Are you dieting? Most people start dieting with good intentions, but set themselves up to fail. I heard Dr. Phil discuss this concept once and I've never forgotten it.
If you really want to succeed at your diet, you have to be prepared for those moments of weakness and those times when you find yourself away from home and hungry.
You won't eat oreos if you don't have oreos in the house.
You are far less likely to buy a candy bar or bag of chips from a vending machine if you have a "healthy" snack with you at all times.
It's all about planning ahead and being prepared.
If you are serious about your diet or about eating healthy in general...
Remove all junk food from your house, your car, and your office...before you start. Don't set yourself up to fail by having poor food choices within reach.
Plan ahead. Once a week stock up on healthy food. Clean it and package it in single serving snack bags so it can be grabbed quickly.
Never leave home without your healthy snacks.
Make your own lunch. If you have to rely on outside sources for a healthy lunch, you are going to eat the wrong foods.
Remove temptation and set yourself up to succeed. Your body will thank you for it!
For other tips and member support while dieting - check out the new group:
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Sharon, your tips all are great, and ones that I, as a person on a journey trying to lose some weight, will heed.
Great tips for all of us!! You have to have your meals and snacks all planned out or it is easy to get off track. Thanks for the post
Chris: Best of luck on your journey. It's not an easy one, but the destination is well worth it!
Glenn: Some people use the excuse that they had no choice but to eat the junk food because it was all they had time for or it was all they could get...responsibility stills falls on you for not having the right foods with you!
Such words of wisdom from a girl who never has to worry about her weight..............great stuff here Sharon, all wonderful suggestions that I try to live by all the time, even when not dieting.........the temptations are too great.
Thanks for being one of the biggest supporters for this group of "losers".
You are right, never had to worry about "losing" weight, but I've spent many years wishing I could gain weight, always felt to skinny. I'm pretty good with the self image at the moment, but I do still have my days!
I eat as healthy as I can, much healthier than the average person...avoiding dairy, sugar, additives and preservatives whenever possible. I do eat "poison" when I want to, but keep it to a minimum. I always have water and healthy snacks with me when I leave the house to prevent me from eating something I would later regret.
YES! I am dieting right now, Sharon. I want to lose 20 lbs. You hit the nail on the head that healthy eating is about planning. The changes that I've made have been small, but significant. For instance, I now bring in 5 days of 'groceries' to the office so I'll have all of my beverages, snacks and lunches right on site. I don't even have to pack my lunch each day. This one change has helped me to lose 5lbs, so far.
Have a GREAT and HEALTHY day, Sharon!
You're the bomb Sharon................send Chris over to us.............this is your post so I won't do it.
Chris: WEll done! That's the smartest way to do it and you save time too!
Roger: I've edited the post to add a link to the group. I don't know why I didn't think of it!
That wasn't necessary, but thank you................after reading what Chris had written, I thought the group might interest her.................
Hi, Sharon. Good post...who DOESN'T want to lose some weight?!You hit the nail right on the head!
I made up a bag of "trail mix" with unsalted almonds, razil nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins and dried cranberries...the nuts seems satisfy the craving for "salty" even though they aren't and the fruit for "sweet." With those complex carbohydrates, it's filling and I'm not hungry half an hour later. Also, it's pretty portable!
Sharon- that does it; I'm never letting you see inside my pantry! Seriously, you're absolutely right. If I have it (ice cream, cookies, chocolate anything, potato chips) in the house, I WILL eat it. My husband will too. I buy lots of veggies and fruit and the exception of our current road trip, we even pack healthy snacks for our long drives.
Even the word Diet makes people want to eat, so we need to get that out of our vocabulary.
To have a plan is much easier than flying by the seat of my pants. I keep it pretty simple, too many decisions makes me weary, so I just have darn near the same few items ever week, then I know what to shop for as well.
Taking a snack along with me for travel time is one of the best suggestions you have here. Seems that if I don't have something with me, I delay until I'm starved!
Roger: It makes perfect sense to have the link there, I just didn't think of it. I also sent Chris an email.
Leslie: My nut mix is one of the snacks that I always have with me too.
Kathy: It's near impossible for one person in a home to diet while the other fills the house full of snacks...you really need to support each other and keep the "poison" out of the house.
Wanda: Exactly..if you don't have something with you, you go too long without eating, which isn't good and then eventually you reach the "have to eat something" stage and grab the fastest, available thing.
Sharon
Great advice, and slow and study.
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
Lou: Thank you!
Sharon, I love your tips. Little hard with kids...but I am happy that my little one(6 years) likes broccoli and tuna salad, it is more complicated with my 15 years oldson. Being inspiring by Roger's group I switch to healthy snacks too. I like nuts and grapefruits in between meals.
I've having it made on a t-shirt: We don't plan to fail, we fail to plan.
Getting rid of that junk food, that too easy to snack on stuff, is a great first step.
Sharon - Great advice here. Having healthy snacks in bags, all ready to go is a great idea. Hey, you forgot to mention "and eat lots of cabbage soup"!
Anna: I usually don't leave home without a baggie of nuts and raisins. It can be tough with teens, and you can't control what they eat away from home. That's why it's so important to control what they eat at home. If you don't buy the crap, they can't eat the crap.
Susan: Excellent!
Scott: If it's not there...it's not a threat!
Sally: LOL! Still eating the soup? You are one determined lady!
Sharon ~ this is a great idea! I found the worst time for me is when I am running low on my healthy "quick grab" snacks. If they aren't handy,... ugghh,... the chips may be!
I couldn't make your pot pie the other day, but it's in the oven now! I can't wait for dinner :)D
I am going to have to check out this famous Cabbage soup!
Laura: I'm so glad you are having the pie...I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
We just finished. I could only handle one slice, I caught my husband sneaking up to bed with the rest of it! Yikes! That was awesome!.
We take lunch, healthy snacks, or fruit to the office and I've been buying LOTS of fresh fruits & veggies. Staying out of fast food lines also helps!
Laura: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like your husband REALLY enjoyed it!
Pat: Bringing your own food to the office is a great idea and will make your life less stressful!
Sharon,
Great advice thanks for sharing. This week I decided not to diet but to change my lifestyle. Getting rid of the chips in the house was the first step.
When I teach I usually have time to grab fast food. Not anymore. I bought a large plastic bowl and now I bring a salad.
Richard: Thank you. A change of lifestyle is far more fulfilling and a smarter choice! Thumbs up for bringing your salad!