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We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again because it is the most important piece of nutrition advice you will ever hear: if it’s in your house it’s in your mouth.  It rhymes, it’s catchy, it’s simple, and like all things worth doing it is easier said than done.

Investing your energy into saying no to yourself at the grocery store is like money invested in a high performing mutual fund – it has exponential returns! Whereas the same energy invested in fighting with yourself over how many chips to eat from the pantry is like investing by putting cash in your dresser – it’s losing value all of the time.

As we approach the end of year and many of us are thinking about our weight and how to take care of ourselves better in the upcoming year. Here are 2 tips for your grocery shopping that will help you with your weight loss goals:

1. Make a simple meal plan. Most women don’t plan what to eat because they’ve been sold the idea that a meal plan needs to be a complicated, color-coded ordeal. The good news is that the easiest possible meal plan (that still gives you some direction) will work best for you.

For example, a breakfast meal plan is most useful when it sounds like this: I like fat-free Greek yogurt with some berries (frozen so I don’t have to worry about them going bad), and some crunch (a tablespoon of slivered almonds, or 1⁄2 cup of Kashi)… and, if I feel short on time I will make a protein shake I can drink while rushing to my first errand….then write it down!!

Here is mine for the week:
Breakfast: yogurt/kashi or shake
Lunch: open turkey sandwich or egg whites and English muffin
Dinner: frozen butter chicken

Then I create my grocery list based on what I need for the above which takes me to point #2…..

2. Shop With List and a Budget. The folks who run grocery stores are excellent marketers. They know that every minute you spend in their store will lead to you spending an additional $1.50 on high-calorie, impulse items with the highest margins.

Having a list and a limit on how much you are going to spend helps keep the treats out of your cart. Having a list also helps prevent unnecessary returns to the store and prevents food waste.

You have 2 options here: 1) Go to store with your list and just enough cash, or 2) order ahead and just go pick it up. When you shop with plastic and no plan you spend 15-20% more which translates into eating at least 15-20% more calories. AH!!

Happy Planning!

PS – You might like to check out 4 Meal Planning Ideas

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