Are you considering a WFPB eating plan, or new to this way of eating? Are you worried that your new diet will limit your choices to broccoli and lettuce? Let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.
The "Plan A" Diet not only allows you to provide a variety of foods that suit your palette, it allows you to eat until you're satisfied whenever you get hungry. As you get familiar with plant-based cooking, you'll gain the confidence needed to experiment with different spices or create your own wonderful dishes.
Any challenges to changing your diet will be the greatest when you're just starting out. Once you're convinced and committed to the change, however, these tips may prove useful to your success:
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- Always have healthy foods on hand. As you purge your kitchen of unhealthy foods (see tip #2), it's crucial to have healthy foods in place beforehand. Let the healthy foods crowd out the bad ones. By creating a meal plan each week and preparing the food accordingly, you'll have healthy foods on hand for the next several days.
- Purge your environment. Sanitizing your surroundings may be the biggest predictor of your success. You must stop bringing junk food, cheese, bakery sweets, and candy into your house, your office, your car, or wherever you spend time. Be kind to yourself by avoiding a physical and mental battle over a package of cookies. Set a firm deadline by which the junk food will be removed from your kitchen, and stick to it.
- Eliminate the word "try." Instead of trying to find the time to eat right, purposefully make the time. Instead of trying to cook new recipes, plan it out and stick to the plan. Make a mental commitment to yourself that you'll do what's necessary to succeed.
- Consider keeping a food journal as your begin. Honesty is critical because perception of how much we typically eat does not often reflect reality. Record every bite that passes your lips. Food journals also encourage accountability and may dissuade you from casually grabbing food when you're not hungry.
- Learn to recognize hunger. This plan promotes "eating when hungry, stopping when full." However, both activities require an awareness of the body's hunger and satiety signals, and therein lies the challenge. Many Americans are no longer in tune with their signals, and overeating has become a customary behavior. Being "stuffed" has become the new normal. The good news is that our hunger signals can return! Your stomach is about the size of your fist, keep that in mind as you pay attention to when your hunger has subsided. Don't starve yourself, but don't stuff yourself.
"Lord, thank you for the abundance of health-promoting foods at our disposal. We pray for the self-control and fortitude to make careful food decisions and to to sanitize our environment. May we learn to tune in to our hunger signals and be intentional to stop overeating when our bodies say we've had enough food. Keep us focused on our motivations, and keep us strong in our pursuit of good health first and foremost as a glory to You. In Jesus name, Amen."