One tip that I try to share with people who are dieting to get leaner is something I call avoiding traps. Traps are those situations that can take you off the path. For example, if there is a particular food or beverage that you have trouble resisting, don’t have it in your house. Learn what your weaknesses are, your traps, and try to stay away from them. It may be cheaper to buy the big ‘Costco size’ bag of chips or cookies or whatever, but if that means you will eat more of them than you want to, or eat them more often than is best given your plans, then you’re not helping yourself.
It’s different for different people. Some people can’t stay away from peanut butter, for others it’s ice cream, for some, it’s chips or beer or whatever. It may be multiple things or just one thing that causes you to lose resistance. You must identify what those things are for you and simply don’t have them around. If or when you do decide to treat yourself, buy the smallest amount possible, like a single-serving size, have it, and then be done. Saving a couple of bucks on bulk won’t be worth the cost to your fitness progress.
It can get tricky if you have kids or live with someone who may have one or more of your trigger items on hand. But if you know where your traps are and make an effort to avoid them you can take control of a potential indulgence before it happens. If you find that your place of work seems always to have your trap items around, that’s another example of how important it is to make sure you have the foods that you should be eating available to you at mealtimes. Following a structured eating pattern leaves a lot less room for mishaps.
Fitness nutrition isn’t magic; it’s more about lifestyle management. If you use each day to learn yourself and your habits better and always strive to improve, you will start to develop a personal eating lifestyle that works very well for you.
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