3 Ways to Control Your Food Environment to Lose Weight

A few weeks ago I talked about the show, The Biggest Loser and since then, I have been thinking about all those poor contestants that wrecked their health trying to lose weight in the most unhealthy ways imaginable. Turns out starving yourself and working out for hours a day is great for the short term loss needed for a game show but absolutely terrible for the long term job of getting down to a healthy weight and staying there.

But is there a lesson we can take from the short term gains? What was it that changed so dramatically once the contestants got out into the real world and the cameras stopped following them? Here's the idea that I think we should all take from the show.

Control Your Environment

The biggest change was when the contestants got to the ranch, their schedule was regimented, they were constantly watched, and their environment was controlled. Here's how I include these lessons in my life to meet my weight loss goals.

Make an Eating Schedule and Stick To It

I know exactly what I'm going to eat tomorrow and when. When I wake up, I will eat 3 eggs and a piece of sausage for breakfast. Then I will take the leftovers from yesterday, put them in a piece of tupperware to take to work. The meal is already made and will be mostly meat. When I get home, I am usually not hungry so I just fast until bedtime but if I do get a little peckish, I have a handful of nuts or maybe I'll eat a little of whatever my wife made for dinner. It's a regimented schedule and I take my food with me when I go out so I am not tempted to stop at a fast food place to eat.

Get a Partner

Being accountable to someone is crucial. You need to know that your progress is being watched and someone is standing with you keeping you on track. This might be a friend or spouse but accountability is so important. For me, it's my Weightloss Wednesday posts. Knowing I am going to have to stare into a camera and tell the world how I did this week keeps me focused on meeting my goals.

Control Your Environment

You need to get your entire household on board with your new dietary changes. If I had Lucky Charms in the pantry, I don't know if I could keep myself from eating them. Go through your house and throw away your carbs and start packing your lunch. Control your food environment as much as you can to keep things moving in the right direction.

I hope this helps! If you are looking to make a change in your health, leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!