Tools and Tips

Everything that you read on this website is my own personal experiences or contributions from other visitors. If you wish to follow any of the things that you read on this website, you do so at your own risk. I do not make any claims or guarantees that you will lose weight or become healthier. The links below are links to pages that I found to be interesting and informative on my own personal journey. I make no claims as to the usefulness of these sites on your own personal weight loss journey. Please draw your own conclusions about each of the websites and tips below.

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LINKS:
Canada Food Guide
Food guides, weight loss, scientific data, hunger, yo-yo dieting, etc
A Self-Regulation Program for Maintenance of Weight Loss
Lots of great info about healthy eating, recipes, etc.
Google Runner

Weight Loss Tips that I use

1. I use non-stick cooking spray rather than oil whenever I can.
2. I use flavoured non-stick cooking oil on pasta. Not only does it flavour the pasta slightly but it also keeps it from sticking together and drying out.
3. I tell friends and family, prior to attending an event that I am trying to lose some weight and would appreciate it if they could have on hand some healthy chooses for me to choose from.
4. When I order pasta in a restaurant, I know that the portion that comes in the bowl, in general, is considered to be about 4 portions of pasta.
5. I opt for lower-calorie, reduced-salt, and lower-sugar versions of the original when I can.
6. I pay attention to the serving size on labels. In general, manufacturers try to keep it even but there can be discrepancies. Take for example; one might say the serving size is two slices, while the other brand might say that the serving size is one slice.
7. Eating at a restaurant? I look at the portion I received and if I see that it is huge, I immediately ask the waiter or waitress to half the portion and doggy bag it.
8. If I’m having a meal with sauce, I often have the sauce on the side in a bowl and just dip my fork in it. I still get the sauce flavour but reduce the amount of sauce I intake.
9. I talk a lot during meals. It takes about 20 minutes for my brain to register that I am full, according to research that I have read so I figure if I talk a lot, it will slow down my intake and allow my brain to catch up with what I ate.
10. I don’t eliminate fats completely. I still need some fat for my cells and it aids in the absorption of some vitamins and nutrients. I just watch out to intake healthy fats in a reasonable quantity.
11. I make small changes. As I’ve said, in a day, it may not make that much of a difference but over a whole year, it’s a completely different story.
12. I don’t allow myself to get hungry. I know that losing weight is not about starving. It is about making healthier choices. I do eat a small healthy snack between meals. It helps me come to the table for meals, already feeling fuller.
13. I drink mainly water. However, if I opt for juice, I reduce the sugar content by pouring half a glass and I top it off with cold water.
14. I realistically know that losing weight will not make everything in my life perfect. It will only make me healthier and it will make it easier for me to do the things physically that I wish to do.
15. I know what foods are triggers for me to overeat. So, I save those for my “free day” but portion them ahead of time in a quantity that I believe is reasonable so that I won’t overdo it.
16. Low fat doesn’t mean low-calorie nor low-sugar.
17. I prefer lean meats to cheese because the fat content is usually lower in the lean meats than the cheese, for a portion of the same size.
18. If I do have cheese, I try to have the skim-milk versions.
19. I use low-fat broth instead of butter in many recipes, like mashed potatoes.
20. In most recipes that call for butter or oil, I’ve halved the amount and still had good results.
21. I add flavour to recipes by adding a variety of vegetables, herbs or spices.
22. I substitute with low-fat milk whenever possible.
23. I use two egg whites instead of a whole egg in recipes. Sometimes, it changes the texture a bit but I can live with that.
24. I learned the hard way that a sugar substitutes bakes a lot faster than sugar.
25. I use common sense when making food choices. I know that more vegetables is better for me than more meat.
26. To avoid the salt in breading, try low-salt breading or crush no-salt dry cereal in the food processor instead.
27. For an alternative to pasta, try serving your favourite pasta sauce over baked patatoes instead.
28. Really craving a sweet? Try a banana dipped in Nestle's cocoa powder (not baking cocoa).