I just saw a headline that read “How to Stop Grazing”. That is the wrong attitude for people who are trying to lose weight. When we diet, we stick to more strict rules about food and we often feel deprived. Grazing can help us to overcome that feeling of deprivation. Don’t stop grazing! Just stop grazing on junk!
It is no secret that I’ve been on my share of diets. I’ve tried pretty much all of them at one time or another in my life. That has given me quite an opportunity to learn from each of them. (FYI I’ve reached my goal weight several times in my adult life but pregnancy weight gain sends me back to the dieting merry-go-round. I’m back on it now as my second son was born on Christmas and I’m just now getting enough sleep at night to consider weight loss a viable option.) One thing I have learned about myself and successful dieting is that grazing just makes sense.
The way to graze successfully is to take a little time to plan out your food choices. I like to do this every evening. Once you get the hang of it, it takes only about five minutes and it is well worth that time to ensure that you’re eating all the right foods to help you achieve your goals. Eating intentionally will get you to your goals but eating randomly, grazing on whatever empty calories are lying around the house, will get you into a pair of oversized sweats because nothing else will fit. (Trust me, I’ve been in those sweats!)
So here is what you need to do to graze successfully:
Take time every evening to plan what you will eat the next day
Consider calories, carbohydrate and protein needs (if you make healthy choices, you’ll be surprised at how much food you can consume and still lose weight)
Make a list of what you’ll eat and place it on your refrigerator or in your kitchen.
Whenever you’re hungry or feel a need to eat, eat one item off the list.
It doesn’t matter if you eat three, six, nine or twelve times in the course of the day. If you’ve planned for your caloric, protein and carbohydrate needs and stuck to your list, you’ll be on your way to your skinny jeans.
Keep reading the Families.com Weight Loss Blog for details on the amazingly healthy do-it-yourself diet that I’m using to drop two pounds every day!
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