How to Trick Yourself into Eating Healthy

You should already know some of these tips. Some of them are pretty well known.

#1. Eat before you go out so you aren't starving later.

#2. Sample your faves instead of pigging out.

#3. Split dessert with a friend or lover.

But I also want to share a few reverse psychology tricks that will help you eat healthier.

If you go through a long period of eating healthy foods you will start to want the junk food simply because you want a break and want something sweet. Part of it is simply wanting something that you can't have because it is Forbidden Fruit.

There are three solutions to the dealing forbidden sweets and junk food however:

1. Eat junk food more often.

This really seems counter-intuitive but this strategy works for a lot of people because indulging regularly takes away the need to gorge on a grand scale when your willpower completely collapses. And after enough time goes by, where you're fighting between a controlled and crazy appetite, something has to give. It's usually willpower. So what you do is have small amounts, small measured amounts, just to take the edge off.

2. Don't think of it as junk food.

Another tip is to stop thinking about food as good and bad. People always want what they can't have. Although it would be a stretch to ever try to convince yourself that celery sticks are the new chocolate bars it's easy to pull some reverse psychology on your psyche and convince your brain that the chocolate is not all that it's cracked up to be and opting for the real food is just as satisfying, if not more.

3. Focus on Socialization

You're at a party/holiday gathering to be with your friends and family so do just that. The food isn't the main reason why you're visiting. Catch up on stories, reminisce about the past and enjoy the company of loved ones that you don't normally see all in the same room at once. If you forget the food is there then it is time well spent.

Use these tips to change the way you think about eating and keep your balanced diet on track!

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Books + Exercise: Why Research is your Friend

Learn to hit the books once in awhile and you will reap the benefits!

If you have been participating in a certain exercise for a while now (eg. yoga, martial arts, running, archery, boxing, etc.), consider heightening your understanding of its history or inner-workings to find more fulfillment within the practice and to even improve the physical aspect of the activity itself.

Some examples of this include:

Runners - Learn the history of marathons. It's fascinating.
Dancers - Take music theory lessons. Learn rhythms and melodies.
Cyclists - Learn how to fix/tune up your bike or even build one from scratch.
Martial Arts - Learn the history of your and other disciplines.
Weight Lifters - Teach yourself about anatomy and psysiology.
Yoga - Learn the benefits of each posture, the history of yoga and the different disciplines of yoga (breathing, meditation, and so forth).

Deepening an activity with some history and theory will turn a simple exercise from a hobby into a lifestyle.

Sample Books if you are into Archery: 'Precision Archery' is a great practical advice book about everything from equipment maintenance to cross-training exercises to proper form. 'Zen Bow Zen Arrow' gets more into the mental discipline of archery, but is also great for motivation to get you out on the archery range and practicing regularly.

Why Crazy Crash Diets Don't Work

You've probably noticed in the past how quite a few fad diets out there are based on the concept of a "crash diet". Meaning you go on the crash diet for a few weeks, lose weight, and then go back to your normal routine.

That is the theory at least.

The reality however is that it creates people on Yo-yo Diets wherein their weight goes up and down constantly, often gaining more weight each time the end a crash diet... and ultimately ending up being fatter than when they started.

There is a lot of articles available by diet industry professionals who are constantly promoting their weird diets. Its nothing new. People have been doing this for decades. And it keeps adding to the confusion and misinformation within the industry.

Some people in the industry (reporters...) will even misquote experts on purpose, just to push their own agenda. eg. An expert says cardio is good for losing weight and weightlifting is good for toning up muscles. Completely accurate. But the reporter instead writes that weightlifting is good for both... Which isn't wholly true or untrue. Yes, you could lose weight via weightlifting, but you would need to do a lot of repetitions and most people are not doing that. Ergo, the reporter is stretching the truth and misquoting the expert just because they want to push their own agenda.

Thus it becomes more important than ever to stress the old hallmarks of weight loss: Exercise and a Balanced Diet.

The problem however is that so many people are too lazy to exercise, and love instant gratification too much (junk food/fast food/processed foods) to eat a balanced diet. Toss in people binging on too much food and you have a recipe for gaining weight in a hurry.

It stands to logic then that the only true tried and tested method for losing weight is a balanced (and stable) diet combined with regular exercise. It really comes down to just doing cardio and proper nutrition.

It's not hard even. It's not complex either. It's just common sense. Eat sensible, smaller portions. Stop eating when you are full and don't deprive yourself. Eat junk food on special occasions but don't make a constant habit of it. Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins. Avoid fried fatty foods.

It really is just simple science and math: Cut down on calories intake. Increase calorie usage. Result: Weight loss.

However some idiotic and self-proclaimed fitness pros are complicating and muddying the waters by spreading misinformation just so they can sell their book or DVD promoting their crazy Crash Diet... and hoping to become the newest diet fad so they can make a fortune.

The tried, tested and true "cardio and a balanced diet" won't sell any books because it sounds too normal, boring and like hard work.

But seriously, it works.

Burning Calories via Household Chores

You are burning calories while you're doing household chores and the numbers can really add up. In fact, some household chores burn just as many calories as a gym workout does.

Here's how some of your household chores stack up in terms of burning calories.

Yard Work

Yard work offers some of the most labor intensive household chores. Tasks like digging and raking the leaves not only burn a lot of calories but can help tone muscles in your arms and legs. Here are some statistics:

30 minutes of digging in your yard will burn about 315 calories, the same amount burned by 45 minutes of bicycling on flat terrain. Digging tones the muscles of your calves, thighs, arms and shoulders. If you do it vigorously enough and continue the activity for 20 minutes or more, you can raise your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular system.
Washing your car works your arms and abdominals. For every 30 minutes of car washing, you'll burn 143 calories.
Weeding for 30 minutes burns 115 calories, the same amount you'd burn in 15 minutes of weight training. Weeding tones your thighs and buttocks. Just be careful to bend with your legs while keeping your spine straight, or you could hurt your back.
Raking leaves for 30 minutes burns 225 calories. The resistance offered by the leaves makes this chore a type of weight training. Raking leaves tones all the major muscle groups in your body.

Indoor Chores

Chores you do inside the house also help to burn calories. Here's how many calories are burned in the course of performing your daily tasks:

Scrubbing the bath for 30 minutes burns 200 calories. Removing that stubborn soap scum from your tiles is a great way to tone the muscles of your arms and shoulders.
Carrying shopping bags for 30 minutes burns 190 calories, and maybe more if the bags are particularly heavy. Distribute the weight evenly on each hand, or swap back and forth at regular intervals. Carrying too much weight on one side won't just overdevelop those muscles, it could injure your spine.
Making beds for 30 minutes burns 130 calories, the same number you'd use if you jogged on a treadmill or on flat terrain for 15 minutes.
Cleaning windows for 30 minutes burns 125 calories, the same number used in 20 minutes of power yoga (about one-third the length of a typical power yoga class).
Loading the dishwasher for 30 minutes burns 105 calories, which is less than the 160 calories burned when washing them by hand.
Vacuuming for 30 minutes burns about 90 calories, the same amount you'd burn in 15 minutes of kick boxing.
Dusting for 30 minutes burns about 50 calories.
Ironing for 30 minutes burns about 70 calories and tones the muscles of the upper body. Stand up straight at the ironing board and press down firmly. Switch hands periodically so you don't overdevelop one arm.

Other Calorie Burners

Here are some other activities that burn surprising amounts of calories:

Climbing stairs for 30 minutes burns about 285 calories.
Painting and decorating your home burns about 160 calories.
Showering and toweling off for 30 minutes burns about 70 calories.