OK so more than half of the USA will vow to loose weight this year and then by the second month give up doing it....well I am trying to help fix that issue by giving you a healthy list of snacks that will keep you from over-eating so it may not be as HARD to keep off those extra pounds. Here's the tricks of the trade:
1) Guarantee Success: How long do you think you can stick to your New Years plan? Find a duration that you're 100% confident you can achieve, even it it's just a couple of days. Once you make that your goal date, start the process over, this establishes the notion that you can be successful, but also gives you a chance to start noticing that eating better makes you feel better reinforcing your desire to continue.
2) Find More Motivation: If your diet's only purpose is to help you finally achieve six-pack abs, it may be hard to stick with the long haul. The solution? Provide yourself with additional motivators. Monitor migraines, heartburn, acne, canker sores and sleep quality along with common measures of cardivascular health. Discovering that your new diet improves the quality of your life and health can be a powerful motivation.
3) Don't Dweel on Mistakes: OK, you over-indulged. What's the next step? Robert Dinero's famous, "Forget about it" quote comes to mind. One meal doesn't define your diet, so don't assume that you've failed or fallen off the wagon if you "cheat" with a meal one day that week. Simply make up for it for the rest of the week by eating 5 healthy meals and snacks. That ensures that you'll be eating right more than 80% of the time.
4) Eat Breakfast: I can't stress to you how important this is, yet it's still one of the top skipped meals of the day. This is the ONLY one that actually matters for your entire day. Consider that if you sleep for 6-8 hours and then skip breakfast, your body is essentially running on fumes by the time you get to work. And that sends you desperately seeking sugar, which is easy to find. The most convenient foods are usually packed with sugar (candy bars, soda), or other fast-digesting carbs (cookies & chips). Which leads to out next strategy.
5) Install Food Regulators: It's time for a regime change. Clean out your cupboard and fridge, then restock them with almonds and other nuts, cheese, fruit and veggies as well as canned tuna, chicken and salmon. And do the same at work. By eliminating snacks that don't match your diet and then providing plenty that do, you're far less likely to go to buy fast-food or any junk for that matter.
6) Think Like a Biochemist: It's true! They make all-natural cookies, but even if the cookie is made from organic cane juice (hippie name for sugar), it's still junk food. Be careful and read the labels! Ditto lots of "health foods" in the granola isle, that's because hippie sweeteners raise your blood sugar just like the common white stuff.
7) Recognize Hunger: Have a craving for sweets, even though you ate just an hour ago? Imagine eating a large sizzling steak instead. If you're truly hungry, the steak will sound good, and you should eat. If it doesn't sound good, your brain is playing tricks on you. Change your environment, which can be easy as doing 15 pushups, or finding a different task to focus on.
