LOSING weight, and especially losing those last few pounds, is difficult.
It requires time, consistency and patience.
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But we have good news for you.
If you’re desperate to feel better – and healthier – in time for the summer holidays, you can.
Believe it or not, it’s possible to beat bloating and feel a little slimmer next weekend if you follow a few simple tips when heading to the grocery store.
Incorporating these expert-approved tricks into your weekly shop can help you reach that weight loss goal and stay there.
Lucy Gornall reveals new habits you need to adopt. . .
1. List
TAKING a list to the grocery store instead of playing it by ear can keep you from buying unhealthy foods that catch your eye.
Aileen Alexander, weight loss expert and founder of wellbeing company Nourish, told Sun on Sunday Health: “This will help you stay on task, avoid procrastination and reduce the likelihood of panicking when buying a pizza. because you don’t know what else to do.”
Ekam Grewal, personal trainer and founder of fitness company Body By Ekam, explains: “I make my food shopping list in the order I walk through the supermarket – starting with fruit, vegetables and meat.
“I’m strategic, so I go in and out and only get what I know I need.”
2. Never shop hungry
It’s a good idea to only go shopping after eating.
Dr Alexander says: “Shopping means we are more likely to overbuy.
“When we do this, we are more likely to overconsume and this leads to extra calories we don’t need.
“You may have heard the phrase ‘my eyes were bigger than my belly,’ an expression that means a person has eaten or craved more food than they need.”
3. Leave the kids at home
THERE’S a good chance that shopping with kids will lead you to the sugar aisles.
A study by YouGov found that 69 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 admitted that their children had influence over grocery shopping.
So buy it yourself if you can.
But if you have to take the kids with you, make sure they have fun – perhaps adding up the cost of groceries as you go.
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4. Use cash only
NOT all places accept cash anymore, but if your supermarket does, take advantage of it.
A 2020 study from Warwick Business School found that people with contactless cards spent “significantly more” than those without.
If you don’t have money to buy extra, unnecessary items – think processed, high-calorie foods – then you won’t be able to afford them.
The more you use cash in your store, the more you will get used to budgeting.
5. Check the labels
TAKE time to study packaged food labels to be sure of what you are putting into your body.
Lucy says: “Pre-prepared items can vary greatly in nutritional level, so be sure to always check labels, focusing on sugar, saturated fat and salt.”
In particular, look for items with more green than red in the traffic light symbol.
Also, consider portion size – labels may be based on “per 100g” or “half a pack”.
Sometimes even seemingly “healthy” items with claims like “high in fiber” or “high in protein” can be deceiving because other measures, like sugar content, are bad.
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6. Frozen Discoveries
PROTEIN is the most satiating food you can eat – preventing you from snacking during the day, usually foods without nutritional benefits.
Lucy says: “Fish, white meats like chicken, soy, tofu, tempeh, Quorn, beans, pulses and low-fat dairy are good sources of protein.”
Meats and other proteins can be expensive, so Lucy suggests looking for cheaper frozen options.
For example, two salmon fillets at Tesco cost £4.85, but you can get twice as much for 50p more when frozen.
7. Focus on fruits and vegetables
FRUITS and vegetables fill your belly without excess calories, in addition to being rich in fiber and nutrients.
If you’re worried that fresh produce will spoil too quickly, buy frozen, as it will last for months.
Lucy Jones, from diet and lifestyle support app Oviva, says: “Frozen fruit and vegetables to look out for include peas, berries, mango, edamame beans, spinach and mixed vegetables.
“This is extremely important, as eating more vegetables helps to increase the volume of your meals, which makes us feel fuller for longer.”
8. Home delivery
When ordering online, you can read labels and compare items easily and avoid eye-catching items.
Dr. Alexander explains: “Professor Brian Wansink, a researcher in food psychology and consumer behavior, tells us how the placement of food, as well as its marketing and packaging, has a huge influence on our purchasing behaviors.
“This means supermarkets are often designed to drive profits rather than health, making it harder to make consistently healthy choices.”
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9. Keep it brief
LABELS give a good indication of whether or not the food is ultra-processed.
Lucy says: “Keeping an eye out for shorter, more understandable ingredient lists is a good place to start.”
Ultra-processed foods, from ready meals to cookies, are often those that have more than five ingredients, many of which you don’t recognize.
These extra ingredients are added to keep items from dying or to make them taste better.
But opting for raw, whole foods is the healthiest way to eat.
10. Plan real snacks
YOU can still snack and lose weight, but try to avoid the snack aisle.
Lucy says: “When trying to lose weight we often try to cut out snacking, but this can leave us feeling hungry, which puts us at greater risk of deviating from our plan.
“Buy nutritious and useful snacks like fruits, vegetables to turn into crudites, mini pots of hummus, light cream cheese, yogurt, edamame beans, plain nuts, seeded crackers, and eggs.”
11. Bulk Cook
FAIL to prepare, prepare to fail.
If you rely on convenience foods—usually high-fat, high-calorie ready meals that won’t fill you up—because you’re too busy, then meal prep.
Lucy says: “When shopping, buy enough ingredients to prepare main meals en masse.
“This can be very beneficial for busy days or those when you are tired.”
Freeze single portions of meals, such as bolognese, casseroles and vegetable curries, in sandwich bags.
Take them out of the freezer the night before you want to eat them and defrost them in the fridge – or take them out in the morning and defrost them on the counter so you have something to heat up when you get home.
12. Avoid sweet island
FEW people leave the candy aisle empty-handed, and there’s no shame in that.
Dr Alexander says: “As tempting as it may be, once you put yourself in that situation it will be much more difficult to leave the supermarket without throwing a few bags of sweets into the trolley.
“This doesn’t mean you can’t eat sweets, but I recommend you buy a single bag of sweets or chocolate.
“You’ll usually find them cleverly placed next to the register.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
