Last week: 437 lbs.

This week: 437 lbs.

Total lost in 2020: 10 lbs.

—

A friend of mine who is a seasonal resident of Keene Valley recently emailed me a list of helpful eating tips from losing weight and getting healthy and said it was OK to share these with my readers. I love these!

—

EATING HABITS

-Eat on a schedule and not in between; I try for 7, 1, 7.

– Plan your day of meals ahead.

– Try not to have food in the house that isn’t good for you.

– Savor every bite. Eat slowly. Taste.

– If you think you are hungry and it’s not meal time yet, tackle a task that will distract you and before you know it, you are eating late and can tick something off the to do list.

– Long stretches without eating are good (mini-fasts).

– If there is something that might encourage a gorge, keep it out of sight.

– Divide your meal in half in a restaurant when it comes and take it home

– Share entrees with someone you eat with and get your own salad.

– Pack breakfasts, lunches, or dinners ahead if you are working or going to out of the house for a meal. Reheat oatmeal (old-fashioned, no sugar) and some berries for breakfast. Try fruit and nuts with unsweetened Greek yogurt or cottage cheese as a healthy fill me up.

– Don’t shop when hungry. Order groceries, i.e. Peapod, to stay out of the supermarket.

– It’s OK to eat something unhealthy once in a while. Then walk.

– Try Lose It! Or an app that you can count calories on, not forever, but just to be more self-aware.

– Get a physical once a year to check your weight and blood numbers.

– You don’t need to weigh yourself often if you measure by the fit of your clothes. The goal is health, not a specific weight number.

—

FOODS

– Drink first when you think you are hungry. You might just be thirsty.

– Drink lots of water and herbal tea.

– Stay away from processed foods. Think of food as fuel and plan accordingly.

– Don’t waste calories on fruit juice. Eat the fruit and get the fiber, too.

– Be sure to get enough protein, avoiding red meat. Chicken (no skin) and fish are good. Try beans, quinoa, other grains for protein.

– Eat little or no bread, starches, sweets and just a bit of fat, preferably olive oil.

– If you must eat after dinner, try diet chocolate pudding cups or a controlled number of nuts. Or both.

– High glycemic sugars aren’t healthy, but for a treat, freeze grapes in a cup or plastic bag. Takes a long time to eat.

– Add chia seeds and flax to low fat Greek unsweetened yogurt, then add fruit and some nuts. It’s a healthy meal, or in a small portion, good before working out or as a dessert or snack.

– Salad dressing should be on the side with just a drop drizzled on and mixed in. Or use lemon juice as dressing. A salad isn’t healthy if it’s loaded with dressing.

– Go for bulk, with fruits and vegetables.

– You really can be happy with smaller portions!

– Use pepper and other spices; avoid salt.

– Avoid caffeine. Carry herbal tea bags.

– Eat carrot sticks (so sweet and crunchy) at cocktail parties.

– Plan meals that work for you, then repeat them to make it easier. But, too much repetition can lead to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, so think about taking a multivitamin.