Kitchen Makeover for Weight Loss

My goodness, it feels like forever since I’ve been here to blog. My good friends at Weight Loss Center took a much needed vacation and so I haven’t been able to update the blog for a couple of weeks. During this time I have also taken a much deserved break and have enjoyed this glorious summer that we’re having. I hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer as well.

Try these simple kitchen makeover tips that may help you stay on track with your weight loss efforts.

During this break from blogging I found myself with extra time on my hands. Since the diet and exercise are still ticking along as usual I decided to tackle an area of my life that I had avoided for some time – the dreaded kitchen. Now my kitchen is not that bad, but it has been at least a couple of years since it was given a thorough clean, sorting and purging. What I have found lately is that it is not a cheerful or organized space to be in so I approach making every meal with a heavy sigh instead of the enthusiasm cooking should bring. So over the past week or so I have torn apart my kitchen, cleaned everything top to bottom and have started to put it all back. I am amazed at what years of unhealthy eating can accumulate in a kitchen… canned puddings, cake mixes, frostings, chocolate, chips, crackers, pastas galore, and so on. This made me think about how a kitchen makeover may be just the thing I need to help me with my weight loss efforts. Here’s how I approached my own Kitchen Makeover for Weight Loss.

If you haven’t given your kitchen a proper makeover since you decided to lose weight, then you might find that this one room in your home is actually sabotaging all of your well designed plans to eat in a proper, healthy way. The following are some great tips that you can use to remake your current kitchen so that it will work with your efforts to lose weight, instead of against them.

Downsize your Dishes – Your first step in your kitchen makeover is to pack away any oversized dinner plates or bowls you may have and buy some smaller replacements. If you do not want to buy new plates and bowls (which are very cheap from a dollar store) then start using the smaller sizes in your dish set (i.e., salad plate instead of dinner plate). The goal here is to eat your meals using a smaller plate or bowl. These days plates and bowls can be really large and, when filled with food, can easily cause you to overeat at meals. If you use smaller bowls and plates, then you will be giving yourself a much more realistic and weight loss friendly quantity of food. The same thing goes for your drinking glasses. If you’re drinking anything other than water, pour it into a small juice glass instead of a tumbler or taller glass.

Purge Old and Unhealthy Foods – I hate throwing anything away, particularly if it is food, but that does not mean a good purge of old and unhealthy foods isn’t needed. When doing your kitchen makeover get rid of the boxes of crackers that are three months old, boxes of Kraft dinner that call to you in the middle of the night, stashes of chocolate that are in every drawer and so on. If you have other family members that like to eat snacks you now need to avoid then make a special cupboard or shelf just for those items and label it as such. Any foods that you decide to purge that are still good can be donated to your local food bank. At least it won’t go to waste.

Spice It Up – Many dieters complain that diet food is bland, but that does not have to be the case. Herbs and spices are one of the important features in any good kitchen, whether you are trying to lose weight or not. During your kitchen makeover, go through your herbs and spices and buy some if you need to. Some of the best for making foods tastier are garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, Italian seasoning, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. Not only do some of these herbs and spices naturally promote weight loss, they will also make bring life to a bland dish. Do a little experimenting of your own to find your favorite combination.

Keep Important Items within Arms Reach – When you lay out your kitchen, put all of the important items you need for cooking within easy reach where you can find it quickly. When it comes to the items you’ll be using the most, keep them right there on the kitchen counter. The less work you need to do to make a healthy snack or meal the more likely you will actually be to make it, instead of opting for a simpler choice.

Let There Be Light – Cooking in a poorly lit or dreary kitchen is a drab chore. If your kitchen is tucked away in a dark corner of the house then make sure to have plenty of lighting. This will make the room more pleasant overall and will help your mood when you are preparing the meal. Furthermore, a new paint job for your kitchen in a bright and cheerful color may be a good idea as well as the addition of some decorating that lifts your spirits. I have a good friend that has a collection of lava lamps in her kitchen. She loves to cook with the lava lamps bubbling away and this gives her the lift she needs to prepare those amazing meals. Make your kitchen an inviting space and you’ll be more inclined to be in there.

Weight Loss by Colors – Some colors make you hungrier than others, it’s true. If your kitchen is orange or red (or based on shades of those colors), then you will be more likely to eat because those colors stimulate the appetite. Instead, if you are thinking of painting as part of your kitchen makeover then choose soothing colors such as shades or tones of greens and blues that will keep your kitchen looking clean and keep you feeling inspired. The color yellow may also be a good fit because it is thought to improve metabolism, however it can also trigger frustration so pick carefully. White will really brighten up your space, but every little bit of dirt will show in a white kitchen so if cleaning is not your forte then choose something darker.

Stock up with the Healthy Foods – Keep healthy foods in the house and dump those foods you know you shouldn’t be eating. Stock up on foods that won’t perish, such as brown and wild rice, canned beans, lentils, nuts, canned tomatoes, whole wheat pasta, dried fruit, rolled oats, herbs and spices so that you always have something on hand to make a quick meal. When you grocery shop, buy vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and good fats such as olive oil. I also like to keep a supply of pre-portioned snacks on hand so that I can grab and go, such as cups of apple sauce and yogurt.

Buy a Healthy Cookbook – If healthy cooking is somewhat new to you then I strongly recommend that you buy yourself one or two healthy cookbooks. The best ones have the calories, fats, carbohydrates and proteins listed for each portion of the meal so you know exactly what you’ve eaten. I also find that cookbooks with pictures are way easier to follow than ones that just give you the recipe, especially when you’re just learning. There are so many great cookbooks out there for healthy eating and low-calorie meals. Find a couple that you think you and your family will like and get cooking.