In order to lose weight and become healthier, you will need to plan a
diet that you can stick to. Your diet plan is not a crash diet that you
will give up after two weeks; it should be a LIFESTYLE change. Your diet
changes must be reasonable or you will not be able to stick to them.
That's why making a few subtle changes to your eating and exercise
habits may help you develop a healthy diet plan that will, in turn, help
you lose weight. Sometimes, the littlest things make the biggest
difference.
Look at your diet patterns and decide if there are some nasty patterns
that you can break. For instance, are there certain times of day when
you just have to have a candy bar? Or are there certain times of day
when you can't go without that bag of chips? Think about what you can
reasonably give up or even better what can you replace with healthier
food choices.
Here are some little habits that you might consider changing. The key
is, you are breaking a BAD habit and instilling a GOOD habit in its
place. This should be a PERMANENT change. Ask yourself, "Can I maintain
this change for the rest of my life?"
Fast Food : Do you eat out everyday for lunch? Start to bring your lunch
to work at least 4 days a week Even stopping by McDonald's twice a week
can have a big impact on your diet. When you cook at home, you know
what's going into your food.
Drinks: When you're thirsty, choose drinks that don't have any calories
(water, tea, or diet soft drinks). If your drink choices do have
calories, they should have nutrients. Alcohol and soda both contain
useless calories.
Snacks: Do you have a certain time of day that you just HAVE to snack?
Fill your cupboard and refrigerator with low calorie snacks. Get rid of
those high carbohydrate and sugary snacks.
Dinner: Maybe your hardest time of day is when you sit down to have a
big meal. While you're cooking, eat a healthy snack - like a piece of
fruit or a few low calorie crackers. Cook only what you will eat (no
leftovers). If you make more than you're supposed to eat, serve from the
stove, and put leftovers away before you sit down to eat. In other
words, do not have extra food sitting in front of you on the table. Do
you know that a meat serving should be only as big as a deck of cards?
Exercise: Exercise MUST be a part of your daily routines: When you're
shopping, park your car far away from the store. Plan for this and do it
EVERY time - especially in the cold weather! (The colder it is, the
more calories you will burn.) Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Play a game of hide-and-seek with your kids. When you take the dog for a
walk, make it a brisk walk. Can you find some way to sneak in some
exercise everyday? Look carefully at your routines and plan something
that you don't mind doing. If you like it, chances are you will continue
to do it.