Anne Collins 10-Point Weight Loss Checklist
1. DO YOU READ FOOD LABELS?
If you don't, you should. Information is power, right?
Not all foods have labels, but many do. So check them.
Things to check, include:
Fat grams per 100g
Fat grams per serving
Sugar(s) per 100g
Calories per serving
In general, choose lower-fat, lower-sugar brands whenever possible.
If trying to lose weight, aim to eat no more than 30g of fat, per day.
The calories-per-serving data helps you to keep track of your
calorie-intake. For most people a 1200-1500 calorie diet is fine.
Pay special attention to the label when choosing SNACKS.
For example, 1 cup of air-popped fat-free popcorn has only 1/3 the calories
of butter-toffee popcorn. A muffin can have as few as 60 calories, or as
many as 440 calories!
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2. WHEN EATING MEAT, DO YOU CUT OFF ALL THE FAT?
If you don't, you should. It'll help you to lose weight.
In my weight loss demonstrations, I use a 6 ounce pork chop and
cut off ALL the fat. This fat contains the same fat as 3 x 50g bars of
candy/chocolate!! Remember this, the next time you're eating meat-fat.
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3. DO YOU SAY "NO" WHEN YOU DON'T WANT SOMETHING?
If you don't, you should. It'll help you to lose weight.
In my experience, many dieters find it very difficult to say "NO".
As a result, they eat more.
FOOD
When your Mom says: "Go on, have some more cake"
Don't be persuaded. Say NO!
When your friend (who isn't dieting) says: "Go on, have another..."
Don't be pushed into it. Say NO!
BAD MOOD LEADING TO COMFORT EATING
When your husband won't share the chores.
Don't always say 'OK'. Say NO!
When your sister hustles you to baby-sit yet again.
Don't be hustled. Say NO!
When your children run riot or refuse to help around the house.
Don't be a doormat. Say NO!
REMEMBER: when other people make us feel used, we eat for comfort.
So don't put up with it. Exercise your right to say Get Lost!
It's GREAT therapy!
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4. DO YOU CONTROL YOUR TV?
If you don't, you should. It'll help you to lose weight.
In small doses, TV is wonderful.
In big doses, TV makes you fat.
Yes, I know TV is convenient, entertaining and fun.
But watching a lot of TV when you have a weight problem,
is asking for trouble.
INSTEAD
Find something that occupies your mind.
What sort of things?
I can't say - I don't know your mind!
POINT IS...
Trying yet another diet or pill won't help you if you spend
too much time glued to the TV screen.
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5. DO YOU EAT 2 CUPS OF VEGETABLES OR SALAD, EVERY DAY?
If you don't, you should. It'll help you to lose weight.
Salad and vegetables may not be the two most exciting things
on planet earth, but they work wonders for weight loss.
If you don't eat enough, it's probably because you are preparing
them in a boring way. Spice them up, add chopped fruit to salads,
chop up your vegetables before cooking - use your imagination!
These foods are so healthy, and you can eat unlimited quantities.
So make friends with them, today.
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6. DO YOU SET YOURSELF GOALS?
If you don't, you should. It'll help you to lose weight.
Why? Because it's always easier to lose weight
when you feel good about yourself.
And the quickest way to feel good about yourself
is to achieve something.
It doesn't matter what it is, or how trivial it is, so long as
you feel you've achieved something.
ACHIEVEMENT IS EASIER WHEN YOU HAVE A GOAL
It's always easier to achieve something when you have a target or
something to aim for.
So start today! Sit down and plan something to aim for.
Put a date on it.
Then go for it!
REMEMBER: when it comes to losing weight, having the right attitude
to life is just as important, as having the right foods in your
refrigerator.
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7. DO YOU SET ASIDE 20-30 MINUTES EACH DAY, TO EXERCISE?
If you don't, you should. It'll help you to lose weight.
Obviously, if you're involved in regular school sports, you don't
have to worry about exercise. But if you aren't involved, or if you're a
hard-working Mom, or if you have a sit-down job, then exercise is
VERY important for weight loss.
The key word in any exercise plan is FUN.
Fun? (gulp)
Yes. Make it fun!
Go join an aerobics class.
Go grab a neighbor and get walking.
Go do something with your kids.
Go ride a bike.
Go grab your neighbor's husband (Whoops! Only joking.)
EXCUSES
You may be thinking... but exercise ISN'T fun.
WRONG! Exercise is just exercise. But you can MAKE it fun!
You may be thinking... but I don't have time.
WRONG! Suppose your dog needed taking to the vet. Would you have time?
Or, suppose your best friend became hysterical because her pool
attendant ran off with a neighbor. Would you have time to comfort her?
See what I mean? If something is important to us, we make time.
Well exercise is VERY IMPORTANT. So make time!
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8. DO YOU EAT TWO PIECES OF FRUIT, EVERY DAY?
If you don't, you should. It'll help you to lose weight.
I won't bore you with the details on this one, except to say that
fruit is a fantastic snack food, that gives you energy and water
and helps to protect you against lots of unbelievably nasty diseases.
In my experience, most people who have weight problems DON'T eat
enough fruit.
So eat it.
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9. ARE YOU WILLING TO TRY NEW WAYS OF EATING?
If you aren't, you should be. It'll help you to lose weight.
It's easy to get stuck in a rut. Especially when other members
of the family are, too.
But losing weight means changing to healthy eating habits.
Like:
Cooking with less fat.
Adding less fat to food on our plate.
Eating regular vegetables.
Eating regular fruit.
And so on.
And if our mind is TOO RIGID about what we eat, we won't change.
RESULT
We turn to appetite suppressants, liquid diets, fad diets, pills,
patches and any other gimmick that takes our fancy.
Which makes us even fatter.
LIVE A LITTLE!
Instead of hiding away inside your comfort-zone, step out and
live a little!
Eat more fresh foods.
Try healthier ways of cooking.
Be daring - put fruit in your stews and salads (Wow!)
Add spices to green vegetables (Wow!)
Eat chopped fruit when watching TV (Yo!)
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10. DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR?
If you don't, then STEAL ONE. It'll definitely help you to lose weight.
When we look in the mirror and see our bulges, our cellulite, our
flabby thighs and our double-chin (optional), we need to be able
to laugh, otherwise we go nuts and binge-eat 10 cakes for comfort.
Above all, we need to be able to laugh AT ourselves.
Worrying about our weight, or being sensitive about it, is
A COMPLETE WASTE OF OUR PRECIOUS TIME.
In fact, being sensitive about our weight can actually make us fatter.
So, girls, strike a blow for freedom!
Break out of your worry and anxiety and sensitivity and LAUGH!
EXAMPLE OF HOW TO BREAK OUT
The next time someone makes a joke about your thighs,
DON'T SHRINK INTO A MOUSE, DON'T BLUSH AND FEEL BAD.
Instead, make a joke of it.
Say something like: "They're not really mine, they're my Mom's!"
Because when you can laugh at yourself, you'll find that
life and weight loss becomes MUCH EASIER
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BOTTOM LINE
Most of these suggestions are common sense. I mean, you don't have to
be an Einstein to know that fruit is good for weight loss or that
too much TV is bad for weight loss.
Trouble is, when we desperately want to lose weight we tend to put
common sense to one side and look for a quick-fix solution.
Stick to common sense
