1. Pack your lunch. Save calories and cash with this tip! You control not only what you eat but also how much. Portion sizes and calorie content are astronomical in most restaurants. Pack a Flat Out wrap with low sodium turkey, spinach, your favorite veggies and a light Laughing Cow cheese wedge. Add a small baggie of carrots and you are looking at a cheap, healthy alternative to lunch!
2. Fit in exercise where you can. We hardly have time to sleep much less work out which may be true but is still an excuse. Try fitting in exercise throughout the day in unconventional ways. Take the stairs over the elevator, walk rather than take the bus or train. Do sit-ups during the commercial breaks. 50 calories burned here and there add up!
3. Snack your way through the day. Always keep healthy snacks with you. A handful of nuts or a piece of fruit at 10am will keep you from binging at noon. It will also keep your metabolism going which helps you burn calories faster.
4. Drink up! Sometimes we mistake hunger for thirst due to dehydration. Try carrying a bottle of water around with you all day. I also find that drinking a bottle of water before lunch and dinner helps to take the edge off if I’m really hungry preventing me from over eating.
5. Trick…. With all the fun holidays coming up prepare yourself for the deliciously sinful treats that come with it! Trick your taste buds by choosing a sweet fruit or low fat/low calorie treat that allow you to indulge without going overboard.
6. Or Treat! Also remember to treat yourself from time to time with something “real”. If you deny yourself certain foods they become impossible to resist and often lead to a binge. Allow yourself one “real” piece of candy or slice of pie but limit yourself to once a week.
7. Enjoy Fall Fare. Fall is full of great healthy food. Find some healthy recipes that incorporate pumpkin, apples, and squash. Apple spiced tea is also a great way to keep hydrated, keep hunger at bay, and keep warm!
8. FALL into a new routine. The best way to get consistent exercise is to plan and make it fun. Join a gym that offers fun classes and pack a bag everyday that you bring to work (or class) with you. Try something new with friends or your significant other. I went to open skating this weekend, broke a sweat and had a great time!
9. Do Unto Others….It is so easy to be consumed with stress in today’s fast paced world that we often forget to be sympathetic, understanding and patient. Do something nice for someone for no good reason. Give the bum a dollar or smile and ask the grocery cashier how his or her day is going. You wouldn’t believe how great it feels just to radiant positive vibes on total strangers. Mental health is just as important as your physical health!
10. Veggie lover. Begin to become conscious of incorporating at least one vegetable into every meal, or better yet, replace a starchy processed carb with a nutritious veggie dish. It will become easier the more you do it and veggies will actually start to taste better than that processed, fatty crap you call macaroni.
