Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, eating from home has become more of a constant for many people. This was due to the closure of restaurants and the recommendation for people to stay home. In a study done by Acosta, they reported that 92% of families said they plan on eating at home as often or more often than they already did during the pandemic. With that being said, more people are also trying to eat healthier when they cook. During the pandemic, many people had a plan to use new eating habits to stay on diets and lose weight.
Losing weight is a good thing to do for yourself at times, but not to the extent that it is unhealthy. In a report done by Indiana University Health, they mention that people start off their diet with a “scarcity mindset.” This means that they think of starting their diet by cutting out foods or taking unhealthy drastic measures. This itself is not a good way to start a diet, but it also creates a mindset that you need to indulge before that first day on the diet. This then leads to unsustainable diets, also known as fad diets. Fad diets are those that make you lose weight fast but are not sustainable and not the healthiest. Instead of trying to eat healthily or lose weight in an unsustainable way, try to focus on what small choices you can make today for a healthier tomorrow.
A diet is all about the process and how sustainable it is. Katie Hake, an IU health dietitian, teaches a concept called “intuitive eating.” Intuitive eating, said Hake, “is a practice that promotes mind and body congruence.” It has to do more with listening to our body rather than doing what others are doing and what strict diets are telling you. Hake recommends finding smaller and more sustainable changes that can be made now and maintained for the future. A simple first step is for you to just look at what you are eating on your plate during your next meal and try finding small areas that you can improve.
When making these healthy changes and eating from home, you can still have fun doing it! When going to the grocery store, buy new things you may not be used to and be adventurous in the new foods that you cook. You might find something that is truly healthy that is really enjoyable to your taste buds. Testing out different foods is a great way to understand what you like and what makes your body feel good. Not everyone is the same, so some foods may agree with your body while for others they may not.
One last idea is to give up cheat days. Cheat days can cause you to overindulge and give you the mindset of having to restart the diet. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t indulge and get some ice cream with friends, but it should all be in moderation. When indulging, don’t feel bad about it either, just return to the healthy diet that you have created for yourself and take it one day at a time.
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