Hey there reader,
I hope you're having a lovely week.
Today I want to talk about the little extras.
What do I mean by the little extras?
I mean, the extra creamer in your coffee, the extra bite of your daughter's sub, the extra taste of leftover macaroni and cheese on your kiddos plate, the extra donut hole in the break room, the extra piece of birthday cake, and I can go on and on - you get it.
Why do I call them the "little" extras?
Because they're so small, we don't think about it. This means, more than likely, we don't track it. And, just like small healthy changes can equal significant results, the opposite is also true. Small unhealthy choices can lead to gaining weight - without even thinking about it.
With that said, I think it's super important to focus on the little extras when trying to lose weight. Of course, this might go against what you thought to be true about losing weight.
When starting on a weight loss journey, it's natural to think about the big sweeping changes needed. For example, you're ready to get off the couch and onto the treadmill five days a week. Or trade in pasta for quinoa. Or start drinking a daily green smoothie.
I get it; you're ready to overhaul your life.
I'm not saying that you don't need to make significant changes because, as I always say, change doesn't happen without change. But the little extras are likely playing a bigger role in keeping you from your weight loss goals - more than you might think.
But don't fret because this can be a good thing, and here's why.
Making significant lifestyle changes is easier said than done and doesn't happen overnight. It takes a lot of effort to change habits, and often when we try to do too much at once, it becomes overwhelming, and we give up.
Trust me; I've been there many times.
👉 However, when you start with the little extras, you might be able to see significant changes by simply making a few minor tweaks to your lifestyle.
Also, when you focus on the little extras, you start to see that losing weight isn't this complicated beast. It's not about depriving yourself of your favorite foods or eating a bunch of flavorless cardboard to lose weight.
It often takes making a few simple adjustments to your eating habits to see results.
Taking control over the little extras lets, you experience small wins, which builds confidence. You're more likely to tackle the bigger habits when you have confidence.
Let me give you an example.
Hi, I'm Tammy and I'm a coffee creamer addict. I've tried drinking coffee black, switching to tea, and every trick in the book. However, I always come back to coffee creamer.
Well, coffee creamer has 35 calories per tablespoon. I used to have 2-3 large cups of coffee a day with three tablespoons of creamer in each cup - and that's when I measured it. Admittedly, there were many days I would just pour the creamer in, so I'm sure I was drinking more than 150 calories per cup. Yikes. 150 x 3 = 450 calories a day just in creamer! That's 3150 a week in creamer calories. OMG!
It took a long time (and I'm still not perfect), but I finally got control over my creamer. Now I have two small cups of coffee a day with two tablespoons of creamer in each cup. That's 140 calories a day and 980 calories a week. Just that one change saves 2170 calories a week. That's a lot!
You need to burn 3,500 calories a week to lose 1 pound a week to keep things in perspective. If you cut 500 calories a day, you'd be well on your way to losing 1 pound a week without even thinking about it. If you're not doing the math, that's 52 pounds a year.
Of course, you don't want to cut one food out of your diet and then add another; the point is to remove the little extras pushing you over your daily calorie or point limit.
| Read more about how to stop mindless eating |
Here are my best tips for getting control over the little extras.
Meal plan
A meal plan can be as strict as you like; you can plan for every meal and snack or just dinners. Plan every meal and snack if you're struggling to control the extras. This way, if you eat something off your plan, you know it's an extra.
It also helps to keep your meal plan visible. You can do this by sticking it on the refrigerator or plugging meals and snacks into your calendar. Life gets busy, and it's easy to get off track, so looking at your meal plan daily will remind you what you're going to eat that day.
Have set eating times
I think this is a great way to keep food under control. Setting eating times trains your brain and builds the habit of only wanting food at certain times of the day. If you eat outside those eating times, those foods will likely be extras and push you over the limit.
Of course, life happens, and sometimes we need to be flexible. Also, I'm not insinuating that we need to be ultra rigid with eating; instead of eating whenever and wherever I'm just suggesting that you build some structure into your eating habits. This helps to keep mindless eating under control.
Track everything
If you're struggling to lose weight, I recommend tracking every bite, lick, and sip. I know tracking at times can be tedious, but it's the only way to know for sure the amount of food we're eating every day. I genuinely believe that if I can't tell you what I ate yesterday, I probably ate too much.
Also, something to keep in mind. On average most people need to eat 1500 calories a day to lose weight. Unfortunately, this isn't a ton of food. It's enough for three healthy meals and two healthy snacks a day; it's not hard for a few extras to ruin it.
Tracking keeps us intentional and honest with food. It's hard for those little extras to sabotage our goals if we pay attention to what we're eating.
Measure everything
I started my weight loss journey in October 2010, and even years later, I still need to measure everything. If I don't measure creamer, I know I used too much. If I grab a handful of nuts, then I take too much. So, if my goal is to keep the extras under control, I need to break out my measuring cups and spoons. Again, this keeps us intentional and accountable.
Portion-out snacks
Next to creamer, one of my most significant "little extras" is snacks. If I have cheese in front of me, you can bet I'm grabbing more than one portion. A box of crackers or a bag of pretzels can get destroyed in one night.
The best way for me to bring snacks under control is to either purchase portion-controlled snacks or purchase a box and then portion the snacks out ahead of time myself. When snacks are portioned out, I know the amount I'm eating and how many calories.
I'm sure you can see a pattern with all of these tips. To get control over the little extras, we need to be intentional with food and hold ourselves accountable.
Whether you're just starting on your weight loss journey or getting back on track, take a look at the little extras before jumping headfirst into making big sweeping changes. You might just need to make little tweaks to your lifestyle to see results.
Have a great week!
Tammy Overhoff
Organize Yourself Skinny
PS. Did you know that I have an eBook? Actually, an eBook Bundle! This bundle includes the Organize Yourself Skinny eBook and 30-day Workbook. The eBook shares step by step all of habits and routines for prioritizing a healthier lifestyle. The bundle consists of 4 weeks of make-ahead meal plans, exercise plans, and habit challenges. You can check it out here.
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