We all have our tricks to help us stay on the healthy eating path. I thought I would share with you my top ten favorite eating tips to help your weight loss goals.

Tip #1: The Fork Trick: After each bite put your fork down while you chew. This will help you to slow your eating down significantly, increase your mindful eating, and let your brain catch up with your stomach receiving the signal when it is full.

Tip #2: Goal Picture: Carry a picture of your ideal weight loss body with you wherever you go. Before you make your meal choice, take out the picture and remind yourself that nothing tastes as good as being fit feels.

Tip #3: Mr. YUCK: Remember the Mr. Yuck stickers? This symbol let you know to stay away from poisonous products. Whenever you are about to eat something you know is unhealthy, imagine the Mr. Yuck sticker placed on the food packaging.

Tip #4: Chew Your Cud: Take thirty seconds to chew each bite. Digestion begins in the mouth not the stomach. The more you chew the more saliva is produced which contains enzymes that break down the food. Taking longer to eat also helps to prevent from overeating by signalling to the brain that you are full.

Tip #5: Sharing = Caring: Portion sizes at restaurants are always a meal fit for two. Ask your server to bring the one meal out on two plates and share with your dinner guest. Start the meal with two small side salads to give yourself a healthy base that will help to fill you up.

Tip #6: Doggy Bag: If ordering food for yourself, ask your server to bring out half of the meal and put the other half in a To-Go container. Now you won’t overeat and you can enjoy the meal as a yummy leftover!

Tip #7 : Pasta Rule: When ordering a protein and pasta, make sure each bite contains some protein and some pasta. Once the protein is gone, stop eating the pasta. Restaurants always serve three times as much pasta as protein. You can also ask your server to give you a third of the portion size of pasta, therefore not wasting any food.

Tip #8: WATER WATER WATER! 75% of the human body is made up of water. Many times the hunger pains you think you feel are actual thirst signals. Before grabbing a snack to try and stop the signals, drink one to two glasses of water first. Drinking water before a meal can also help to curb overeating. Remember, Diet Coke is NOT water. You can go ahead and put that Mr. Yuck sticker on your Diet Cokes.

Tip #9: Walk It Off: Make a new habit: take a walk after one of your meals the same time each day. If you are too full to walk then you ATE WAY TOO MUCH!

Tip #10: BEST TIP = MAKE A WEEKLY MENU: If you plan out all of your meals ahead of time you are able to get a strategy in place, making sure you have available the foods you need for the week. If you eat out, check out the restaurant’s menu online and plan what healthy meal you are going to order before you go there.

Remember, each effort yields results. The more you put into it the more you get out. And if all else fails remember the mantra: PAIN IS WEAKESS LEAVING YOUR BODY. Get tough, gain discipline, and remember that at first any habit change is difficult but once you hit thirty days this habit starts to become automatic. Give it thirty days, you can do it! You deserve a higher quality of life by living each day feeling amazing.