Eat Out Eat Well

weight management

Do You Always End Up In The Cookie Or Chips Aisle In The Supermarket?

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Is your route around the supermarket always the same – and does it usually include the aisles that get you in trouble? You know – the aisles with the home made baked goods or the chips and pretzels or the freezer cases with an incredible selection of mouth-watering ice cream flavors.

Think about it – why do you always go up and down the aisles the way you do?  For that matter – why do you choose one market over another?  Is it the price, the ease of use, or maybe subconsciously, or consciously, you know that the store you use as your “go-to” carries your favorite foods. Those foods may be the freshest produce, the leanest meat, or the best convenience foods, home made cookies, and freshly baked cakes.

Do You Usually End Up Walking Out Of The Market With A Bag Of Cookies Or Chips That You Hadn’t Planned On Buying?

Do you almost inevitably end up with donuts, cookies, or chips in your cart? Do you also walk around the supermarket in the same pattern slowing down in the aisles that house your favorite foods?

Whatever your “trigger” or “treat” food of choice might be, tossing it into your cart when it calls your name as you walk down the supermarket aisle becomes a habit – a habit that often translates into weight gain.

The routine of traveling a certain route – the one that propels you past the food that has become your caloric downfall — becomes so ingrained that you function on autopilot. You may not even think about going to the place that sells your craving/trigger/indulgence food – you seem to just find yourself there.

It’s not dissimilar to being unable to pass the popcorn or candy counter when you get into the movie theater.  The array of bright candy boxes and the smell of popcorn is in your face and buying popcorn or candy is the thing that you’ve always done.  It’s become your habit when you go to the movies. You don’t really think about it – you just do it.

The same thing is true with tossing those cookies or chips into your shopping cart – ‘fess up — isn’t it true that 9 times out of 10 you’ll end up with them in your cart?

Do You Need To Change-Up Your Route?

Snacks and treats aren’t always bad things. But, when they become  habits and choices that lead to weight gain it’s time for some reassessment of your shopping and eating habits.

If your supermarket shopping is followed by grumbling over the fact that you bought and ate (whatever it is) once again — often in the parking lot or on your way home — perhaps it’s time to reconsider your route and your routine.

Change it up. Go to a different store or try walking around the supermarket in a different direction. We all get used to doing certain things in a certain way – which may be fine – unless it’s not. If your routines are causing you to eat poorly, do something different.

You might not even realize how your shopping patterns affect what you buy and ultimately what you eat.  What kind of changes can you make?

This article is part of the 30 day series of blog posts called: 30 Easy Tips for Looser Pants and Excellent Energy.

Mindless Bites: They Pack On The Pounds

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Are you having a bit of trouble getting your pants to close – or maybe it’s difficult to zip up your jacket?

In part you can blame those mindless bites – those “shove it in your mouth without thinking about it” bites.  Oh come on, most of us — at one time or another — have:

  • Snagged some candy from the bowl on a co-worker’s desk
  • Made the last bit of leftovers from the pot disappear into our mouths
  • Spooned up generous samples of cookie dough batter and followed that up with licking the beaters
  • Finished the crust off of a kid’s grilled cheese sandwich
  • Sampled handfuls of bar food while having a drink
  • Liberally sampled the free “want to try” foods while shopping
  • Had “just a taste” of a friend’s or partner’s dessert
  • Gobbled up the freebie cookies or candy that arrives with the restaurant check.

The Twenty-Five

Here’s the big problem.  Each of those mindless bites adds up to — on average — 25 calories (sometimes more, sometimes less). And, because they’re mindless, unless you religiously write down each oneas soon as you eat it, you forget about it and its calories.  Since mindless bites are quick pops into your mouth, you don’t even have a chance to savor them and they probably don’t even register as food.

Do the math. If those bites average out at about 25 calories, four mindless bites a day above and beyond your daily calorie needs means possibly gaining slightly less than a pound a month (it takes 3500 calories to gain a pound  — and yes, you need a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound). Ouch!

