We all know that weight loss does not just happen without a plan. However, many of us choose drastic measures instead of making small changes to our existing lifestyle.  While drastic diets do work in the short run, most of us probably have a personal story of how they failed miserably in the end because they did not ever really develop a weight loss mindset for the long haul. Here are 5 eating habits that yield lasting weight results.

After I got started, I realized that all ten would constitute a particularly long post, so instead, I am writing a two-part series.

1.Replace sugared beverages with water or unsweetened tea.

The term “soft drink” refers to any beverage with added sugar or other sweetener, and includes soda, fruit punch, lemonade and other “ades,” sweetened powdered drinks, and sports and energy drinks. People who drink sugary beverages do not feel as full as if they had eaten the same calories from solid food, and studies show that people consuming sugary beverages don’t compensate for their high caloric content by eating less food.

Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, Nutrition Website

A 12 ounce can of coke contains 39 grams of sugar and 149 calories, while a Snapple Lemon iced tea has 23 grams of sugar and 100 calories. Compare these numbers with the American Heart Association’s recommendation of no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar for women (25g) and 9 teaspoons for men (37.5g) per day. This really gives you a better idea of the sugar content in just one serving of a sugary drink.

we seldom count our drinks toward our daily food intake.
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Essentially, the primary issue with sugar is that it has zero nutritional value. So, when you waste 150 calories on a sugary drink, your body receives absolutely no nutritional benefit. What’s more, we seldom count our drinks toward our daily food intake. Whereas, we may consciously cut back on something during the day because we ate a donut for breakfast, we are far less likely to even consider the calories from a beverage.

However, if you pass on the sugary drink, you then have 150 calories to spend on a food choice that will actually satisfy your hunger and fuel your body. Bottom line, save the calories for food.

One reason I often go for unsweetened tea is for the caffeine source. Since I don’t drink coffee, tea is my primary source of caffeine.  Although, there are those who would suggest banning caffeine from your diet as well, that is not a step I am ready to take at this point in my life journey. I guess it’s just an issue of picking your life battles.

2. Use the “three bite rule” when eating sweets.

Most of us have a sweet tooth. Just one stroll down the grocery store aisle attests to that. Couple this with the fact that every main holiday or celebration comes with its own celebratory confection. Unless you are one of those rare individuals who doesn’t really care for sweets, you are always going to be tempted to indulge. So, stop trying to ban all sugar from your life. Instead, take it from the realm of indulgence to that of enjoyment.

The “three bite rule” has been around a long time and it works on a simple principle. The first bite of a rich, decadent dessert is heaven to the taste buds and the second bite is usually just as stimulating as the first. But, by the third bite, your taste buds have grown accustomed to the taste, so the food begins to lose it’s initial appeal.

Calorie wise, three bites seldom pack enough punch to derail your daily calorie expenditure.
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For sake of illustration,  a piece of classic cheese cake from the Cheesecake Factory is 710 calories. It is safe to say that three good bites would be about 170 calories. So, you can see how this technique works well to keep the calories in check, because calorie wise, three bites seldom pack enough punch to derail your daily calorie expenditure.

Even so, remember that you can only do the “three bite rule” once in a day. Also, some desserts are so treacherous that three bites could pack quite a calorie wallop. I found a dessert on the Cheesecake Factory menu called Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake that rolled in at a hefty 1680 calories. Um, those gold standard desserts should be reserved for very special occasions.

3. Pass on chips at lunch and add a slice of cheese to your sandwich instead.

In this instance, it is not only important to consider the calorie-count of a particular food, but also the quality of those calories. In the case of chips, a snack-size bag of Lay’s classic potato chips has 220 calories and 14 fat grams, which is 25% of the daily fat allowance.

On the other hand, a slice of chedder has about 120 calories and 10 grams of fat, but it also has 7 grams of protein that will help satisfy your hunger for much longer. Also, this choice has some nutritional benefit.

You may be thinking, “Wouldn’t it be better to pass on the cheese as well?” A simple answer to that, in terms of fat and calories, is yes. But, successfully navigating food choices for the long-haul involves a give and take. Ultimately, the slice of cheese adds a level of richness to a food while still lending some nutritional value.

There are also other cheese choices that are equally satisfying with fewer fat calories,  like provolone or feta.

