Why Is It So Hard to Eat Healthy?

Why is it so hard to eat healthy?

Most of us know we need to eat healthier.  And we want to.  We know what foods we should be eating more of, and the ones we should be eating less of or not at all.  With the internet, we have easy access to healthier versions of most of our favorites and lots of healthy meal ideas to get us started. 

Yet we still struggle.

But why is eating healthy so hard?  Why is it so hard to stop eating junk?  How can you stick to healthy eating?

I thought I had broken through my challenges with following a healthy diet.

 I did the GAPS diet for a month.  I did keto for 9 months, without any cheating, and lost 30 pounds. 

I got through Thanksgiving dinners, Chrismtas Dinners and even Halloween, without any cheating.

If you struggle (like I always did) with how to stick to a diet and not cheat, keto makes it easy.  Since cheating on keto could result in kicking you out of ketosis and suffering the misery of the keto flu again, it’s a lot easier to resist any temptations. 

While I did end up eventually quitting keto, I felt like I had finally reset my eating habits, and gained the willpower to resist the crap I knew was bad for my body.   

But now I find myself struggling to eat as healthy as I should be again.

I haven’t totally reverted back to my old eating habits; I’ve just been indulging a bit too much at times.

Once summer started it got harder to resist.  It started with a few more occasional treats, like grabbing an ice cream with Lil Sis.  Then I started indulging a bit more on the weekends the kids were gone.  Soon I was having full-day binges of fast food meals, chocolate, and chips for snack, and some Fireball (and not my healthier keto fireball either). 

On top of the temptation of treats during the summer, and convenience of junk food when I only needed to cook for myself, my old emotional eating habits played a role too.  With the impact that my temporary separation from The Husband had on me at times, it was hard to resist the urge to indulge in some chocolate.  Really, how do you stick to a diet when stressed?  Why is it so hard to eat healthy during the stressful times that it’s most beneficial to you?

But what’s done is done, and I’m not going to let a rough month throw me off track and undermine all the progress I made in the last year.  So, with the kids now back at school, I’m making it my goal this month to refocus on my health and get back on track with all the healthy eating progress I have made. 

Why Is It So Hard to Eat Healthy?

Eating healthy is hard.  But why?  What makes it so challenging?

Maybe it’s because we are surrounded by junk food all the time. 

When you’re an emotional eater (like me) it can be hard to resist the chocolate bars by the checkout.  And our emotions aren’t the only thing that derails us, boredom can also cause us to make some unhealthy choices.  Ever look down at the bag of chips you’ve been eating while watching TV and realize it’s already empty?

Then there are the challenges that our society brings to trying to eat healthy.

So many social events involve, if not revolve around, food.  It’s at the center of holiday functions, parties, and any other celebration.  Typically, when people get together with friends, they do it by going out for a meal.  It’s hard to stick to eating healthy because it’s not the norm in our society. 

And let’s not forget convenience.

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthy is that there aren’t many options that are quick and easy.  If you want a healthy meal, you need time to cook it.  When you’re out and hunger strikes, it’s easy to find somewhere to grab a bag of chips but finding some fruit or vegetables is rare. 

There are definitely things that make it hard to eat healthy, but they don’t make it impossible. 

Stop Eating Junk Food

So how do you really start eating healthy?

The first step is to stop eating junk food.

Yah, I know, easier said than done. 

A lot of experts recommended making gradual shifts in your eating habits. 

I tried that for years, and it never worked for me.  I could eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but still caved in and ate a bag of chips before bed.  And despite my efforts, I wasn’t losing weight. Really, what’s the point in skipping on the burger and fries at lunch if you’re just going to indulge in a bag of chips for snack later?

It wasn’t until I gave up junk food cold turkey that I was able to learn how to resist the temptation of cookies, chips and all that other junk.  Sugar and junk food are addictive so trying to cut out a little here or there isn’t going to help you stop craving it all the time. 

If you want to make real changes to your eating you need to start by getting the junk out of your system entirely.  I’m not saying you can never have a chip or piece of chocolate again, but you need to set a time frame that you will be avoiding junk for entirely before you will have the self-control to not overindulge. 

