TIP of TUESDAY: Stock your kitchen for success!

Losing weight is simple math, burn more than you eat, we hear it said all the time. Hopefully by now, you have an exercise program, if not, stay tuned, I'll introduce you to one tomorrow. Many of you however, feel that losing weight is not simple...it is...it's just not easy.

Deciding to lose weight means you have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, break old habits, get disciplined with laser-beam focus on the goal. It means you are going to need to exercise (unless you like that skinny flabby look and you might, but if you want toned, defined arms, abs, legs, you're going to want to work out...and it's worth it.)

It means you have to plan ahead and follow through with great lean, healthy choices. One way to really set yourself up for success is to have your kitchen stocked for success.

I challenge you, get a bin & fill it with all the foods from your cupboards/pantry that are high in fat and sugar. Yes, throw the Kool-Aid packets away, get rid of the chips, the candy, the sugar-covered cereals, the cookies/cookie mix, etc. GET RID OF ALL THE FOODS THAT TEMPT YOU. Bag up all the stuff in your fridge, regular soda, ice cream, cheeses, bacon, etc. and take it to the homeless shelter. (They're starving, they need the extra calories, right?)

Now, go shop for healthy foods. What is 'healthy'? Buy stuff that is around 100  a serving. Find some whole wheat bread that's not loaded w/ nuts and fat. Buy 2 cases of water, your body needs it!  Here is a quick list of the foods I buy at Costco every 2 weeks:

• Water
• 4 - 10 lb. bags of chicken (2X/mo.)
• mini-bagels (use as toast, w/ my sandwiches - only 110 cals. per bagel)
• sandwich THINS
• 3 - 18 pks. of eggs (always try to have an 18 pk. boiled up to snack on, no yolks)
• light tuna (hold the mayo)
• almond milk (40 cals. per serving)
• low-fat cottage cheese (I use mine as spread on my toasted bagel, sprinkle some paprika...yum)
• frozen & fresh veggies (broccoli, green beans, spinach salad, mushrooms, baby carrots, etc.)
• apples, bananas, pears, strawberries
• brown rice (eat only 1/2 cup cooked rice to stay around 150 cal./serving...not a full bowl of rice!)
• low carb, high fiber whole wheat torts (one of my faves: 80 cal. per tort.)
• 4 lb. bag of blueberries

(Costco is where I shop, they are not paying me to say this. Although we watch what we eat, I buy it in bulk because we eat a lot.)

Take this list, go to Costco and you'll have food for weeks (depending how many in the fam eats this stuff). But this list is our staples in my home. Sometimes I find something else that's fun and healthy to try, but hopefully this list can help you.

So with a pay day on the horizon, create your list (or use this one) and plan to go to Costco and buy up some healthy foods to stock up your kitchen for success!