We kicked off last with 4 ways you could start eating better immediately.  We covered:

1. Don’t skip meals.
2. Eat your fruit; don’t drink it.
3. Plan ahead.
4. Use your hands.

To review those tips in detail, click here.  Now, I’m going to give you 3 more tips.  Because we can forever find ways to help improve our eating habits that don’t cost us a fortune, that aren’t complicated and that we can start implementing right away.

Tip # 5: Slow down.

I probably should have started my tips with this one.  Far too many of us eat far too quickly.  Life is crazy and I get it.  Eating is one of life’s pleasures. Don’t’ squander it by rushing through every bite. Let your tastebuds celebrate what you’re offering them.  When you take time to enjoy your meals you’re making every mouthful count.  Adjusting your pace and making mealtimes a “time out” will help you focus on quality over quantity.

If my coaching clients leave working with me having only learned one thing, I hope it’s to slow down. I say this so often because it’s so very important. Eating slowly is more important than what you eat, where you eat, why you eat or when you eat.  By slowing down everything else falls into place better.

It takes approximately 20 minutes for the satiation signals to go from your gut to your brain.  By slowing down, you’re giving yourself a chance to feel fuller when you’re actually full.  You will be far less likely to overeat if you can sense when you’re full.  In addition, by slowing down and being more mindful of your food you’ll give yourself the opportunity to fully savour and enjoy what you’re eating. If you love the taste of that chocolate so much, why don’t you want to savour it in your mouth for as long as possible?  Why are you so quick to gulp it down?

Slow down. It will help you eat less and you’ll enjoy your food more.

Tip # 6: Eat dessert once.

This may sound ridiculous but many of us have a sugar habit that makes dessert a day-long investment in crap eating. We eat sugary cereal, fruity yogurt, pancakes and pastries in the morning and call it breakfast.  We sweeten our coffee. We reach for candy at our desks. We have cookies after lunch and then we ‘treat ourselves’ to ice cream after dinner.

All those sugary things really ad up.  Choose ONE time of day to indulge in something sweet. (I’d recommend making that time in the evening because many people find that starting the day with sugar makes us crave more of it strongly throughout the rest of the day, but you do you).  Either way, limit yourself to 150 calories or so and then call it done. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you limit your sugar intake without completely denying yourself.

Tip # 7: Swap out the high-calorie beverages for water

Walk straight past the soda machine, skip the double-mocha latte Frappuccino macchiato and head right to the water fountain.  Water really is your best friend.  Drinking it is like showering your body from the inside out, rinsing away toxins, filling you up, hydrating your hair and skin, decreasing your appetite and increasing your energy.  And most of us aren’t drinking nearly enough.  This is an easy swap with tonnes of health benefits. Drink up!

Now, was that so hard? Every one of the 7 tips I’ve given you over the last two weeks is something you can try today without any extra preparation. Eating better doesn’t have to be painful.  My weight loss and fitness philosophies are based on baby steps because, at the end of the day, those baby steps really do pay off big time.  So on that note, if you feel like all 7 of these tips are REALLY too much, start with just one.  Do it often, consistently. Practice it until you are doing it without even thinking about it. That’s when you’ll be ready to try adding another one.

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I help busy professional women who struggle with nutrition and fitness silence their inner daemons and get healthy, so they can love the way they feel in their own skin with the confidence they need to conquer their lives.

I provide you with the support, guidance and tools you need to break down big goals into small, simple, actionable steps that you can do every day, consistently to build sustainable fitness and nutrition behaviours without feeling miserable about it!

Live healthier, happier, stronger and with more confidence.

Is nutrition coaching right for you?  Take my free survey here to find out.