The 1 thing Al Roker tells himself when he slips up on his diet

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With daily walking streaks, successfully maintaining a healthy weight for over two decades, and navigating multiple setbacks in his health journey, Al Roker has become an inspiration for many of us.

But even the fearless leader of our Start TODAY walking group has days when he slips up. And he says when it happens, it’s all about what he tells himself after that means the difference between going off the deep end and getting his mindset back on track.  

“In a journey to healing, I just think accepting what you can do and when you can do it is important,” Roker told Women’s World magazine in an interview for the cover of the July 8 issue. “I’m one of those all-or-nothing people. If I’m not perfect on my food intake, I think, ‘Oh well, then what the heck — I’m going to go hog wild.’ But that’s not right. Something is better than nothing. So instead, I tell myself, ‘Okay, so I strayed a bit. Let’s pull back, start again and do better.’”

The mindset is one that he applies to his fitness routine as well. He has long advocated for the sentiment that every step counts, encouraging Start TODAY members to remove the word “only” from their vocabulary.

“I hope you were able to get some steps. And if you didn’t, don’t feel bad about it,” he said during an Instagram live video. “So many of you on our Facebook page were talking about, ‘Oh you only did this, you only did that. The fact is, you got it done, you made it happen, and that’s what counts.” 

More healthy diet tips from Al Roker

In addition to bouncing back from an indulgence, Roker has cultivated some other simple, healthy eating tips along his health journey. Cooking nutritious meals at home is an important part of Roker’s routine and it became even more important after he was hospitalized for blood clots and had his gallbladder removed in 2022.

After the health scare, he began to focus on adding more protein and good fats to his diet, he told viewers during a Facebook live. But for Roker, preparing healthy meals is all about keeping it simple: “If it’s got like 20 ingredients, I’m out,” he said. “Pan seared chicken thighs: salt and pepper, sear it in a pan. Maybe you sprinkle some smoked paprika on it. That’s about it.” 

While Roker has seen success with the keto diet and a low-carb eating style, right now he is focused on eating a more Mediterranean-inspired diet by limiting red meat and including more whole grains and veggies like brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Where he buys his food is another consideration. Roker prefers local farmers markets, where he enjoys the experience of chatting with the people who grow his food rather than rushing in and out of grocery stores, he told AARP magazine last year.

But his focus on healthy foods doesn’t mean he never indulges. For Roker, it’s all about moderation. “I don’t need to eat the whole thing,” Al added, “You can eat a lot of things — just don’t eat a lot of those things.”

And on the off chance he does overindulge, he doesn’t let it derail his entire day. Instead, he follows his own simple advice: “Let’s pull back, start again and do better.”

Source: today.com