(Reuters File Photo)
Write everything down
Before you start overhauling your eating habits, record everything you drink and eat. Many apps and websites can help or you can use tried-and-true pen and paper. Note trouble spots that you’ll need to address, like that mid-afternoon snack. This whole process will jump-start weight loss by making you feel more accountable for what you eat every day.
“This is the single most important thing you can do when you’re watching your calories,” says Paige Waehner, a certified personal trainer, author of The About.com Guide to Getting in Shape and the Exercise Expert at About.com. “I have so many clients who think they're eating healthy, but having to write down every bite you eat makes you aware of those extra calories we eat without even realizing it. Just an extra handful of nuts could cost you more than 100 calories.”