I was thinking about some of the "little things" that help me stick with my eating plan and thought it might help to share them and see what input and ideas others have as well!

One thing which has been super for me is to gradually build up my small kitchen appliances so that cooking is easier and not such a chore... i.e. steamer (I have a double T-Fal one which I love), George Foreman grill... I bought the jumbo so I can cook meat and 2 veggies all at the same time... blender, crock pot, etc.

I have only recently begun using the crock pot again. Last weekend I made two crock pots full of stuff and have had my lunches and dinners every night this week so far (I don't mind eating the same thing over and over). BUT this weekend I am going to start making jumbo crock pots full and putting it into freezer boxes so I can gradually get food made up ahead and eventually make up a bunch of home cooked TV dinners! Then I can just choose from what I want and pull it out!

Dance, great idea for a thread!
I'm using my crockpot more often (was it you who gave me this link? It's really good! http://saksfamily.no-ip.com/crockpot.html), and I'm going to break down and get a food processor. It's about the only appliance I haven't got in my pantry, and I'm tired of mucking about with my blender.
I love the frozen dinner idea... something I've been meaning to do for years!

One thing I've stopped doing... shopping for huge quantities of fruits/veggies at one time. We usually do a large shop every two weeks, and by the time I remember what's in the crisper, the veggies are turning to mush.
Anyhow, to cut it short... ... we're fortunate enough to live in Centretown, so I've started planning my dinner the night before, and then the next day I'll take a walk and shop for the veggies I need for that day. I get some extra exercise in, and my crisper is nice and tidy.

Sometimes .... when I've decided what I think I want to eat, I enter it all in fitday and assess it's impact on my calories and percentages. If it doesn't fit ... I chose something else. Gotta love that 'remove' button.

Love the removed button I live by it!!!! lol

I read alot of boxes in the store now too.

I have noticed shopping takes longer due to reading...lol But that is good, it is better than "blind buying". I think that one thing that helps me is to see how many calories is in a small snack, and then decide if it is worth it to me or not. Also, eating at home, is my HUGE helper. Since I am lucky enough to be able to eat at home 95% of the time it really has made a BIG difference in my weight loss.

About an hour before I eat dinner I try to get in at least 20 oz of water So I do not overeat at the table.. so far has worked I always have things left on my plate. Crockpot cooking is the best! very easy cleanup!

One thing that has definitely helped with me is taking snacks whenever we go out. We take a little cooler bag with drinks and healthy snacks so that we never have an excuse to buy junk food when we are out.

I also have something to eat beforehand if we ever go out for dinner (which is very rare) so that I don't feel too hungry when we get to our destination. I usually have a bowl of salad, as this is what I start most dinners with anyway. If I then decide to buy a salad for dinner, that is still fine, because I have learned to really love fresh vegetables.

I am looking forward to picking up some other tips here.

Take care,

Zelma

I always cook too much rice, chicken, and veggies and this is usually my lunch and dinner for the next day or two. I also make a batch that lasts 4 days of my oatmeal, eggwhites and raisin breakfast... Planning ahead is a lifesaver for me. I also LOVE my Braun handmixer.