5 Simple Tricks to Help You Reach & Maintain Your Happy Weight

​1. ​PLAN FOR YOUR SUCCESS EACH WEEK!  There's no way around it.  If you have a weight loss goal or you want to maintain a healthy weight, you must plan for your success!  I take some time at the beginning of each week to look at my schedule for the week ahead, and plan my meals accordingly.  If Wednesday is crazy, I plan a crockpot meal.  If I am going to an evening event and don't know the food situation, I prep some healthy food or leftovers to take with me just in case.  If I'm going to be home late due to kids' sports activities, I plan a quick and easy meal for that night with items that are prepped and ready.  Know what your potential "hitches" are in that week, plan your meals and strategies, and make a shopping list.  This whole planning session will take you 30 minutes or less.  It will set you up for success in sustaining healthy habits and a healthy weight!

2. BE MINDFUL WHEN YOU SHOP.  You have done your planning and have your list in hand.  Stick to your list and be mindful when you shop.  Are you consistently pulled into the frozen dessert aisle?  Are there certain foods that are "triggers" for you, unhealthy foods that you could easily overeat?  Pause, take a breath, look at your list, and stick to it.  We often shop and grab these trigger foods or junk foods in an unconscious state, victim to the impulses that have controlled us.  Bring a mindful approach to your shopping and see how much easier it is to choose foods that support your health and wellbeing!

​3.  USE A SMALLER PLATE FOR DINNER.  I once saw an experiment conducted by an 11 year old boy.  He was on a weight loss mission, and he was curious about a relationship between the amount of food you eat and the size of your plate.  He decided to conduct an experiment.  He invited 14 friends to his house and divided them into 2 groups.  His dad prepared a ton of food.  The 2 groups sat at different tables and all were told that they could eat as much as they wanted.  However, one group had big plates while the other group had small plates.  None of the kids were aware of the experiment or the difference in plate size.  At the end of the meal, all the kids said they were plenty full.  It turned out that the group with the small plates ate 74% less food! Small tweaks like this to your eating environment can make a big difference.  Provided you have fueled your body well  during the day, eating a bit less at dinner will help you sleep more soundly and awake feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

​4.  BE YOUR OWN DETECTIVE.  Read labels,  Understand your habits and triggers.  Know roughly how many grams of ADDED SUGAR you are eating per day and get that number down as close to zero as you reasonably can. 

​5.  USE THE 3 BITE RULE.  Complete deprivation has never worked for me.  When it comes to having a sweet treat, instead of struggling with "should I or shouldn't I", I use a trick I call the "3 bite rule".  I eat and enjoy 3 bites of that treat.  Then I put the rest away or I pass it on to someone else. 

​Implement at least one of these tricks and take a step toward better health and enjoying a happy body weight! 
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