Weight control is all about making small changes that you can live
with forever. As you incorporate these minor adjustments into your lifestyle,
you'll begin to see how they can add up to big calorie savings and weight loss.
Here are my top 10 habits to help you turn your dream of weight loss into a
reality:
1. Evaluate your eating habits. Are you eating late at night, nibbling while
cooking, finishing the kids' meals? Take a look around, and it will be easy to
identify a few behaviors you can change that will add up to big calorie
savings.
2. If you fail to plan, plan to fail. You need a strategy for your meals and snacks.
Pack healthful snacks for the times of day that you know you are typically
hungry and can easily stray from your eating plan.
3. Always shop with a full belly. It's a recipe for disaster to go into the
grocery store when you are hungry. Shop from a prepared list so impulse buying
is kept to a minimum. Eating right starts with stocking healthy food in your
pantry and refrigerator.
4. Eat regular meals. Figure out the frequency of your meals that
works best in your life and stick to it. Regular meals help prevent bingeing.
5. Eat your food sitting down at a table, and
from a plate. Food eaten out of
packages and while standing is forgettable. You can wind up eating lots more
than if you sit down and consciously enjoy your meals.
6. Serve food onto individual plates, and leave
the extras back at the stove. Bowls of food on the table beg to be eaten, and it takes
incredible will power not to dig in for seconds. Remember, it takes about 20
minutes for your mind to get the signal from your belly that you are full.
7. Eat slowly, chew every bite, and savor the
taste of the food. Try resting your fork
between bites and drinking plenty of water with your meals.
8. Don't eat after dinner. This is where lots of folks pack on the extra
pounds. If you are hungry, try satisfying your urge with a non-caloric beverage
or a piece of hard candy. Brushing your teeth after dinner helps reduce the
temptation to eat again.
9. If you snack during the day, treat the snack
like a mini-meal. The most nutritious
snacks contain complex carbohydrates and a small amount of protein and fat.
10. Start your day with breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. After
a long night's rest, your body needs the fuel to get your metabolism going and
give you energy for the rest of the day.