How to lose weight and keep it off

This  week my husband saw an interesting slide show on MSN health and fitness, 35 simple tips to help you lose weight and keep it off too!   They have some great suggestions.   Their focus: We're not talking about drastic measures here, but quick and easy changes you can make in your daily life to help you achieve your weight loss goals.  If you want to see all 35 tips, click the link.  Here are a few they highlighted:   

1.  Don’t give up your favorite foods – how often do you hear someone say, “I ate a cookie and blew my diet.”  Nonsense, as Joyce Meyer says, “eat the cookie”.  But don’t eat the whole box.  MSN recommends limiting the number of times you eat your favorite or junk food to once a week and eat less of it than you normally do.  
2.  Opt for Whole grains – so many people forgo the whole grains when they are such a healthy addition to your diet.  My relatives are now into Ezekiel bread, a whole grain bread and quite nutritious.  But there are many whole grains, oatmeal, Cheerios, brown rice, whole grain crackers, even Sun Chips.  At Chipotle?  Choose the brown rice.  Find some whole grains you enjoy and add them to your diet every day.  Whole grains not only provide many more nutrients than refined grains, whole grains have fiber which fills you up.  
3. Dark Chocolate – not a lot of dark chocolate but a small piece can cut your appetite.  
4. Water, Not Soda-  sugared soda is loaded with empty calories and all that added sugar.  Drink some water before meals to help feel fuller before you eat.  Drink plain water, sparkling water or unsweetened tea.   
5. Healthier snacks – give up the junk food and enjoy some healthier snacks like a handful of nuts, apple slices with peanut butter, hummus and veggies.  
6. Use nonstick pans or PAM – to reduce the calories from oils or butter you use to cook foods.  Or limit the oil, such as a teaspoon or tablespoon of Olive Oil.  
7. Read the Food Label – look for the amount of fat, amount of saturated fat and calories.  You can’t tell how much sugar is added though by the “sugars”.  You have to look at the ingredients to see if sugar has been added to the food.  If sugar is the first ingredient (like Froot Loops), it isn’t a healthy choice.   
8. Treat yourself, but not with food – find some ways to treat yourself to keep you motivated.  Time out with friends to a movie, a game.   
9. Stay Active – less sitting, more moving.  Although MSN stated exercise at least 3 times a week, if you want to keep the weight off, find a way to exercise every day.  
10. Load up on Veggies – fill your plate with many veggies – very healthy and low in calories as long as the veggie isn’t French fries.  Avoid fried veggies and focus on steamed. 

Try some of these tips this week.  Share them with your friends.
 Sources:   35 simple tips to help you lose weight and keep it off too!  Gourmandize articleImage source:  Ezekiel bread