. Meat
7. Greek yogurt
8. Vegetables
9. Cottage cheese
10. Legumes
11. Fruit
12. Quinoa
13. Nuts
14. Olive Oil
15. Popcorn
There is no “bad” and “good” food. There is a better choice of food according to your fitness / health goal. If one day you have a food which is not right for your current goal, carry on and your next meal should be a better choice.
Your Coach
Marcin Antonczyk
MA Fitness
