10 Secrets to Staying Slim (or Tips on Your Way There)

When you’re trying to lose weight or you’ve lost the weight and trying to keep it off, it’s harder to stick to your diet regimens that you’ve been following especially if they were super strict. Here are some tips that you can incorporate into your lifestyle. I adopted most of them years ago and they were seared into my brain and I still practice them today. They may not seem like much, but I feel like they help me stay on track in the long run.

1. Instead of finding the parking spaces closest to your destination, get the one farthest away from it. If you’re alone, this shouldn’t be a problem, just a few extra steps and if you’re lugging a car filled with groceries, even better. It’s a little bit of exercise, but sometimes a little can go a long way. If you have your kid (or kids) with you, I can understand you not practicing this method with them tagging along, but if you’re by yourself there’s really no excuse. Don’t say you didn’t have time to exercise when the opportunity was right there--by way of a really big parking lot.

2. Instead of looking for chips and candy when you walk into a store, head for the fresh fruits and veggies and grab a mini tray giving you a variety at your disposal. That way, when you get home from work you have something healthy to snack on instead of junk.

3. Writing down everything you eat for a month or two will not only give you an idea of what you’re eating, but it’ll give you a better idea of what you shouldn’t be eating. It’s also a good method to use when you’re trying to figure out exactly how much you eat; speaking from someone who’s practiced this one before, you’ll be surprised at how much you actually consume throughout a day just by grabbing little tidbits every now and again. Those little “snacks” really do tend to end up at the end of the day.

4. Ordering fried foods or desserts when you’re with a bunch of your friends is a good way to narrow down your calories. If you’re craving fries and you’re sharing with your girlfriends, chances are they’ll all be gone before you scarf down five of them. Which is a good thing because that at least satisfies the craving. On a date with your boyfriend? Share the brownie a la mode you were salivating over. That’s the best time for sharing and caring.

5. Chances are if you’ve slimmed down a lot or people see you have some healthy habits they’ve probably come to you and inquired about tips for themselves. Their compliments should give you the boost to keep up the good work and not go back to your piggish ways (or at least make you think twice about those two double Cheeseburgers you were about to order). I’m not saying this will work 100%, but it gives you an incentive to want to stay the way you are.

6. Want to feel fuller faster? Try drinking a bit of mint tea, club soda, or a full glass of water before meals. I’m not saying this is a foolproof method of eating like a bird every single time you try it and there’s a scrumptious meal in front of you, but it’s always worth a shot. And if it didn’t do the trick before dinner, try this both before and after your meals. This really isn’t a bad habit to have when you think about it.

7. Counting the bites of your meal are so 1950. One way to ensure your meal lasts longer so you feel fuller faster is by using a knife and fork when you’re eating. At least you won’t run the risk of your face slamming into your place because you bored yourself to sleep while you were eating.

8. Perception is everything sometimes. In this case, a little trick of the eye maybe just what you need to fool your brain into thinking it’s getting more food than it really it is. What is it? It’s simple actually--use a smaller plate. You can’t pile on as much food and it also makes it seem like there’s a lot more food there than it really is.

9. Only eat when you’re sitting down. We eat while we’re walking, we eat when we’re bent over in the fridge, we eat while we're cooking. When you make the effort to only eat when you’re sitting you’ll end up being more conscience of just how much you’re eating sometimes.

10. Craving candy? Suck on a Blowpop or some other lollipop. It lasts a long time and satisfies your sweet tooth in one fell swoop instead of picking out on a bag of sweets.