Diet Tips for Apartment Living
As if dieting wasn’t hard enough, dieting in an apartment presents its own unique difficulties. Your new apartment home may have a smaller kitchen, making it difficult to cook, especially if you’re used to cooking in bulk. You have less say in what kind of fridge, stove, and other appliances you have in your kitchen. It just seems easier to reach for junk food when you’re stuck in an apartment. Thankfully, we’ve been there and done that, and we have a few tips that will help you get back on track.
- Don’t Buy Junk
When I have a craving for junk food but I don’t have any in my apartment, it is very rare that I’ll actually go out and buy it. However, if I loaded up on junk food last time I went shopping, I’ll absolutely reach for it, often before anything healthy. Simply put, don’t give yourself the opportunity to fall off the wagon. Keep junk food out of the apartment and you’ll reach for an apple instead of an apple strudel.
- Put Away the Scale
While a scale can be useful, it can also be discouraging. When you first start a diet, you’re going to be excited about the 5 pounds of water weight you lose in the first week or two. Unfortunately, progress rarely keeps up at this pace, and that can cause a lot of weight-watchers to hop off the scale and give up on their diet. If you keep the scale, keep your expectations to 1 pound a week, and remember, if you gain muscle, you may be getting healthier without losing any weight.
- Get the Right Utensils
If you don’t have a sharp knife and a cutting board, you’re likely not going to be cutting up vegetables or preparing healthy soup for dinner. You’ll go for the convenience of a bag of chips or an unhealthy processed meal. Get a knife block and a few cutting boards so you can start cooking healthy.
- Spread Around the Water
Drinking water and staying hydrated is a great way to lose weight and keep yourself feeling full, but if you don’t have any handy, you likely won’t drink it. Buy a nice glass water bottle that you can carry around the house with you, and invest in a good filtered water pitcher so you can conveniently fill it up with fresh, cold water.
- Motivational Clothes
You know that great dress that you wanted, but it was too small? Buy it anyway, and hang in on your door as motivation. Don’t go shopping crazy until you’ve hit your goals, but a few select cute outfits hung around your modern apartment can really help you kick your diet into overdrive by reminding you of what you’re working toward.