What To Do

So, be aware of what you’re eating – especially when you’re not really eating a meal.  Start keeping track of when and where you’re most likely to indulge in mindless bites.  You’d be surprised at how much you shove down your hatch while you’re walking, talking, socializing, working, watching games, and driving.

Awareness is the first step but writing down what you eat – as soon as you eat it – presents you with a record that’s hard to refute.

This article is part of the 30 day series of blog posts called: 30 Easy Tips for Looser Pants and Excellent Energy.

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Are You Serious About Your Goal Or Resolution — Or Is It More “Sorta-Maybe”?

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If it’s sorta-maybe I’ll try to do XYZ, you aren’t alone.   People flunk resolutions 101 for two main reasons:

  • they aren’t really serious or clear about what they want to do but have caved into either inner pressure or external pressure from family/peers/friends, or
  • what they’ve decided to do isn’t too realistic because it’s too overly ambitious or just will not fit into day to day life (no, you cannot lose 20 pounds in a week and keep it off).

What You Can Do To Increase Your Chances Of Success

Fuzzy ideas lead to fuzzy results.  So get clear about what it is you want to do and the time frame you’re giving yourself.

On the other hand, be realistic. Boxing yourself into a corner by swearing you’ll never eat chocolate again is just setting your self up for failure.  Your goal is not a closed-ended-not-to-be deviated-from deal.  Make a list of what you think you can realistically do – and then choose your tactic.

Forget the negative stuff, too.  Isn’t there enough negativity?  Pick a positive goal, a positive end-point, and reinforce that in your brain. Try starting with “I will” rather than “I won’t.”

Are You Committed?

Are you committed to working on your goal?  A goal is just a plan without results if you’re not committed to working on it.

Once you’ve figured out what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, and the time frame within which it will be accomplished, map it out and write it all down. Writing it – and it doesn’t matter whether it’s written online or on a napkin, reinforces your commitment and makes it harder to lie to yourself.

You’ll end up having a realistic goal with an accomplishable plan that you can achieve within a specific time frame. Commit to carrying out your plan and you’re well on your way.

This article is part of the 30 day series of blog posts called: 30 Easy Tips for Looser Pants and Excellent Energy.

It’s Time To “Cleanse” Your Cupboards, Your Fridge, And Your Desk Drawer

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What kind of food do you have hanging around?  Are there leftovers from the holidays, a random piece of birthday cake, frozen pigs in blankets you bought for possible guests, a bag of mini chocolate chips in case you decide to bake some cookies.  Do you really need the gigantic box of cereal from Costco or the two extra jars of peanut butter that were on sale?  Do you have some mini candy bars tucked in the corner of your desk?

Hey, we’re all guilty of storing food in preparation for the onslaught of visitors or the next blackout.  The problem is that the extra food is not conducive to managing your weight.  Why?  Because usually if we see it, we eat it.

Take a look in your fridge, your cupboards, and your desk and kitchen drawers.  What’s in there?  Why did you buy it and when? Do you really need it – or does it call your name when you really don’t want to indulge in those extra calories but can’t escape the allure of the food at hand.

Tip of the day:

You might want think about what prompts you to buy extra or large quantities of food that tempts you and that you really don’t need to eat.  Knowing why you buy is key to developing some good shopping habits.  Doing a “cleanse” of cupboards, the fridge, and drawers by getting rid of what tempts you is a good way to prevent hundreds of excess calories from making their way into your mouth. Remember:  See It = Eat It.

Do you fall into any of these food purchasing categories?

