Part 1

1. Substitute fruit purees for butter or margarine. They are easy to prepare in a food procesor and will significantly reduce calories and fat.

2. Cheese is good for you, but the fat is not. Try zapping cheese in the microwave and drain off grease or choose lower fat options.

3. Exercising before you eat just makes you hungrier. Exercise AFTER eating when the body has to work harder to digest food.

4. Don’t eat while watching television. You can become so engrossed in your program, that don’t even realize how much you are eating.

5. Too many people skip breakfast. Eat in the morning when the body burns more calories.

6. Water mixed with fructose suppresses appetite better than glucose with water or diet drinks. Drink a glass of orange juice one half to one hour before a meal.

7. Avoid trans-fatty acids as much as possible. Use olive or canola oil when cooking. Avoid products that list partially hydrogenated oils, since these are trans-fatty acids too.

8. Switch from whole to skim milk. All the nutrients are there without the fat. Okay, at least cut back to low fat (1%)!

9. Limit yourself to just four egg yolks a week.

10. Trim all fat from meats before cooking. You’ll be amazed at how much you reduce your fat intake if you take this one small step.

11. Eliminate fried foods. Do we need to say why?

12. Cream sauces like alfredo and hollandaise are loaded with fat. Use tomato-based sauces instead of cream.

13. Use lemon juice or low sodium soy sauce for flavor.

14. Don’t skip meals. When you do, you eat more at your next meal and usually eat the wrong foods.

15. Read labels – check fat, sugar and salt content.

16. Stop buying on impulse. Never shop for groceries without a list.

17. Avoid shopping when you are hungry – eat first!

18. Shop for groceries once a week and only buy from your prepared list.

19. Head directly to the fruit and vegetable aisles when you enter the grocery store. Fill up your basket in these aisles and you’ll be less likely to buy binge food.

20. If you have a local “farmers market” where you can buy your fruits and veggies off the truck, by all means do so. They’ll be fresher, healthier, and tastier.

21. Make sure you buy everything you need for your weekly meal planning. Returning to the grocery store numerous times increases the risk of buying what you shouldn’t.

22. Vary your foods – introduce something healthy and new each week so you won't indulge in over-eating due to boredom.

23. Stay away from processed foods as much as possible. They are very convenient, but are loaded with fat and sugar.

24. The ads are soooo compelling. Cut fast food from your diet!

25. Eat more fish but avoid breading or batters. Fish oil is good for you.

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