small changes help!
(T13 header courtesy of Samulli)
Come play along at the new Thursday-13 Hq!
13 things that are helping me lose weight
1. Share a full portion with a friend at a restaurant. I do this with my friend Pat right after our WW meeting.
2. Replace ground beef with meatless products or ground turkey.
3. Eat fresh, raw veggies with sandwiches instead of chips.
4. Measure your portions until you’re sure you know what a cup, a half-cup, and a tablespoon look like. This will help you practice portion control and I’ll bet you’d be surprised to see how much you’re really eating, just from habit.
5. Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You’ll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.
6. Find healthy alternatives to all your favorite foods. Read food labels. Check serving sizes.
7. Add vegetables to everything! If you’re making stew and it calls for a pound of meat and 3 carrots, decrease the amount of meat and add more carrots and any other veggie you like.
8. Always eat something for breakfast. Oatmeal, even hummus on a sandwich thin…whatever floats your boat!
9. Plan meals in advance; use that information to make out a complete shopping list. This is one of the toughest things for me, since I’m not a planner.
10. Give food to guests to take home or bring leftovers in to work (or just to your favorite co-worker(s))!
11. Even small exercise changes help! Try parking far from your destination so you’re forced to walk. This works at the supermarket, the mall, wherever. Or how about viewing chores (shoveling snow, cleaning the house, weeding the garden, taking the garbage out, grocery shopping) as a chance to get in some activity? I’m finding I even enjoy snow shoveling (a good thing since we’ve got so much of it) because I envision myself in a smaller size and know that this activity is helping me meet my goal!
12. Never eat out of a bag or box. Take out a measured/counted quantity of food and put it in a bowl. This way, you know exactly how much you’re having.
13. Most importantly, if you don’t really love it, don’t eat it!
Blasts from the past:
2008 – things on my mind and WIIW; “I’ve never”; BPAL scents…!
2007 – a couple movies, some puppies, and a bit of boohooing and 24
2006 – No blog entry!
Posted in T13 | 39 Comments
January 14th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I have a bad habit of eating out of the bag. I need to stop that. Chips are my downfall – but I will try to put them in a measured container from now on. Great tips!
January 14th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Great tips, Janet! I have been at a plateau hovering between having lost 17-20 lbs.
I need to get back into the losing pattern… Hmm, perhaps being more honest about my points will help. Ha.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I love oatmeal for breakfast, the cooked kind. The instant in a package has way too much sugar. I eat oatmeal almost every day for breakfast, especially in the fall and winter.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Excellent advice. Making sure you get some protein with a carb and you’ll stay full longer, too.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
#5 is SO true! I started doing that a while ago and I’m actually surprised how much is left when I do this!
January 14th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Hey You!!!
I thought we lost Thirsday thirteen I couldn’t find it anywhere!
This is a great list. Especially the one about measuring items and getting used to portions.
Here is a good snack…homemade hummus with celery. The crunchiness replaces chips for me at least. It’s a good tv snack. And the fiber in the garbonzo beans is awesome!
You inspire me…!!!
Here is my Tt list:
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2009/01/make-it-rain-13-songs-about-money.html
January 14th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Those are great! I love the eating out of a box rule.
I would add that water is your friend. I used to drink a glass of water before I did anything…snack, eat, or exercise.
Happy Wednesday
January 14th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Oh very good tips! I’m going to use them in my quest to be the biggest loser. I mean win the biggest loser.
January 14th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Those are all good.
Oh won’t it be great if we have puppies again this year?
January 14th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
if you don’t really love it, don’t eat it … that’s an EXCELLENT (and new) one for me!
January 14th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Excellent listy-poo!
January 14th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
This list is good advice for me too Janet.
I will have my TT up later.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
i am so bad with the salad dressing. i completely pour it on. this past year i started to plan a couple of recipes i wanted to make a week and make my grocery list accordingly. going to the market has actually become a pleasant activity instead of a dreaded chore.
i really like your list.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:54 am
A wonderful list! Tonight was spaghetti night. I piled my plate with lettuces, then added 1/2 cup of cooked noodles and topped it with homemade spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle on some parmesan cheese, add green beans on the side, and it’s a yummy meal!
