5 Must Do’s to Prep for Weight Loss Success

Here’s the list of things I absolutely, 100% cannot have in the house due to my inability to control myself:

• Oreos; the more stuff, the more tempting

• brownies

• M&Ms

• most cookies

I know that if these are in my home, I will eat them. A lot. And with that will come regret, frustration, guilt, and stomach pain. So…I don’t let them come in.

It took a few years for my other half to get on board with this. He’s never had an issue with binge eating, and has always viewed these things as a treat, most times for his boys. I’d see him walk in with a bag of those beautifully stuffed chocolate wafer cookies and have an internal meltdown. I’d spend more time than I care to admit wondering if they were open, wondering when he would open them. Once they were open, the old “grab one or two” each time I go into the kitchen would creep back into my day, until an entire row was gone. By then, the damage was already done…may as well keep going until they’re gone, right?

After a few times of him wondering out loud where all the Oreos had gone and me having to confess that I had eaten them, we agreed that he could just hide the leftovers somewhere. He’s a full foot taller than I am so this should work out really well!

Except that during all my years of single momming, I got really good at climbing up to get to things I couldn’t reach.

So after finding his hiding spots way up high while looking for something else, I explained that this was more than just me being bitchy about the cookies. I straight up begged him to stop bringing that stuff home. There are a LOT of things that I can have in the house, but those just aren’t one of them. It must have finally clicked because I have not seen an Oreo in this house since.

Now, I do all the meal planning and shopping for our family. I thoroughly enjoy it (most of the time). Finding new recipes to try, getting creative with old favorites, and even the actual shopping are sort of therapeutic for me. But if I am being completely honest, and I am, I feel in control when I do these things. Knowing that I’m controlling what’s coming into the house (for the most part) means that I’m controlling what’s going into my mouth, and I feel pretty f*ing powerful when I feel in control.

I very much enjoy the calm this brings to me. My goal is to bring calm about food so that others may start to enjoy the process of nourishing their bodies again. So let’s get on our way, shall we?

1. Decide what the ultimate goal is.

   Are you looking to feel healthier? Lose weight? Clear up your skin? Have a healthier gut? It’s incredibly difficult to prep your kitchen if you don’t know what you’re prepping for. So the first step is to make that decision. Maybe this is a complex goal; lose weight AND have a healthier gut. Cool! Just write that shit down. Underline it. Highlight it. Whatever you need to do, just write it down so that it is crystal clear what we’re trying to accomplish here.

2. Understand WHY this is your ultimate goal.

   So we’ve established that you want to lose weight. Cool. WHY? Common answer: “I hate the way I look”. Okay, neat. WHY? Another layer exposed: “Because I used to feel good in my jeans and now I just wear yoga pants all the time.” Mmhmm…WHY?
   
   The point here is that it is not enough to just say I want to lose weight because I hate the way I look. You have to dig real deep to get to the juicy core of why you hate the way you look.

3. Do an audit of your kitchen.

   It’s time to go through every cupboard, every shelf, every drawer, and PURGE. Get rid of the things that no longer serve you and your goal. If it isn’t there to tempt you, you won’t be tempted. If you can’t bring yourself to toss food, donate what you can.

   This one is a little controversial, as some will say that if you deprive yourself of what you really want, you’ll binge later. But wait, there’s more.

4. Research alternatives to your favorites.

   So, if you’re a person who can practice control when having you’re favorites, that’s great! I still don’t want you to keep them in your house. Force yourself to leave your comfy couch for a craving. I bet 9 times out of 10 you won’t! So when you’re watching a Friends re-run for the 7,421st time at 9:30 at night and you’re already in your sweats, that calling for a pint of triple chocolate death punch hits you, how likely are you to run right out and get it? Yeah, that’s what I thought. And if you do, enjoy it.

   Now, back to reality. Chances are you won’t run out and get it, and you’ll still want chocolate or ice cream or whatever, right? Yep. Here’s where this tip comes in handy; if you research the alternatives for the things you know you’ll be craving and have a plan, your chances of success are far greater than had you just done this all willy-nilly. Planning is key, and having a Plan B (or C and D and E) in your back pocket will come in very handy.

5. Make a list of 3 - 5 meals you make really well and actually enjoy.

   This is how you’ll start your shopping to fill up all those empty shelves. But before you run out and buy all the ingredients for your famous homemade panko crusted 7 cheese mac and cheese, I want you to find a healthier way to prepare these meals. Don’t feel like you have to re-invent completely right away! Maybe the first step to making it healthier is you take out 1 or 2 of the cheeses…or you swap out the enriched pasta for a whole grain or (gasp!) alternative to pasta, like cauliflower.
   
   The point is not to make you miserable and hate your favorite foods. It is simply to baby step your way into making smaller, yet impactful, healthier choices. If you start with your favorite meals and things you already know, this will be much easier on you than saying “okay, go find 3 - 5 new recipes that you think look pretty, but you really don’t know what half the ingredients are or how to use them, and what’s jicama anyway?” Sticking with the familiar feels comfortable, doable, and you’re more likely to do it.

6. BONUS TIP: Call me.

   Yep. I LOVE a fresh start, and I’m always honored when people allow me to help them make those first steps.

   So, do you feel like you’re more prepared to start your preparation? Let me know, I always love feedback!

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