This week on my Facebook page I asked a question. What is your biggest hurdle when it comes to eating healthy. I wanted to answer some of those hurdles and offer some solutions. Is your hurdle in the list?

1. Emotions ~ Honestly, I didn’t think of myself as an emotional eater but you know what – last week I learned that I am. I eat when I am bored. By simply recognizing this I realized that when I am not engaged in something I open the fridge looking for something to do. Emotions are the toughest hurdle, in my opinion. Recognition is HUGE. Now that I recognize my emotion every time I head to the fridge I can ask myself – Am I bored? Is it TIME to eat? Am I hungry? Maybe your emotion is sadness, anger, loneliness, etc. What other ways can you deal with that emotion? Call a friend, write, exercise, find a hobby that doesn’t include food. I know when I am busy in an activity I struggle to pull myself away from it long enough TO eat!

2. Planning/Preparation ~ I’m a planner by nature. I LOVE to plan, so this comes very naturally for me. I would LOVE to help you with your plan. Some things I do is make multiple meals at one time. I’ll make turkey meatloaf – sometimes two at a time while I make a mixed bean chili.
I’ll boil a batch of steel cut oats for the week while I boil some eggs and grill some chicken. My favorite meatloaf recipe is on my Facebook group page – Get Fit with Mandy. I can mix up the ingredients, pop it in the oven and workout while it cooks. Plus it makes GREAT leftovers.

3. Convenience/Time ~ This goes hand in hand with number hurdle number 2. I keep HEALTHY snacks on hand so when I am short on time or rushing out the door I know I can grab some sugar snap peas, carrots, celery or peppers, and hummus (already chopped). Same with nuts, yogurt, fresh fruit – my basket always has options. A protein bar and of course Shakeology are great options for lack of time and convenience.

4. Avoiding sweets ~ I KNOW this one first hand. You may remember last year I challenged myself to 30 days of no cookies, no cake, no sweets, no treats. It wasn’t for the rest of my life, just a short period. I wanted to prove I could do it. Can you avoid sweets for ONE day? Of course you can! Take it one day at a time. Get the JUNK out of your house! Keep home SAFE! At work – how – many of your coworkers can you ask to have a sweet free week? Or AT LEAST Monday-Thursday! Offer to bring in a bag of fresh fall apples to replace the candy on the desk. Instead of cupcakes for every birthday fruit skewers – yes some can be even be dipped in chocolate!

5. Cost ~ I have sent some emails about this- if you are ready for me to send it again let me know. You CAN eat healthy and not spend a fortune. A healthy breakfast can literally be less than a dollar. You can feed a family of four dinner for $2 a plate. YES – it IS more expensive to buy all organic- but the more in demand it becomes the cheaper it will become. YES it is cheaper to buy a soda and a candy bar and call that lunch – but REALLY – are the long term affects “cheaper”? Don’t you deserve better? Compared to other countries we spend very little on our food. Why do we value quantity over quality food? It’s killing us and making us unhealthy. Eating whole foods, prepared at home is cheaper and healthier for you.

6. Family ~ I don’t have kids, so I am not always aware of all the struggles parents have. What I have read about getting your family on board is tricks to “sneak” veggies into meals – like sauces, meatloaves, etc. And don’t make a big deal about it. When cutting out the junk a major announcement doesn’t need to be made. Small changes over time and your family will get used to it, and they WILL start feeling better. Did you know that life expectancy rates are dropping due to obesity rates. This means that today?s younger generation will have shorter and less healthy lives than their parents for the first time in modern history. That breaks my heart. We can do something about it – but we have to start making changes and STOP making excuses.