In a previous article, which can be found here, we learned what it means to be SMART about exercise.  Is it possible to be SMART about food and meal plans as well? Absolutely! The whole key behind the SMART concept is to actively seek change in a positive and realistic way. The basic concept can be applied to many areas in anyone’s lives, including exercise and diet. Making meal changes doesn’t have to be a daunting task, and you don’t need a food scale or a calorie counter to do it. By applying the SMART formula in an easy to follow way, you too can be SMART about food!  

Specific – This is the who, what, when, where and how of your goal. “I’m going to eat better” just doesn’t cut it. Make it specific. “I’m only going to allow myself two sugary snacks per week.” “I am cutting bread out of my diet.” “I will drink at least eight glasses of water per day.” These are specific and easy to track goals!

Measurable – If your goal isn’t measurable, how will you know when you have reached it? Drinking eight glasses of water a day is a goal that is easy to measure.  A current goal can also be leading up to a larger, overall goal that is still measurable. “I am going to stop drinking coffee, and will work my way up to removing all caffeine from my diet.”

Attainable – While it’s great to shoot for the stars, if your goal is out of reach, you will be less motivated to reach for it! If a goal for your meal plans is to stop eating gluten, as an example, same as with exercise baby steps are key and result in higher success. Start by ll                           eliminating breads, then crackers and chips, and keep going until you’re gluten free!

Realistic – If you despise tomatoes, a realistic goal would probably not include eating a tomato every day! Think about your daily food habits now, and things you can change to work toward the more healthy you that you want to be! Try to find healthy replace- ments for staples in your meal. Replace them with something else you will enjoy!

Time – This is probably one of the most important parts of the equation. Without any sort of deadline, we don’t have a real motivation to make a change. This is true for exercise and it is also true for diet. If you’re gradually moving toward being vegan, set a time frame for what you are gradually giving up, and you’ll reap the rewards of success!

  Now that you know the key, time to get SMART about Food!  

Source Url: http://gobelmont.ca/get-smart-about-food/