Making healthy changes can be a huge feat for some. If I asked you to wipe out all “bad” foods( such as cookies, cakes, pastries, chips, fried foods, sugar, soda, fatty meats and ice cream) today, many of you would quickly find another website. Some people are “all or nothing”types(these are called ‘abstainers’) and this extreme “wipe out” works best for them. However, not all of us can do this, we are called moderators. At Smart Trucker Fitness we really like to encourage that small steps are just fine. If small steps are what make life bearable and will be the ticket to lasting changes than by all means tip toe away!
In the realm of behavior change there is a theory of “crowding out” this concept is based on adding more healthy foods to the diet rather than taking things away. When you eat more vegetables, fruits, and other quality foods high in nutrients, your cravings for less healthy foods will naturally decrease. There just won’t be room for unhealthy overeating when you’re satisfied and nourished by real food! Another way to “crowd out” is to gradually make swaps for less healthy food for those that are of better quality. Find “swaps” that work for where you are at today. Eventually, you will find yourself learning more and having new tastes and soon you’ll be swapping those “swaps” for even better foods. Here is a list of simple swaps and why they are a good call to help get you started:
