·
Be
Prepared – It is difficult to eat well and lose weight if your house is not
well stocked with the things you need. Take
some time to think about what you enjoy eating.
Search the internet for healthier versions of those foods. Shop often, buy fresh whole foods and make
sure that your refrigerator and pantry are always full of the healthy food/snack
options that you enjoy.
·
Cook Your
Own Food – While most of us eat out from time to time, restaurant food is
generally full of unnecessary fat, sugar, sodium and other things that are not
good for us. Also, it is almost
impossible to know exactly what is in restaurant food. By preparing your own food you control
portion size as well as your food’s taste, quality and nutritional content.
·
Find Some
Go To Recipes – No matter your particular taste, you can build a set of simple,
versatile, recipes that you can use regularly. For example, I love guacamole
and citrus
black beans. Guacamole can be eaten
separately as a snack, used as a filling for hard boiled eggs, or added to a salad,
wrap or sandwich. Black beans can be
made in large quantities and eaten in many ways - by themselves, with rice, in
an omelet, or in a burrito. Hummus
is another great dish that can be used as a snack with some whole grain crackers/flatbreads
or added to a vegetable wrap. Finally
try marinating
and grilling chicken. Make plenty of
extra so you can use it throughout the week – as a snack, for chicken salad, in
a burrito/wrap or as a hearty addition to a garden salad. How about a black bean and chicken burrito
with some fresh guacamole and a dab of Greek yogurt – yummy! Add some fresh salsa for another
healthy and flavorful touch. Save the
extra salsa for a flavorful snack.
·
Eat A
Salad and Drink A Glass of Water Before Dinner – Not only are salad and
water good for you, they are filling and will help you avoid overeating. Whether at home or in a restaurant, these are
both good habits to develop.
·
Eating At
Restaurants – Most of us eat out from time to time. The myfitnesspal.com app is a great tool
for dining out. I downloaded it to my smart
phone so I always have it with me. If I
know where I am going to eat I use myfitnesspal to decide what I am going to
eat in advance. This way I can look
forward to eating my meal and not be tempted by the many less healthy options on
the menu. If I can’t select my meal in
advance I can still use myfitnesspal to evaluate the nutritional content of various
menu items at a given restaurant.
·
Portion
Control – A Health Magazine
article discusses the importance of portion control and provides some great
tips for learning how to cut calories by controlling portions. Beyond normal approaches to portion control, in
my experience, a little bit can go a long way.
At the height of my calorie cut down I still craved things like pizza,
pancakes and ice cream. Even though none
of those foods were on my personal menu, my family continued to eat them. Over time I discovered that stealing a couple
bites from my wife or daughters almost always left me feeling satisfied. To this day, I usually skip dessert and steal
a bit or two from my girls. This is an
unconventional, but satisfying and effective way to help control portions.
Sometimes it can be the odds and ends that make all the
difference. Don’t forget to do many of
the little things that will improve your chances for weight loss success! 
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