Eating healthy in the long run / Day 1

Stick to your new eating habits!

And benefit from a balanced diet long-term.

A change in diet isn’t helpful if you end up falling back into old habits. Restrictive and crash diets don’t work because you don’t learn how to maintain healthy eating habits. Our tips will help you with this. If you want to change your diet long-term, a nutritionist in your area may also be of help.

What have you achieved?

Looking back

You’ve a changed a lot of things in the last couple of weeks. You’ve been eating more consciously and tried out new foods or dishes. You’ll probably notice a positive change or two – do you feel fitter? Do you sleep better? Or are you just more content? These are all things worth maintaining.

Turns these changes into habits

Try to build these changes into your daily routine. You’re probably already pretty good at getting the balance right between the different food groups so that’ll be easy to keep up. If you’ve cut down on sugar too you shouldn’t have any trouble sticking to your new routine.

More daily activity / Day 2

Stay active

It’s important to stay active.

If you work sitting down, make sure to get up now and again, for example to open the window or go see a colleague instead of calling or emailing them. Try to build more activity into your daily life too – take a brisk walk, cycle, shovel snow or get into gardening.

Exercise, a balanced diet and relaxation are the keys to a healthy life.

Physical activity is important

If you’re physically active, you’ll burn calories and build muscle. Muscles keep the body stable and allow us to move. They also help us to breathe and the heart to pump blood around the body. Regular physical activity and sport are also a good way of managing stress – it helps you clear your head and relax your body.

Track your progress / Day 3

Stay mindful

How to go about it

Changing your diet takes time. It’s a long process comprising of lots of small steps. Sit down once a week to take stock. Have you reached your goals so far? Are you gradually establishing healthier eating habits? Keep a diary and note your thoughts. That way you can track your progress and refer back.

What’s changed?

How has your daily life changed?

Do you take more time to cook? Do you make healthier choices? How has your daily life been affected by your change in diet? If you notice you haven’t able to follow through on your plans, it might be worth looking at what’s going on in your life at the moment. What’s stressing you out? What’s going well? Can you build more ease into your daily life? Changing your habits takes time and energy, it’s worth finding the right time to do it and approach successes, deviations or changes patiently. Adjust accordingly and note down which days were went well and which days life got the better of you.

A relaxed and mindful approach can help!

Weigh yourself, but not too often

Always weigh yourself in the same environment

Your weight isn’t always the best indicator of changes. If you’ve been exercising more, you might have gained muscle and, therefore, weight. The hormonal cycle can also have an impact. If you want to keep an eye on your weight, allow a good amount of time between weighings, at least a week. Only weigh yourself when you get up, on the same floor and make sure you wear the same clothes.

Indulge mindfully / Day 4

Indulgence has its place too!

Indulge mindfully rather than going without

You’ve decided to eat a more balanced diet. Indulging in moderation is part of that! If you have a whole chocolate bar or half a bottle of wine every day then you don’t really appreciate it half as much as if you only indulge now and again. One portion is about a row of chocolate, 20 g of chocolate spread, 3 biscuits, a scoop of ice cream, a handful of salty snacks or a glass of soft drink.

Consciously include sweet and salty treats in your diet!

Sweet and salty treats and alcohol

A welcome treat in moderation

These foods and drinks are at the top of the food pyramid. Ideally you’ll have them at main meal times and not in between. Try to savour them in a relaxed atmosphere with family or friends.

Parties and special occasions

Indulge in moderation at special occasions

If you’re at a birthday dinner or a party, have a small amount of alchohol (1 or maximum 2 standard units: 1 measure is about 200-300 ml beer or 100 ml wine) with the meal and be sure to plan balanced meals in advance.

Social resources / Day 5

Find kindred spirits

You’re stronger together

A long-term change requires lasting motivation. Like-minded people that have the same goal as you are a real help. They can motivate you or remind you not to lose focus if you fall back into old habits.

Family and friends can help you stay on track!

Reach your goal together!

You’r stronger as a team!

It’s more fun to reach goals as a group.

Find people who share the same goal as you and want to have a balanced diet. Friends, family members and colleagues are perfect, because they’re in the same environment as you. You spend a lot of time with family and colleagues and eat together every day. That’s a great chance to motivate each other.

If you have a good support system you can’t lose sight of your goal.

Together

Motivation lasts longer in a team

Found support? Great! Then you can shop and cook together, try new recipes or take something delicious to work and enjoy it together.

Natural foods win every time / Day 6

Go for natural foods

The less processed, the better

Natural, unprocessed foods are the foundation of a balanced diet and should make up the largest part of your diet. At best, they’re not treated at all and contain lots of important nutrients. Natural foods shouldn’t have anything artificial added to them to change their taste or to prolong their shelf life. Heavily processed foods usually have a long list of ingredients.

Do you recognise all the ingredients on the back of a frozen pizza and do you know the effects they could have on your body?

Get cooking!

Anyone can cook with the right recipe!

Cooking at home makes you more mindful of foods and boosts your creativity. Choose ingredients according to your personal tastes and what’s in season. Making a pizza yourself takes a bit longer, which gives you more time to look forward to it. Homemade pizza tastes delicious and, served with a mixed salad, counts as a balanced meal!

Tips for a balanced diet long-term / Day 7

How to stick with it

Our 5 tips will help you to maintain a balanced diet long-term.

Turn changes into habits

Build balanced eating into your everyday life!

Try to keep as many positive changes from the programme as possible. Put together your meals with the principles you’ve learned. You’ll get more and more creative with time and the changes that were new at the beginning will gradually become routine.

The goal is to make balanced eating part of your daily life!

Build treats into your life!

Indulge in treats now and again. Try to savour them in a relaxed atmosphere with friends or family.

Small tips for feeling good in the long run

Keep track of things

Take the time for yourself and your goals. Take stock. What would help you maintain these changes? Have you found people to support you in the long run? Have you achieved your goals? Record your successes in your diary. Reguarly checking in with yourself and your goals can help.

Listening to yourself is the key to success.

Strength in numbers

Motivation lasts longer in a team!

Ask for support from family, friends or colleagues who have the same goal as you. Then you can shop and cook together, try new recipes or take something delicious to work and enjoy it together.

Natural foods come out on top every time

Eat as natural as possible! Use fresh ingredients where possible, avoid heavily processed foods and cook meals at home.

The fewer ingredients in a product, the better!