4. Eat sandwiches and burgers with only one bun instead of two.

This is a big one for me because I have always been a huge bread lover. I couldn’t envision a life without bread at all, so instead I decided to put some limits on it instead.

The main problem with bread, especially the white bread in your typical hamburger bun, is that it is classified as a simple carbohydrate. Now, the human body relies on carbohydrates for energy. When you eat carbohydrates, the body breaks them down to create glucose or blood sugar.

as far as your body is concerned, your hamburger bun might as well be a cupcake
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The problem with simple carbohydrates is that they also contain sugar. This means that once your body extracts the energy it needs, it reads white bread almost identically to pure unadulterated sugar. As far as your body is concerned, your hamburger bun might as well be a cupcake, because it breaks down and processes simple carbohydrates and sugars in the same way.

By limiting half of your bread serving , you lower the carbohydrate level and proportionately increase the protein level of a meal.

5. Plan to always have a mid-afternoon snack.

I want you to consider hunger as the arch enemy of informed food choices. Plainly put, you just can’t get your head screwed on straight when you are hungry. This is the time when you slip up and wreck all the progress you have made throughout the day by rushing to eat the first food in sight.

You need to actively plan for a mid-afternoon snack. Your body will need fuel, and unless you plan ahead, you are left with two unappealing options. Either you suffer through the afternoon with the negative effects of rapidly dropping blood sugar or you head to the vending machine to purchase a high-calorie snack.

Preparation is the key to mindful eating. Purchase a variety of high-fiber snacks to have on hand at all times. Then, set a time to have a snack BEFORE you actually feel hungry. Typically,  the best time for snacking is a few hours after lunch.

There you have the first five habits to yield lasting weight results. Why don’t you give them a try this week and then I’ll be back next week with five more.

Just remember, I am in this with you. Everything that I mention or suggest on this site has worked successfully for me and has yielded big results. I am confident these steps can do the same for you.

~ Shellie

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At one time or another, we have all daydreamed about some unattainable item or situation. Unfortunately, many people give up on weight loss as a reachable goal and relegate it to the realm of dreams or wishful thinking because they establish such unrealistic expectations. We never really develop a weight loss mindset to lose weight for good. Do you have realistic expectations for your weight loss?

Sports cars are often big “wish list” items. Above, you seea picture of the 918 Porsche Spyder. The sleek structure of the Porsche bears a striking resemblance to the body of a fitness model.

For the sake of argument, I did a little research on the sports car.

A 918 Porsche Spyder costs $845,000.00 plus a $2,975.00 deliveryfee. At 6%, the sales tax would be $50,878.50. This brings the total to $898,853.50. According to CNN Money, the average American household has a median income of $53,891.00. So, an average person can rest in the knowledge that he or she can almost cover the sales tax.

In the end, the reality of you parking that Porsche in your garage is pretty much nil to none. Now, compare this scenario to your weight loss aspirations. Is weight loss on your wish list? The essential problem with wish lists is that they seldom come with an action plan. Do you have realistic expectations for your weight loss? Are your weight loss goals realistically attainable or are they more in the realm of a shiny sportscar in your garage?

Just like the dream of an uber-expensive sportscar, our expectations and dreams of weight loss can become so unrealistic that we unconsciously shelve them away on our wish list of impossibilities.

Evaluate Your Expectations: Are You Willing To Make The Trade-offs To Have Your Dream Body?

To what level are you willing to abstain from certain foods for the physical trade-off? How much are really willing to invest in your ideal body and keep investing to keep it? The fitness models in most of the inspiration pictures you have pinned on Pinterest have made significant trade-offs. Livestrong.com explains the typical body composition of a fitness model.

The body fat percentage rate for fitness models is low compared to a normal, or healthy range of body fat. According to the American Council of Exercise, it falls slightly above the range of “essential fat” necessary for bodily functions, which is 10 to 13 percent for women and 2 to 5 percent for men. A fitness model’s low body fat can still affect the healthy functions of the body, including a woman’s reproductive functions…

To maintain this body type, fitness models maintain a daily regimen of exercise, diet and nutrition supplements. Many practice “extreme” weight-loss methods, such as water restriction, crash dieting and purging as they prepare for an upcoming shoot or appearance. These practices are inherently unhealthy and should not be an example of how to lose weight or maintain a fit and healthy body weight.

