The Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that people who made small, potentially permanent changes in their lives every week lost twice as much belly fat, more inches, and four times more weight over a 4-month study than those who went the traditional diet/exercise route. The theory is that the incremental changes tend to be easier to adapt to your life over the long-haul, rather than an all-or-nothing diet that you see as having a beginning and an end.
I had a DUH! moment not too long ago. It was so ridiculously obvious it was ashamed to be in the same vicinity of an AHA! moment.
It occurred to me I could eat half an English muffin. I didn’t have to eat the whole thing. Duh. And it would save me money at the grocery store. Double Duh!
Maybe some of these ideas you already know, but maybe some will be Aha! or even Duh! moments for you. In no particular order …
• Leftovers from last night’s salad can go into your scrambled eggs in the morning even if they’re not technically on your menu. I won’t tattle on you because vegetables don’t add many calories and they’re good for you.
• If you look at your menu for lunch today but you’re not in the mood for what you planned, feel free to make yesterday’s menu again. Or if you ended up with dinner leftovers, eat those. Meals should be easy navigation through your day, not something to agonize over.
• Eat one extra serving of fruits or vegetables today.
• Stop drinking your calories. Even 100 extra calories a day from your soda, juice, sweetened coffee or tea can pile on 10 pounds over the course of a year. Instead drink water. If you want to flavor it, slice some cucumbers or lemons into it.
• If your skinless chicken dries out when you cook it, remove the skin after you cook it.
• Keep a food journal of every single morsel that passes your lips. It’s a combination reality check and plain ‘ol self-awareness. “Hmm, instead of rinsing my kids plates, I finish their dinner leftovers every night … What?! I just ate an hour ago?? … I did not eat one single vegetable today.” You get the idea.
There are lots more … Parts One, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten
Which will you try first? Which will you never try? Which do you already do?