Healthy Living Without Dieting

Download the PDF file and check out the following resources after you've completed watching this video to learn more about evidence-based nutrition!

In the last video, I was feeling kind and provided you with information without you having to do the work. I’m still a kind person, but this time I want you to do the work yourself. So, I want you to think of a diet that you’ve done, or been contemplating trying. Do some research on that diet to determine the scientific effects of it. You can use Google Scholar or browse the websites I suggested to you in the previous video.

Have fun!

After watching this video, download the PDF and check out the websites to make sure you're taking safe supplements!

Looking to learn more about the Keto Diet? Download the PDF file and read Examine's article on the Keto Diet when you can!

Fill out the Habit Action Plan Worksheet once you completed watching this video, and get started towards building better eating habits!

After watching this video, fill in the attached questionnaire so that you can access your nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress levels!

After watching this video, I want you to think of typical snacks you eat, and write them down. Then, pick 2-3 of these snacks and replace them with healthier alternatives. For example, if you eat milk chocolate as a snack, the replacement can be dark chocolate.

So now that you now of ways to improve your sleep hygiene, let’s start practicing it. Tonight, and every night for the next week, I want you to turn off all electronic devices 5 minutes before bed. Once you got a hang of doing this, add 5 minutes every week until you reach the point where you can turn off all electronic devices 30 minutes before bed. Believe me this is going to make a world of a difference. I hope you sleep like a baby!

After watching this video, I want you to focus on one healthy habit I discussed and implement it to start moving more. I’m going to pick the first one for you – park further. Do this for the rest of the week and then focus on another habit the week after. So what are you waiting for, get moving!

Let's work on relieving stress! I want you to create a schedule for the week to manage your tasks more effectively and stay in control of your time. Include all tasks you have to do, including exercise. Have your schedule out in front of you on a piece of paper, and watch how it will make you feel much more relaxed.

Think about this...out of exercise, sleep, nutrition and stress, which is the most priority for you to work on and develop? Think about which area of your life needs the most improvement and pick only one to focus on. We’ll use this later on in the course when we start to work on habit-change.

You already thought of your goals, you have your personal information and you know how many times you exercise per week. So, given how to calculate everything, I want you to calculate how many calories you burn at rest and with exercise, and then accordingly, think about what percentage you want each macronutrient to make up your calorie intake to understand how many grams you need per day.

I want you to bust more sport nutrition myths on your own. Have a read through Nestle Institute’s take on sport nutrition myths. Hopefully they can give you more clarity as well!

Now that you know what fueling for the work required means, I want you to implement the principals to better grasp the concept.

So the next time you exercise, I want you to ask yourself how much effort you put in the session by using the RPE scale I showed you. Once you determine your effort, understand how much carbs you need using the plates I’ve provided. This exercise will not only make you aware of your training intensity and demands, but also serve as a great tool for monitoring your body composition.

Now that you know all about protein and exercise, I want you to incorporate a protein source in in every meal you eat, and especially after you exercise.

The whole point of this was to make you aware of which supplements that actually work – not to promote you to take supplements. If you do want to take supplements, I high advise that you work with a sports nutritionist or dietitian to figure out your needs and use of the supplement.

So, I’d like for you to get more familiar with these supplements. I’ve provided you with a fact sheet for each of the supplements we discussed. At your own time, read through the sheets to make sure you fully understand the benefits and protocols of using each supplement.

Now that you know the basic principals of sports nutrition, it’s time for you to implement them. The next time you exercise, I want you to eat a snack 1-2 hours before your session. This way you can fuel your muscles and get the energy you need to smash your workout.

For this week, I want you to focus on eating healthy everyday, regardless if you exercise or not. I want you to really pay attention to how you feel during this period. Notice your performance, energy levels throughout the day, and even your quality of sleep. If you’re one to keep a diary, perhaps write down your feelings to see a clear trend between the way you eat and the way you feel.

By now you should realize how much noticing the feeling from eating healthy plays a pivotal role throughout your health journey. By noticing, appreciating and valuing the feeling of eating healthy will only motivate you to continue eating this way. So continuing on from last videos task, I want you to continue noticing how you feel by eating well. And in the case that you slip up and eat a cheat meal or something similar, I still want you to notice how you feel. Compare the two scenarios, 1) how you feel after eating a healthy meal, and 2) how you feel after eating an unhealthy meal. Again focus on the feeling and make the judgement for yourself as to how you want to continually feel.

