Tag: healthy habit 5

Do Not Eat Any Sweets or Drink Alcoholic Beverages

This is hard for some and easy for others. This is hard for me. I have a sweet tooth and I enjoy my wine. It is also a game changer for me and the extra few pounds I want to take off and keep off.

Bottom line, many sweets and alcoholic beverages can significantly add to your total daily caloric intake. Reducing the intake of these foods can dramatically contribute to a caloric deficit.

Diet drinks, diet desserts, soda, fruit drinks, frozen yogurt, frappacinos, cookies, cakes, ice cream, candy, you know the drill- anything sugary, high in calories, and without any natural nutrition counts as a sweet. Diet desserts are also included due to the fake sweeteners, preservatives, hydrogenated fats and unrecognizable chemical ingredients they are made with that we’ll talk about more in the upcoming HH8.

Alcohol should be limited because it’s as full of calories as fat, is dehydrating, slows down your metabolism, increases the chance that you may overeat and may make you tired the next day.

This may be where your work starts. I recommend being realistic and with your health goals in mind, may gradual adjustments to your sugar and alcohol. If you tend to have dessert every night, pick three night a week to start and over the next few weeks move to two and one. Same with that glass of wine, beer, or booze. You will feel better and the pounds will follow.

Give it your best. Don’t give up when you have a set-back. Start each day with a focus on what you “get” to have with good health. My hope and goal for you is improved health, strength, endurance, energy and alertness, more patience, lighter attitude and enjoyment of endless fruits, vegetables and delicious healthy food.

No Snacking After Dinner

Hungry or Habit? I usually crave a little something sweet after dinner and eventually I hunt through my pantry, scanning all the shelves for a coveted chocolate, cookie, or candy. If no luck there, the freezer is next! I have a sweet tooth – or that’s my story.

After-dinner and before-bedtime snacking when not hungry can result in consuming pesky unneeded calories. Often this may be due to boredom, habit, stress or tiredness. Try these tips to banish evening cravings and curb after-dinner snacking; and, if you must snack, go for nutritious options.

How to do it?

• Clean out the pantry and get rid of the tempting items. If they aren’t there, the temptation is removed.
• Brush and floss your teeth after dinner. This will make you think twice before eating again.
• Start a project or find an activity to immerse yourself. Get out of the house and take a walk. Take up a craft, read, knit, write, start a puzzle, get off your computer. Time to rewire and rewrite your sweet tooth story!
• Drink a large glass of water. It is incredible how effective this is.
• Go to sleep earlier. You can’t eat when sleeping plus getting adequate sleep enables you to make better food choices and improves your metabolism.

So get out of the frig or pantry and get outside!