There is more to weight loss than healthy eating and exercise! Recognizing the manner in which your environment and the cues within it affect you is important to managing your weight. Even the healthiest eater and exerciser can be challenged if their environment does not support their goals. Try these tips to promote weight loss in your environment!
Share your goals. Letting those around you know your weight loss plans can provide you with support and accountability.
Tell your support system how they can help you. Providing them with specific examples, like “please don’t eat a big bowl of ice cream around me” will help them support you better.
Surround yourself with like-minded people. This doesn’t mean you have to totally avoid those who may challenge your goals, but finding people with similar goals can provide you with a partner in wellness and even greater accountability.
Reorganize your kitchen. Throw out foods that are too tempting. Place healthy foods at eye level in and in front of unhealthier foods. Clear your counter of treats and junk food and replace them with a bowl of fresh fruits.
Overcome work challenges. Does your café tempt you to stray from your healthy eating goals? Do you find yourself heading to the vending machine or a coworker’s candy jar for a pick-me-up? Plan ahead by packing a healthy lunch and snacks to help you avoid temptation.
Keep healthy snacks on hand. Are you always hungry when you’re on your way home from work or in the middle of running errands? Keep a stash of healthy snacks readily available to avoid binging on unhealthy foods.
Shop the perimeter of the store. Healthier foods tend to be located on the perimeter of most stores. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t shop the aisles, avoiding them as much as you can may also help you avoid junk foods.
Set a timer on your phone or a reminder on your computer to remind yourself to stand up and move around while at work.
Store an extra pair of sneakers at your desk or in your car to encourage walking on your lunch break.
Keep your workout clothes out and ready to put on to avoid dodging your workout.
Unplug from your devices and hide your screens for a set amount of time each day. Cell phones, TVs and tables are major culprits in distracting from physical activity.
