11 Tips For Losing and Maintaining a Healthy Weight.

Before I launch into the meat of the blog post, I'd like to remind you that you are a STRONG and DETERMINED individual, who has DEFINITELY got this! I have so much more to say, but had to stop at tip number 11 and go out for a walk. I hope you enjoy the article! 

Don't stock your home full of fattening snacks and deserts, bottled juice, soda, sports drinks, etc. This is a given right? You'd be surprised how difficult it is for most people to actually accomplish this. If you live with a significant other or have children, you ultimately wind up purchasing these items for them, and eventually partake. Even though I have really strong will power, and manage not to eat these items most of the time, I am likely to cave when I am under stress, feel exhausted, have a cold, or it is that time of the month. My mother n' law brings home a ton of sweets every time she goes shopping, and my husband tends to bring home chocolate muffins, coffee cake, or one pound bars of chocolate, whenever he drops by Trader Joes. The other day, I told my mother n law and husband that I've put on weight and am feeling fat. That, the next time they bring home goodies and place them in plain sight, I will throw them in the trash. I acknowledged I was being dramatic, but I was angry. I asked my mother n law to keep all goodies in her room, so I wouldn't be tempted to eat them. 

Bring snacks with you whenever you leave the house, or keep snacks in your car: Those who live in colder places can do the latter. I can't tell you how many times this has saved me from driving up to a fast food restaurant when I feel hungry. It's wise to eat a satisfying meal before leaving the house for several hours to run errands, or before going grocery shopping. On the days I only have one hour to get from client A in the valley, to client B in Westlake, I will bring several snacks with me. One for the drive over, and one for the drive home in rush hour traffic. 

Eat every couple of hours: I really wish I could follow my own advice. When I am working from home this is easy enough to do. If I am working in the field with a client, they are my main focus, and I forget to eat. If I'm working at the clinic with a client, I'm not permitted to eat during the session. Eating every couple of hours will keep your blood sugar at an even level. This will keep hunger at bay and energy levels high. The ravenous, or hangry state, is what causes us to reach for something fatty, or over eat. Of course, if you are going to snack every couple of hours, choose something healthy, like a low fat protein (eggs, light string cheese, turkey slices, or fruit smoothie with almond milk). Or something low in carbs, such as skinny Pop, Dave's Killer thin sliced bread, or Veggie straws. A hand full of mixed nuts, fruit, or whole wheat and low carb / fat granola or protein bar. 

Measure out your portions: About a year and a half ago, a group of us went on a Weight Watchers journey together. Since Weight Watchers is a point based program, that allots you a certain amount of points per week, you get used to weighing out your proteins and measuring out your carbs. While on the program we ate a half cup rice, and a full cup pasta. It felt a little extreme at first, but in a short period of time we got used to eating this way, and felt satisfied (Your stomach shrinks over time and you get used to eating less). The great thing about Weight Watchers is you don't feel deprived of ANY type of food. As long as you stick to your allotted amount of points you can eat whatever you want (hamburgers, pizza, cake, cookies, bread and cheese). Which brings me to the next related subject.

Life is about balance: If you go to lunch with friends and eat a hamburger, maybe don't order a side of fries and a coke. Instead, order a side salad with vinaigrette, and an iced tea if you need a caffeine pick me up. If you feel tremendously guilty about eating the hamburger in the first place, eat something extra healthy for dinner. Perhaps a chicken salad, or vegetable egg scramble with a side of turkey bacon. 

Exercise, exercise, exercise: As often as you can. If you are physically active at work, running around with a client (like I do), or are on your feet all day, this counts as well. Exercise helps to keep your metabolism high, and consistently burning fat throughout the day. It also helps you to lose weight faster than dieting alone. Which is why Weight Watchers shells out additional points each time you complete a workout. A bike ride or Zumba workout tends to shell out more points than a walk around the neighborhood, or yoga, as they are considered higher impact workouts. As I sit here typing this, I am thinking I should probably go for a walk around the neighborhood. 

Stay Busy: Staying busy helps to keep your mind off food. Run a bunch of errands, decorate your home for the new season, work on a crafting / art project, go to the gym, write an article, read a book, volunteer at the food bank, clean your house. When we are bored, with not much to do, is when we tend to eat more, or overeat. 

Go to sleep at a decent time: Preferably the same time every night. The later you stay awake, the more you will ultimately end up eating. And let's face it, we don't typically make healthy food choices late at night. I learned this lesson pretty quickly when I first started weight watchers. If I stayed up past 10:30pm I would feel hungry again. I did NOT want to eat again, or use up any more of my points. Establishing a healthy sleep routine is so important when it comes to maintaining a healthy energy level, and emotional state. 

Drink plenty of water: Drinking water in between meals helps to keep you full (satisfied). It also helps to give you energy and rev your metabolism. Ever feel sluggish, have muscle cramping or weakness? or get frequent headaches. These are signs of dehydration. Also, I read a while back that when we are dehydrated, our brain tricks our body into thinking that we are hungry. 

Try to eat whole wheat, whole grain products whenever possible: They will help to keep you full, longer, and are often times lower in carbs and fats. Some examples are rolled oats (oatmeal cookies or hot cereal), whole wheat pasta or bread, whole grain granola or protein bars, and brown rice. 

Finally, making small food substitutions throughout the day, and week: These changes go adding up and can make a huge difference when it comes to losing that next couple of pounds. For example, using unsweetened almond milk in your coffee or cereal. Almond milk is very low in carbs, fat and sugar. Eating low fat dairy products such as low fat string cheese, cheese slices and shredded cheese (Target sells all these products), low fat sour cream, cream cheese and light ranch dressing. Using an artificial sweetener such as Splenda, or a natural sugar substitute such as Monk Fruit. Try to eat chicken or turkey breast. And as a general rule, eat more chicken and turkey than pork or beef. And try to prepare meals at home most of the time, instead of swinging by a fast food place or going out to eat.