Texas Lap Band Surgeons Talk With You

Here are some easy (but clever, although I can’t take credit for them) ideas to make losing weight easier!

1) Frozen Grapes: the next time you’ve got a sweet tooth that just won’t let go, try reaching for some frozen grapes instead.  Since they’re frozen solid, you can’t eat too many of them, too quickly, and if you pick nice ripe juicy fruit, they’ll be super sweet like a little piece of popsicle.

2) Nobody’s perfect, get rid of the temptations: go right now and stare at your pantry shelves.  Do you have “chips for my kids to snack on” and “my spouse’s favorite cookies” filling up your space?  They simply need to go.  If the tempting food is in your house, you will eat it, nobody is strong enough to ignore yummy easily accessible things.  Keep your kitchen filled with healthy diet-friendly foods, not junk.

3) If you can’t trust your stomach, trust your eyes:  If you’re still new to the feeling of being full after eating a certain amount of food, use your eyes to guide you instead.  Look at your hand – that’s about how much you should be eating (from the tips of your fingers to the joining of your hand and wrist).  The palm part should be the size of your protein portion, the finger portion the size of your fruit/veggies/carbs.  Alternatively you can use a saucer or small salad plate to guide how much you should eat at a meal instead of relying on how you feel.

4) Reward yourself: always set goals, both short term and long term.  Short term goals (like I’ll lose two pounds by next week) and long term goals (I want to lose 6 clothing sizes by Easter) are both important to keep you motivated and on track.  But when you reach your goals, you should reward yourself – a pedicure for short term goals, maybe a vacation or expensive piece of clothing for big goals.

5) Don’t shop hungry: go the grocery store with a pre-written list and stick to it.  If you shop when you’re hungry, you’ll end up buying all kinds of junky, attractive looking snack foods in addition to the food on your list.  If you have to shop hungry, start in the vegetable aisle and pick up a bag of baby carrots to munch on while you shop.