Do you struggle with food choices? Do you constantly feel that the food you eat is not ideal for you? You want to lose some fats, but don’t know where to start. You have tried some diets, but none of them worked. Perhaps you are wondering if you should go to a nutritionist or a dietitian for a custom diet plan? But it is a bit expensive, or you just feel embarrassed to talk about food with a professional.
I think I`ve got something for you.
Before we start though, I want to mention that there is no better way than actually being tested, so you know most accurately which foods are best for your body. If you have the chance to see a professional and get advice, do not hesitate. However, if not, this concept is perfect for you.
In fact, this concept is ideal for everyone. This concept aims to teach you how to read your body`s signals and make the right choices, so your body can function at its best.
See, there is no perfect diet. And there is no universal diet as well. In fact, the whole understanding around the word diet is so wrong. When we talk about diet, we almost always refer to restrictions, portions, measurements, and zero freedom of choice.
What if I tell you that everybody is on a diet? Diet is simply the way we eat.
You like beans, but no lentils. So, your diet will include beans, but not lentils. You like zucchini but hate mushrooms. Then, your diet will include zucchini and not mushrooms.
Diet is the food choices you make. Diet is the foods you eat and the food you do not. Diet is the habits you have around food. You create your own diet, according to your own taste and preferences. And this results in a certain outcome.
Sometimes we only eat according to our taste and forget that some foods are not ideal for our body. Those foods slowly turn into an addiction and before we realize it, we end up following a really bad and unhealthy diet.
We don’t realize and we decide hopefully to seek help. We pay a lot of money to a dietitian, to tell us what we don’t want to hear. “Cut the potato chips and the bred” for instance. Oh no! We must follow a diet, otherwise, we won't feel and look good.
There is an easier way to approach that change and in theory, create your own diet. And it is very simple. Let's get to it.
The whole process is going to last a minimum of a month or 4 weeks to be more precise, and you will have to do 3 things.
Step 1: Record what you eat.
Ruffly. Don’t be fanatic and write everything in grams. Just simply write down the types of foods you eat and riffle the time.
For example:
Breakfast: muffin with coffee
Lunch: 2 slices of pizza.
Snack: chocolate bar and another coffee.
Dinner: curry chicken with rice.
Simple, right? Do this for 2 weeks and do not change anything. Just do you. Why?
This is going to give you a basic understanding of how you tend to eat. You will have your current diet plan on a piece of paper. I have created a simple sheet, which you can download for free here: https://www.fitlifeblueprints.com/freeresources
But you are free to use whatever you prefer.
Step 2: Time to change.
Very simple. For the next 2 weeks, replace every processed food with whole food. Every long shelf-life food with fresh food that must be cooked. Use whatever you want. Whatever you like and cook it the way you want. I have created a healthy eating guide that can help you understand food a bit better and make your choice easier. You can download it for free here: https://www.fitlifeblueprints.com/freeresources
Why do we do that? You will understand in the next step.
Step 3: The feeling track.
Throughout those 4 weeks, it is very important to do one magic thing that is going to change absolutely everything. It is crucial for rewiring your brain and make it work for you. Are you ready?
Write down how you feel. That’s right. On a piece of paper, on your phone, or a computer, wherever you like, ideally at the end of the day. Alternatively, you can use the Awareness journal as an example of a track. download it for free HERE.
Write down how you felt during the day. How were your energy levels? How did you sleep? How is your mood? How is your digestion? Do you have any pain?
The goal here is to gain awareness of how your body works regarding food. To be able to cross-reference the two tracking sheets and assess how your body felt when you ate the way you normally eat, and when you ate the whole food only.
This is going to teach you, which foods are preferred by your body. which foods your body can and struggle to digest. It is going to spark your curiosity. I guarantee you will start to read more about different foods, macro-nutrients, how they affect the body, and so on. Ultimately you will adjust the way you eat according to your body needs and create your own diet, which you will follow, not because you must, but because you want to.
So, there you have it. If we are to summarize, you need 4 weeks to gain awareness. 4 weeks you track what you eat and how you feel. First 2 weeks you eat the way you always do, and in the next 2, you focus on eating quality food.
You can call it an experiment if you want. Or an attempt to change your lifestyle. The goal is to learn how your body prefers to eat and to show your brain that taste is not the only reason to eat.