Day 25 – Try Not to Compensate with Exercise

While exercise is a great way to feel good and may help you with your weight loss efforts, you want to make sure that you can support your weight loss with your food, and let exercise be the icing on the cake. Think about it this way … if you broke your leg tomorrow, ...

Day 24 – Always Have a Frozen Backup Meal

Always have a frozen “backup meal” for nights that something goes wrong or you just don’t have time to cook. Steam in bag veggies with a light sauce, frozen pre-grilled chicken strips (Harvestland from BJ’s is best), frozen pre-steamed shrimp are just some good foods to have in the freezer all the time. ...

Day 23 – Don’t Clean Alone

If snacking while you are cleaning up after the meal is a problem for you, invite someone to help you with it so you are not alone with the food. It helps to chew minty gum or brush your teeth right after a meal.

Day 22 – Choose 2 Days Per Week to Have a Treat

Allowing yourself the freedom to do this can help you make choices that you feel good about and avoid the deprivation/binge cycle. Make sure your treat is planned so it doesn’t get out of control. Most people can lose weight while still having a 150 calorie treat twice per week. This allows you ...

Day 21 – Add Strength Training To Your Routine

Cardio is great and burns more fat during the workout (marginally though). Strength training burns more calories AFTER the workout and at a HIGHER RATE. Adding muscle mass to your body INCREASES YOUR METABOLISM 24/7, so you really get more bang for your buck by weight training. Even better, do a workout that combines both.

Day 20 – Learn What Hunger Is

Learn the difference between emotional/behavioral hunger and physical hunger. Emotional/behavior pattern hunger is instant. Physical hunger is gradual. If you notice that you are instantly hungry as soon as you walk in the door from work every day, think about how you can be proactive about this. Having a small, planned ...

Day 19 – Have a Staples List

It is much easier to make healthy choices when you are surrounded by them. Create a “staples” list of healthy foods that you always want to keep on hand to “fill in the gaps” when you don’t have time to prepare anything. Though your weekly foods will change, always make sure to have ...

Day 18 – Break Your Associations

If you always associate mindless eating with relaxing after work, try a completely different behavior to associate with your after work pattern. It may be as simple as making a new habit of sitting in your backyard every afternoon for 10 minutes or sitting in your living room talking to your children or spouse. ...

Day 17 – Do Not Justify!

It’s very easy to say to yourself “I could have eaten so much more, so it’s okay that I ate what I did.” Think logically about what you are putting in your mouth. Your body doesn’t know what you COULD HAVE eaten.

Day 16 – Make a List of Your Vulnerabilities

Make a list of your vulnerable times/situations. Most people struggle between 3:00 and 5:00 in the evening or late at night. For each one, write 2 or 3 potential strategies that might help you to manage more effectively. Write the strategies down on an index card, and post them in your kitchen.