In December, I think I ate a few hundred Lindor Truffles and a few thousand spoonfuls of various nut/cookie butters! Now, once again, I’m faced with feeling uncomfortable in my skin and wanting to get back to a weight I feel healthy at. I do this every single year. I’m beginning to think it has more to do with Seasonal Affective Disorder and stress and less to do with the onslaught of holiday foods and the chance to wear warm bulky clothes.
Now that we’re getting close to Spring my thoughts are turning to sunshine and tank tops. I’ve got the itch to reach into my weight loss tool collection to retrieve my tried and true hacks for shedding that winter weight.
1.) Eat, don’t drink, your calories. That’s not to say you shouldn’t drink anything! When I’m trying to lose weight I stock my pantry and fridge with lots and lots of low calorie beverages. I never ever limit how much I drink when it comes to zero or very low calorie beverages. If I get a sweet craving I can turn to one of these drinks and get enough satisfaction to get past the craving. I used to drink a lot of diet soda but lately I’ve been drinking loads of flavor enhanced water.
2.) Count your calories for a week/month. When I’m focused on dropping weight counting calories is my method. Of all the ways I’ve tried in the past it is the one method that absolutely works. (Calories in – Calories burned = Weight Gained or Lost) It really is that simple! But, it’s tedious and time consuming, I get that. People hate counting calories because it’s a pain in the butt! I happen to be extremely interested in it, so I don’t mind. But, even if you hate doing it, I suggest counting them for at least a week (or better yet a month) so you can see the amount of calories you are eating. It’s also super important to understand which foods are low in calories and which foods are super calorie dense. I promise some of the results will surprise you. You might even notice a particular food that is sabotaging your health without you even realizing it!
3.) Set a goal. When I don’t have a reason to try to look healthy as well as be healthy I have a hard time really watching my portion size. Around this time of year I try to come up with a reason to stay on track. There have been years where I want to get in shape for a race. Some years the reasons have been more superficial. This year I want to look good at my sister-in-law’s wedding (superficial category). I’m in the wedding party and the dress is tiny! Hence, I’ve strategically placed some cutouts in front of the peanut putter in my pantry to remind me why I shouldn’t eat it straight out of the jar!
4.) Herbs, spices, low calorie flavor enhancers (vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce, mustard, and salsa). If you hate the food you’re eating you won’t stick to eating it. If the food you eat is bland you won’t stick to eating it. There are tons of different low calorie condiments to kick up the flavor of your favorite healthy foods! Just be careful when you shop for these. Some can have added sugar. Check your labels!
5.) A little goes a long way. When I say a little goes a long way I’m talking about foods that are typically high in calories that you would use in super small quantities in order to enhance their flavor. For example, I like to drizzle my plain Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of Hershey’s Syrup. Only 50 extra calories and my plain yogurt turns into dessert. Add a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips to a bowl of plain oats. You get the picture.
6.) Get sleep. This is probably the most difficult item on this list for me to stick to! We’re just so busy! But, I know that when I get enough sleep it is way easier to talk myself out of eating junk. Actually, everything seems easier when I get enough sleep!
7.) Find low calorie, healthy, foods you look forward to eating. I’ve got a laundry list of healthy go to foods I love eating. I keep my kitchen stocked with these foods. Plain Greek yogurt topped with Hershey’s syrup, honey, or maple syrup and lite crispy chips such as Popchips or Special-K Cracker Chips are just a few examples of the healthy low-calorie foods I love.
8.) Use diet apps. There are many different apps these days to help you to eat healthy and lose weight. I use the free Fitbit app to track my calories, fitness, and weight loss. I also use MyFitnessPal to make nutrition labels for this blog and Vitamins 101 to get a more extensive nutrition information about the foods I eat. These apps make calorie tracking easy, keep me honest, and help me stay on track.
9.) Accessorize your salads with low calorie ingredients. I eat a lot of salad! I’ve topped my salads, over the years, with hundreds of different ingredients. I’ve learned what toppings can turn your salads into a meals with calorie totals that rival the calories in four regular slices of supreme pizza. I’ve also learned what ingredients keep my salads in check. I stick with lean unprocessed meats like grilled chicken breast. If I add cheese I make sure it’s never more than 1 oz. Beyond that, raw and pickled vegetables are good choices. Stay away from pasta salads, processed meats, olives, and more than 1 oz. of any cheese.
10.) Find a handful of healthy food blogs to follow. I’ve found countless food, diet, and weight loss tips on food and fitness blogs. I’m listing 5 of of the many healthy food and fitness blogs I follow.