Lightweight Eats

Here are four tips to keep you on track in February.

1. Eat more of the good stuff. 

For me, that meant eating bigger meals--the healthiest food I eat all day. That kept me from snacking on peanut butter and chocolate chips. For you it might mean replacing chips with fresh fruit, or adding an extra serving of vegetables to lunch and dinner.

2. Stop buying the bad stuff.

Once you're full of good-for-you foods, it will be easier to stop putting cookies, chips and crackers in your grocery cart. If you need snacks, there are plenty of healthful options: nuts, fruit, carrots, whole wheat toast, etc. If you don't do the grocery shopping, communicate your needs to whomever does shop. 

3. Sleep more. 

If you're looking to make yourself miserable, hungry and tired is guaranteed to work. There is a lot of research on sleep deprivation and all of it points to weight gain. My baseline need is 8 hours, and I add an extra minute per night for every weekly mile. That usually puts me around 9.5-10 hours a night!

4. Get hungry. 

Being hungry is uncomfortable, but it makes eating much more satisfying. Learn to wait until your stomach is empty before eating. I'm not talking about "I want to eat" hungry; I'm talking about stomach growling hungry.

Those are the four things I do every day to stay on track without logging every calorie in and out. It may take you more than a week to develop each habit, so feel free to jncorporate one a month or one per quarter. There is no deadline to being healthier.