We’ve been talking about a lot of things for the New Year – Resilience, Happiness and Stress just to name a few. For me one thing that’s inherently tied to all three of those is my weight and not in a good way.
I know that I eat when I’m unhappy or stressed out. I know when it began – when my mom got sick and died. Back then the only thing that seemed to provide any comfort was food and so a pattern was born.
Of course understanding that and doing something about it are two different things. So when things got a little crazy last year, my weight ballooned. Again.
This year I’m doing something about it as well as about Happiness and Stress. So far so good. Choosing to be upbeat has helped. Taking some of those stress-busting steps has helped, especially two of them – prepping the night before and getting up ten minutes earlier.
Now I’m dealing with the weight thing, something which you know we’ve dealt with in the past.
My daughter gifted me with a copy of EAT THIS, NOT THAT for Christmas and I’m busy reading through it. I’ll let you know any good tips from there.
Some tips I have seen in the bombardment of New Year Resolution articles that I’ve tried and are good:
1. For snacking try a handful of almonds (about 12). Low in fat and high in fiber, they help stave off hunger.
2. Make sure to have breakfast. I’ve been starting with a cup of Quaker Oat Meal and I’m finding that I’m less hungry at lunch and also at dinner.
3. Have an orange at lunch or as a dessert. Citrus is apparently another great hunger fighter.
4. Exercise each day. A 20 minute walk will make a difference in how you feel. Try to include strength training. Building muscle will help with your metabolism.
5. Eat more slowly. It takes your brain some time to catch up and send the signal that you’re full. If you eat too fast (which I always do), you may be overeating.
6. Go Green! Use Avocado slices on your sandwich instead of mayo or butter. It’s a great vegetable fat and tasty too. Not an avocado fan? Switch to mustard instead.
7. Brown bag your lunch. Not only will you be saving money in these tough economic times, you will be better able to control what you are eating.
8. Try to eat more veggies. If you can, start your meal by eating the veggies. They have less calories for their volume and can help you eat less of the fattening stuff. Not a veggie person? Try V8 or tomato juice.
9. Cut back on carbs. If you keep them in moderation, you’ll notice an immediate change in belly fat and will likely have less cravings. When eating carbs, make sure they are high in fiber, low in refined sugars and have no trans fats.
10. Finally, remind yourself that it’s more stressful to be heavy and have health issues than it is to change your eating habits.
Hope you found these 10 tips helpful! If you’ve got some of your own to share, please let us know by posting a comment.