5 Tips to Help You Shop Smart At The Grocery Store

Most of the battle to lose weight is fought at the grocery store.  I have put together some tips to help you get in and out without negatively affecting your waistline.

• Shop the outside aisles of the store

This is where you'll find the bulk of what you are purchasing:  fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat items.  

• You can't eat what you don't buy

This is a true statement.  However, it can be a little difficult when you are buying for more people than yourself.  If you're having to buy for your family and they are not all following your food plan, be sure to keep their selections in a cupboard out of sight whenever you get home.

• Limit your time in the store

Plan your shopping trip to keep your time in the store to a minimum.  This is where a shopping list comes in handy. Don't leave home without one.

• Make a Weekly Menu

Even if you shop a few times a week, having a plan in place helps with making out your grocery list.

• Eat before you shop

Shopping on an empty stomach is a good way to spend more money and calories than you intend.  Go ahead and eat before you shop.  Even if it means making a second trip out of the house.

Weekly Weigh In

I'm excited that I was down 3 pounds yesterday!  Although the cushion that I was feeling between what I weigh at home in the mornings and what I weigh at TOPS in the evening has caught up with each other.  So I had better stay on top of my game this week!  

Last Tuesday I took my measurements for the first time since I started back up, March 28.  I have lost 11.9 inches!  So that means I am losing an inch per pound just like the program states!  Plus I am down a size and half!  Yay!  

So, on to the hindsight of last week.  My food journal completion was spotty at best.  It appears I only kept it for three days.  Monday I started out well and even added morning stretches to help loosen up my back and legs.  I was diligent with my program with the exception of finishing up those darn cheese penguin crackers!

Tuesday we went to look at properties right after Tim got home from work so we ended up eating at Quiktrip.  Not a healthy choice.  And then Wednesday it stormed and we ate at home which helped us stay on plan.  Thursday the gravel for our driveway arrived and my daughter's boyfriend came over.  We ended up ordering pizza.  Surprisingly the next morning Tim and I had both lost some weight.  Of course, his idea of eating the leftover pizza Friday night for dinner did not have the same effect.  

Along came Saturday and Sunday.  My diet nemesis.  The weekend.  We yet again had Mexican food and Tim ordered a margarita!!  Which we shared!  And totally enjoyed!  I can feel myself getting lax on the willpower of avoiding certain foods. Time to tighten that food plan belt!  

I have to remember:

You Alone Are Responsible for Yourself!

Cabbage

Qualities:

• High in fiber which maintains bowel health, lowers cholesterol levels, helps control blood sugar levels and aids in achieving healthy weight
• Good source of thamine or B1, which belongs to the Vitamin B complex.  It plays an important role in maintaining a healthy nervous system and improving cardiovascular function
• Good source of vitamin B12 which keeps your nerves and red blood cells healthy and helps to prevent fatigue
• Good source of B9 or better known as folate which plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair
• Good source of choline, another of the B vitamins which can be made in the liver.  It's used to fight liver diseases including chronic hepatitus and cirrhosus
• Good source of pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 which alleviates asthma, hair loss, allergies, stress and anxiety along with respiratory disorders and heart problems
• Good source of niacin which is vitamin B3.  It lowers and controls cholesterol levels
• Good source of manganese which helps with bone structure and metabolism
• High in potassium which helps to regulate blood pressure, helps to prevent heart and kidney disorders, relieves anxiety and stress as well as enhances muscle strength, metabolism, water balance, electrolytes and nervous system.
• Good source of the essential trace mineral, copper which is necessary for survival.  It helps with the formation of collagen, increases the absorption of iron and plays a role in energy production
• Good source of phosphorus which is a critical mineral used to maintain acid-base balance in the body
• Good source of magnesium which is essential to life and necessary for good health.  It helps to maintain balance, avoid illness, perform well under stress and maintain a general state of good health
• Good source of calcium to build and maintain strong bones
• Good source of selenium, another essential trace mineral important for cognitive function, a healthy immune system and fertility
• Contains iron which metabolizes proteins and eradicates different causes of fatigue
• Contains niacin, or vitamin B3 which lowers and controls cholesterol levels
• Contains protein which is our building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood

Prep:

• Remove the thick, fibrous outer leaves
• Rinse under cool water
• Quarter and remove the core
• Chop into smaller pieces
• Can be eaten raw or cooked

Cabbage does a lot more toward keeping me healthy than I had realized.  I've always eaten it either raw in a coleslaw or boiled.  This is another vegetable that my husband wouldn't eat and one that Kristen didn't like.  However, someone had told him that they fry it, similar to how I fix my Pan Roasted Asparagus.  So I gave it a try and not only did I like it, my husband and youngest daughter now likes cabbage!

• 1 head cabbage
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Vegetable oil

Rinse the head of cabbage and remove any old and discolored leaves.  Remove the core by cutting around the cabbage in fourths, top to bottom.  Discard core. Chop remaining pieces into chunks about inch in diameter.  

Place chunks in nonstick skillet.  I am using my very seasoned iron skillet.  

Sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder.  Drizzle generously with vegetable oil.  Place lid on top.  

Place on stove and set heat to medium.  Cook, stirring often for about 20 minutes or until cabbage is limp and carmelized.  

Enjoy!