I think all too often we think that to eat well means to CUT OUT foods.

And this attitude is what causes many people to never want to make dietary changes.

And I don’t blame them!

Who wants to think that eating well means cutting out tons of calories or the foods they love?

NO ONE!

But eating well isn’t about cutting out…It can actually be about adding in, making swaps and FINDING BALANCE.

The focus on CUTTING OUT is what gets us into trouble. It is what makes us feel deprived. It is what makes us not want to stick to our program. It even can hinder us from getting the results we want.

This focus on cutting out is what makes people think that eating well means suffering.

It leads people to never want to commit to a lifestyle change because eating well is too difficult and doesn’t even get them the results they want.

Sometimes this belief that eating well is just about cutting out leads to people cutting out too much.

For instance, while cutting calories is necessary if your goal is weight loss, there is such a thing as cutting out too many calories. Cutting out too many calories can slow your metabolism and stall your weight loss.

Sometimes by actually ADDING IN higher calorie days, especially on days when you are more active, you can keep your metabolism running strong.

Also, sometimes by ADDING IN those foods you love on a cheat day or in moderation a couple of times a week can keep you on track. They can keep you moving forward toward your goals.

Sometimes if you don’t add in any indulgences, you feel deprived and those feelings of deprivation may lead to an all out binge that will completely derail your progress.

Basically what all this means is that if you restrict yourself too much, if you cut out too much, you are going to stall, and maybe even derail, your progress.

Also people think that with eating well they have to cut out all of the food they love and that just isn’t true!

Ever heard the quote “Strive for progress NOT perfection?”

Well that is exactly what you need to do. It’s all about the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time you eat what your body needs, 20% you indulge in what your mind wants!

Start making small changes, don’t just cut out everything at once.

Those foods that you love, that you feel you can’t live without, SHOULD NOT be the first foods you remove from your diet.

And on top of that, you aren’t simply cutting out foods, you are swapping them for healthier variations.

If you enjoy french fries, you don’t have to cut them out completely! Either you can choose to indulge in them as part of your 20% OR you can find a HEALTHIER VARIATION.

For instance, you could BAKE fries in your oven!

If you don’t find ways that you can ENJOY eating well, you aren’t going to stick with the lifestyle change.

AKA YOU CAN’T SIMPLY CUT THINGS OUT!

You need to find BALANCE with eating well and indulging. You need to find HEALTHY SWAPS for those foods you love the most.

And you need to make slow steady changes so that each change becomes habit before you start working on something else.

Eating well doesn’t have to feel like punishment and it most definitely isn’t only about cutting things out!