Think Slim, Issue #002 - Putting your kitchen on a diet

August 28, 2004

Look great, feel great

Hi

It seems like no time at all since Issue 1! I have been so busy at work that my feet have hardly touched the ground. Unfortunately diet and exercise have both suffered. My children went back to school this week so I'm trying to see this as the start of a new year for me too - a much better time for resolutions I think.

P.S. Am I the only person this month who bought a weight loss magazine along with a large bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate? Don’t think so. The shop assistant didn't bat an eyelid at the irony of it...

Contents

Feature article : Putting your kitchen on a diet

Picture this: a beautiful clean and tidy kitchen.

Every surface is uncluttered, every appliance gleaming. You open the fridge. It's full of delicious fresh vegetables and salad ingredients. The freezer has a selection of homemade soups and casseroles ready to defrost at a moments notice when you're too busy to cook from scratch. And you'll find a variety of frozen vegetables and sliced wholemeal bread in there.

Your cupboards are neatly stocked with nutritious foods – wholegrain rice, wholemeal pasta, healthy cereals, pulses and condiments plus a few tins of chopped tomatoes, and packets of seeds and nuts and an olive oil spray.

There are fresh herbs growing in little pots on the windowsill, ready to add flavour to your meals; some basil for your tomato salad and parsley to chop and enhance your soups and vegetables. All the equipment and recipes you need are at hand ready to whip up a nutritious home-cooked meal for you and your family, just as you planned when you did the weekly shop.

Now switch to another kitchen.

This one has a fridge full of butter, full fat cheese and yogurt. There's a wilted lettuce, some shrivelled mushrooms and a few squashy tomatoes that no one wants to eat. Oh, and then there's the chocolate spread, and gloopy mayonnaise lurking there.

How about the cupboards? Oops! They are full of white rice and pasta, cookies, candy and potato chips. And the freezer is full of oven fries, stuff covered in breadcrumbs and ready meals from the store. No shortage either of burgers, ice cream and fattening desserts.

The surfaces are covered in stuff without a home and crumbs from breakfast. The sink is full of dirty dishes. Too depressing to cook in a kitchen like this and no idea what's for dinner - quick - better send out for pizza!

Which kitchen best describes yours? Do you need to put your kitchen on a diet?

It's time to clear out your cupboards, fridge and freezer. And when I say clear out I mean throw it out or give it away not eat it empty. Give everything a good general clean too so it feels good to be there, even if you just do 10 extra minutes a day until it's just how you want it to look. Then make a decision to keep it that way. Start to plan your meals every week too and buy those fresh ingredients you need to feed your body well. Make your time in the kitchen a pleasure. Keep it ready for action and it will pay dividends.

Once your kitchen has been on a diet you'll be much more likely to be able to follow yours. Try it and see what a difference it makes.

This month's tip : Clock-watching

Do you eat according to the clock whether you're hungry or not?

Learn to listen to your body signals instead. If you pay attention you'll see that your body is very good at letting you know when it's ready to eat.

Never eat when you're not hungry. On the other hand don't let yourself get so ravenous that you grab whatever is around. Be sure to have healthy food ready for when hunger signals strike but get out of the trap of eating just because it's 11 o’ clock and "time for a snack".

See the Hunger Tool on the website for a guide.

Recommendation: Pedometer Power

A few weeks ago, I sent away for a Kellog's Special K back-of-the-cereal-packet offer for a pedometer, which just arrived the other day.

Fascinating how many steps you can clock up around the house. It does encourage you to move more in the vein of "Maybe I'll just take those things upstairs now instead of leaving them at the bottom to take up next time I go. That's another 40 steps."

Apparently we should all be aiming for 10,000 steps a day, which is easier to clock up than you think. I haven't tried it all day yet but I think I'll make it part of my "new school term" routine. I'll let you know how I get on.

Wishing you a fantastic month, looking and feeling great

Janice Elizabeth Small

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this ezine.

P.P.S.Know anyone else who might enjoy it? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can sign up for your own copy at....

www.weight-loss-motivation-program.com

copyright © 2004, J. Small. All Rights reserved.

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