Are you sabotaging your weight loss efforts?

I see it all the time. Someone has decided to get healthier or lose weight, but the food choices they are making are counterproductive and won’t produce the results they hope for!

To you all get started on the right foot, I put together this list of tips for eating healthy.

1. Eat! Don’t skip meals and don’t start eating super small meals. Your body needs food for fuel. If you don’t eat enough, your body won’t burn calories. Be careful not to consistently drop below 1200 calories a day.

2. Be careful with your salads! Go easy on the cheese, croutons, fried onions, candied nuts and dressings. These all add extra calories and fats to your “healthy” meal.

3. Watch your portions! Losing weight is about calories in versus calories out. And remember you can overeat on “healthy” foods. Use an app like MyFitness Pal or Lose it! to track your food intake. At the very least, keep a written food diary.

4. Eat vegetables that haven’t been cooking in butter! If you are eating out, ask for steamed vegetables or be sure to ask for vegetables without butter. If you’re cooking, try roasting your vegetables (with a little olive oil), steaming them, stir frying/sauteing them (also in a little olive oil) or cooking them in a crock pot.

5. Eat fresh and/or frozen fruits and vegetables when possible. Avoid fruits in syrup and if you opt for canned vegetables, try rinsing them to get rid of some of the sodium.

6. Don’t depend on “diet foods.” Eat a diet of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and whole grain carbs.

7. Switch to whole wheat breads/tortillas, brown rice, quinoa and sweet potatoes. In other words, avoid the white stuff!!

8. Enjoy a cheat meal occasionally. A cheat meal is a great idea and actually helps people stay on track. A cheat day is not the same thing.

9. Prepare your own meals as much as possible. You lose control over what is in your food when you eat out, but if you must try to make healthy choices and substitute for healthier options if necessary. Similarly, you give away control when you opt for prepackaged foods.

10. Realize that it is a process. It’s totally ok to ease your way into your new lifestyle. Making a drastic change is usually overwhelming and makes people less likely to stick to it.   

I hope that helps those of you who are just starting! What other questions do you have?

Veterans - what advice do you have for people that are just changing their eating habits?

If you are interested in joining one of my challenge groups for more support and guidance, email spandex.sportsbras@gmail.com for more information & to get started!