Introduction: Losing weight is not an easy task, and that is the reason why plenty of people resort to quick weight loss solutions. While these solutions may produce positive results, they are oftentimes temporary. You can permanently get rid of all those extra pounds through natural ways, and you can start with the right eating habits. Changing how you eat may be a difficult task, but in the end, you will eventually get results that will be well worth the effort.
Difficulty: 3
Things You'll Need: a notebook, smaller plates, measuring spoons and cups, strong will power
Step 1. The most important place to start when you change your eating habits is right in your kitchen. Your refrigerator and kitchen pantry, at that. Now have a look at yours. What does it contain? Most refrigerators and pantries contain a lot of unhealthy foods, and this might hold true for you as well.
Step 2. Hide all unhealthy foods. While you necessarily don't need to chuck out all the unhealthy contents (cheeses, butter, soda, sugary drinks, etc) out of your refrigerator, but of course you can do so if you wish - and that would be better. What you can do, however, is to rearrange the contents in your refrigerator, in such a way that you keep the unhealthy foods out of sight. Place all healthy foods (if you don't have healthy foods yet, then now is time to shop for them - this, we will talk about in the second step) in front and in plain sight so that there are better chances of you picking them over unhealthy ones.
Step 3. The next thing to do after cleaning your refrigerator is to purchase healthy food products and items and stock them up. Before going out to do the groceries, take out your note pad and list down what you usually need to buy. Scan through your list again and try to see if there are items there which you can cross out or replace with alternatives that are healthier. Bring this list with you every time you buy food.
Step 4. Develop Smart Shopping Habits. When you shop for food, make sure that you follow your list strictly. This helps you make sure that you don't become tempted to hoard your cart with unhealthy food items. Of course, it also pays that you learn to read labels when you shop. Reading and comparing labels is one of the healthiest and wisest thing any shopper can do - and you should learn to do it as well.
Step 5. Prepare Food Right. Now that you already have the right foods in your refrigerator or pantry, so you can now start preparing them as meals. Make sure that you prepare them in a healthier manner by either grilling, roasting, broiling, steaming, boiling or baking them. And of course, you can also prepare food raw (for salads and vegetables). Steer away from high fat condiments and creams and use herbs and spices to add flavor to your food without the additional calories.
Step 6. Lastly, you should always remember to serve (and eat) the food in a healthy manner as well! Meals are best taken in smaller serves, and should be served numerous times throughout the day. If you like to be sure, you can make use of measuring cups to help make sure that you're eat just the right amount of food. Smaller plates can also help you avoid filling your plate too much and overeating. If you feel hungry in between meals, don't be afraid to go on snacks, but make sure you much on fresh fruits, vegetables or healthy snacks from your kitchen.
Tips - Do the groceries with a full stomach. This helps you avoid the temptation of grabbing all sorts of food items and stuffing them into your cart.
- When you do your groceries, always start at the fresh section first and fill up your cart with fruits and vegetables. Starting with produce fills your cart up and gives you less space for junk food.
- Pre - cut fruits and vegetables, and store them at eye level inside the refrigerator. This way, you can readily grab a bite to eat when hunger calls and it's not yet meal time.
Warnings - Remember that you've been developing your eating habits ever since you were a child, and because of this, these habits are among the hardest to break. To avoid getting discouraged with your efforts, avoid the monotony by preparing a wide variety of healthy meals. Check out recipes from books and from the internet and try them out. Remember that healthy eating doesn't have to be boring!
Resources - www.weightloss.about.com - 33373
Difficulty: 3
Things You'll Need: a notebook, smaller plates, measuring spoons and cups, strong will power
Step 1. The most important place to start when you change your eating habits is right in your kitchen. Your refrigerator and kitchen pantry, at that. Now have a look at yours. What does it contain? Most refrigerators and pantries contain a lot of unhealthy foods, and this might hold true for you as well.
Step 2. Hide all unhealthy foods. While you necessarily don't need to chuck out all the unhealthy contents (cheeses, butter, soda, sugary drinks, etc) out of your refrigerator, but of course you can do so if you wish - and that would be better. What you can do, however, is to rearrange the contents in your refrigerator, in such a way that you keep the unhealthy foods out of sight. Place all healthy foods (if you don't have healthy foods yet, then now is time to shop for them - this, we will talk about in the second step) in front and in plain sight so that there are better chances of you picking them over unhealthy ones.
Step 3. The next thing to do after cleaning your refrigerator is to purchase healthy food products and items and stock them up. Before going out to do the groceries, take out your note pad and list down what you usually need to buy. Scan through your list again and try to see if there are items there which you can cross out or replace with alternatives that are healthier. Bring this list with you every time you buy food.
Step 4. Develop Smart Shopping Habits. When you shop for food, make sure that you follow your list strictly. This helps you make sure that you don't become tempted to hoard your cart with unhealthy food items. Of course, it also pays that you learn to read labels when you shop. Reading and comparing labels is one of the healthiest and wisest thing any shopper can do - and you should learn to do it as well.
Step 5. Prepare Food Right. Now that you already have the right foods in your refrigerator or pantry, so you can now start preparing them as meals. Make sure that you prepare them in a healthier manner by either grilling, roasting, broiling, steaming, boiling or baking them. And of course, you can also prepare food raw (for salads and vegetables). Steer away from high fat condiments and creams and use herbs and spices to add flavor to your food without the additional calories.
Step 6. Lastly, you should always remember to serve (and eat) the food in a healthy manner as well! Meals are best taken in smaller serves, and should be served numerous times throughout the day. If you like to be sure, you can make use of measuring cups to help make sure that you're eat just the right amount of food. Smaller plates can also help you avoid filling your plate too much and overeating. If you feel hungry in between meals, don't be afraid to go on snacks, but make sure you much on fresh fruits, vegetables or healthy snacks from your kitchen.
Tips - Do the groceries with a full stomach. This helps you avoid the temptation of grabbing all sorts of food items and stuffing them into your cart.
- When you do your groceries, always start at the fresh section first and fill up your cart with fruits and vegetables. Starting with produce fills your cart up and gives you less space for junk food.
- Pre - cut fruits and vegetables, and store them at eye level inside the refrigerator. This way, you can readily grab a bite to eat when hunger calls and it's not yet meal time.
Warnings - Remember that you've been developing your eating habits ever since you were a child, and because of this, these habits are among the hardest to break. To avoid getting discouraged with your efforts, avoid the monotony by preparing a wide variety of healthy meals. Check out recipes from books and from the internet and try them out. Remember that healthy eating doesn't have to be boring!
Resources - www.weightloss.about.com - 33373
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