Most of us like the idea of eating healthier, but it’s hard to find the motivation when there are so many appealing unhealthy choices.
Why take the time to roast a pan of vegetables when you could simply order takeout? Why try to grow a full garden of delicious foods when you could buy all your groceries from the supermarket?
If you have intrinsic motivation to eat healthier, these questions won’t be as difficult to face.
You’ll be naturally inclined to make healthier choices for yourself and your family.
The question is, how do you find that motivation?
In some ways, “healthy” food has an undeserved reputation.
Intuitively, some people believe that by its very nature, healthy food is somehow blander, less tasty, and less attractive than unhealthy food.
While it’s true that unhealthy food is often made to be appealing with the addition of large amounts of sugar, fat, and processing, you should know that healthy food can be delicious, and even more rewarding to eat than unhealthy food, especially in the modern era.
New innovation within food science and culinary exploration has completely transformed the landscape of nutritious, sustainable food choices.
These days, it’s easier than ever to find ingredients, food products, and full meals that align with your vision of a healthy lifestyle.
Best of all, these culinary creations are often aesthetically superior to their unhealthy counterparts, offering decadent tastes and colorful visual arrangements.
Once you realize just how much “healthy” food has to offer, it’s easy to get motivated to eat it more consistently.
Next, figure out what your core desires are. Why is it that you want to live a healthier lifestyle?
There are many valid reasons here, but identifying them and considering them can serve as its own kind of motivation.
For example, do you want to clean up your diet so you can live a longer life?
Think about the extra years you’ll gain when you face a tough food related decision.
Do you want to lose weight and feel more confident in your body? Remind yourself what you’re working for when you’re tempted to indulge in junk food.
Setting goals is psychologically powerful, giving you immediate motivation to achieve those goals, and a sense of achievement once you accomplish them.
Start with long term, high level goals, then break those down into smaller, more iterative and achievable goals.
For example, do you want to eventually eat healthy 90 percent of the time?
Start by committing just 1 to 2 days per week to eating healthy.
Do you want to drop 25 pounds? Start by setting the goal of losing 1 pound per week for the first month.
Remember, there are thousands of unique, amazing foods to try that are both nutritious and sustainable.
You’ll be much more motivated to eat healthy once you discover them and learn to appreciate them.
But the only way to do that is to continually push the limits of your comfort zone and try new foods, as well as new ways to prepare them.
As much as possible, avoid tempting yourself with unhealthy and unsustainable choices.
Change up your habits.
Do you drive past your favorite ice cream shop on the way home from work? Consider changing your route or leaving at a time when you’re not hungry.
Pack your own food.
Are you frequently tempted by fast food during your lunch break? Start packing your own lunch and your own snacks.
Clear out the pantry.
Is your home full of junk food already? Consider getting rid of these tempting items.
It’s also beneficial to get support from your friends and family members.
Talk to them about your new lifestyle changes and your new goals, and open up to them about the struggles you’re facing.
They may be able to help you process those feelings, and may even help you discover new foods.
Better yet, you can recruit some of your loved ones to your new healthy lifestyle and work together to keep each other motivated.
Some people have an “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to lifestyle changes, but this can be limiting.
If you fall victim to temptation and indulge, you might see it as a massive setback and lose motivation in the process.
Instead, it’s better to indulge on occasion, and not feel guilty about an occasional setback.
Getting motivated to eat healthy can be tough, especially if you’ve lived for years, or even decades, with unhealthy food choices.
But once you start discovering how delicious healthy food can be, and how great you feel after eating it, you’ll have no trouble continuing your journey.
This website uses cookies.