How to Start Eating Healthy

Why is eating healthy so expensive?

The truth is, it isn’t.

Eating healthy with the conveniences we are used to from unhealthy food is expensive.  If you want to start eating healthy, you need to be prepared to start cooking from scratch and baking your own treats.

The best way to get started eating healthy is to make a meal plan.

If you wait until dinner time to figure out what to cook, chances are the meat you need won’t be thawed and you won’t have half the ingredients.  So, you’ll end up making something you really don’t care for and still crave something better, or you’ll give in and grab a drive-thru burger instead.

Making a weekly meal plan doesn’t just ensure you have everything you need to make the healthy meal either, it also helps you make sure you will have the time to do it too.  Plan your easy to make healthy meals for the nights that you don’t have as much time and leave the more complicated recipes for your chill-at-home nights. 

On the nights the kids have swimming lessons, I do up a crockpot chili so there’s no rush to get supper made.  I keep the more time-consuming meals, or new recipes I want to try, for the weekends when I have more time. 

How to Avoid Junk Food

The first step to avoiding junk food is just to stop buying it. 

Try to do your grocery shopping after you’ve eaten a fulfilling meal, and never go when you are hungry. 

But not bringing junk food into your house won’t help you avoid junk food all the time.  It can be a lot harder when you’re on the go.  Sometimes there just aren’t any healthy options when you’re out and need a quick snack. 

So, you need to be prepared for that. 

If you know that you’re going to be out, and may be tempted to pick up a snack, bringing a healthy one with you will help you to avoid junk food temptations.  While you won’t be able to make sure you always have some veggies or fresh fruit to snack on, packing it when you do is a start.

As for those other times when you weren’t prepared to be needing a snack before you got home, there are still some healthier packaged snack options you can keep in your purse or car just in case, like packages of nuts or some prepackaged keto snacks or paleo snacks. 

Healthy Eating Out Options

While you can buy healthy food for your house and keep healthy snacks on you, there are still times when you won’t be able to control the food options.  Whether you’re going to a party, dinner at a nice restaurant with friends or just have no other choice on a busy day than to stop for a fast-food lunch. 

While there may not always be a wide variety of healthy options on the restaurant’s menu, if you plan ahead you can still make the healthiest choice.  Before you head out to dinner or stop at the fast-food place, take a look at the menu online.  If it’s available look at the nutritional info and ingredients (preferably when you aren’t already hungry) so you can make the healthiest choice ahead of time before the other food becomes more tempting.

Even if you have no choice but to grab dinner from a fast food place, just do your best to choose the healthiest thing you can find.  A lettuce-wrapped burger may not be the healthiest thing you can eat, but it’s still than a Big Mac. 

If there really aren’t any healthy options, or you’re going to a party and don’t even know what the food options will be, fill up before you go.  Then you can just snack on a side salad at the restaurant or pick at the veggie tray at the party, and focus more on the social aspect of the outing. 

How to Stick to Healthy Eating

Getting started with a healthy eating plan is one thing, but how do you stick to a diet long term?  How can you make sure you aren’t tempted to give in to your cravings after you get through that first week?  Or month?  Or year?

You need to keep reminding yourself why you’ve made this change.

People who have food allergies or intolerances have to resist temptations all the time because giving in would make them sick.  Eating a donut may not result in you running for the closest bathroom, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t negatively affecting your health too.

When temptation hits you, think about how good you feel since you started eating healthy.  You’re likely more energetic, among other benefits.  Plus, you likely feel proud that you are feeding your body the nourishing food that it needs to thrive. 

Now how will you feel after eating that donut?

Will it leave you feeling sluggish and tired?  Will it make you irritable and stressed?  Are a few moments of sweetness worth wasting all of your efforts so far?

Remind yourself what your motivation for eating healthy was in the first place.  Why did you stop eating junk food?  Did you want to lose weight or were there other benefits you were aiming for?  If it helps come up with a mantra, just a sentence that will remind you of why you are eating healthy, so you can say it to yourself when you’re tempted not to.

It may be hard to eat healthy at times, but keeping the right mindset will make it easier to stick with it. 

