Here is a weight loss tip that really helps me.
A little background:
I have a sweet tooth and I also love bread, fries and pizza. Growing up I always ate sandwiches and my mother made home-made French fries. My father even owned a pizza store when I was a kid, so I ate that regularly too.
If I’m at a party or holiday gathering, I’m thinking about the desserts the second I arrive.
So how do I stay in shape at 52? Besides a healthy exercise plan, I incorporate nutritional strategies.
One of my strategies is that I keep my environment clean.
If it’s in your house, it’s in your mouth!
I don’t keep any “trigger” foods at home, unless it’s a small portion that I can eat in a sitting. I generally have 1 or 2 treats per week and I choose the amount and type of treat depending on my physique goals. This strategy helps me stay consistent and not feel deprived.
At this point in my life, I barely have French fries or pizza even though I really love them. I can do that because I really enjoy the daily meals I have, so I don’t feel deprived.
I’ll have bread as a treat sometimes when I go out to dinner. If I want another treat for dinner like an appetizer, I may ask them to take the bread away from the table to keep my environment clean. Again, it all depends on my physique goals at the time and even what else I’ve eaten that day. If I ate very clean that day, I may have some bread and an appetizer.
Since willpower is like a muscle, if you’re really hungry before dinner at a restaurant, it’s very hard to sit in front of the bread for the entire time and not be tempted to eat it. It’s best to use a strategy versus solely relying on willpower.
If I want ice cream as a treat, I’ll buy a smaller portion so I’m not tempted to eat it regularly. I want a treat, not a daily habit that will take me away from my goals.
Although, some people can have a small cookie or a small piece of chocolate daily and that works for them. Some people can even keep treats in the house and not be triggered by them. There is no right or wrong, just what works best for you. Your strategy is efficient if it keeps you healthy and at your ideal weight.
Once when I was buying ice cream, I saw there was a coupon for $2.00 off if I bought 3. I was tempted by the offer because it would save me money, but I would have more ice cream than I wanted in my freezer. I would most likely eat more ice cream than I wanted to. So, I made the decision to just buy 1 to keep my environment clean. I didn’t save money, but I did save myself from a pattern of eating more than I wanted to.
The rest of the week I’ll have fruit and even frozen fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth, which is another strategy that works for me. The frozen fruit takes longer to eat, so I get to enjoy it longer.
So, take a look at your cupboards, your freezer and your refrigerator and see what you can clean up. If for some reason you can’t clean it up, try to keep it out of sight. Put the ice cream behind a bag of frozen spinach so you’re not triggered by seeing it every time you open the freezer 🙂
If you need some nutritional help, you can check out my nutrition coaching here:
CR Fitness Nutrition Coaching
Nutrition Coaching is offered at the Wyckoff facility or it can be done remotely by phone or Skype for clients not in the area.
And if you need our personal training services, you can find more about them here:
CR Fitness Personal Training
CR Fitness Small Group Personal Training
Be Healthy and Fit,
Charlie Remiggio
CR Fitness, LLC
www.crfitness.com
(973)709-0340