Eating Healthy in Small Steps
In order to effectively lose weight, it is important to change your eating habits so that they work with your weight loss plan. But after years of potato chips, Big Macs and fried foods, it can be a little unnerving and almost frightening for a person to think about changing their diet to granola bars, rice cakes and salads in one fell swoop.
The good news is that no one expects you to change your eating habits overnight. And, much to the surprise of most people, eating healthy does not condemn you to a tasteless wonderland.
Take Small Steps
Instead of committing yourself to a radical diet change overnight, change your eating habits at a slow and comfortable pace. If you want French fries, bake them at home instead of swinging through your local drive thru. When you eat that next baked potato, forgo the sour cream. Grab a small handful of chips and place them in a bowl instead of taking the bag to the couch.
If you change smaller things, you will find that you can absorb the changes and stick to them. In time, you will have made a significant impact on your eating habits without going through any taste bud shock. Need a few more ideas for smaller changes?
- Each week, replace one glass of soda you drink each day with a glass of water. Keep repeating the process until soda has been cut from your diet, aside from special occasions.
- Eat until you're not hungry anymore, not until you're full. Choose smaller portion sizes and don't feel obligated to clean your plate if you are satisfied after half of the meal.
- Instead of using cream or half and half in your coffee, try using a non-dairy creamer or 1-2% milk.
- Go skinless on chicken. Removing the skin from chicken before cooking it makes it a much better meal choice. Also, bake it instead of frying it.
- Addicted to your morning donut? Drop the powdered and choose a plain donut. Better yet, make yourself a fruit smoothie instead.
Small changes like the above add up and over time, can make a big impact and get you on the road to a healthier you.
Invest in Cookbooks
Remember that healthy doesn't have to mean tasteless. Invest in some good cookbooks that specialize in low fat or low calorie eating. You can read some of our cookbook reviews if you need help choosing one. There are many cookbooks packed with good meals for healthy living that are low in fat and calories, but high in taste. The better your low in fat and calorie food tastes, the better chance you have of sticking with it for the long haul. And a good diet is essential to permanent weight loss.
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