I used to be an extreme dieter. Every fad diet out there I tried, in hopes for a quick fix. At 5’11,” I was never considered overweight, but it wasn’t until I stopped “dieting” that I dropped 20 lbs and became a healthier and happier person. Like they say, it really has to be a life style change.

I have friends ask me often for tips on what they can do to slim down. So many kill themselves at the gym only to see their weight stay the same or hardly change at all. I tell them that the key success, is to change their eating habits. Sure exercising is good for weight loss, mood and over all health but to really see a difference in weight, diet is the key.

I could go on and on about what foods to eat and not eat. In fact, it is something that fascinates me so much that I would love to talk about it all day. However, for those who are in a slump and are wondering what small changes they can do, here are my top two suggestions.

• Increase your fiber intake daily. So many people worry about the fat content when looking at labels, yet the amount of fiber is something that I find really important. A high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, and usually has fewer calories for the same volume of food. Whether it be picking out cereal, bread or popcorn…the fiber content is my top priority.

• Lower your sugar intake. For a long time I was an advocate of every sugar free product on the market. I knew that sugar was bad and felt like the sugar free options not only tasted similar but were helping me accomplish my healthy goals. I recently have cut out most of the sugar free options as well. I do still order a tall sugar free latte at Starbucks from time to time but other than that I have gone all-natural. I read labels closely and select foods that have very little to no sugar added. The sugars that I do allow myself are those from fresh fruits.

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