Grocery Store Strategies for Weight Loss
Throughout the internet, there are endless recommendations for how to effectively lose weight. You could try a fad diet or weight loss supplements, but those tend not to be long term solutions. For weight loss, I tend to recommend real lifestyle changes and habits that will help you reach your goals and make those changes stick.
When I counsel people nutritionally for weight loss, I do discuss grocery shopping specifically. Why? In my mind, I consider the grocery store to be the “front line” of the weight loss battle. Think about it for a minute. So many people eat excessively at home when they’re bored or watching TV later at night. And of course, typically people are looking for a salty or sweet snack to munch on. It’s not very often that the boredom eater is seeking out a carrot to satisfy them! This is a major pitfall for someone trying to lose weight.
What if that “home snacker” doesn’t have access to the unhealthy foods in the first place? This is why the grocery store and your shopping habits are critical. If the unhealthy snacks aren’t purchased in the first place, you won’t be able to get to them during those times of weakness. Who knows, you may be a super disciplined person who can control those cravings at the store, but many of us are not. For those of you who often give in to the temptation of that bag of chips or carton of cookies, these tips are for you.
NEVER go to the store hungry. This one is big. You are far more likely to give in to those cravings if you’re strolling through the store hungry. Always plan your shopping time after you’ve had a meal. You’ll be fuller and less likely to impulse buy.
Plan out all of your meals for the week and make your list, then never stray. You can only leave the store with what you’ve written down ahead of time. Keep your head down and ignore everything else you happen to pass by.
Try to stick to the perimeter of the store. This is where all of your real foods are located. The produce, fish, and meats are all here (and that’s all you really need to make healthy meals). If you find you’re spending a lot of time going up and down the aisles, it’s a sign you may be off track. There may be a few items like nuts and olive oil down the aisles, but outside of that, it’s largely junk.
Before you cash out, take a good look at what’s in your cart. Do you see food that you could find in nature or is the cart filled with boxes? This is another good strategy to see how you’re tracking. If you’re not seeing real food, then you may need to rethink some of your meal choices.
Consider using the drive through pick up option. This is a new convenience and could be especially helpful for someone looking to lose weight. Rather than go into the store and having the junk food in arms reach, stay outside of the store and avoid it completely. This could be really helpful for those who find their temptation is too great and they still give in despite the previous tips. It’s also a great trick for people with kids who will surely be begged for an extra treat or two.
So much of the weight loss battle comes back to a willingness to cook your own meals. Unfortunately, that can be a chore by itself, especially with the hectic balance of work and home life. Weight loss strategies for cooking can come in a future blog. In the meantime, if you can get into the cooking habit and choose groceries only for that need, you will be ahead of the game. Give these tips a shot and try to make them your new shopping habits. The next time you go sneaking through your cabinets at 10pm, you might come up empty handed!
Rob Liguori, DC
