Weight Loss Tips

I just got this article via email (SmartBrief for nutritionists) and couldn’t agree more.  25 tips to help you succeed when trying to lose weight. 

You can read all of them here…but these are my favorites.

1. Create a food menu - Like most things in life, having a game plan is vital. And, weight loss is no different.  Always start your week by figuring out what meals you’ll have ahead of time, and then prepare a grocery list that will guide you in what to purchase.

When you stock only healthy foods in your home, it’ll be so much easier to stick to your program.

I do this every week!

2. Clean out your cupboards - As much as you hate to part with it, try your best to clean out your cupboards and get rid of any foods that just don’t fit into your plan.

While it can be difficult to say goodbye to your favorite brand of cookies, if you do, the temptation to satisfy your craving will be reduced ten-fold.

3. Educate yourself on calories – If you want to succeed with weight loss, check out the calorie content of the foods you’re eating — I’m not saying examine every morsel you put into your mouth, but it’s good to have some idea of what calories you’re taking in.

So, start reading nutritional labels (particularly for those foods you routinely eat), so that you become more aware of what’s in the foods you’re eating.

4.Try one new recipe each week - One very good way to cure dietary boredom is to try at least one new recipe each week.

By doing this you’ll reduce your chance cheating on foods that aren’t nutritiously sound just because you’re bored with your current eating routine.

This is true for salads too…I eat lots of salads but they’re always different.  Try a new salad recipe!

5. Try an early morning cardio session - If you aren’t doing early morning workouts, make it your new mission to get in some early morning cardio training.

By getting it out of the way at the start of the day you’re less likely to put it off, and it’s a great way to begin the day, as you feel fired up to stick with your new healthy habits.

I couldn’t agree with this more!  If feel so great after a morning workout!

6. Add more fiber - Eating lots of fiber rich foods helps slow down your digestion, and keeps you feeling satisfied for longer.

Toss some blackberries onto your morning bowl of oatmeal for an easy way to add another 5-10 grams of fiber.

Add REAL fiber from REAL food…not the stuff found in processed food!

7. Cut out all processed foods - If there’s one group of foods you should avoid, it’s processed foods.

When you remove all packaged foods from your diet, you’re sure to see weight loss benefits.

8. Freeze some food portions - If you’re busy and don’t have much time to cook, cut down your meal prep by making a batch of healthy foods on the weekends, and then freeze some in containers for later.

Soups, stews, and stir-fries all work well for this purpose, and will make meal time a breeze later in the week.

I do this too!  I always have soup/stew/beans in my freezer ready to eat!

9. Get in some healthy fats - Do you avoid healthy fats because of the calorie content? If you do, it’s time to get over this.

Start taking in more healthy fats such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty sources of fish. These will improve your blood cholesterol profile and stabilize your blood sugar levels, without hindering your weight loss efforts.

This might be my favorite.  So many people trying to lose weight cut out WAY too much fat.  Fat doesn’t make you fat, unless you eat too much of it…same with carbs and protein – eat to much of those and you will gain too! 

10. Don’t shun night-time snacks - If you feel true hunger at night-time, a snack is not going to completely derail your progress.

If you plan for it, choose something healthy, and are sure to include it in your total calorie intake, there’s no reason why you can’t have a healthy snack, without gaining weight as a result.

The key here is the PLANNING part.  Know what you are going to have ahead of time if you are up late and get hungry.  If you are up studying until 1:00am and your last meal was at 7:00pm, you should be hungry…make a plan for a snack!