5 Steps in Making Your Home Diet Friendly

It can be tough to follow a new diet plan when you are living in a home that is decidedly 'diet unfriendly.' But don't give into your environment-take charge. You can make your home more diet friendly with a few steps.

1.Don't leave temptation in your path

Although candy dishes can be attractive on a coffee table or in the kitchen, they are a bomb waiting to explode. There are a few ways to de-tox. One, you can give your candy dish away fully loaded on Valentine's day to one of your children to stow safely in their room. Two, you can get fill it with attractive river stones. And three, you can fill it with mixed nuts in their shell. Mixed nuts are not unhealthy in low quantities, and because they are shelled you can't just sweep by and grab a handful to gnosh on.

2.Snack packs

Snacks in large bags are just screaming, "reach inside! Reach inside!" This is precisely why you need to have a better game plan. It's okay to buy snacks in bulk to save money, but you need to ration out the part you intend to use. Who's going to count out the portion size when they're starving for some greasy chips? It might be more time consuming, but you need to buy ziplock bags and place a single portion in each bag. This way you can reach for the snack cupboard and be greeted with a portable snack that won't have to go back into the cabinet. The easier, but more costly way, is to buy already rationed snack packs. The world of 100-calorie packs has become quite popular for this reason.

3.Fruits in bloom

Most fruits have a greater shelf life when they are in the refrigerator. But this isn't the best place for them if you are on a diet. Instead of storing all of the fruit out of sight in the refrigerator, take a few out that you plan to eat during the day, so when you are hungry and looking for something satisfying you'll find them before you find the chips or chocolate. Strategic placement is everything. If you know you will need to grab something quick before heading to work, than place a fruit bowl near the exit you commonly use.

4.Hidden places

You likely already have a hidden drawer somewhere that you keep your 'guilty pleasures' (i.e. candy, chocolate, cookies, etc.). These things should only be eaten sparingly if at all. To prevent delving into your stash at the moment of frustration, put the desired item in a location that can't be reached without someone else seeing. Why do we put cookie jars high on counters? This way we can usually catch a small child wielding a chair to the hiding place and spot them out as they climb it. Use this same theory, but 'adult' proof it. Since high places don't bother you, put the stash in a place that is hard to get to. For example, your spouses closet, a locked pantry, a basement refrigerator. The spot has to be a place that will cause others to find out what you are doing before you do it. So, what's the point of this? Well, ideally the accountability of being seen will cause you to rethink whether you need it right now or not.

5.Work places

If you have a specific place in your house that you work a lot in-a craft room, a garage, a tool shed, etc-than you need to keep those places free from food. Don't leave food where it can be easily obtained while you are working. Mainly this is to prevent you from overeating because you aren't paying attention. How often do you work on something and eat mindlessly because you were initially hungry, but now it's just because you aren't paying attention? Many people have this habit and before they know it they are 1000 calories off to a bad day. So keep it clean and no one gets hurt.

There are other places in your home that might be problematic for a diet. Don't just forbid bad foods to come in, make your home diet friendly by surrounding yourself with ways to avoid excessive portions during the day. It can be done with just a little forethought and action.