by J.D.G.

Created on: January 19, 2009   Last Updated: December 03, 2009

I lost 15 pounds in about one month by changing the way I shop for groceries. By following a few simple steps I was able to gain a new awareness for what I was putting into my body, lower my grocery bill, and develop a fool-proof plan of action for grocery shopping.

So what did I do to achieve these grocery goals painlessly?

1. Plan the menu and grocery list for the week.

My days of last-minute grocery shopping trips are a thing of the past. Now, I sit down during the week, and plan the meals, and the grocery list. This allows me to not only organize what foods we'll be eating for the next week, but it also allows me to appropriately proportion the food that we will have in the house.

With proper meal planning, I know how much chicken I will need to buy in order to create two full meals. This could be two dinners, packed with small meat portions, moderate whole grain servings, and a large group of vegetables. Or it could mean a chicken-based dinner and a chicken salad lunch.

When I started planning the family lunches, the results were even more exciting. The weight was dropping off, and we had an extra $100 in the account that month, thanks to skipping the fast food. Skipping the fast food combo in lieu of a bowl of homemade vegetable soup was definitely a helpful boost towards my health goals. Planning lunches is also relatively easy since these are foods that can be made ahead of time, or a great way to use up delicious leftovers from the previous night's dinner.

2. I grocery shop on a full stomach.
I love sweets and snack foods - it verges on junk food worship! I have also noticed that when I am hungry, I tend to load up on these quick and tasty treats as I grocery shop. By the time I get to the check out line, my basket is 50% "real food" and 50% junk.

So, instead of grocery shopping Friday night after work, I make my weekly grocery trip after a meal. After dinner on Wednesday nights work great for me - I am full from my recent meal and the store is not too crowded. A less crowded grocery store means less lingering which, in turn, means less time to load up on processed snacks.

3. Stick to your grocery list.
Okay, I know, this is not always possible to do. Believe me, there has been more than one occasion when something has caught my eye, and I couldn't resist making an impulse purchase. The trick is to limit these impulse grocery buys. A treat or two every week is great, just don't go overboard.

I write out my grocery list as I pull together the menu for

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