3 Smart Eating Tips That Will Help You Lose Weight

When it comes to shedding pounds or getting healthy, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. And that's good news because you can pick and choose the tricks that fit your lifestyle, which is exactly how the five women of the Live Longer & Stronger Challenge got big results. Here, some of their slim-down secrets.

1. Repeat, repeat, repeat

Don't feel bad—or uncreative—about eating the same healthy meal or snack every day. Research shows that successful long-term weight-loss maintainers actually share this habit. (It's less work and stress overall.) Figure out a handful of meals you like and put them into a rotation."My breakfast is always the same: egg white omelet with veggies and whole-wheat toast," Amber Duncan, a participant from this year's Live Longer & Stronger challenge who lost 45 pounds, says. "The combination of protein and complex carbs keeps me full and energized for the morning.

2. Fill up on fiber first

 

Begin with a vegetable first course—a plate of crispy crudité, a salad, or a vegetable soup—at lunch and dinner. Veggies are packed with fiber and water, a power pair that helps fill you up for not many calories, so you're less likely to load up on heavier fare later. "Instead of eating plain rice, I make a bowl of cauliflower rice and eat it first, followed by a lean protein, like chicken or fish," says Maryellen Farmer, a fellow Live Longer & Stronger participant who lost 30 pounds.

3. Use the three-day journal trick

 

It's easy to veer off course when life throws you a curveball. Get back in control fast by writing down your food, drinks, and exercise for three consecutive days, so you're better able to hold yourself accountable and can spot areas that need a tuneup. "After a few busy weeks I hit a plateau—so I journaled and realized I was over-ordering at work lunches," says Melanie McShane, another challenge participant who lost 34 pounds this year. "I made the correction, and started losing again.