This week I have watched January kick off the month of resolutions specifically in the area of weight loss. I really never thought of myself as a weight loss expert in fact I was kind of a professional weight gainer. If you needed to know how to gain 10lbs while looking like you were a healthy eater, I was your girl, but what a difference six months make!
This week I had a representative come by and tell me that she was going to lose weight this year. Just as she was about to drop off a fattening batch of microwave movie popcorn with butter, she looked at me and another girl then glanced at the nutritional information and realized this is not really a healthy option. At that point, I made a suggestion instead of giving out fattening popcorn, why not hand out oranges and have a little card that said “Orange you glad you chose X Company.” She was pretty excited about that idea and I was pretty excited about getting some fruit.
In addition to throwing out healthy marketing ideas, I guess I am now the Junk Food Contraband Czar. As I was training someone at work, she mentioned she had started Weight Watchers as she was munching on some chocolate. I was like “where are you getting this chocolate from?” She opened this drawer full of candy and stuff. I was like “oh no this is not going to work” and she ask me to get rid of it. I said to her “it is easy for me to throw this away in your trash can, but you can still get to it since it is pre-wrapped,” so I threw it away in someone else’s trashcan. You may go through your own trash, but you probably will not go through someone else’s.
So how do you eliminate “the junk in your trunk”, and kick off your weight loss success? Here are 5 tips that I can give to reduce “the junk in the trunk” and that special drawer you have on the side:
- Be honest with yourself, clean out “the drawer.” Get all the junk food and throw it away! If you are anything like me – throw it out when the trashcan is really nasty or better yet use the bathroom trashcan- that usually oozes nasty. Replace the junk with healthy choices, almonds, fruits, string cheese or veggies.
- Buy fruits and veggies as opposed to prepackaged candy and chips. Needing something sweet? Grab an apple or a banana. One of my favorite snacks is a chopped up apple with 2 slices of turkey bacon- yum and easy (2 of my favorite words) Wanting a banana split? Try this- slice a banana, add some strawberries, and some fresh pineapple, throw a little bit of vanilla yogurt on top (Yoplait Delights are awesome). Take a bit of sugar free syrup (teaspoon) and place in a bowl with 4 almonds chopped- can you say yum and easy?
- Bring your lunch. Avoid eating out when possible… you can have that big mac or you could have a turkey sandwich on wheat, with some sliced cucumbers and sea salt. if you eat out choose wisely- chicken sandwich and side salad!
- Plan your meals for the week. I eat a salad at every lunch with my main meal since half my meal should consist of veggies. Helpful Tip- at the beginning of the week I pre-make my salads in plastic containers, they are there for me to grab and go. I pre-wash my fruit- I do not have to think about the snack not being easy; it is done and done.
- Say no! If someone is trying to give you something that is just not on your meal plan, politely decline. The intention of the gift is not to set you up for failure– it is to be generous. When you say “no” explain “why.” That person will remember your goal and next time you may get a healthy snack. Biblically speaking, you have not because you ask not.
I had another weight loss this week and I am inching along to my goal. I have more clothes to give away which is kind of sad because I really liked some of the stuff I am having to get rid of this week–lots of sparkle, but as Scarlett O’Hara said ” After all… tomorrow is another day.”
