- I feel this is the single most important tip I can offer: write it down. Write what you eat down and tally up the calories. It may seem like a pain at first,
but most of us eat the same things often. So write it once and refer back. Also, microwaved meals tell you how many calories. This keeps you accountable and you see
exactly how much you are eating. I'll bet you'll surprise yourself. I never thought I ate that much and couldn't understand where the fat was coming from. I ate low-fat foods.
Guess what? Low-fat doesn't mean no calorie or even low-cal! Keep track of what you eat and don't let yourself go above a certain number. I keep track of what I burn as well and
can reconcile the two columns (I actually keep a running total so I never eat more than I burn). Trust me...it's the best thing you can do for yourself!
- Going along with the first tip, as you eat things, create a spreadsheet that has the calories and fat (and now I count sodium and cholesterol, too, since being diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol) already tallied. Then, when you eat something, you can look it up easily and not have to figure out how much is in it. Most of us eat the same things again and again. I also do the same with exercises that I do repetitively.
- Check out SmartOnes Macaroni & Cheese at only 240 calories and 2.5 gms of fat per meal and it's good!
- Using a sugar replacer like Equal or Sweet-n-low cuts down on calories because there's no calories in them! But 16 per teaspoon in sugar!!
- Use egg beaters (scramblers, etc) instead of eggs in cake mixes...use applesauce instead of oil (but check the recipe for measurements because they aren't the same!) And egg beaters only have 30 cal per "egg" and no fat!
- Cabot makes light chedder cheese that is only 4.5 gms of fat per ounce and only 70 calories! (They now make a 75% fat free cheese, too)
- Butter yourself up! I use I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray on bread, etc. It has no calories or fat or cholesterol or anything! No trans-fats either.
- Using smaller utensils and plates/bowls makes a difference. It may sound funny, but really, it makes it seem like you're eating more. Try putting 2 ounces of spaghetti (which, btw, has 210 calories) in a huge bowl. Looks like nothing is in there. Put it in a small bowl and all of the sudden, you
have a heaping bowl full!
- Don't forget that beverages have calories, too. Drink diet. Diet Sierra Mist is as good as the real thing!!
- SKINNY COWS! Silhouette makes an ice cream sandwhich called Skinny Cow and the newest flavor is chocolate and peanut butter. They are only 2.5 grams of fat each, but I feel like I'm eating the finest peanut butter ice cream in the world. Actually, I sometimes eat 2, but hey, most ice cream bars are 11-15 grams of fat and 2 Skinny Cows at 5 is still WAY good. They are delicious!
- I eat smaller meals and then have light snacks at 2-3 hour intervals. It helps because
you are less likely to get really hungry and then binge.
- Always weigh yourself on the same scale..preferably at the same time each day and nude! (Also, it's best to use a moving average, due to the fact that something as simple as drinking a glass of water before bedtime can
change your weight by a pound or two. A moving average attempts to take those discrepancies into account. The Hacker's Diet spreadsheet uses that...that is what is on my diary page.)
- Drink lots of water! Why? There are too many reasons to list. That's why. Water is the ultimate "food" for your body. It is not just good for weight loss but for general health. Please drink at least 8 glasses of water a day!
- Exercise, exercise, exercise. Don't fool yourself into thinking you can lose weight through "dieting" alone. You need exercise. Your body needs it to help it get in shape and
function properly. Consult a doctor if you have concerns about any conditions or injuries. My personal favorite exercise (besides Vanessa's Saturday morning low/high aerobics class) is
the Elliptical Cross-trainer. No impact, but I get a good workout on that!!
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