Top Twenty Weight Loss Tips, Tricks and Solutions
Here are some everyday, helpful hints to get you started, keep
you going, and help you stick to your diet.
1. Never leave home "starving." Always have a light snack before
eating dinner in a restaurant, such as a piece of fruit, a glass
of juice or a carrot.
2. Don't go food shopping on an empty stomach! You'll be tempted
to buy everything in sight.
3. Don't be tempted by treats. Store them out of view, off
counter-tops and as out-of-reach as possible.
4. Don't eat in front of the TV. Watching the boob tube --
instead of watching your plate -- lulls you into overeating.
Also avoid being tempted by food and snack commercials.
5. Make it a rule in your house to confine your meals to the
dining room or kitchen table! Never eat standing up! This leads
to mindless snacking.
6. Think before you drink. Alcohol adds lots of calories, but no
nutrients. Also, it weakens your willpower to avoid the wrong
food choices. Hangovers can cause wicked cravings for fatty or
high carbohydrate foods that can sabotage any attempt at weight
loss.
7. Fill up on soup first. Begin every meal with non-cream hot
soup; it forces you to eat slowly and fills you up so you won't
overeat.
8. Take time to taste your food. Don't gobble food down! Rushing
through your meals doesn't give your brain the time that it
needs to signal your body that you are full.
9. When dining out, request sauces and low-calorie dressings on
the side.
10. There is no law that requires you to finish everything on
your plate.
11. Prepare a shopping list (with menu ideas in mind) and stick
to the list. Avoid being tempted by bargains that grocery stores
place on the outer aisles and at the back and the front of the
store. The healthiest foods are usually in the long narrow
aisles.
12. Use non-stick pans to reduce the need for cooking with fat.
13. If you must use oil, try a flavorful one like olive or
sesame oil. Now remember, a little goes a long way! Make just a
spritz of oil go even further by buying a Misto. A Misto is an
aerosol can that you can fill with a good fat such as olive or
canola oil.
14. A pinch of grated cheese or blue cheese will provide a
flavorful kick without adding a lot of calories to a salad or
grain dish.
15. If you cook in large quantities for your family, store
leftovers in individual serving size containers. This is a way
to practice portion control for yourself so you don't eat too
much at one sitting.
16. Nibbling off someone else's plate may seem harmless -- but
those calories do add up!
17. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. A beverage before
mealtime will also help you feel full faster and longer. Water
also helps your body digest food, which is especially important
now that you're eating a fiber rich diet.
18. Store really tempting treats in opaque containers or silver
foil -- and stick them in the back of the refrigerator. Out of
sight out of mind!
19. Are you stuffing yourself? If you have to loosen your belt a
few notches after meals you're definitely eating too much!
20. Mashed bananas, prunes and apple sauce are great baking
substitutes for fat, especially in bread, brownie and cake
mixes.