Do you know what’s harder than doing 100 burpees in 4 minutes flat? Eating healthy.

Yep, EATING RIGHT is the biggest challenge for most of us who are trying to lose fat and gain muscle and lead a healthy lifestyle. We all have our favorite foods and most of them are NOT in any way, shape, or form considered HEALTHY. Ice cream, cookies, cake, potato chips, soft pretzels, the list goes on. But if you want to truly reach your fat loss and fitness goals, you MUST get on the healthy eating train!

Below are some tips that will help make eating healthy much easier. Just use this as a checklist and once you start doing these things, DON’T STOP. Consistency is the key to developing a habit, and once healthy eating becomes a habit, it will no longer be a chore. Ok, let’s dig in…

1. Make small changes: Rather than try to do a complete 180 and start eating perfectly on day 1 of your plan, start slowly and make 1 change at a time. For instance, if you drink soda, cut it out. Then in a week, make another change, such as increasing the amount of water you drink daily. But taking small steps towards your goal, it will be much easier to stay on track and these little changes will add up to big ones over time.
2. Bring along a friend: If you have a friend or family member who is trying to eat healthy as well, joining efforts is a fantastic way to help each of you stay on track. You can plan meals, share recipe ideas, even meal prep weekly. Having someone join you in your efforts will help you stay accountable to your goals and give you someone with whom to commiserate during the initial days which are the hardest.
3. Variety is the spice of life: Chicken, broccoli, brown rice…BORING! Sure this meal can help you reach your goals, but if you are eating it day in and day out, it is likely you will get sick of it which means, you guessed it, cheating with some unhealthy options instead! So, when planning your meals, make sure to mix up the menu! Salads, grilled fish, healthy juices, and smoothies…the more variety and tastes you can include in your healthy food journey, the more likely it will be that you will enjoy them and thus stick to your goals!
4. Make sure your goals are visible and around you often-Visualization is a powerful tool to help achieve any goal and when your goal is shedding fat and building muscle, it is likely even more so. There are a few things you can keep handy to help you stick to your healthy eating plan. Here are a few options:
1. The bathroom scale is a great way to show your progress. Those numbers DON’T LIE and if they are too high, it will keep instilling your need to eat healthy to make sure that they keep doing DOWN.
2. Mirrors are another great visual tool. Don’t hide from them, instead, stand in front of them with little or no clothes on. The less you love that reflection, the more likely it will be that you will steer clear of the junk food and opt for the healthy stuff.
3. Have a particular body image that you are looking to achieve? Find a picture online of the body you want, print it out, and put it on the fridge! Looking at this pic every day will remind you of where you want to be!

While the initial days of trying to eat healthily can be tough, the good news is, as you stay consistent with your plan AND begin to see results, it gets easier and easier to stay on track and making healthy eating a way of life. Follow these tips daily and you will be well on your way to reaching your fat loss and fitness goals! NOW…put down the ice cream and go make a salad…????