Things 17-21: Weight Control

I have a constant battle with my weight. I'm always a little heavier than I should be.  I tend to binge on sweets and the pounds creep on. But I have learned a few things that help take the weight off, and help me maintain my weight in between holidays.

Thing #17. Drink water.

On a very basic level, water fills you up so you eat less. But there are other advantages that have little to do with weight control. According to WebMD, drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids (our bodies are 60 percent water, don’t you know), helps energize your muscles, and helps your kidneys function properly.

Thing #18. Eat an apple a day.

It keeps the doctor away and all that. But it’s also high in fiber, so it fills you up.

Thing #19. Make a large salad and eat on it for several days.

 I enjoy salad, but it takes so much effort to put together. But if there is a large bowl of salad already made, I’ll grab some for lunch, or make it a large part of my dinner. You may prefer to have several dishes of different salad ingredients ready to go rather than having it all tossed together. Either way is a huge time saver and will encourage you to eat more fresh veggies.

Thing #20. Eat vegetables only for one meal a day—salad, or steamed.

Very similar to tip #19, this tip encourages you to make veggies your entire meal once a day—or more. Or set aside one day a week to eat only veggies. Stick to low starch veggies to get the best weight loss benefit. (I have to be careful not to overdo the corn, peas, and lima beans. I love them all.)

Thing #21. Make a small change.

If you need to adjust your eating habits—or any other habit—decide on one thing you can do this week that will send you in the right direction. Then next week, or maybe the week after, make another change. Don’t try to fix everything all at one.

What will be your healthy eating change for this week?