Out of sight, out of mind, right? This expression is a good one, and it can be applied to dieting. By keeping certain foods out of sight and reach in your kitchen, then you will be less likely to think about them or consume them.
So to support your weight loss efforts, you will want to keep trigger and binge foods off the shelves. But, let's back up a step and think about how you stock your home with food. It all starts at the grocery store.
Like anything else in life, you will have more success in shopping wisely at the supermarket if you employ a few tactics. Below are some tips for how to keep yourself from impulse buying foods that will sabotage your efforts to lose weight.
* Make a detailed list of items you need before you go.
A man on a mission is focused and does not stray from his course. The same can be the case for you when you go to the grocery store. If you plan ahead and make a list of the healthy, sensible items you need, then you are armed to do battle. Simply go to the store, and focus on drilling down this list. Make it a goal to stick to that list. As you focus on the task at hand, you will have less room to let your eye stray to the candy aisle.
* Avoid the junk food aisles if at all possible.
Speaking of the candy aisle, avoid this place at all costs! When you go to the grocery store, you will notice that certain aisles are like land mines for dieters. If you walk near them, your will power may implode! The good news is that these aisles can typically be completely avoided. Junk foods like candy and cookies like to hang out together. So you can give them the complete blow off by skipping their location.
* Carefully read nutrional labels.
Most foods have nutrional labels that provide calorie content, and breakdowns of fat, protein, carbohydrates and other things. Read these labels very carefully, and be sure to pay attention to the number of serving sizes in the package. If that number is three, for example, you will need to multiply the calories by three to get the total amount in that package or container. Try to select lower fat and calorie items.
* Select diet-friendly items.
Many items are more diet-friendly than others. If you are looking at creamers, for example, you will be wise to select the fat-free ones over the full-fat versions. In the frozen food section, there are numerous varieties of lower calorie entrees, such as Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice brands. There are light versions of almost anything these days, whether it be potato chips, ice cream or soda.
* Do not shop when you are hungry.
This tip is the number one rule that you must not violate. Do not ever grocery shop when you are hungry because you are asking for trouble! When your stomach is hungry, your ability to think clearly can be dimmed. The impulse to grab everything in sight, including foods you do not want on your kitchen shelves, may take over if you are in this weakened state.
* Take someone shopping with you.
If you are having major problems avoiding the trigger foods, then consider grocery shopping with a friend or family member. That way, you cannot sneak certain items in your basket that are not weight-loss friendly. Shopping with someone can make you more accountable. People put on weight typically when sneaking food, and they often buy this food in secret, too.
* Spend plenty of time in the produce section.
When you are trying to lose weight, the produce section of the supermarket is an oasis. Spend some time browsing here, so you can enjoy carefully selecting the assortment of vegetables and fruits that hopefully are mainstays in your diet.
* Read magazines while in the checkout line.
Instead of being tempted by the wide array of candy bars often on display in the checkout line, put your nose in a tabloid magazine. Reading celebrity gossip for a few minutes is far safer for your diet than fantasizing about that Snickers bar.
In conclusion, following these tactics at the supermarket can help protect you from impulse buys of trigger foods, and encourage you to stock up on the kinds of foods you need. When your kitchen is void of the bad foods, and they are well out of sight, your mind should be somewhat freed from thinking about them as well.