For the next 3 days, write down the portions of your meals. Use things like tablespoons and cups as a way to measure. You can also even take pictures of your meals to see how you’re filling up your plate. After the 3 days are over, analyze your food diary, and see how much you are eating. Make note to how you can portion control and lessen your consumption of food.

Take smalls steps into changing the way you eat, starting by making the right choices. In your next meal, I want you follow the 4 steps you just learned and build a healthy plate for yourself.

Building a healthy meal plan is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Grocery shop, prep your meals, and eat in the right way.

Now, I want you to build a healthy meal plan for next week using these 3 steps.

Now that you know how to snack the healthy way, I want you to incorporate a snack or two in your day. Whether it’s some fruit, vegetables with a dip, or nuts, snack smart!

I want you to think about a period of time where you "hit the wall" and write down 3 challenges you faced during this plateau. What can you change in your lifestyle to solve those challenges?

Think about what drives you to eat and write them down.

I want to challenge you. If you can, for the next 2 days, not including the day you watch this video, don’t eat any form of ADDED sugar. This means sugar added in teas, coffees, and cereal bars. You can stick to natural sugar, like fruits for example.

It’s going to be tough, you might face sugar withdrawal symptoms, but to the best of your abilities, use my tips to lessen the cravings and keep fighting the feeling.

I hope you accept the challenge!

From today onwards, I want you to surround yourself with people who will support and motivate you along your journey. If this is hard to do, talk to those who you spend time with and make them aware of your goals. Let them know that you want to seriously shift your lifestyle and that you’d appreciate their support and motivation along the way. Even by making them aware of this, it will change their attitude towards everything.

What are some food triggers that make you eat? I want you to write all of them down and then write 1 solution on how to combat each trigger.

Remember when I told you to think of one area in your life that you really want to change? it could be something like exercising more, eating healthier, or sleeping better.

Whichever it is, I want you to prioritize this domain. Then, within it, think about one habit you want to work on. For example, if it’s in the area of nutrition, maybe you want to lessen your chocolate consumption.

In all cases, focus on 1 area, and 1 habit within this area. Use what you’ve learned about habit change and start focusing on replacing this habit with a new one.

To learn more on differentiating between true and misleading claims, read the quick fact sheet from Colorado State University.

Happy reading!

The next time you want to purchase a food or beverage, take 1 or 2 minutes of your time to read thoroughly through the label to make sure whether a) you understand reading the label and b) the food or beverage you choose to consume fits your dietary needs.

Good nutrition starts with making smart and healthy choices when grocery shopping. Remember these 10 tips when you go shopping next. You’ll make it a much more pleasant and healthy experience.

Do you need to shop for your healthy meal plan you created? Make a shopping list with everything you need and go to the grocery store and implement my 10 tips.

With my 10 tips, you now know that you can enjoy these moments of going out and socializing, and doing so in a healthy way. To be your healthiest self, means eating healthy the majority of the time and in any situation.

So, the next time you go out for a meal, order a take away box once you get your meal. Eat half of it at the restaurant, and leave the other half for the next day.

I know you may be busy with balancing between work, gym, family and friends - but try your best to manage your nutrition so you don’t make your health secondary in your life.

If you have a busy day this week, think about your schedule and plan your snacks accordingly.

Using the last mindful eating example we did together, apply the same principals whenever you eat:) Mindful eating = healthy eating.

Download the PDF file and when you can, read an article by Precision Nutrition on how to be your own nutrition expert. Happy reading!

On your next meal, I invite you to really focus on how you feel before and after you eat. Was there a difference? Do you feel light? Do you feel heavy? Focus on the feeling to notice the impact of food on your mind and body.

Try and start viewing your food as if you are in a relationship. Pick one of my tips to work on for this week, and then focus on a new tip every week after that. By the end, you’ll be in a strong and healthy relationship!

If you feel like you need additional support in your health journey, start thinking of ways you can be held more accountable. Whether it’s finding an accountability buddy, seeing a health coach or nutritionist, or using a mobile app, find whatever works best for you and starting being more accountable.

And if you have the time, read this article on accountability by Precision Nutrition once again, it will show you the importance being accountable during your journey.

Now is your time! Start taking the initiative to create change from within. Whether it’s listening to a podcast, reading a book, or visualizing, take action yourself and work towards making a lifestyle change.