1. Carry a notebook and a pen.
Make sure you write in that notebook!
Every single thing that you swallow should be written in your notebook, preferably as soon as you swallow it. If you finish your daughter's leftover porridge at breakfast, write it down. Sample a cake at friends place? Write it down. Just a 'taste' of the curry you're making for dinner? Write it down! Writing down what we eat and drink forces us to be aware of what we're putting in our mouth. It also gives us an easy way to track our intake and decide what changes we want to make.
Every single thing that you swallow should be written in your notebook, preferably as soon as you swallow it. If you finish your daughter's leftover porridge at breakfast, write it down. Sample a cake at friends place? Write it down. Just a 'taste' of the curry you're making for dinner? Write it down! Writing down what we eat and drink forces us to be aware of what we're putting in our mouth. It also gives us an easy way to track our intake and decide what changes we want to make.
2. Ask 'why?'
Every time you start to eat or drink, ask yourself one word: Why? Why am I eating this? Am I hungry, tired, bored, stressed, lonely? The correct answer is simple: hunger. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Figure out what you need to do to satisfy that emotion: Take a nap, read a book, yell at your spouse, call a friend -- just don't eat if you're not hungry.
3. Eat to lose.
That's right; if you skip meals you won't lose weight. Why not? Because then you'll get so hungry that you snack, or eat more than you want to, or end up feeling miserable and quit right away. Everybody needs to eat and deserves to eat three meals per day. Snacks, too (if, of course, you eat right kind). Wrong ways of dieting just leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied. A meal should include whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein and even a small amount of fat.
4. Remember your favorite things.
If you've ever tried to completely avoid your favorite food, then completely lost
control and devoured the entire bag of cookies, you know what I'm talking about. Stuck on chocolate? Eat one delicious, exquisite piece of high-quality chocolate every evening. Savor that chocolate. Sit down, relax, and do nothing but enjoy the flavor, texture and experience of eating the chocolate. Eat slowly, enjoying every bite. And whatever you do, don't feel guilty. A small portion of your favorite food will keep you satisfied and happy -- and losing weight.
control and devoured the entire bag of cookies, you know what I'm talking about. Stuck on chocolate? Eat one delicious, exquisite piece of high-quality chocolate every evening. Savor that chocolate. Sit down, relax, and do nothing but enjoy the flavor, texture and experience of eating the chocolate. Eat slowly, enjoying every bite. And whatever you do, don't feel guilty. A small portion of your favorite food will keep you satisfied and happy -- and losing weight.
5. Find a part of your body that moves (not your mouth) and move it.
Everyone can move something. If you have bad knees you can still exercise your arms or even do water exercises in a pool. Take up line dancing or karate. Walk the dog in the morning before work, take the kids for a bike ride after school, or listen to favorite music while using your treadmill. Even housework can become exercise if you move vigorously enough. There simply are no excuses for not moving.
There you have it: five simple, easy-to-start steps toward weight loss and long-term weight management. Start right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment