Healthy Eating SHOULD be boring... and here's why
Healthy Eating Should be... Boring?
Healthy eating doesn’t need to be fun or exciting… in fact, that can actually make healthy eating more difficult. Nobody wants to find their diet "boring," me most of all (total foodie here). But we have to take a step back and accept human nature for where it is. Why have food chains like McDonalds, Starbucks, and Chipotle dominated the industry, as well as our taste buds, for as long as they have?One word: convenience.
Question for you — how much would you pay for a lime? Long ago, before I became a personal trainer and started Heroes Fitness, I worked a part time job at a liquor store in Riverview, FL, and found a local customer asking herself that question. The liquor store was located right next to a Publix, and the lady came in to buy some supplies for margaritas, as she was hosting a gal's night, and what better to go along with your favorite friends than a few Margs?
As she brought her handful of items to check out, she realized she needed limes. Convenient enough, the limes are located next to the register! She was surprised, maybe even insulted, when I told her the single lime would cost her $1.25, especially when Publix was right next door, and she could buy a whole bag for less. But she still bought it.
We THRIVE off of convenience. It doesn't make you lazy, it makes you human. Even the most determined, self-motivated folks love convenience. So, don't fight it. Make it work for you. If what you have at home is more convenient than fast food, your mind will opt for that.
To curate a healthy lifestyle that allows you to lose fat, build muscle, and have more energy, then your way of eating needs to be simple, repeatable, and consistent. The more exciting meals can be fun, but they come with more time preparing, cleaning dishes (and I HATE cleaning dishes), and finding niche ingredients in aisles you don’t normally go down.
Imagine this: you wake up to your alarm at 6am, realizing you only got 5 hours of sleep last night. You hit snooze. You skip breakfast because you don't have enough time, and run out of the door. A long, grueling day of work, and now it's time to head home. Oh, there was an accident on i75, so you'll be stuck in traffic for an extra 30 minutes. AND you still have to prep food when you get home? DoorDash is sounding awfully nice right now.
That's where convenience wins. Instead, set your home up for success so preparing a meal takes minutes instead of hours.
Use the microwave. Buy pre-cut veggies. Get the pre-cooked chicken! And don’t forget to add seasoning — simple doesn’t mean unflavored!
Bulk prep rice, and when you re-head it, just had a little bit of water. Trust me, it'll fluff up. Before you roast potatoes, nuke them in the microwave for 6 minutes. It greatly reduces the time spent cooking them! And pro-tip, hand washing dishes while food it cooking is just efficient... and convenient.
About the author
Connor Blackmon is the founder of Heroes Fitness Personal Training, a local gym in Valrico, FL that specializes in helping men and women build strength, lose fat, and work out in a non-intimidating environment. Located at 1528 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, FL.