Eating food is a pretty simple job, but we managed to make it really complicated. Which diet is the best? Is bread good or bad? Is the keto diet safe? What about fat?

Every week, someone asks me for help to find his food and, as they start telling me their story, I need them to start over and start over again. the beginning. They start in the middle, you see, telling me what they do without first telling me why they started doing anything.

Sometimes we have to stop, look around and take a few steps back to see the mess we created before we can start cleaning it. If food seems to be a mess these days, you can simplify by remembering to prioritize, organize and make compromises.

Prioritize what you want

You've probably heard the adage start with the end in mind, right? This is good advice because it requires a purpose for your actions. The first step in understanding how to eat healthy is to decide what "healthy eating" means to you.

Do you want to eat more vegetables? Drink less soda? Skip fewer meals in restaurants and more at home? Losing weight? Knowing this, you simplify your process because you can focus on a specific goal and choose actions that support it.

Then think about the list of tasks to accomplish this goal. Say you have a goal for each of the vegetables. This seems like a simple goal, but you probably have to pull out a piece of paper and write down the steps to get there:

I want to have more vegetables in my diet, so …
I have to decide in which meals and snacks I can incorporate vegetables, and ….
I have to buy the groceries I need. That means…
I must actually go to the store or order it for it to be delivered. So….
I have to take the time to make the necessary preparations to follow.

Going through this process helps you to note the next step: be honest about obstacles in your path. Maybe you look at this list and think, yes, yes, I do not have time for that. Maybe you have a friend who always invites you to your favorite burger place for lunch.

Eating vegetables may be something you just want to do, but you do not really want to. You need to be honest about what's holding you back and what you want, so you can have a good answer later, when your future self will ask you why you did not do something sooner.

Once you understand all of this, decide what you are willing to do (or not do) to achieve the desired result. This could mean adding vegetables to meals three days a week rather than every day. You may be so motivated that you are ready to try a meatless day once a week. That's where rubber meets the road – you've identified what you want, now how much trouble are you willing to accept to get it?

S & # 39; organize!

Well, you just did a lot of work there, and I told you it was going to be easy. The rest is easier, promised.

Being organized about your food means taking the necessary steps to make healthy food as convenient as junk food. Research shows that you are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they are the first thing you see in your refrigerator. Take them out of the crispers and place them in a garbage bin in the front and center. Take a step further to cut and pack take-out snacks, or spend a little more on pre-cut vegetables and remove this time barrier. Learn as soon as you do not reach your goal and ask, "How can I win next time?" So, do it.

Be prepared to compromise

Here's the truth: the food can be healthy, it can be cheap and can be very tasty. you can choose two. You have to compromise! Sometimes eating healthier is about skimping on other things so you can spend more on quality foods. Sometimes the meal that will be the healthiest for you does not taste like grandmother's macaroni and cheese with two sticks of butter and crumbled cookies on top. Choose your two highest priorities … and remember that future me.

You can complain about not having everything you want, but that does not change anything. It's helpful to know what you're willing to let go (and what you're not) to feel better.

So, what way to eat will be the best for you? I do not know. Let's start from the beginning.

Heather Fuselier is a certified wellness coach and personal trainer. Learn more about Wellness WithoutPity.com.

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