Start with a Plan!

Reducing what you eat takes a little planning! These are my recommended first steps!

Firstly work out a pattern of meals that suits. 

Some find that a big healthy breakfast reduces big meals later in the day. Most people find three balanced meals, two smaller ones and one main meal is usually enough. Decide what works best for you, you may be very close to a routine that will work already.

Reduce your calorie intake by reducing fats and alcohol. Both are energy dense (high in calories) and they simply fail to keep hunger away for long. Choose complex carbohydrates particularly fiber like beans, peas, lentils, starchy vegetables and fruits, instead of simple carbohydrates like refined sugars in soft drinks, candy, baked goods, jams, jelly, and especially fast food.

Reduce your portion size by choosing a smaller plate, it tends to give you the impression that you are eating more. Start by always adding your fresh foods first like, fruits vegetables, lean protein, nuts and seeds before grabbing any grains, breads, cereals, pastas and baked goods. By doing this you assure your body has a nutrient dense meal and will help in any spike in insulin you may get from the man made carbohydrates that taste so good.


Eating 5 helpings of fruit and veggies a day really does help to keep your weight under control and healthy. They hold most of the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that our bodies need to fight off disease so remember to provide enough of them to eat. I like keeping fruits for my snacks throughout the day and having my vegetables with my meals, it assures my body the nutrition it needs while taking care of my sweet tooth (yes, I am a sucker for sweets too).

Don't think that you can’t eat out or have celebration meals. In Fact I encourage them! They keep you sane and allow you to celebrate a goal that’s been accomplished.  Just plan ahead to allow for some calorie indulgence. When you’re there carefully select your meal and eat small portions, it’ll help to avoid any problems of guilt.  Always remember, food chains give bigger and bigger servings now a days, and are packed with calories, so you can always have half of your meal boxed and save it for later.

Any changes aren’t for just days or weeks but for life, a longer and healthier life.

Eating healthier and changing your lifestyle.

Start thinking about the whole picture, don't just say 'I should do something!' ACT NOW and do something small today! Planning.

Majority of dietitians and fitness experts all agree that planning is VITAL to success!

• You should plan in advance how changes can be achieved, think about the structure of your life and your preferred lifestyle.
• If it is not compatible with a realistic lifestyle, experience shows us that you simply won’t sustain the changes.
• It’s usually possible to find a solution that’ll work well for you with pre-planning. We’re all creatures of habit, make sure the habits are good ones! 

Keep a regular monthly check on your weight. By adjusting exercise and eating levels you can maintain your weight within the 3-5 lb range. 


Increasing your energy output

• Experience tells us that regular exercise is a vital component of any healthy lifestyle. Very few of us manage to keep to our lower weight unless we take part in regular exercise. 
  Exercise helps the energy balance, improves heart and lung function, and reduces self-pity, boredom and snacking time. 
• The higher the exercise level the better, but when it comes to starting out even walking or cycling rather than using cars or motorbikes, and using the stairs instead of lifts helps. I believe any adjustment is better than none.

 How to keep to a healthier diet

The first thing we need is to think about is that the change is not for just days or weeks but for life, a longer healthier life. Making small positive changes over time will help you achieve a much healthier life, it'll also be easier to maintain a good weight and keep fit and active.

Step 1: have a plan 
Plan in advance how it can be achieved within the framework of the preferred lifestyle. 
If it is not compatible with a realistic lifestyle, experience shows it will not be sustained. It is usually possible to find a compatible solution with pre-planning. We are all creatures of habit, right? So, evaluate yours and then hold onto your good habits and throw out the bad ones. Be realistic and never be too hard on yourself, stress is the leading free radical builder in your body and that will only make your job harder.

Tomorrow we will talk about making a Blue Print that will be Personalized to your life that can be used as soon as that day.