Avoid the battle!

It's true. The psychological aspect of eating is often the hardest to overcome for most people who are trying to make changes in their lifestyles.

Habits are strong, emotional ties to food are even stronger, and social interactions can dictate how you eat, even in the face of a strong willpower and a sturdy plan!

So, how do you continue to eat healthy with all of these obstacles pushing you to remain in unproductive habits?

First of all, you need to plan for success. Don't approach a challenge, like finding something to eat when you're hungry, by saying, "I'll just figure something out." No... You've gotta buy the healthy foods and make them handy, keep the evil temptations out of your house, find restaurants and deli's that carry healthy selections, decide when to eat healthy and when to splurge, and take food with you to work. Don't just leave it up to chance when you're trying to change how you eat! You will only fall back into old patterns.

Second, you need to tailor your plan to YOU. There are many eating plans out there. So many! Some of them are completely unrealistic for you. You won't stick to 'em. Don't choose those. Find eating habits that will work in your individual life. No, that doesn't mean, "well, Dunkin' Doughnuts and KFC fit well into my life!" You're an adult with free will - you can do whatever you want - just don't come cryin' to me later if that's the pathway you choose on a regular basis.

I DO think that we are all human experiments, and we need to find the best way of eating for us through persistent trial and error. But the only way to do that is to first try some way of eating, to follow it consistently, and then to make judgments based on the results from that eating plan. So find something, ANYTHING, and stick to it.

Lastly, you need to avoid temptation. DON'T stand in front of the candy aisle in the grocery store and tempt yourself with your fav sweet treats. DON'T go out to the bar with your friends on a Tuesday night and try to refrain from drinking - because if you normally partake, it will be almost impossible to muster up the willpower to do something that is unnatural for you (not drinking in a situation of normal drinkin'). DON'T agree to meet a co-worker at your favorite pizza place for lunch if you cannot resist the greasy pizza.

Just DON'T put yourself in situations where you're bound to fail! You don't need to set yourself up for an internal battle. It's not necessary. Half of the battle of being successful at changing your body through proper diet is avoiding those situations where willpower is necessary. Just accept that you are a weak individual when temptation surfaces. Accept it!


The more you work with yourself in the quest for optimal health and fitness, the more successful you'll be.

Oh, and if you slip up... please don't beat yourself up. We're only human, right? Make your mistakes every once in a while. Then, strive for lotsa mistake-free streaks!

Good luck...