33 Ways for moms to lose weight

Losing weight is the top New Year’s resolution every year. Resolve to make 2010 the last time you pledge to lose weight. These simple tips will jumpstart your healthy living goals so you don’t have to make the same resolution again next year!

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Our 33 easy tips will help you make the life changes that will help you lose the weight — and keep it off!

Focus

1. “When we eat on the run, we don’t realize how much we’re eating,” says life coach Diana Fletcher. Sit down to eat. “Make each bite a conscious decision,”
   says RN and wellness coach Laura Crooks.
2. Do you snack when you read the newspaper or check your email? “Pay attention to your eating,” says Melissa McCreery, psychologist and founder of TooMuchOnHerPlate.com. “Commit
   to only eating food on a plate, sitting down, and giving it 100 percent of your attention.”
3. And not just any plate… Color therapist Elizabeth Harper says red- and yellow-based colors promote speedy consumption and encourage ravenous appetites. “One of the best
   ways to utilize color in your diet,” says Harper, “is to use blue plates. Blue decreases appetite and makes you feel full faster.”
4. Interior designer Natalia Smith suggests buying new, smaller plates. Your plate will look fuller even though you’re consuming less. “With time,” says Smith, “this
   translates to a pain-free portion-control lifestyle.”
5. Prenatal/postpartum health and fitness expert Helen Byrne, recommends 80/20 rules: Make each serving 20 percent of what you would normally have, and eat until you feel just 80 percent
   full.  It’s okay to leave food on your plate!
6. Don’t skip meals! To regulate appetite and increase metabolism, “Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day,” encourages exercise instructor and mom Cathy Kinder.

You are what you eat

7. Stacey Hawkins, TV’s Time Savor Gourmet, encourages moms to take 10 minutes to decide what’s for dinner this week. Plan ahead, stock your pantry with staples, and memorize
   a few foolproof recipes.
8. Keep healthful foods readily available, recommends registered dietician and personal trainer Erin Palinski. Cut up fruits and veggies as soon as you buy them so they’re always ready to
   eat. Stock up on yogurt, popcorn, sugar-free gelatin and other low-cal foods, too.
9. Leave the kids’ food alone, warns Crooks. No more tasting mac and cheese from the stove, eating grilled cheese crusts, and finishing half-eaten hot dogs.
10. Reduce carbs. Sugary, starchy foods provide a quick energy boost but leave you feeling sluggish in the long run. Eating too many refined carbs “can result in unstable blood sugar,
    frequent hunger, lack of satisfaction and preoccupation with food,” says Stephanie Robinson of Atkins.
11. Eat high-protein, low-carb nuts to help control your appetite.
12. Include fresh whole grains, vegetables and lean protein at every meal, recommends triathlon coach Andrew Kalley.
13. “Reject fad diets and trendy plans,” advises strength and conditioning specialist Charla McMillian. “They’re short-lived, won’t provide proper nutrition, and
    can’t be sustained for life.”

For more tips, read: 15 Ways to curb your cravings with 50 calories or less.

Water is an underappreciated weight loss tool

14. Drink more water, advises emotional eating expert Tricia Greaves. People often mistake thirst for hunger.
15. Water is filling. Kinder suggests drinking a glass before every meal.
16. If you find water boring, try “flavored, no-sugar-added water to refresh yourself without carbs,” says Robinson.
17. “Cut the extra fancy coffee,” says Kinder, “to save calories and money.”
18. Ditch soda. It’s high in calories and sodium. If you crave carbonation, try sparkling water “or make your own soda,” says Franco, “by adding fruit juice, mint or ginger
    to seltzer.”

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