Take a look at our 25 tips below for eating
healthfully, fitting exercise into your busy day and revamping your
daily routine. Start by picking five changes that you're sure you can
tackle and practice them this week. Then try another five next week
(click the 'print' link above to print this out for easy reference).
Not every idea is right for everyone, so experiment and see what
works for you. Lots of little changes can yield big weight-loss
results—and a healthier new you!
1. Good things come in small packages.
Here's a trick for staying satisfied without consuming large portions:
Chop high-calorie foods like cheese and chocolate into smaller pieces.
It will seem like you're getting more than you actually are.
2. Get "water-wise."
Make a habit of
reaching for a glass of water instead of a high-fat snack. It will help
your overall health as well as your waistline. So drink up! Add some
zest to your six to eight glasses a day with a twist of lemon or lime.
3. Herb it up.
Stock up your spice rack,
and start growing a small herb garden in your kitchen window. Spices
and herbs add fantastic flavor to foods without adding fat or calories.
4. Slim down your soup.
Make a big batch
of soup and refrigerate it before you eat it. As it cools, the fat will
rise to the top and can be skimmed off the surface.
5. Doggie-bag that dinner.
At restaurants
that you know serve large portions, ask the waiter to put half of your
main course in a take-home box before bringing it to your table.
Putting the food away before you start your meal will help you practice
portion control.
6. Listen to your cravings.
If you're
craving something sweet, eat something sweet—just opt for a healthier
nosh (like fruit) instead of a high-calorie one like ice cream. The
same goes for crunchy cravings—for example, try air-popped popcorn
instead of high-fat chips. It's just smart substitution!
7. Ease your way into produce.
If you're
new to eating lots of fruits and vegetables, start slowly. Just add
them to the foods you already enjoy. Pile salad veggies into your
sandwiches, or add fruit to your cereal.
8. Look for high-fat hints.
Want an easy
way to identify high-calorie meals? Keep an eye out for these words: au
gratin, parmigiana, tempura, alfredo, creamy and carbonara, and enjoy
them in moderation.
9. Don't multi-task while you eat.
If
you're working, reading or watching TV while you eat, you won't be
paying attention to what's going into your mouth—and you won't be
enjoying every bite. Today, every time you have a meal, sit down. Chew
slowly and pay attention to flavors and textures. You'll enjoy your
food more and eat less.
10. Taste something new.
Broaden your
food repertoire—you may find you like more healthy foods than you knew.
Try a new fruit or vegetable (ever had plantain, pak choi, starfruit or
papaya?).
11. Leave something on your plate at every meal.
One bite of bagel, half your sandwich, the bun from your burger. See if you still feel satisfied eating just a bit less.
12. Get to know your portion sizes.
It's
easy to underestimate how much you're eating. Today, don't just
estimate things—make sure. Ask how much is in a serving, read the fine
print on labels, measure your food. And learn portion equivalents: One
serving of pasta, for instance, should be around the size of a tennis
ball.
13. Don't give up dips.
If you love
creamy dips and sauces, don't cut them out of your food plan
completely. Just use low-fat soft cheese and mayo instead of the full
fat stuff.
14. Make a healthy substitution.
Learn to
swap healthier foods for their less-healthy counterparts. Today, find a
substitution that works for you: Use skim or low-fat milk instead of
whole milk; try whole-wheat bread instead of white.
15. Bring lunch to work tomorrow.
Packing
lunch will help you control your portion sizes. It also provides a good
alternative to restaurants and takeaways, where making healthy choices
every day can be challenging (not to mention expensive).
16. Have some dessert.
You don't have to
deny yourself all the time. Have a treat that brings you pleasure, but
this time enjoy it guilt-free be—sure you're practicing portion
control, and compensate for your indulgence by exercising a little more
or by skipping your afternoon snack.
17. Ask for what you need.
Tell your
mother-in-law you don't want seconds. Ask your other half to stop
bringing you chocolates. Speak up for the place with great salads when
your co-workers are picking a restaurant for lunch. Whatever you need
to do to succeed at weight loss, ask for it—make yourself a priority
and assert yourself.
18. Improve your treadmill technique.
When walking on a treadmill, don't grip the rails. It's fine to touch
them for balance, but you shouldn't have to hold on. If you do, that
might be a signal you should lower the intensity level.
19. Simon says... get fit.
Here's an easy
way to fit in exercise with your kids: Buy a set of 1 lb weights and
play a round of Simon Says—you do it with the weights, they do it
without. They'll love it!
20. Make the most of your walks.
If your
walking routine has become too easy, increase your effort by finding
hills. Just be sure to tackle them at the beginning of your walk, when
you have energy to spare.
21. Shop 'til you drop...pounds!
Add a
workout to your shopping sessions by walking around the mall before
your start spending. And try walking up the escalator—getting to your
destination faster will be an added bonus.
22. Walk an extra 100 steps at work.
Adding even a little extra exercise to your daily routine can boost
your weight loss. Today, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or
stroll down the hall to talk to a co-worker instead of sending an email
or calling.
23. Brush your teeth after every meal and snack.
This will be a signal to your mouth—and your mind—that it's time to
stop eating. Brushing will also give your mouth a nice fresh taste that
you'll be disinclined to ruin with a random chip. At work, keep a
toothbrush with a cover and toothpaste in your desk drawer.
24. Clean your closet.
First, it's great
exercise. Second, it's an important step in changing your attitude. Get
rid of all the clothes that make you look or feel bad. Throw out
anything that's too big—don't give yourself the option of ever fitting
into those clothes again. Move the smaller clothes up to the front to
help motivate you. Soon, you'll be fitting into those too-tight jeans
you couldn't bear to part with.
25. Take your measurements.
You might not
like your stats now, but you'll be glad you wrote them down when you
see how many inches you've lost. It's also another way to measure your
success, instead of just looking at the scale. Sometimes even when the
numbers on the scale aren't going down, the measurements on your body
are.