Do you live to eat or eat to live?

Sometimes it’s hard to think too far ahead; just getting through each day is a big enough challenge. With every decision we make or action we take, there is either a positive or a negative reaction.

If you are not leading a healthy life and become too busy to plan healthy meals you will suffer the consequences and may end up carrying extra kilos.

When you make the time to cook healthy food, the consequences are you will have less chance of gaining weight and you will feel healthy and energised.

Do you live to eat or eat to live? Let’s look at a few questions that may help you understand your choices and the triggers and emotions that may be hindering your health.

Take the time to write the answers to these questions:

Start by writing down everything that you ate and drank yesterday.
Underline the choices on the list that you feel are not healthy.
Circle the healthy choices on the list.
Do you have more lines than circles?
How much water did you drink yesterday? (The recommended daily water intake is 2 litres)
Reflecting on the day, how could you have done it better?
If there were any bad food choices on the day, write down why you ate them.
How did you feel an hour or two after you ate them?
What triggers do you associate with making bad food choices and overeating?

If you are fed up and really want to improve your health, then you will have to be honest and look at what you have been doing to cause your poor health or weight gain.

Then, and only then, will you be able to move forward and make the changes needed to lose weight and become a healthy person.

Now write a list of the things that you MUST DO to become a healthy person. Write as many things as you can think of that will help you achieve this goal of becoming a healthy person. This is your plan of action from today onwards.

Then write down what you believe the results will be and how this will benefit your life.

This is your ‘why’, this is what will keep you motivated to see this through to the end. Let nothing stand in your way. Success is your only option.

Do you struggle with healthy eating? What are the main things getting in your way?

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34 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 04 Jan 2022
    10:43 am
Annette you are symply awesome

- - ella12 said
  - 16 Feb 2016
    12:18 pm
I am a bit of both also.

- - Chinook100 said
  - 18 Jan 2016
    9:22 pm
Although I love to eat we definitely eat to live around here. Time poor. But we still eat reasonably healthy most of the time if not very creatively. I love to cook but never have time to cook creatively anymore. Fish, mash, peas – make my kids happy but don’t do much to stir the taste buds!

- - pakeko said
  - 04 Jan 2016
    3:24 pm
We live to eat in this house.

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 29 Dec 2015
    6:26 pm
a little bit of both for me, with room for improvement

- - mum888 said
  - 25 Dec 2015
    10:07 pm
I have to admit you eat more of the wrong foods or more junk if you are down so maybe emotional eating . We used to eat very simply when we were small as Dad struggled to put food on the table , but we always had the basic rice at least ( being Asian culture ) . So I tend to appreciate food more and grateful we have food in the house .

- - mom81333 said
  - 19 Dec 2015
    1:58 pm
Generally I am aware of what My diet is like and on the whole I make healthy choices. Occasionally I eat something not so good as a treat. I think moderation is the key.

- - paulah2 said
  - 14 Dec 2015
    9:18 am
I struggle to eat healthily…..I am trying to gain weight and am always in a rush at work so breakfast and lunch are usually on the run and pretty unhealthy. Yup, chips and gravy is my soul food.

- - robyn_smithwick said
  - 11 Dec 2015
    11:24 pm
Some very sound advice here in this article.

- - linaianna said
  - 08 Dec 2015
    5:29 pm
Thanks for sharing great idea

- - paulah2 said
  - 08 Dec 2015
    5:21 pm
Any ideas on healthy eating for someone who wants/needs to put on weight? (I’m battling with my thyroid meds at the moment)

- - Nas01 said
  - 07 Dec 2015
    5:56 pm
I struggle with time. By the time I finish organising kids breakfast, snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and all while trying to make sure it’s healthy I sometimes forget to eat myself. I find myself snaking a lot.
- symplytoogood replied
  
  08 Dec 2015 , 10:04 am
  Snacking has received a bit of a bad wrap but the trick is to choose healthy snacks
- - rovermum said
  - 23 Nov 2015
    12:00 pm
Time, effort, what’s in the pantry or fridge. We do try to eat healthy, and for the most part we do, but sometimes things just happen. I think if you do it for the most part though, you’re on the best and right track.
- symplytoogood replied
  
  25 Nov 2015 , 2:33 pm
  Couldn’t agree more, I say aim for 90% because no one is perfect.
- - mom112217 said
  - 22 Nov 2015
    4:13 pm
l try to eat healthy and make our meals good for us and something we look forward to!

- - mom134803 said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    2:20 am
I definitely eat to live and don’t struggle to eat healthy, I love it ! However my husband has quite a sweet tooth and sneaks here and there bad food into his diet. I’m thankful he doesn’t do that in front of the kids

- - mom101628 said
  - 20 Nov 2015
    10:20 pm
I actually eat to live – have never been overweight and am still very close to my weight when I was a young teenager. Don’t like sugary things and really have to force carbs as I don’t like them either. Love fresh fruit and vegetables and can make do with a small amount of protein. I guess I am unusual as when I am on my own, I have to force myself to eat as I am very rarely hungry. Go figure!

- - aliceou said
  - 20 Nov 2015
    9:28 pm
Very interesting points of view.

- - mum4107 said
  - 20 Nov 2015
    6:28 am
Mostly healthy with the occasional not so healthy
- symplytoogood replied
  
  20 Nov 2015 , 9:51 am
  That’s perfect! I aim for 90% and the other 10% allows for the times when I can’t stick to the plan.
- - cherz said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    9:02 pm
To be honest I would say I do both.
Sugar plays up with my fibromyalgia but sometimes I crave some chocolate but when I eat it I just know I will be in for a bad nights sleep and have a sore neck in the morning but sadly sometimes I just cant resist.
- symplytoogood replied
  
  20 Nov 2015 , 9:55 am
  Try some of my baking recipes to curb your cravings. I include only the bare essential amount of sugar. When there is fruit in a recipe sometimes I don’t add sugar at all. Most of my recipes can be frozen into individual serves so you can have a portion controlled treat on hand. This may allow you to have a sweet treat without the awful consequences.
- - mom93821 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    7:40 pm
Balance and enjoying both and staying active to be fit and healthy.
- mom93821 replied
  
  20 Nov 2015 , 5:56 am
  It has to be a bit of both!
  - symplytoogood replied
    
    20 Nov 2015 , 9:57 am
    
    Sounds like you have the perfect balance