What’s the Best Way to Lose Weight? Revamp Your Grocery List!

Redefining your approach to food is the best way to lose weight—and of course, that starts at the grocery store. Our best intentions to eat healthy can go awry at the supermarket, where we’re pressed for time and overwhelmed by our options. All we can think about is getting in and getting out… and the same old junk ends up in our shopping cart, wheeling us further away from our body shaping goals. The benefits of making a grocery store game plan are twofold: It’s a handy checklist to help you remember all the items you need for a healthier diet. But the real reason it’s the best way to lose weight is that it involves making a list. Just like tracking exercise, creating a shopping list will keep you accountable and committed to buying the right foods—and strolling right past the wrong ones. Ready to hit the aisles? Here's what to add to, and cross off, your shopping list. With a few tweaks to the contents of your cart, you’ll soon be crossing off the pounds, too—effortlessly. Energizing Breakfasts Frozen waffles and white bread are common breakfast fallbacks, but they have little nutritional value. In fact, waffles are loaded with sugar before you drown them with maple syrup. Cereals, too—even a lot of the “healthy” cereals—are high in sugar and sodium. It’s time to break out of your breakfast rut. Ditch the "empty" foods and stock up on filling, nutritious items that’ll keep you soaring all the way ’til lunch. Cross Out: White bread and waffles, sugary cereals, donuts and Pop Tarts. Add: Eggs, fruit, low-fat cheese, yogurt, and whole grain bread or oatmeal. Waist-Slimming Lunches and Dinners Getting it in a store instead of through a window doesn’t make it healthy. You will make huge strides toward your IdealShape just by steering clear of the frozen entrée section (typically in the middle of the store). Cross Out: Processed and frozen foods. Add: Produce, whole grains (pasta, bread, cereal), beans and meats—for simple lunch sandwiches and fresh, homemade dinners like veggie pizza, fajitas and pasta. Health-Boosting Desserts Believe it or not, “healthy desserts” isn't always an oxymoron! If you tend to have a post-dinner sweet tooth, skip desserts exploding with calories and go for fruit, which is naturally sweet and contains antioxidants and other nutrients your body needs. Cross Out: Ice cream, cake and cookies. Add: Apple wedges with peanut butter, pears with cinnamon, bananas with a dab of melted dark chocolate, or fruit smoothies made with calcium-rich low-fat dairy. Metabolism-Activating Snacks Having 5-6 small meals a day is the trick to jumpstarting your metabolism. A few of those daily meals can be nothing more than a healthy snack to satisfy your midday cravings. Cross Out: Crackers, chips and other foods high in trans fat. Add: Nuts, fruit and granola. Don’t forget to stock up on the right snacks to fuel your workout, too! The Most Important Thing on Your Shopping List If you add only one thing to your grocery list, make it VARIETY. Often ignored, it's the most important part of a healthy, balanced diet—ensuring you get all the nutrients you need, and keeping your food approach fresh and fun. Next time you hit the store, see how many natural colors, flavors, textures and aromas you can put in your basket. Note: Nutrition is only one part of the body shaping picture. The best way to lose weight will always be a three-pronged approach: nutrition, exercise and mindset. The IdealShape eBook covers all three. It also contains a full nutrition plan crafted for IdealShape by a registered dietician, and includes printable charts, recipes, meal plans, metabolism-boosting tips and a list of the best foods for targeted, lifelong fitness. Related Posts: Battling America’s Biggest Addiction Caffeine: Good or Bad for Slimming Down? Lose Weight Fast by Loving What You Eat