How to find a routine and a structure everyday, developing new habits

Quality and quantity of food are important for sure but When the food is eaten is important as well.

The first thing we usually think when starting a new diet is about:

-  What we eat 

-  How much we eat

Rarely focusing on "when" we eat 

Is important to focus on this aspect as well to make these changes more like lifestyle improvements instead of just another diet that could last just for few months, so we are looking for something in the long run instead of a quick temporary fix 

To explain  better the concept of time when eating:

Time should't be seen as a reschriction or like a deadline, it should be used to have a regular timetable depending on the day and depending on your schedules.

Something that in the long term can help you to stay on track without even noticing, and that is exactly what a new habit and an improved lifestyle target we are aiming for.

Everyone has different  schedules and is normal to have very busy days when is hard to keep track, so how do we manage every single day?

Let's discuss this in a more scientifically and practical way

Having  a long gap between one meal and the next one could increase the risk of having big meals after such a long time and feeling low in energy because of the lack of nutrients.

The most important thing is that long gaps make your body slow down the metabolism and go into starvation mode, which means that your body will tend to store more in fat the next meal you'll have.

So eating less and less is not the way for a long term success, eating little and often could be a strategy that will pay you back in the long term

How to find a routine?

We know that every day is different, but we can apply a very strategy to obtain this:

• Have a breakfast within one hour, doesn't matter what time do you wake up, even something small like a probiotic (Actimel zero% fat or Yakult Light or the own groceries brand, but in that case check the label to compare calories and sugars to chose the lower as possible).

• Other alternatives: Just a piece of fruit or just a glass of semi skimmed milk. 

• After that, a meal or a snack every 3 or 4 hours, the point is to eat little and often instead than a big meal everyday 

• Plan the day before on when you are supposed to have a meal or a snack to avoid big gaps.

• Avoiding long gaps and have meals more regularly will make you feel more energetic and active which may help to increase your exercise/walking.  

That's it! as you can see is about planning and be flexible to manage any day, keeping a food diary or a picture diary at the beginning can help to keep this kind of routine until you will no longer need to record it anymore because that will be the new habit.

If you would like to have more information on how to develop and maintain a new habit and improve your lifestyle here some useful material:

How do you eat your meal? Part 2: Place and other Distractions. MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness How do you eat your meal ? Part 1: speed and perception/excuses