Maybe your health or the thought of swimsuit season demands
you make a change in your eating habits. The number one issue is people don’t
like change or expending too much effort. The second issue is money. Diets or
weight loss is expensive.
They can be. My sister lost a great of weight using a
commercial method they delivered a week’s supply of food every week. The dehydrated
food wasn’t exactly tasty and ran about thirty dollars a day. Since that was
over twenty years ago, the price has probably gone up.
How can you lose weight while maintaining your budget? It is
do-able. First, think of it as a lifestyle change as opposed to dieting. There
will be many side benefits including more energy, ease of movement, improved
skin tone and hair texture and self-confidence.
1.
Decide on the approach you’ll take either
counting carbs or calories. Don’t switch back and forth.
2.
An average
woman must walk for at least thirty minutes a day to MAINTAIN her current
weight.
3.
Dump anything with high
fructose corn syrup in it. Check your jelly, soda, ketchup and salad
dressings. Not only is it bad for you, but it plumps up your fat cells
preventing weight loss.
4.
Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Water
helps moves the fat out of your body. It also helps you eat less because your
stomach feels fuller.
5.
Avoid alcohol because it slows down your
metabolism up to 80% especially when consumed while eating. There is a reason
they call it a beer belly. Although, some mixed
drinks can pack as much as 800 calories a cocktail. Unfortunately, many people
usually do not stop at one cocktail, either.
If you feel you can’t avoid it, then limit yourself to one beer or a
glass of wine on the weekends. Think you can’t do this, then, face it you don’t
really want to get in shape.
6.
No fast food. Healthy & fast food don’t go
together. There are sit-down restaurants
that offer healthy options including TGIF, Denny’s and Applebee’s. The simple
strategy is to avoid fried and breaded food, sugary sodas, and pasta and
potatoes. A nice steak, chicken breast, even a burger without the bun, works. Throw
in a salad or vegetables and you have a meal.
7.
Portion control. I remember episode of The
Biggest Loser television show where Bob the trainer made a visit to a mother
and daughter who were eating healthy, even using Biggest Losers approved
recipes, but were not losing weight. They were eating about five servings of everything
per meal. Know what a portion is. Measure it. You’ll be surprised that the
plate spaghetti is more like four servings.
8.
Prepare your snacks ahead of time. It is easy to
make small packages of nuts, berries, carrots, or dried fruit to grab when you’re
in a hurry. A lite string cheese stick works well too.
9.
Diet food can be convenient too since it is
pre-measured, but often it is expensive. I stock up on diet deals when I see
them at Big Lots, Deals, or even The Dollar Tree.
10.
Raise you own veggies. The prices of spaghetti
squash made it a luxury. I decided to grow this simple veggie in my backyard.
11.
Your freezer can be your best diet friend. Stock up whenever
there is a sale on diet entrees to lean meat. It is also
useful to make healthy meals in bulk and freeze part of it.
12.
Look for no calorie alternative treats. Instead of a trip to the all you can eat buffet,
how about a pedicure instead.
13.
Step up your activity level by taking the
stairs, not parking near the store, dancing while you do simple home chores,
even lifting weights while watching television.
14.
It also helps to have a friend or family member
making a life style change with you. Often the ones we love seem the most
determined to throw obstacles in our way.
You will be saving money without eating out as much, by consuming less alcohol and
convenience food. The money you save might go toward a new wardrobe, just
saying.
