Smart Grocery Shopping for the Dieter

Starting a new diet routine can be both daunting and exciting! No matter what your reason for wanting to lose weight the better you plan, the better your success rate. The grocery store can either be your dieting champion or your worst dieting enemy. Knowing how to shop smart and how to make the right food choices can make all the difference in your success or failure.

Go It Alone

Go shopping alone if you can. Kids and spouses have the best of intentions but if they are not dieting with you, they will throw things in your cart that you just don’t need in your home. A successful diet is more of a life change than just depriving yourself and should include the whole family, however this is often unrealistic. My quest for healthier living never stops my husband. He’s rail thin and can put away an entire package of Oreo’s in two days while his waist remains the same size. So if you will be eating differently from the rest of your family try shopping alone. Ask them to keep sweets and other treats out of your reach.
Make a List

Never go shopping without a detailed list. Do I hear groaning? Yes, I used to groan too. The ten or fifteen minutes it takes you to do this will benefit you greatly in the end. If you are following a specific diet plan your menus may be planned for you. This will save you a lot of time when composing your list. If you don’t have this luxury I promise it will get easier as you go along.

Eat First

Remember to eat before you go to the store. This is a big one! If you go shopping while you are hungry you are twice as likely to throw chips, chocolates and other sweets into your cart. A person who is not hungry is more likely to stick to their list.

Go Small

If your store offers grocery carts in two sizes choose the smaller one. You will have less room for that extra stuff that is not on your list. While you are shopping remember to buy smaller portions as well. Even the healthiest diet may fail because the portions are just too big.

Go Natural