"I haven't eaten ketchup all year..." - Breaking Habitual Eating Habits

Since January 1st 2016 I haven't eaten any ketchup.


What a great achievement! Well not really. I've had other condiments on some occasions such as brown sauce and mayonnaise.


So what's the point?
Well, I wanted to see if I could make conscious decisions and replace habitual eating with conscious eating.


To put it into perspective, I was not exactly a ketchup addict. But, it did find its way onto eggs occasionally in the morning when they seemed a bit dry and onto some dinner plates too. It was becoming unconscious and I wanted to see what I could do about it.


What about you?
Many people will eat or drink certain things at certain times just because "that's what I've always done."


But what if these things are benefiting them? In fact, what if these small things are regularly steering them away from their goals.


What do you do unconsciously? Biscuits with your daily cup of tea? Sugars in your tea? Pudding after dinner? Alcohol after work?


What should you do next?
Try to remove these habitual things that are taking you further from your goals for 3 weeks or more. Know that you're not going to go without them forever.
Then, as you choose to, gradually re-introduce some of the things on a less frequent occasion.


Building these conscious habits with your eating can be a great way to increase your awareness of the foods you consume and in doing so, strike up a much more beneficial balance between "good" and "bad".


If you're not sure where to start then perhaps write a food diary and look through it after a week to find recurring detractors that keep reappearing such as foods that are high in sugar.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT)

The A-Z scale of Lifestyles and Physiques

Recently I have been talking to my clients about what I imagine as an A-Z scale of lifestyles and how these lifestyles usually offer you an exact reflection of your physique.

Or as some people say: "You get out exactly what you put in."

Yes, there are exceptions to every rule. The people that seem to eat whatever they want and stay lean or those at the other end of the spectrum and live a seemingly healthy lifestyle but can't shift any extra body fat.

Yes, there are exceptions but also remember: "What you eat in private, you wear in public". Sometimes all is not as it may appear...

So, what's an "A Lifestyle" and what do these people look like?

An "A Lifestyle" is a clean diet involving no processed foods, no preservatives, no refined sugars, no alcohol and no days off from this regime. An "A Lifestyle" person will train frequently with purpose, intensity and direction with progressive overload. They do not skip days, they do not "just do a bit today" and they do not approach their week without a plan.

As a result, they probably look something like this...

So, what's a "Z Lifestyle" and what do these people look like?

A "Z Lifestyle" has no structure. This person does not exercise, eats what they want and the majority of their food choices are dependent on what's most convenient rather than rich in nutrients. Take away food, instant meals, sweats, puddings, sugars and fatty foods are frequent in their diet.

These people will usually end up looking something like this...

For the vast majority of people, sustaining "A Lifestyle" is not achievable. And you're far from being a "Z Lifestyle" person." However... I like to start the year aiming to move myself close to "Lifestyle A". Take note of changes in my body, mood and energy.

Then not through habit, but through conscious choices I add in things which don't belong in "Lifestyle A" (the odd bit of alcohol, sugar etc) until I reach a point/letter that I'm happy to settle on. THIS is my sustainable lifestyle; ideally closer to "Lifestyle A" than I was before this process.

What I'm trying to say is...

Don't "end up" with a lifestyle, exercise and eating habits accidently. Experience a style of living far "better" than one you intend on sustaining and then consciously set your lifestyle guidelines.

Give it a go and see if you can move a little closer to an "A Lifestyle."

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@MichaelD_PT) and YouTube