Monday Motivation – Choosing to Eat Better

When I first started this blog, I used to think that eating clean was easier for me since I was single and working from a gym. But as I get older and my life gets busier and busier, I’ve come to understand that eating healthy is a choice. It’s not always the easy one or the most delicious one, but it is a choice. When I was working at a gym from 4:30am-8pm and packing all my meals for one day, I was choosing to eat better. And now, when I’m in and out of the house all day long eating leftovers when I can, I’m choosing to eat better. And as our lives continue to change moving forward, we will continue to choose to eat the best we can, every single day because we want to feel our best, no matter what life throws at us.

I saw a quote the other day and it really resonated with me (apologies to whoever wrote this because for the life of me, I can’t remember where I saw it ) – “If you’re not consistent, it just doesn’t mean that much to you.” And this quote couldn’t be more accurate, in my opinion. Eating healthy and working out means so much to me because I want feel great every day, so I continue to stay consistent. I may not always feel motivated to eat healthy, but I choose to do so because it’s important to me. It’s a choice that I make every single day, and if I can do it, anyone can.

Everything we do is a choice, whether we choose to go through the drive-thru or make a meal that takes 15 minutes. It’s easy to come up with excuses, but it’s harder to make a change, so most people turn to excuses. Being the victim is easier, but you ARE NOT the victim. No matter what life has thrown at you, you ARE NOT the victim. Remind yourself of that, especially when you are looking for an excuse to come up with.

Here are a few simple steps to eating better and cleaner with each day –

1. Plan ahead. The more you plan, the easier it is to eat clean.
   • Plan out your meals for the week and make sure you have groceries loaded in the fridge and freezer.
   • Do your research when it comes to restaurants you eat at – make sure the restaurants you choose to eat at have some options that work for you and your goals.
2. Choose better options at the store.
   • If you’re still trying to get your family on board with eating healthier, finding good substitutions will help make that transition easier.
     • Ex – Kids addicted to cheez-its? Grab some Simple Mills cheese crackers instead.
     • Ex – Kids want frozen pizza? Grab a Caulipower or Cappello’s or Against the Grain pizza or just make your own.
     • Ex – Kids want cereal for breakfast? Find a granola that’s loaded with more nutrient dense foods.
3. Stop looking for motivation to eat cleaner. Just do it, instead.
   • Many people wait for motivation to push them into eating cleaner or picking up a new regimen, but what happens when that motivation slowly goes away? Consistency is a choice. Choose to stay consistent, even when things get tough and life gets busy.

I used to eat TERRIBLY. I ate all packaged foods, fast foods, soda, and whatever type sugar I could get my hands on. So when I say eating clean is a choice, I mean it. I now choose to buy cleaner substitutes, load my fridge with organic vegetables, and cook most of my meals. I make this choice daily and will continue to do so as I get older and my life change. You can do this, too. I know you can. You got this.