Health and fitness are major values in society today. Social media influencers inspire many of our own fitness journeys, but maintaining this lifestyle can be quite challenging. An unhealthy relationship with food can be one of the biggest struggles, but eating right is a great way to get in shape. Eating too much of anything can keep people from their goals. While dieting is hard for most of us, learning how to control your eating habits and keeping a healthy relationship with food is crucial in order to lose weight and stay healthy.

Learning how to balance is crucial. There are five food groups that everyone needs to consume in order to eat healthy, and balancing each food group within each meal is important. There are many times when we eat just because we’re bored, which can cause excess snacking, so it’s important to spot this. Drinking water through the day is a way to help those who struggle with eating for pleasure. This keeps helps us feel full until it’s meal time.

Another way to have a healthy relationship with food is learning how to eat frequently and in moderation. When someone is busy throughout the day, it is easy to forget to take a timeout and eat lunch or small snack, which then leads to overeating around dinnertime. Instead, try to have a small, healthy breakfast, a healthy lunch, and a small snack a few hours before dinner. Most people think that the fewer calories they intake, the better, but that’s not necessarily true. While eating less calories is the way to lose weight and stay healthy, skipping meals is not the way to do it. Cutting down on portion sizes is better than not eating at all.

Meal prepping is another great way to help stick to your goals. Many of us have busy lives so sometimes it’s hard for people to think about what they’re eating. When we have had a busy day, we might go home too tired to cook. This leads to unhealthy choices for dinner, which can lead to more problems with food. With meal prepping, however, we have control over healthier options and it makes it easier to not overeat.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing taste. The internet and cook books are full of healthy recipes that many people enjoy making and eating. The best part about finding new healthy dishes is that many recipes are alternatives to existing recipes, like pizza, tacos, or even a favorite dessert. Many people might believe that a healthy relationship with food means giving up what they love, but that’s just not true. It’s all about finding a healthier version of the foods you love.

Keeping up with healthy eating and living a healthier lifestyle is difficult for all of us at times. Learning how to control your eating habits will lead you to a better relationship with food and a healthier lifestyle. Balance, moderation, meal preparation, and healthier versions of the foods you already love are all ways to stick to your goals.