Losing Weight Without Losing Food

June 30, 2008 by Tammy

eating healthy and losing weight So you think you’d like to try a diet. You read many books and researched facts online until you think you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. You don’t. When many people try to lose weight they seek a dieting program which forces them to give up many of their favorite foods and as I’m sure many of you know (who have tried this before) it rarely works longer than a couple of weeks.

Let’s face it, the will power to deny all foods that sound good to you is more than nearly anyone can deal with. Before long, the few lost pounds sneak back and you’re as miserable as ever. Well the key to losing weight is not deprivation it’s moderation and knowing which foods to keep on hand. Easier said than done at times.

A huge problem for most dieters is snacking. Snacks are those “little” meals in between meals. The problem is that they’re not always so little. The important thing when snacking is to limit yourself to one serving size because let’s face it- that is why they have those labels on the bag. If you enjoy chips, do not eat straight out of the bag. Measure out the healthy amount in a bowl and eat only what you put into the bowl. Another tip is to limit yourself to one small bag of a salty snack per week. Salty snacks can be very bad for your health if you consume too much. If you’re a big fan of popcorn, try the air popped popcorn instead of microwavable kind. It’s a much healthier choice.

Instead of snacking on dried fruits, enjoy some nuts instead (not salted ones, though). You can also indulge in sugar-free applesauce, beef jerky or baked tortilla chips. Also remember that non-fat or low-fat choices are always healthier for you and with low-fat, sometimes you can hardly notice the difference in tastes. For those of you with a sweet tooth, do not try to deprive yourself of candy simply limit your stomach to one miniature sized version of a candy daily.

Losing weight doesn’t mean that you can never have another slice of cake again. Dieting doesn’t have to be a pain in the gut. Weight loss doesn’t have to be that agonizing resolution you make every January! With the right foods at hand and the right mindset in hand, you too can slim down!