Time To Purge The Pantry

Spring cleaning should not be limited to the closets. Hit the pantry and get rid of the high calorie winter snacks that you’ve been storing like a squirrel. You can’t eat ’em if you don’t have ’em. Grab a few bags, go to the park and… feed the squirrels.

TODAY: GET RID OF THOSE BAGS OF SNACKS.

Cook More, Eat Less

A study by the US Department of Agriculture found that people who spend more time planning, shopping for and preparing food are less likely to be over or under weight. They think it has something to do with being around the food so much. Of course those little tastes may also help you eat less too. Though I’ve seen my share of  fat cooks. So don’t overdo the samples, unless you also reduce your portions when the meal is done.

TODAY: GET OUT AND WALK. NO FOOLING!

Veggies In Paradise

“Losing weight without speed. Eating sunflower seed.” Lyrics from one of my favorite Jimmy Buffet songs, Cheeseburger in Paradise. Based on his brief (“Made it nearly seventy days”) trial of being a vegetarian. It’s seems true. I haven’t noticed many overweight vegetarians. So this may sound odd but you can add food to your diet, not take it away, if it’s vegetables and fruit. The recommended 5-9 servings of each day may be worth a try. With that you are also getting lots of fiber and feeling more satisfied. Fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet and re pretty good for you. More than 200 studies have documented the disease-preventing qualities of phytochemicals found in produce.

Of course the time will come when you’re ready to go back to the paradise of having a nice fat cheeseburger. Just skip the bun.

TODAY: DO STOMACH CRUNCHES (JUST SUCK IN YOUR GUT AND HOLD IT) AT REGULAR INTERVALS WHEN YOU’RE SITTING.

Don’t Let The Week End Your Diet

Studies have found that we eat more on weekends. I hope they didn’t spend a lot of money to figure that one out. All they had to do was visit a grocery store or look at a restaurant parking lot. Anyway, it turns out that we eat about up to 115 calories more per weekend day. It may not sound like much, but that would add up to an extra pound after ten weekends. So try and avoid those extra treats.

My trick for curbing snack cravings is to use diet sodas. The extra sweetness of Diet Dr. Pepper or Root Beer seem to be very satisfying. If you need a real thirst quencher after your extra long walk (hint, hint) try diet Tonic with a squeeze of lime.

Just don’t let the weekend be a weak end to what you are achieving.

TODAY: DOUBLE UP ON YOUR WALKING.

A Little Goal Is A Start

Just saying the word “diet” can sound daunting. It may be what’s holding you back from changing your bad eating habits. So don’t go on a “diet”. Change just one little thing at a time so you can feel like you’re accomplishing something. What you will find is that you will actually accomplish something. Just use the tips I send you each day as a starting point. Each of those little goals will work a little. That’s the idea. They aren’t meant to be the single think you do to improve your health.  Give it a try. Hey… even deciding to do that is reaching a small goal.

TODAY: DRINK MORE WATER.

Pick Up A Sack Of Potatoes

The next time you are in the grocery,  head to the produce department and pick up a five pound sack of potatoes. Then carry it around the rest of the time you’re shopping. Don’t put it in the cart. Carry it. You’ll find that five pounds takes a surprising amount of effort to carry for a while. Now imagine that you’re carrying that around from the time you get up until you go to bed at night. That’s what you are doing when you are just five pounds overweight.

The point is that with just a little effort, you should be able to drop five pounds in a couple of weeks. Eat a litle less, skip the snacks and high calorie deserts and go walk a little. It will come off. You will be amazed at the extra energy you will have by dropping just five pounds. So make the first step dropping the potatoes. The ones you eat. Then take the next step out the door. Believe me. It’s not a half-baked idea.

TODAY: SET A GOAL TO LOSE FIVE POUNDS IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

The Dream Diet

It’s the weekend. A chance to catch up on things. A chance to relax and recharge. While you’re relaxing go ahead and take a nap. After all you can’t eat when you’re asleep!

TODAY: TAKE IT EASY BUT DO A LITTLE EXERCISE TOO.