Since there is no universal diet that will work for everyone, it can feel frustrating to hear all of the different theories about weight loss. Keto worked for your best friend. Your mom lost weight doing Weight Watchers. Your coworker swears by a cabbage soup diet but you’re not sure you want your office smelling like his always does. Instead of diving into a fad diet, try adding some beneficial eating habits to your routine. Here are the top five tips for a healthier diet.

1. Drink a full glass of water before every meal. A lot of times people think they are hungry, when actually they are very thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before each meal serves two purposes: hydration and a stomach filled with water will feel full faster once you begin your meal.

2. Eat about 20 grams of protein with every meal. Studies show that eating carbs first thing in the morning leads to a sugar spike, while having protein leaves people feeling satisfied. You don’t have to abandon a bowl of oatmeal in the morning if that is what you love, but maybe make it with greek yogurt for a nice dollop of protein. This recipe for overnight oats gives you the hearty, fiber-filled comfort of oats along with satisfying protein and the tasty fruits of summer, filled with heart-healthy antioxidants.

3. Add a serving of fruit/veggies to every meal. Make sure you are getting your daily servings of fruit and vegetables by adding a serving or two to every meal. For a small investment of calories, you will get fiber, water, and a full feeling before overindulging in the rest of your meal.

4. Follow the 90/10 rule. Eating clean most of the time should do the trick in gradually helping your body reach optimal health. Fortunately, most of the time leaves a little bit of room for fun. Of the 21 meals and 7-14 snacks that you have in a week, it’s perfectly acceptable if one of those meals is not one that you’d devour in front of your personal trainer. Don’t think of food as good or bad, but think of how you are balancing it into your week. A comfort bowl of mac and cheese isn’t going to ruin your success if the other 20 meals that week were healthy and clean. Knowing that you can incorporate treat foods into your diet can help you get through a tough week, too. In a moment of weakness when your salmon and broccoli doesn’t seem as appetizing as a burger, know that when you are invited to a 4th of July cookout in a few weeks, you can enjoy a really good burger on the grill without abandoning your healthy eating plan.

5. Journal. MyFitnessPal is a great app that you can use to track your foods. Logging every meal, snack, and nibble will allow you to really see how you are eating on a daily or weekly basis. The more details that you include in the journal, the more insight you will have about your triggers, weaknesses, and strengths. For instance, you may notice that on a day where you scrimped on protein at breakfast, you found yourself ravenous after noon. You may notice that on protein-filled mornings, you aren’t even hungry when lunch time rolls around. You may notice that every time you hang out with your best friend from college, excessive beers and Fritos find their way into your belly. This doesn’t mean you dump your best friend from college; but the next time you hang out with her, you can be mentally prepared to snack on something healthy before you see her, drink a lot of water, and decline the invite to post-happy-hour-happy-hour.

Incorporating these tips will help make eating healthy become second nature as you realize how much control you really do have over your body and your hunger. If that wasn’t good enough news on its own, there’s more. You don’t even have to do it alone. In the Millersville, Severna Park area, we are lucky to have Repke Fitness, where trainers are there to help encourage you, guide you, and whip you into shape. Give them a call today 410-656-2121 and you can check out their personal trainers’ profiles here.