Sunday, June 10, 2012

A handful of helpful hints!



I have so, SO many little tips and tricks that I use daily to keep myself on track with my weight loss. I wanted to share a few with you!


1. I am someone who can veer off course very easily .. Especially when I start getting bored with what I'm eating. I tend to get comfortable with certain meal patterns and only eat things I'm familiar with ("safe foods") .. And when I get bored / stuck in a rut, I'm bound to cheat, and cheat HARD.


I avoid food ruts by always making sure to try new things - for every meal of the day, not just for dinner! The more new things I try, the more interested I am in my diet and weight loss, which means I'm not bound to go off track. Also in trying new things, I don't ever feel deprived.


My FAVORITE go-to's for new recipes and ideas are The Looneyspoons Collection recipe book and http://www.skinnytaste.com/ .. Both of these faves of mine have healthy recipes that include the nutritional information so you can calculate your points ahead of time. And everything I've tried from them have been fantastic!! Check them out! You won't regret it.


2. I really like planning out my meals a week in advance, in a meal scheduler. Not only does it help keep me organized, but it avoids the last-minute "what to eat?!" question that tends to lead to a not-so-healthy quick-fix meal. I also love that with a schedule, I know exactly what to buy at the grocery store to ensure I have what I need in my house .. And I'm not tempted to buy extra foods "just in case". If I buy whatever willy nilly at the store, I'll have lots of extra food in the house .. Which is just too tempting for me!




3. Keep moving. As condradictory as it sounds, it is so true: the more you move, the more energy you will have! The more you sit around and take it easy, the less energy you will have. So keep active! It keeps your muscles in action, which helps burn fat. It keeps your metabolism working at a good and steady pace. And most importantly, it gives you that ever-important rush of adrenaline to KEEP MOVING! If you feel tired, have a rest, but get back to it! Your body will thank you for it!




A favorite thing of mine to do is go for a brisk walk after breakfast and again after dinner. The weather is at its coolest temperature at those times, the sun isn't that strong and the humidity is bearable. Plus it helps burn off my dinner before settling into my after-kids-are-in-bed relaxation in a warm bath :)


4. When you have a craving, eat it! The more you tell yourself you can't have that food, the more you'll want to rebel against yourself and end up going hog wild on it. But remember to keep it in moderation. If you're craving a chocolate bar, have it! Maybe cut it in half and give the rest away, or keep it in the freezer for another day. Remind yourself that it won't be the last time you ever get to have that food, so you don't have to eat it all in one shot - Hershey won't stop making Reese's Peanut Butter cups, so you don't need five packs of them in one sitting! You can have more another day. And if you really want to go all out - exercise after eating your treat. Burn it off!




5. Don't keep tempting foods in the house. You're just asking for trouble. You will find yourself battling your good intentions .. Your health and diet vs. those chips in the cupboard. Not an easy battle.


I can't even buy myself a box of those 100-calorie treats .. At a moment of weakness, I will find myself eating the entire box! If I want something bad enough, I'll have to make my trek to the store for it .. And I'll buy an individual portion of it.


I have so many tricks to share .. My next blog post will be about some favorite low-points foods to have on hand! :)


Have a great, sunny Sunday!!

2 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading this Laura. Ever think of writing for a living? Your good. My favorite trick is to eat something that is low in calories but takes a long time to eat like a bag of cherries, or sunflower seeds. I like to munch at the computer but it is so easy to munch my way to 10 extra pounds if I don't watch it.

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    1. Thank you Monica!! It's actually my dream to write for a living. My goal is to hit "lifetime" with weight watchers and become a leader through them .. then maybe write for their magazines?! I'm shooting big but that's what dreams are all about :)
      And that is a GREAT trick .. I'll keep that one in mind!

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