In contemporary living, weight control is difficult:
nowadays, the busy and hectic lifestyle demands so much of
your time and energy that you may frequently skip your gym
sessions, or easily grab something in lieu of a proper
nutritional meal on your way to work or on the road.
Dieting is indeed a difficult endeavor. Without dieting,
weight control is even more difficult, if not impossible,
to achieve. Without proper planning, your food and fitness
choices will be more limited, making your dieting difficult
to follow through.
Therefore, to be successful in dieting or weight control,
you should not leave healthy eating to chance. This is
where food planning plays a pivotal role in weight loss.
Planning means taking time to prepare your meals in
advance. Even for snacks, you should get them ready at your
office desk or in your car, so that you will not be
munching cookies or chips. Good food planning takes away
the daily stress, which often contributes to binge eating.
Supermarkets are designed in such a way to entice you to
shop longer and spend more. Some grocery stores' layout
requires you to navigate through aisles of tempting food
items. Good food planning means you shop with a list, so
you would know exactly what to buy - or what <i>not</i> to
buy. You need not browse through different shelves to get
what you want. Never shop when you are hungry. Resist the
temptation of items displayed on the check-out lanes, which
are either sugary or loaded with fat. Always plan ahead in
your grocery shopping to reduce the number of trips to the
supermarket to save you money as well as to help you lose
weight.
Prepare your meals at home rather than eating the packaged
food items, which are often loaded with calories and
chemicals. If you cook your meals yourself, you can make
them healthy and control how much you are going to eat.
This is an important component in any weight-loss program.
Break the habit of eating only certain types of food at a
certain time of day. A bowl of oatmeal can be your lunch
too! If you don't have time to sit down for breakfast, you
can have a turkey sandwich with whole grain bread and some
fresh vegetables both for breakfast and lunch. That saves
you time and hassle.
Planning meals ahead of time (do your planning on weekends)
helps weight control. Decide what you want to eat for the
whole week, and then go to the supermarket to get all the
ingredients you need for the week. Prepare your meals in
advance. Store and freeze your leftovers in individual
containers.
Having food cravings is not uncommon. Prepare yourself for
your cravings for sugary and salty food by planning ahead
and having healthier alternatives available, such as
low-fat soy crisps (120 calories), an apple (80 calories),
and a bag of skittles (250 calories). Always include a
healthy treat into your weight-loss plan, so you would not
feel deprivation or hunger. Plan to have ready-to-eat food
items, such as a bag of baby carrots, strawberries, or
grapes. Plan to have foods which provide some protein,
fiber, and good fats within the 200 and 250 calorie range.
Food planning means you keep a list of healthy foods,
snacks, and meals you enjoy. Plan to have several options
for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Good food
planning provides you with more freedom and variety to make
dieting a joy not a pain.
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Stephen Lau is a researcher and writer. He has recently
published an e-book entitled "YOUNGER AND HEALTHIER FOR
LONGER - A Handbook for Both Men and Women" which focuses
on the physical, the mental, the intellectual, the
emotional, and the spiritual aspects of the SELF to attain
anti-aging and longevity. For more information on how to
become younger and healthier for longer, go to:
http://www.youngerandhealthierforlonger.com
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