First I want to say thank you to all of those who have been so encouraging during my life changing process. Some of you have asked what my secret is to weight loss. First, it is more than just weight loss. It is living a healthier lifestyle. So I thought I would blog some tips from time to time. (My disclaimer is that while these things have worked for me they might not work for you. That is one thing that I have learned is that I have to do what works for me and not everything that the fitness gurus suggest will work, so pick and choose carefully. If after a week or more it doesn’t work then try something else.)
So here is my first tip: Portion control
Whether you are calorie counting (my personal favorite, which I will discuss in a later blog entry), POINTS counting, or just watching the food go into your mouth, watching your portions is a smart healthy choice that may help your weight loss and overall health.
Did you realize that when you grab that can of pop, bag of chips or tub of ice cream that is not a “serving?”
This was one thing that was one thing that was hard to wrap my mind around. Most liquids (pop, water, milk, juice, etc.) are given as a 8 ounce serving. As a chocolate milk-aholic this was devastating especially since tall glasses that I like to drink out of were no where near 8 measly ounces. I actually found some glasses at MARC’S that were 8 ounces when clear full. These are my morning milk glasses.
Without using portion sized containers or my food scale I would eat the whole tub of ice cream without realizing exactly how much I had really eaten. There is nothing wrong with being slightly obsessive about your eating habits. If you aren’t obsessive for yourself, no one else will be obsessive for you. (And if some one started being obsessive for you, you would probably resent it…) Making sure that you are eating only 1 ounce of chips instead of the whole bag, 1/2 cup of ice cream instead of the whole tub, or 8 ounces of chocolate milk instead of the whole carton is a huge first step for most people to take. Getting a food scale also is a big help for knowing exact amounts.
Taking small steps at a time is one of the keys to success. You can’t expect to drop 100 pounds in a week by this method, but it is one eye opening step in the process of dropping that 100 pounds in the next year or two.