Source:  livestrong.com

Those rock-hard abs and chiseled physiques are forged by hours of exercise and strictly maintained diets. Except in rare cases of extremely good genetics, people who achieve those types of results have made conscious decisions to give up large categories of foods in exchange for peak physical results.

Realistic Expectations For Your Weight Loss

Are you willing to place certain foods off-limits for the rest of your life to attain your dream body?
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Are you that type of person? Are you realistically willing to place certain foods off-limits for the rest of your life to attain these types of results? If you can answer yes, then go for it! The high-fiber, low-fat, veggie-rich regime that you will need to adopt as normal and commonplace in your life should definitely lead to a svelte, healthier you.

However, if you cannot picture yourself making drastic changes to your diet for the long haul, then it’s time to reevaluate your expectations. Consider making some changes that you can actually sustain.

Ideas For Sustainable Changes To Your Eating Routine

1. Replace sugared beverages with water or unsweetened tea.
2. Use the “three bite rule” when eating sweets.
3. Pass on chips at lunch and add a slice of cheese to your sandwich instead.
4. Eat sandwiches and burgers with only one bun instead of two.
5. Plan to always have a mid-afternoon snack.
6. Switch to olive oil mayo for prepared salads, but do not exceed 2 tablespoons. Add mustard and yogurt to make your dressing.
7. Pass on mayo for all prepared sandwiches. Choose mustard instead.
8. Stop eating any snack directly from the bag.
9. If you need fries, determine the number you will eat before putting even one in your mouth. Remove the rest from reach.
10. If you need ice cream,  eat only one- half cup and then add a sliced banana.

These are just a few examples of small, doable changes that can yield real results. On my next two posts I will break down each of these changes to explain why they are significant.

Will making these changes give you rock hard, sculpted abs?…maybe not. But would you still be satisfied with a trimmer, healthier you minus the cut muscles? If you would, then consider culling out some of those “motivational” images that may actually be harming your efforts instead of helping them.

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You can lose weight over the holidays! That is something that I would have thought inconceivable at one time in my life, but I now realize that the issue of weight is something all of us can actually come to terms with. What’s more, I believe that weight loss is possible at any age. But first, it takes a point of decision.

Pictures really don’t lie. I looked at photo of myself and was stunned by what I saw. When had I allowed myself to gain so much weight? Quite frankly, I was aware of the number that had been staring up at me from the dreaded platform of uncertainty that sits in the corner of my bathroom floor. But somehow, I had convinced myself that a woman of “my age” should expect her weight to steadily increase.

After all, I had tried, unsuccessfully, to lose weight on two separate occasions that Fall. Both times I launched out with drive and determination only to give up when the scale did not reward my Herculean efforts like I thought it should. Despite those failed attempts, that picture brought on mental plans of the new diet I would launch, yet again, at the dawn of the New Year.

Lose Weight Over The Holidays

Obviously, it would be inconceivable to consider cutting back when the holiday season was just around the corner. That’s when it hit me! I wasn’t in charge of my body or my choices about food. Sometime in my past I had ceded control of my eating to the pleasure of food and the taste of food. After all, no one can resist the draw of rich holiday foods, right?

That day was November 16, 2014, and I decided then and there that something had to change. I didn’t make an elaborate plan, nor did I go on a swan song binge before I hit the miserable diet road. I just made a decision that from that day on I was making the choices, conscious choices,  about the food I ate. It was time to find out what was behind my life-long roller-coaster ride with food. I wasn’t just going to treat the symptomatic weight like I had always done in the past. This time, I was going to explore my thinking about food and try to get a handle on it once and for all.

After that decision, I lost ten pounds over Thanksgiving,  Christmas and New Years! Oh, and did I mention that I was 47 years old? Yes, a middle-aged woman actually lost weight over the holiday season, which most of you would agree is close to miraculous in itself.

However, over the course of this weight journey I have come the conclusion that weight loss is attainable at any age and that’s why I blogged about it for a year and then finally put everything into a book, Find Your Weigh.

I know there is a lot of expert advice out there. I have read countless websites and blogs written by dieticians, doctors and ripped personal trainers. Undoubtedly,  their advice and insights can be extremely helpful. But sometimes, it just helps to talk to a normal, everyday woman who is walking the same path as you are.  I hope you will join me on this weight journey, whether through my weight loss archive  or my book, Find Your Weigh.  We all need a good dose of inspiration,  encouragement, enlightenment and empathy.

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