TRACKING WHAT YOU EAT — How to stop counting calories once and for all
In the past two weeks we have been working on sharpening your saw in the morning hours. This quest will ask you to sharpen it to the point of the laser accuracy. You will learn how to track down foods you eat without counting every single calorie as well as you will fine-tune your inner mindfulness state which would result in the better food choices and faster progress to the next stage.
Quick-start
Take a picture of your next meal. Post it on the social media with a hashtag #health2coaching. Begin tracking your foods for 7 days straight using a food journal or MyFitnessPal.
Why
Tracking what you eat will determine some flows in your daily nutrition. It will help you to tweak and fix some potential drawbacks in your food choices, quantity and even quality of the foods you eat. In two weeks celebrate your progress and success with others. Ask yourself what’s already working well? Share your pictures and stories with your network of close friends.
How
Your Nutrition, Activity and Mindset Toolkit shall help you become more efficient when it comes to understanding various foods, managing portion size and balancing caloric intake. Here is the list of some healthy tips and behaviors you may indulge and start practicing for the next two weeks until you develop a habit loop:
Your Optimal Weight
Describe your optimal/ideal weight. For the next 7 to 12 days meticulously track down and write into your Daily Food Log everything you eat from breakfast to dinner. You may use MyFitnessPal to keep track of your daily caloric intake.
Eat Slowly
You may start chewing your food two times slower (ideally 32 times) than you would normally do in order to get more nutrients with your food. Eat your food using chopsticks in order to slow down.
Meeting Protein Needs
Include 1–2 palms of protein dense foods for lunch and breakfast. Sources of protein could include turkey, cottage cheese, red meats, eggs, chicken or sea food. You may also include 1–2 fists of vegetables with every meal. Remember 3 to 6 ounces of protein a day is all you need!
Practice the Art of Gratitude
Wake up every morning with a feeling of gratitude for life. You can’t better yourself without expressing gratitude and be grateful for what you already have. Go to bed with the idea of how you are going to impact the next day and make it better in every way possible for everyone else around you. Keeping a gratitude journal, or “counting your blessings,” is one of the most-recommended happiness practices ever. More grateful people — who see their health as a blessing or a gift — may take better care of themselves.
Set Expectations About your Progress
Post natal women may find their abs “pooch” outwards. If you’re someone who’s losing body fat really quickly or who’s been quite over-fat for a long time you might expect to see an excess loose skin. If you’re an older person you may find it difficult to change your eating habits and lose fat around the midsection because you can’t eat like you used to do back in the college days and burn it all out with activities. Be realistic!
Eyes on the Prize
Write down things that you’re unable to do right now that you would like to do as a result of moving and eating healthy.
Dedicate Your Training
Dedicate your next training session to your loved one who passed away.
Hanging Challenge
Hang for a total 7 min (you may break it down into few sets) throughout the day for 30 days to offset poor posture as well as build strength in your upper body. Start with 30 seconds hangs with heels supported and progress from there. Consult our Pinterest Activity Toolkit for more details.
Don’t be Idle
You may start exercising 2 or 3 times a week using sample training plans or use any Fitness apps of your choice such as JEFIT, Sworkit, or PEAR. Perform activities from the info-graphic charts or do in-home body-weight training. Pick your favorite exercises or activities and integrate it into your training routine.
Visualize the Body You Want
At night, before going to bed, when you close your eyes visualize the body you want and the universe will deliver what you sincerely desire!
Are you still committed to making healthy choices?
Please answer the following questions sincerely with zero judgment:
- What time is your last meal? Is there a way you can skip your last meal or introduce a healthier option?
- Can you tell the difference between physiological and psychological hunger?
- On the scale 1 to 10 how willing or ready are you to embark on your new lifestyle habits from now on?
- On the scale 1 to 10 how committed you’re to work on the new habits in the next two weeks?
Please consult our private YouTube channel to find out more bonus material for this Quest
