5 simple changes I made to become a healthier eater

Over the past few years, I gradually made simple changes in order to improve my diet and become a healthier eater. The few times I tried to “diet” ended in failure. Part of the reason I was not successful was I was trying to do too much as once. If I would not expect a student to learn an entire unit in a week, why was I trying to radically change my diet in the same amount of time?

My primary issue at the time was my love of sugary food and beverages. Instead of trying to quit sugar cold turkey, I slowly reduced the amount that I was eating a day. Over time, I was eating less sugar in a week than I used to in a day. After seeing success with this approach, I applied the same method to other areas of my diet.

Part of the reason I was able to stick to my bodybuilding prep diet so well was because I had already established good eating habits. Here are some changes that have helped transform my eating habits for the better. These changes may seem basic, but they worked well for me.

The simple changes I made

Below are the five changes I made to become a healthier eater. Through these changes, I have developed healthy eating habits that have transformed my physique and improved my quality of life. Making these changes have also inspired other people in my life to improve their eating habits as well.

1. Taking the time to read nutrition labels and learning proper portion sizes.

Personally, I believe that learning how to read labels and interpret the numbers made the biggest difference for me. Developing a thorough understanding of what a “healthy” food or beverage actually is changed my eating habits for the better.

2. Learning how to create flavorful food without excessive amounts of salt, fat, and other sauces.

Over the years, I discovered ways to make my meals healthier without adding too many extras. Through experimenting and finding great recipes, I have found that I enjoy eating leaner cuts of meat and veggies more than before. Check out my “Healthy Recipes” Pinterest board for inspiration!

3. Eating less processed food and more fruits and vegetables.

Similar to the previous change, learning how to create flavorful meals encouraged me to cook from scratch more frequently and limit the amount of processed foods in my diet.

4. Replacing water for juice and other sugary beverages.

This was the first change I made to reduce my sugar intake. At one point, I was having several glasses of juice a day. Instead of completely cutting juice out of my diet, I tried only have one glass of juice a day. I found this to doable and continued this for a while. Eventually, I only had juice a few times a week until I stopped having it altogether.

5. Limiting indulgent meals to once a week.

Notice that I did not say I stopped eating junk food or cheat meals! Instead of having whatever I wanted all of the time, I planned out my weekly indulgences so I could keep myself accountable and develop a larger appreciation for my cheat meals.

How I made the changes stick

Consistency.

Things cannot change if you do not work on making changes everyday. If I made a mistake, I acknowledged it and continued where I left off the following day.

Gradual implementation.

As I stated before, I did not try to do everything at once. Once a new habit was established, I added another one or increased my goal.

Improved well-being.

After I started making changes, I noticed that I had more energy, felt more satiated between meals and became leaner. These changes gave me the motivation to keep going.

Final thoughts

If you want to try any of these changes to become a healthier eater, I recommend that you select ONE of these and implement it at your own pace. Check out more tips here.

Which change would you implement in your diet today? How have you improved your eating habits?