17 ways to make your "diet" easier

1. Say Good Bye to Soft Drinks
→ every diet soft drink consumed each day could increase your risk of being overweight by 65% (says American Dietetic Association)
→ instead of pop sip on plain or sparkling water with lemon added for flavor

2. Eat Like Clockwork
→ women who eat erratically consume more calories and burn them less quickly than those who have six regular small meals each day.
→ don't go more than 3 or 4 hours without eating something.

3. Become a Teat-Totaler
→ green tea not only has half the caffeine of coffee but also contains catechins, which may boost your metabolism

4. Dust off the Grapefruit Diet
→ eating 3 servings of grapefruit a day (either half of a whole one or a cup of juice) for 12 weeks could help you lose just over 3 lbs. (It helps to lower insulin levels which can contribute to weight loss by reducing appetite and encourage fat burning)

5. Pack in the Protein
→ doubling up on protein could help you eat less without feeling hungry.
→ make sure a thrid of your meal is protein.

6. Shop Around, Literally
→ the center aisles of grocery stores are loaded with the highly processes, sugary and fatty foods.
→ the first couple of outer aisles is where you will find all the fresh produce, meat, dairy and seafood.

7. Buy To-Go Veggies
→ most of the veggies in your fridge should be as easy to pop in your mouth as potato chips which means they should be precut and prewashed.

8. Get Some Sleep
→ getting 7-8 hours of sleep will help prevent further weight gain.
→ when you are sleep-deprived your body produces more stress hormones whcih may increase your appetite.

9. Shop From a List
→ never go to the store without a list. This will prevent the majority, if not all, impulse buys and NEVER shop when you are hungry!

10. Stock Up on Frozen Shrimp

→ I have to pass on this one for myself but I can do it for my family.
→ shrimp has about a third of the calories of chicken adnd half the calories of sirloin so having it on hand is great for tossing into stir-fries, pastas, salads or snacking on with cocktail sauce.

11. Count to 100

→ I guess those snack sized packages of treats do come in handy for keeping track of calories eaten. Remember, the smaller the portion the less you will end up eating.

12. Look What Brown Can Do For You
→ avoid highly refined and processed foods and try to incorporate brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat breads and bran cereals.

13. Have a V8 While You Cook
→ Instead of snacking on "taste tests" while you cook, sip on a V8 or chew gum.

14. Switch to Salsa
→ instead of sour cream on your baked potato spoon on the salsa. Try it on salmon, chicken or veggies.

15. Brush it Off
→ brush your teeth or rinse your mouth right after you eat a meal or a snack to get rid of that urge to keep nibbling. (it's a psycholigical and a physical thing)

16. Name that Craving
→ isntead of eating until you get the right food you are craving, try figuring out if you are craving sweet, salty, smooth, crunchy and gear your snacking to the right craving.

17. Fill Your Glass
→ keeping a positive attitude can help you to eat the right types of foods and exercising as well. So keep youg glass full (not half full) and keep a positive outlook.