Making New Year’s resolutions is a lot easier than keeping them. If you’re having trouble with that promise to yourself to lose weight, Cōpare Coach and Certified Nutritionist Vanessa Spiller says you’re not alone.
1) Eat all day to lose weight.
Many people think weight loss is all about eating less. But to lose weight and keep it off, you actually HAVE to eat continuously throughout the day. It keeps the furnace burning. It may seem contradictory, but you never want to go 3-4 hours without eating if you want to shred fat. To do that, Coach Vanessa recommends a “5-Alive Bag”. Every day, pack a bag of five pre-portioned healthy snacks to eat throughout the day.
For example, your 5-Alive Bag could include greek yogurt, a protein shake, an apple, a cheese stick, and hard-boiled eggs. You’ll want to portion everything out so you don’t have to think about it at the moment and can easily stay on track.
2) Never eat without a fork.
If you are grabbing snacks and eating with your hands, you’re likely not being mindful of your food choices. Always eat with a fork in hand and put it down between each bite.
Even better, hold your fork in the opposite hand. So, if you’re right-handed, hold the fork in your left hand and vice versa. That will force you to eat slower and pay more attention to what you are eating, so you will end up eating less.
3) Never eat standing up.
We all fall victim to mealtime multitasking. Whether you’re standing at a party next to the snack table or nibbling while you are cooking dinner—distracted eating often leads to overeating. Make it a goal to never eat while standing up. Before each meal, sit down, take a deep breath and focus on the food in front of you. You’ll enjoy it more and will end up making much healthier choices.
4) Use small plates and bowls.
One of the main culprits of weight gain is overeating. And it’s no wonder since it’s so easy to overpack your plate. The bigger the plate, the bigger the meal. Use a smaller plate or bowl to easily cut back on portion sizes. Worst case scenario, you just go back for a small helping of seconds.
5) Drink hard liquor.
If you choose to drink, stick to hard liquor like vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and bourbon. Hard liquor has fewer carbs than beer and less sugar than wine. For example, compare 1.5 oz of vodka, which contains 0 carbs, with a 12 oz beer containing around 10 g of carbs. That makes a big difference if you’re trying to lose weight. Plus, you tend to drink hard liquor slower than beer or wine, so you’ll likely consume less overall. Also, if you need a mixer, choose low-sugar and low-calorie drinks like soda water.