  • Bargain shopping: getting the largest amount of food for your money by buying a dozen of what’s on sale or two of the gigantic size at Costco?  Who ends up eating the excess?
  • Getting the most calories for your money and the biggest bang for your buck.  Is it a bargain if it tempts you to eat the excess?
  • Buying special or celebratory food because it’s someone’s birthday, or Thanksgiving, or Easter, or your kid’s team is coming over.  Do you really buy it because of company or because the event has given you an excuse to buy – and indulge – in what you ordinarily wouldn’t?
  • Buying food you’ve always wanted to try and or on the spur of the moment because you happened to see it in the store. Then you get the food home find out that your family really hates it. So you eat it – all of it.
  • What about the product of the moment – which might fall into any number of categories.  It could be trendy, the latest low-fat wonder, or the cake mix your neighbor said was so good.  Maybe it’s good, maybe not – but who ends up eating it?
  • Then there’s the diet foods:  the low or no fat, low or no sugar, fiber rich, reduced calorie bars and cookies you bought in an endless quest for the miracle food that won’t pack on the pounds. Guess what – they still have a whole bunch of calories.
  • The convenience foods – the stuff, probably already prepared and/or processed, frozen, or take-out  — that you grab when you are totally exhausted or exasperated and you want to get the food on the table and not have anyone complain about it. They’re often high calorie and not too nutritious – and come in multi-sized portions.
  • Here’s the big one: the reward foods — the “I’ve had such a tough day” or “I’ve been so good all day” food that almost always packs a whopper of a sugar, fat, and caloric punch.They’re also the foods that, because of the sugar, fat, and salt, keep you coming back for more.

Sometimes there is a time and place for food from any of these categories.  But, if you want to develop healthy weight management habits, think about your current habits and patterns and take action.

This article is part of the 30 day series of blog posts called: 30 Easy Tips for Looser Pants and Excellent Energy.

 

When’s The Best Time To Start Your Diet?

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Do the stars, moon, sun, and all of the planets need to be in alignment for you to start your diet?

The word diet usually means deprivation and a way of life that’s not easy, comforting, or fun.  So is there any wonder that there are tons of excuses and reasons to put off starting one?  Who wants to be deprived of food – especially if you love to eat?

Does This Sound Like You?

If you’re thinking about losing weight, do any of these seem familiar:

  • “I’ll wait until Monday to start” – and then you eat enough through the week and over the weekend to pack on more weight.
  • “Wow, it’s Monday, but it’s so and so’s birthday on Wednesday and we’re going out to dinner and then we’ll have cake – so I might as well wait until after Wednesday to start.”  And then it’s Thursday and you go back to “I’ll wait until Monday.”
  • “I don’t have the right kind of food in the house and it’s raining outside and I can’t get to the gym – so I might as well chow down today and wait until I can stock up on the right stuff” (and when will that be?).
  • “I was so ‘good’ all week and then on Friday I went out and had drinks and dessert and a ton of bread.  So I figured I ‘blew it’ and might as well eat what I want all weekend.  I can start again on Monday.”  Of course Monday comes along and another verse is added to this tune.

There’s Always A Reason — Or An Excuse – Not To Start 

You get the idea.  You can always find a reason not to start your new healthy eating plan.  How about listing the compelling reasons to want to start.

Just Start

Diets don’t work.  Maybe they do for the short-term, but it’s rare to have long lasting weight loss using a restrictive diet mentality.

Try a different approach.  Healthy eating habits are the key to success.  Finding what works for the long term may require some out of the box thinking and creative solutions.  Go for it and give it time.  Just start.

Have you ever watched an athlete look for an opening through a crowded field of players who are obstructing his or her way?  The athlete just keeps looking for an opening – an opportunity.  The ultimate choice might be unconventional and require lateral movement or some pulling back before surging forward, but without making some kind of move nothing happens.

The first step is deciding that you want to change your eating patterns.  Once you’ve decided you’re ready, look for your opening and take it – stop waiting for that elusive perfect moment in time.  You can keep telling yourself that you’ll start tomorrow — but will your “tomorrow” ever come if you don’t take some positive action to make it happen?

This article is part of the 30 day series of blog posts called: 30 Easy Tips for Looser Pants and Excellent Energy.