Many people who have tried to lose weight unsuccessfully have a love/hate relationship with food.  We all need food, but making the right choices and finding the right nutritional balance can be difficult.

So much information influences our nutritional decisions.  Many of us learned about the food pyramid when we were young, but heard about the Atkins diet as adults.  What does a serving of pasta look like?  Is all seafood healthy, or just certain kinds?  How many servings of vegetables per day do I really need?  Questions like these, along with the challenges presented by the range of choices at the typical grocery store make many people feel overwhelmed.

Luckily, there are some ways to sort through the confusion.  Learning about portion control is important.  Web MD has a great online tool that shows you standard serving sizes of many different foods.  You can find it at http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate.  You may be surprised at how restaurant potions compare with actual serving sizes.

Keeping a food journal is another way to learn more about your diet.  Writing down your intake can make you think twice about having that second helping or taking just one handful of potato chips.  It can also provide a record of all the healthy choices you make. Websites like The Daily Plate offer a free food journal that can make keeping a food diary easy and convenient.

Saying no to fad diets and focusing on healthy, sustainable, habit-forming choices is another way to improve your relationship with food.  Fad diets usually claim quick or rapid results through minimal effort, cut out entire food groups, or involve using supplements or products.  What they don’t advertise is their likelihood of damaging your metabolism, feelings of exhaustion, or unsuitability for long-term success.

The grocery store provides a huge range of food choices for us to consume.  Many of these choices are edible food-like products, rather than actual food.  Real food is usually found in the outer aisles of the store.  Fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, nuts, and seeds are not kept next to fruit roll-ups, cheese-puffs, tuna helper, or sodas.  If what you are buying lists more than seven ingredients, it is most likely a processed food product.

Food is a necessary part of life.  It is the fuel to move through our days with strength, purpose, energy, and joy.  Take the time to learn about your nutrition so that you can live your best life.

Chicago Personal Trainer will teach you how to balance your food. Enroll now at GH Fitness or call 773-527-4961