Eat a Large Salad Every Day For 3 Days /// Your salad should include a lot of leafy greens (no iceberg lettuce) and a big variety of non-starchy vegetables. You can eat a lot of veggies without having a negative impact on your weight, so go ahead and satisfy that hunger craving with a huge bowl of greens! Vegetables have so many benefits for overall health and weight loss. They are superior sources of nutrients, phytonutrients, and fiber. Including lots of vegetables is a great strategy to shut down hunger. Here is a healthy salad blueprint from Dr. Mark Hyman.
Stretch or do yoga at least 15 minutes for 3 consecutive days /// Plan to set time aside each day to complete this activity. Yoga and stretching are great ways to relieve stress and get in some gentle movement. There are so many different types of yoga, including chair yoga, yin, and restorative. All are good. These are gentle practices. Be sure to choose a style that works best for your ability. There are many online sources for stretching and yoga routines. Take some time to browse YouTube and online streaming classes to find a routine that resonates with you.
Track your food /// For 3 consecutive days track everything you eat and drink (except water, black coffee, and tea). You can use pencil and paper, or make notes on your phone/computer. In addition to tracking the food you eat, it can also be helpful to include the amount you eat. For example: 1 small apple; 1/2 cup steel cut oats; 2 tbsp peanut butter. Tracking what you eat increases your awareness of what you’re consuming. It can help you identify changes to make to your food choices and highlight problematic eating habits.
Write down your 3 biggest reasons to lose weight /// Keep your list in a few places (such as taped to the inside of your cabinet door) so you can refer to it often. Knowing why it matters to stick to your healthy eating goals, especially when you’re experiencing cravings and urges to overeat/give in, can help you stay on track. Struggling to come up with reasons? Here is a list of 100 reasons to lose weight.
Use a grounding object /// When experiencing a craving or other overwhelming urge to overeat, hold your grounding object in your hand and focus all your attention on this object and describe it in detail to yourself. It is important to bring yourself back to the present and anchor the moment. Having an object that comforts you can help you refocus your awareness. To find an object, look for something that feels comforting to you, like a smooth stone, a marble, a piece of fabric, or a small figurine. There are many other grounding techniques. Check out some other ones here.
5 Day Sweet Drink Swap /// For 5 consecutive days skip beverages that contain sugar or alcohol. That means no fruit juice, alcohol, soda, or any other beverage that contains sugar. Be sure to check the ingredients list of your coffee creamer. Instead opt for still or sparkling water, coffee, or tea. Liquid calories provide little nutrition or satiety and are often referred to as “empty calories”. An entire apple will fill you up more than only the liquid from that apple. To help increase your water intake, keep a reusable water bottle with you. If you find yourself wanting to mindlessly eat or graze, try drinking some water first.
