5 Tips to Help Beat the Battle of the Bulge

Toss Out Temptation – Before you start your diet program, go through your pantry, fridge, and freezer and toss out the forbidden foods.  If it’s not staring you in the face, the odds are you won’t want it.  If you have family members that will throw a fit if you throw out their favorite snack food, make them keep that food in their room if it’s nonperishable.  If it is perishable, buy the smallest quantity available, one serving portions if possible.  Put their name on it with a magic marker and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge where you won’t see it.

Water Works and Not Just in Your Glass – Make sure you drink your 8 to 10 glasses daily but also be aware of water that’s in food.  If you have a choice between a vegetable chocked full of water, like salad greens or one that’s on the starchy side like fresh corn, go for the water stuffed one.  Water consumption flushes out toxins and helps you feel more energetic.

Cave into Carbs – The closer your diet is to normal eating the easier it will be to stick to.  Giving up a class of foods entirely may be too difficult to maintain after the ‘diet’ is over and you return to normal eating patterns.  Carbs aren’t necessarily evil if you stick with whole grain products and decrease your consumption of processed refined foods.  Fats are required for healthy body functions.  Make sure you keep the fats unsaturated and don’t overdo.  Choose olive oil over butter for example.

Portions are Important—Read the label on the foods you eat to learn what a portion or serving size is.  Fast food restaurants especially are notorious for super size portions way beyond what is required.  A serving of fruit means ½ cup of berries, or a small whole piece of fruit.  A serving of vegetables, other than leafy greens is ½ cup as well.  A serving of greens is 1 cup.  A slice of bread is a serving.  A cup of pasta is a serving, but only ½ cup of white rice. Protein, as in fish, chicken, pork, or beef is 4 ounces, about the size of a deck of playing cards.

Get Back on the Wagon Immediately – Everyone has a tendency to slip up and have that extra cookie, bag of chips or serving of ice cream, now and again.  Forgive yourself but don’t use it as an excuse to trash the entire day’s worth of dieting.  You have the choice to get right back on the wagon.  So don’t wait.