How Do You Stick to A Restrictive Diet?

Eating healthy is one thing, but what if you’re following a specific restrictive diet?  How do you stick with it when there are so many things that you can’t have?

While I only had to stick to the GAPS diet (which is super restrictive) for a month, Big Sis did it for a year.  Sure, there was some complaining at first, but once she adjusted to it, she was fine. I made sure that she never felt like she was going without the foods she enjoyed. 

I got creative and found ways to make versions of the treats she liked, with ingredients she could have.  There was a lot of baking involved, but she always had her own cupcakes for birthday parties and treats to bring for any other social event. 

If you feel like your missing out on everything you love, your restrictive diet will be harder to stick to.  So, find ways to make things you love with the ingredients you can have. 

The Hardest Part of Eating Healthy

The hardest part of eating healthy is getting bored with your food options. 

If you eat nothing but salads for lunch every day, you’re going to find it a lot harder to resist the temptation of a burger.  Try to mix it up and give yourself different options.  Vegetable soup is just as healthy as a salad.  Or start freezing leftover dinner in individual portions so you have a variety of lunch options. 

Keep your fridge stocked with a variety of healthy foods so you aren’t always looking at the same choices when you need a snack.

Look for new recipes.  Try one new meal each week.  If you’re craving something specific, look up healthy versions of it or think of ways you could substitute the unhealthy ingredients for healthy ones.  While I struggled a bit to find a way to swap out lasagna noodles for a vegetable, I eventually found that making a kale lasagna casserole satisfied my lasagna cravings. 

It’s not as hard to eat healthy if you make sure you’re still eating a variety of foods that you enjoy. 

Tips for Struggling to Eat Healthy

So, what if you’re the type who can’t stick to a diet for a day?

Maybe you’ve tried many times in the past.  You can make the meal plan and buy all the healthy foods to stock your fridge, but then you get hungry or have a strong craving and don’t even make it to the end of the day.

Here are a few more strategies to make it easier to stick with it, so you can at least make it through one day to see that you can do it.

Drink More Water

Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. So, before you go looking for something to eat, try drinking a large glass of water and waiting a bit to see if the food craving goes away.

Eat Filling Foods

While eating a variety of vegetables is a big part of any healthy diet, you need to make sure you are eating foods that keep you full too.  Filling up on protein, from meat and eggs, and on healthy fats, like nuts and avocado, will keep you feeling full longer and reduce your cravings.

Don’t Skip Snacks

Make sure you have a healthy snack when you start to feel hungry.  If you wait until you’re starving your cravings will be far more intense and harder to avoid.

Stop Thinking About Food

If you find yourself having some strong cravings when you aren’t even hungry, you need to find a way to get your mind off of food.  Find a new hobby, go out with a friend or keep yourself busy by tackling some new project.

Indulge in The Healthy Foods You Do Enjoy

Instead of seeing all the things you can’t have, find the things you can have that you love.  Make healthier versions of your favorite treats and indulge in your favorite healthy foods when you want to. 

How Do You Eat Healthy Consistently?

One of the things people struggle with when they commit to eating healthy is they think they have to be perfect at it.

Once you have kicked your junk food addiction, it’s ok (and makes it more tolerable) to allow yourself a not-so-healthy treat once in a while.  Just don’t make it a habit. 

Keep your indulgences small.  While you may feel like treating yourself to an ice cream on a hot summer day, that doesn’t mean you need to go all out with a huge chocolate fudge brownie sundae.  You will satisfy that craving just as well by having a snack-size cone, a small piece of dark chocolate or just a bite of the treat you buy for your kid. 

And if you do go a bit overboard once in a while, stay away from the mindset that you might as well keep going since you already screwed up the day.  Having a donut for breakfast doesn’t mean that the day is a waste, so focus on eating healthy good-for-your-gut food to make up for it the rest of the day. 

Why do you think it’s so hard to eat healthy?  Do you have any tips on how to avoid junk food? How do you eat healthy successfully?

Let me know on my Facebook post and follow me on Facebook to see what else I learn on my journey to live a healthier and happier life.