Sometimes when we begin to think about making changes to our lifestyle in hopes of being healthier, we can get overwhelmed quickly. There are so many "lifestyle" or dare I say diet options out there today such as, keto, low carb, gluten-free, carb cycling, and the list goes on and on.
The problem that I have with trying to follow one specific diet is that it may be hard to sustain long term and to keep the weight off.
According to slate.com: "In reality, 97 percent of dieters regain everything they lost and then some within three years. Obesity research fails to reflect this truth because it rarely follows people for more than 18 months. This makes most weight-loss studies disingenuous at best and downright deceptive at worst."
It's pretty incredible when you look at the research and see that the majority of us trying to lose weight with diets are going to fail and what even worse, be worse off than when we started.
Why do I share this? Not to discourage weight loss, but to ENCOURAGE small, sustainable changes that will add up to long-term success for you! It's not going to be a magic bullet, but consistency will win over time.
One small step you can take is by swapping out some of your favorites for healthier options. I've put together a list of some of my go-to healthier swaps! I hope this helps you! If it seems overwhelming, start with one swap and go from there. A healthy lifestyle isn't about perfection, but it is about progress. Can we be a little better than we were yesterday?
Healthy swap ideas:
Instead of butter, try:
chickpeas
black beans
applesauce
mashed banana
avocado
Instead of French fries, try:
Carrot fries
Parsnip fries
Green beans
Sweet potatoes
Instead of milk-based products try (the great thing is many of these you can find in your traditional grocery store now and they also come in yogurt, ice cream and other items that are traditionally cow's milk):
Almond milk
Cashew
Coconut
Oat
Instead of mayo, try:
Greek yogurt
Avocado
Instead of flour or even wheat-based noodles, try plant based noodles:
Zucchinni
Carrots
Squash
Chickpea
Instead of flour-based breads/buns, try:
Mushroom caps
Lettuce wraps
Sweet potato slices
Eggplant slices
Instead of vegetable oil, try:
Avocado oil
Coconut
High-quality olive oil
I hope that this gets your wheels turning with lots of ideas to making easy swaps! There's so many more to share! If you want to get more ideas, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter and send me a message about what content you're looking for! I'd love to hear from you :)