The first rule of shopping when you”re trying to lose weight is to shop with a list. This is extremely important, because you don”t want to fall prey to the natural instincts of wanting to grab those cookies that are there on that special display at the end of aisle four. Stick to that list faithfully, too.
Plan before you shop. Of course! If you didn”t plan, how could you have the list, right? You need to decide what your meals are going to be and what ingredients you will need to prepare them. Be sure to include portion sizes when planning your meals.
Don”t just plan for dinners. Remember, you will be eating several smaller meals per day, so include all the meals in your agenda.
When you first start shopping for your weight loss trip, it might be a good idea to take along someone to keep you in check as you stroll the aisles. This needs to be someone who knows your struggles with weight loss and who can support this journey with you.
They need to be your shopping police, so don”t blame them if they take those cookies back out of your cart. Remember, you want their support, so don”t blame them. Give them permission to keep you focused. You may also want to involve them in the planning process as well so they have a better idea of what exactly you are trying to accomplish.
We can”t stress this next point enough: EAT BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING! It”s a well known fact that if you are hungry when you go to the grocery store, you will be more prone to making impulse purchases that aren”t good for you because it sounds so yummy!
Learn how to read labels. As we”ve said before, you have to avoid products that have ingredients that will be bad for your diet. Look at the fat content, the sugar content, the salt content, etc. Be sure that you are buying weight friendly foods that you will be able to eat and not have to worry about when they”re in your cupboard.
Avoid convenience foods. Even though they are easy to fix and taste pretty good, these types of foods often contain additional calories, fats, and carbohydrates that you just don”t need. If you find yourself drawn to the diet dinners in the frozen food section, be sure to read the ingredients before you buy!
You will always be better off if you prepare your meals yourself. That means plan to cook from scratch. If you think you don”t have the time, think again. Many recipes take 30 minutes or less to prepare.
When you cook your own meals, you will have complete control over what you put into your food (salt, sugar, etc.) plus they will taste a lot better than convenience foods.
While it may seem painfully obvious, we can”t stress enough — don”t buy foods with empty calories. Those foods include chips, cookies, candy, etc. You don”t need the temptation, and they provide absolutely NO nutritional value for you at all, so avoid them like the plague!
No matter how good you eat, you will have to exercise in order to lose weight.
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