Working on Nutrition is Hard

I have been struggling over the past few weeks with how to improve my nutrition. I have mentioned before my issue with saturated fats (beef, half-and-half, ice cream) and with some sodium (pretzels, chips). So over the next couple of weeks I am going to try eating clean and minimize the following: beef (keep it to lean cuts but eat more chicken, fish, beans), alcohol (keep alcohol consumption to 1 drink maximum on Fri-Sun), no chips, pretzels, or salted nuts, keep ice cream to 2x week (mid-week and Sundays). Many people dislike structuring their eating but I have found if I plan my eating ahead of time, I do a better job of maintaining my goals. Planned eating times and specific foods really do make a difference for me. This doesn't mean I can't make changes but it keeps me on track better if I have certain expectations for my eating behaviors. Try this and see if it doesn't work for you (this is a strategy from Judith Beck, PhD): Write down everything you are going to eat for the day (when you will eat them, too) and then mark them off as you eat them or indicate you didn't eat them and what you ate instead. Also add the items that aren't on your schedule that you spontaneously decided to eat. At the end of the day, review your actions. You will be surprised at what you did and didn't eat and when. Use the information to help you structure you eating plan to ensure success.