5 Tips to Break Your Junk Food Habit

As many of you know, since College swimming ended, I have had a constant struggle with my weight. I went from a super in-shape Division I athlete, to a young woman so uncomfortable in my own skin, I completely avoided any kind of social life. I was so used to eating whatever I wanted as a swimmer, that the transition to non-athlete was not so smooth. I still ate Oreos and ice cream on the regular, and I was barely working out---if at all. I went from 115 lbs. of lean muscle, to almost 150 lbs. I was shocked that I let myself put on so much weight without really even noticing the extent of it. The truth behind it all? I was not monitoring what I was eating and drinking. I know I am not the only one who has struggled with something like this, so I decided to put together five tips I used to break my junk food habit---in a HEALTHY way. 

1. Get the junk food out of your house.

Let's think about this one really quick. If you are looking in the pantry or fridge for something to eat and you see chocolate pudding, ice cream, Oreos, and so on, you are most likely going to choose one of those options. Now if you go back another time, but those items are NOT available, guess what? You won't eat them!! Now this may seem like a simple change, but chances are you might not live alone, you might go grocery shopping when you're having a not so good day, or when you're hungry. In cases like this, you must talk with friends and/or family you live with, and ask them for their full support. Kindly ask that they not keep your "trigger" foods out of sight, or simply not even in the house. 

2. Eat clean 80% of the time. 

Frequently, people get very overwhelmed with the idea of clean eating, and automatically tell themselves they simply cannot do it. When eating clean, you need to remember it needs to be done only 80% of the time. We are all human, situations come up such as parties and holidays, and clean options might not even be available to you. Relax. If most of your diet is super tight, you are allowed to indulge every once in a while. Disclaimer: This does not mean you get an entire day to go bananas. It simply means ONE MEAL can be a "fun" meal. Enjoy a night out with the girls, or a special date night. Plus this gives you something to look forward to!

3. Make healthy eating a habit.

Just like unhealthy eating can turn into a habit, you can make HEALTHY eating a habit just as easily. Instead of having 2 glasses of wine a night, switch to an herbal tea. A study suggests it takes approximately 21 days to break a habit. This might not be 100% accurate for everyone, but you can be certain that eventually a behavioral pattern will set in. In my case, somewhere between 2-3 weeks, I no longer wanted cookies and ice cream; I began to crave healthy sugars like fruit. 

4. Bring healthy snacks with you at all times

If you happen to carry a purse or backpack of some kind, carry a apple or some raw nuts in there. In the era of fast food around every single corner, it is very easy to be in a situation where you are hungry and pressed for time, and there is no other choice but to grab a $1 burger or a donut. If you bring a snack with you, you no longer have an excuse. Here are a few snacks to consider:

• Fresh Fruit (Apple, plum, pear, banana, etc)
• Dried Fruit
• Raw Nuts
• Shakeology Packet (Shake with unsweetened almond milk or water)

5. Discover new fruits and veggies.

I am well aware there are some interesting fruits and vegetables out there. A lot of times, we tend to avoid fresh produce because we are bored with our same selections week after week, or there's a stigma associated with particular produce. Perhaps when you were younger, you were forced to eat your broccoli, so now you want nothing to do with it. Now, you are stuck buying vegetables you don't recognize and have no idea how to prepare. If you have no idea how to prepare it, do a quick Google search or look up ideas on trusty Pinterest! This was definitely a useful tool when I was beginning my clean eating journey. All I ask is to not be afraid to try new things. You will be pleasantly surprised by what you might come across!