20 Pounds Down Part Deux: 5 Invaluable Strategies

In my last weight-related post I mentioned how I’ve dropped wheat from my diet voluntarily and found that I feel a lot healthier, more focused, and have more energy—all in addition to dropping some weight. It hasn’t just been magic, but I have found several things that have really made the process easier for me. Some of them may help you too.

 

A Supportive Group

I mentioned my original weight-loss goal on Facebook and found a few other people who wanted to start a closed group to discuss our weight issues and problems  and successes as we tried to lose weight or change our eating habits. I got some good suggestions from other people, and had a place to ask for help with concerns. An online group of sort-of strangers is good because someone is around 24 hours a day and you may feel less embarrassed to ask someone else who isn’t part of your RL world. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it has for me.

My Fitness Pal

Several people in my group mentioned this website/app. I balked at the idea of writing down everything I ate, but decided to try it for a week. The database is HUGE so you can find everything, and you can put in your own recipes.

Why it worked: In addition to tracking how much I was eating I could see a graphical breakdown of fat, sugar, cholesterol, sodium, etc. It helped me swap out unhealthy foods for healthier ones. My blood pressure is high and this helped me notice when I was overdoing the sodium and which foods were the real culprits. I could track my fiber intake and see if I needed another 5 or 10g on a day and know which food would get me there without going over on fat/calories (half a cup of beans with a splash of vinegar is perfect).

You also track exercise here. It adds your exercise calories to your daily food goals, so you immediately see how much more you can eat!

I wasn’t eating enough due to not being hungry much. This program helped me make sure to get enough food each day. If I just ate according to appetite, I would only be getting 800 calories a day. Some days it was a struggle to find more things to eat.

Cooking in advance

I have a few staple items in my diet now. I have some quinoa every day. It’s gluten-free and high fiber. I cook up a batch once a week and keep in the fridge. One cup of quinoa makes about 3 cups cooked. At half a cup a day, it lasts a week. I don’t have an excuse for not eating quinoa. This works with rice or another high-fiber grain.

I also cook up a batch of chicken or lean pork chops all at once. I buy the meat, then cook it all when I get home. I can easily grab a piece of chicken for a salad or sandwich. Having a few hardboiled eggs on hand is good too. I can have one for lunch or make egg salad. I sprinkle herbs on the chicken and pork so it’s very tasty even on its own in a sandwich.

Have Go-to Meals

This goes along with cooking in advance. I have some set meals I can easily throw together, like quinoa salad or egg salad sandwich, or yogurt with berries/trail mix. I make sure to have all the ingredients for the meal on hand all the time and ready to go. I like my trail mix chopped up, so I’ll chop a half a cup and put in a baggie, then measure out a tablespoon to stir into yogurt. Then if I’m tired or in a hurry, I can grab and make the go-to meal very easily, with little thought, and still make sure it’s healthy and delicious.

Plan a Daily Treat

I like chocolate. I plan in a pudding cup or a couple of pieces of Dove chocolate each day. When I know I’m going to have something like this, I don’t feel any craving for junk food during the day. “I’ll just wait for the pudding after dinner.” I make sure it’s really something delicious and pre-measured, just in case I get that old desire to eat the whole bag full. I haven’t been feeling like that lately, but I know my own weaknesses to realize it’s still a possibility.

Your treat may be something else: Potato chips or bacon. Just find a way to have a small treat every day and it cuts out the cravings. You don’t need to miss the yummy stuff, since you’re getting some every day.

 

I’ll add some other tips next time when I talk about fiber!

Do any of these sound like they would work for you? What tips and techniques have made watching your food easier?

Would you be interested in some of my recipes?