I just wish all meals were that easy.
January 15th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Good points! Don’t forget the gum diet. Chew it when you want a good jaw work out without calories.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:16 am
Excellent list – I really need to focus a lot more on 4, 12 and 13!
January 15th, 2009 at 7:24 am
I love the last one! The main way I diet is to thoroughly enjoy what I eat–take small bites and savor them–and then to stop eating when I’m no longer hungry. (which is a different thing from eating until I feel full, or, worse, stuffed.) I’ve also been making it a point to eat a piece of fruit with every meal.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Great tips. I’m not a breakfast person, but I’ve been forcing myself to eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning. It seems to stop my from picking during the day. Happy T13!
January 15th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Hi!
I really like your TT 13!! All of them are great ideas! Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!!
Sherrie
January 15th, 2009 at 11:49 am
These are really great tips! Especially the last one. Our leader last night was telling us that we shouldn’t eat something unless we’re going to enjoy it.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
What a wonderful list. Thanks for sharing!
January 15th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
5. Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You’ll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.
that one? goes into effect immediately!
January 15th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Number 8 is very important. The only time I have succeeded in modifying my diet is when I remember to always eat breakfast.
I never thought of #5, but it sounds like a great idea.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
One day I decided to count the calories I eat just normally. It wasn’t really a normal day because I had a mild bender on peanut butter candy, but it wasn’t to unusual for me. Over 3,000 calories! Yikes.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Some excellent tips. I never eat salad dressing and it makes me mad that Olive Garden automatically adds it unless you remember to ask for it without or on the side. I don’t chips very often, either, but admit I am bad and often grab the entire bag instead of merely a bowlful.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
All are excellent suggestions … most of them I’ve made into ‘habits’ over my tenure as a Weight Watcher ;–)
Hugs and blessings,
January 15th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Wonderful tips!! I love #13 the best…I have found that if I have the munchies I will just snack, but I have used #13 as a rule for a while! Love it!
Congrats on your weight loss!! And thanks for keeping the TT alive!!
January 15th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I love reading your thirteens and this one I really loved. I didn’t make any resolutions but I really AM trying to eat better and more wisely…and hopefully drop some pounds in the process. I think I can definitely use these. My favorite is number 11!!! A good idea. I am going to start that tomorrow.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Excellent advice. I think I’ll call “dealing with the laundry” exercise. Perhaps I get to it, then.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
All such great tips, and they are all ones that I was doing to some degree before I kind fell off the path. Still, they are all simple enough to adopt slowly and to get right back on. Every little bit helps, and eating healthier does not have to be miserable at all! Love this post.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Another tip, eat more times, but less portions. I eat about 5 times a day, but in smaller portions because you’re never that hungry when your last meal wasn’t very long ago. This way your stomach gets smaller because you don’t fill it up too much, and you won’t feel as hungry as if you ate small portions only 3 times a day either.
January 16th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Great tips. I lost over 40 lbs in 8 months by following a good many of these.
January 16th, 2009 at 12:23 am
All very true. I follow most of them – except for that bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups – I refuse to give up ALL vices for God’s sake!!!!
January 16th, 2009 at 9:29 am
good words to live by. May I add, “slow down and thank God before meals.”
January 16th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
These are great realistic tips
You’re doing so awesome with the weight loss!!
January 16th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Excellent advices.
We eat related to each days climate.
Listening to our bodies voice, not our lust.
And avoid beef, sugar, artificial “low fat” – “no sugar”, beer, chocolate with less than 85% cocoa. etc etc etc.
But no stress.
PS. Take my Friday Fun Challenge
January 16th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Never let yourself get hungry — that’s when the temptation to pig out is out of control!
xx
Anita
January 16th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Don’t eat what you love–too true!
January 17th, 2009 at 10:11 am
what a fantastic idea! Great tips, I’ll definitely keep them in mind.