With the first week of the new year well on it's way, how are you doing with your nutrition? We all know that nutrition is paramount, but it's such a tough battle to fight when everything around you is super convenient, has lost it's nutritional value, and loaded with preservatives.

With all the fads, diets, and supplements out there, what is best for you and your goals? It can be very confusing so here are 5 things to help you have a better relationship with your food.

Eat according to your goals. What are you wanting to accomplish? Maintain? Lose body fat? Build muscle? Gain weight? What is it that you want to do? Once you have determined your goal, then you can start figuring out what type of eating habits will best help you achieve that goal.
Don't be a ROBOT! Meal plans are GREAT! But, they're not long-term. As fitness professionals we hear it all the time. "I'll do so much better if you tell me what to eat." Consider this, most professional athletes are put on a 'diet plan' to help them with their upcoming event. If you were to ask many of these athletes how they feel about this part of the preparation, I would bet that they would say this is one of the most dreaded part of their game plan. If this is hard for an athlete, how would the average person feel?
Make it yourself. Cook! Prepare your own food and quit taking the easy way out! Of course time and convenience are major factors on what we eat, but when you cook your own food you control more of what is really on your plate. It is without a doubt when you prepare your own food, you appreciate your meals more too. What about your family? Do they help you with the process? Include them! Have them help! Where does your food come from? What if you were to replace some of your food with things that you can grow? Start small...start with herbs! Be creative! The possibilities are endless!
Make the better choice. Some eat for comfort, some eat for fuel. I believe though you can have a healthy balance between the two and still achieve your goals. If you enjoy eating for comfort, then plan your day by eating most of your food for fuel and then enjoy something that makes your taste buds really happy. The thing is we eat too much of the things that don't help our bodies and not enough of the things that help. Ask yourself questions about what you're preparing and eating. Is this for fuel or for comfort. Do I need to eat all of it in order to satisfy my craving? Is there something else that I can eat that is a better choice and still satisfy this craving.
Quit feeling guilty. Listen, eat. Understand that failure is part of the journey. Failure is good! It gives you something to learn from. Failure is not good when you decide to give up. So, eat! Learn from it! Did it help you or hurt you with your goals? If it helped...do more of it. If it didn't, well obviously do less. But whatever you do, don't feel guilty. The process is about creating better long-term habits. Not feel guilty about every failure that you make.

Create a relationship with your food that is long-term and positive. You create better habits by making better decisions and choices. Remember it is a process and must be worked on for a period of time, consistently. Want more nutritional help? Schedule a time with our trainers for a solid game plan at your goals.