The Secret to Weight Loss Is Always Being Prepared

For many people, the biggest challenge when losing weight is to have the right foods available at the right time. Often, when the right foods are not available, they reach for something they shouldn’t have, the downward spiral begins and often ends with the person quitting the diet. But there are ways to be prepared and prevent this from happening.

Being Prepared Starts As Soon As You Leave The Supermarket

One of the best ways to stay prepared is to portion out the food right after you return from the grocery store. Doing so goes a long way when you have something you can just grab as you run out the door.

You can buy your vegetables in large portions and then chop, peel, and put them in portion sizes in containers. When you keep them in small plastic containers or resealable plastic bags in the refrigerator, they will be ready to use at any time.

You can also break down other packaged foods such as crackers, potato chips, and nuts into smaller containers and store them in your pantry. Of course, you can buy these foods in smaller bags, but that’s usually more expensive.

Fruit is another food that makes a great snack and can easily be divided into appropriate-sized containers. And, if you’re planning to eat a fruit whole, the process is even simpler. All you need to do is wash your fruit as soon as you get home and make it available and easy to grab. As always, convenience is the key!

Some tips for preparing your foods ahead of time are:

•   Wash, peel and chop your produce

•   Store vegetables in portion-sized containers and store in the refrigerator

•   Prepare a large container of different veggies that you can grab and use in your cooking

•   Wash whole fruits and store in a large bowl in the refrigerator

•   Have portion-sized packages of crackers, nuts, and other snacks ready to go in your pantry

When you plan ahead and prepare ahead of time, it will not be as hard to stay on track when you’re rushing out the door in the morning. Best of all, you will save both time and money, and that’s always a big plus.

Stock Up Ahead Of Time When You Know You’ll Be Especially Busy

When you’re shopping, think about what foods will be most convenient, appropriate for your diet, and still fit into your busy schedule. It’s very important that you fill your fridge and pantry with foods that are good for you and are the ones you’ll want to grab.

Some of the possibilities you might like are:

 •  Premeasured nut packs, such as almonds

•   String cheese

•   A piece of whole, fresh fruit

•   Yogurt fruit or veggie dip portioned into containers

 •  Pre-cut veggies like celery and carrots

•   100-calorie packs of snacks

•   Cereals

•   Granola

•   Protein drinks

•   Protein bars

•   Fruit cups

•   Yogurt cups

If the world were perfect, you would have time to sit down with your family to a healthy meal every night. But that’s probably not going to happen, so it’s important to work around your lifestyle and find ways to include healthy foods in your diet.

Luckily, by stocking good, healthy foods in your refrigerator and pantry, it will be much easier to stick with your diet plan. If you have a couple of healthy snacks with you, you won’t be tempted to stop at the drive-through on your way home from work or picking the kids up from school.

And finally, while you might feel indulgent when you have a snack, it’s actually very good for you because it will help you avoid grabbing the wrong foods while you’re waiting for dinner. So, go ahead and snack happily, you are not allowing yourself to become too hungry to make good decisions all day long.