HERE'S HOW!

I've had so many people ask me how I lost weight and that is the reason for my blog. This week I will simply be listing the various ways that I switched to a healthier lifestyle. I won't be going into any great detail...that will be left for future blog posts (lol have to fill up a whole year of weekly blogs somehow).

MY NON-FOOD ITEMS LIST:

1. The first step is reaching the decision that it is time for you to make a change in your lifestyle...to either get healthier or to lose weight...or the best in my opinion, a combo of the two!

2. You have to get in some extra exercise other than your normal everyday movements...and it should be done almost every day.

3. In order to lose weight, a body needs a good night's sleep, so most nights I try to get to bed an hour earlier than in the past.

4. Get rid of as much stress and worry as you can from your life. Get rid of toxic relationships. A favourite saying of mine is "don't sweat the small stuff".

5. You need to get outside and soak up the fresh air and sunshine, rejuvenate/invigorate your body, mind and soul :)

6. You need to have a positive attitude about your new healthier lifestyle. If you can't envision great results, how will they happen? Be your own cheerleader!

MY FOOD-RELATED ITEMS LIST:

1. Portion control...it can be as simple as eating less than before.

2. No evening snacking while watching tv (that's a toughie).

3. Eat breakfast every morning.

4. I rarely have morning or afternoon snacks but when I do, I Keep them below 100 calories.

5. Start counting calories...it's a very helpful way to control what you eat.

6. Keep a food diary...log every morsel that passes your lips... myfitnesspal.com is my fave, I have been using it every day for over a year now!

MY SPECIFIC FOOD ITEMS LIST:

1. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (can't believe I mastered this one!)

2. Limit beverages such as fruit juice, pop, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, wine, liquor.

3. Cut down on foods with high fat, sugar or salt content.

4. Switch from white to brown...ie, whole wheat or multi-grain bread, brown whole grain rice, brown whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour.

5. Bread, rice and pasta are high in calories, so don't eat every day. (I shudder to think that I used to eat bread at every meal!)

6. Eat alot of fish high in omega-3 fat such as sardines, salmon and trout.

7. Eat low fat versions of cheese.

8. Cut down on processed foods such as lunchmeats, weiners, cheese slices and bread (buy bread from bakery section not off the shelf).

9. Cut down on fried foods, especially deep fried such as french fries.

10. Cut down on mashed potatoes & gravy...serve steamed veggies instead with suppertime meat.

11. Homemade is always better than packaged meals...for example, soup made with your own fresh ingredients tastes so much better without all those unpronouncable additives.

12. Save fast food meals for special occasions or rewards, don't stop in out of habit or laziness...lol,savour the wickedness of it.

13. Do the same with your favourite candy, chocolate, cookie, donut, ice cream, chips, etc...unfortunately they can't be a daily routine if you want to live to see the next flavour to come out!

LOL...I know I've probably forgotten to add something to one of these lists...but if/when I do remember, it will pop up in a later blog post :)

BTW...when it comes to restricting certain foods in my diet, I do not exclude anything entirely, I just cut down the amounts of bad stuff (and increase the amounts of the good stuff).

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE: Jot down the one item ( from the lists above) that you would like to hear more about right away. Then enter it into the comments area below. Your choice will be featured in a March blog :)

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Monthly check-in :)

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.