What's Under That Sweater: Top 5 Tips for Shedding the Winter Sweater

I was at a networking lunch (shout-out to the Evanston Chamber's Women in Business!) a few weeks ago, chatting with someone about winter weight gain and how easily it can creep up on you. 

As spring approaches (it's coming soon, right?), I thought I'd share a few more tips for how to prepare NOW for lighter clothes that don't consist of moo moos and shirts that are two sizes too big. So let's get started:

1. Eat your veggies before your starchy carbs. I'm NOT vilifying starchy carbs, they have a  place in our lives. But have you noticed that currently restaurant menus are loaded with duck confit mac and cheese, big burgers in bigger buns, bread puddings as entrees AND desserts? Now, I'm not ordering you to take the carbs out. I am strongly encouraging you to eat your non-starchy veggies first (like broccoli, kale, chard, carrots, beets, spaghetti squash, etc). I bet you won't have as much room for those starchy carbs.

2. Watch your alcohol intake. I was talking to a client last week who said she noticed that her pants were fitting a little tighter. She was part of the Clean Slate group in January and had given up alcohol for the whole month. "What changed?" I asked. "I started drinking a glass or two of wine every night." "Or two?" I challenged. "Well, sometimes the neighbor comes over and we finish the bottle." If you don't actively set a limit for how much you're going to drink, "or two" can easily become more. If you're doing that a few times per week, it WILL make your pants tighter. Take how much you're drinking now and try to cut it by at least half. 

3. Drink. Your. Water. I don't know about you but the days I don't drink enough water, I eat more crap. I feel restless and hungry and cranky so I grab a snack. Half an hour later I grab another snack. And I never feel better. That doesn't happen on days I drink half of my weight in ounces of water. 

4. Eat on smaller plates. There was a great post by Snack Girl about changing plates to 1" less in diameter. It's quick. Watch it here.

5. Wear tighter-fitting clothes. I know, it's scary. But you know what: Stop hiding! I am a STRONG believer in practicing self love and compassion where you are RIGHT NOW. Don't wait until you are your smaller self to love your body. If you don't love yourself now, you won't believe you're ever enough, no matter what size. Now, I'm not telling you to wear a skin-tight mini skirt and tube top. I'm just suggesting that it might be time to reclaim ownership of your body again.

Got all that? Great. Now, eat your veggies.