Many women want to be slim. Maybe you’re one of them. Perhaps you’re getting married soon and you want to fit into your wedding gown comfortably. Or perhaps you simply want to look (and feel) great in a swimsuit or bikini.

Whatever your reason for wanting to be slim, there are some things you can do to become slim while staying healthy. If you are reading this article, chances are you want to know what those things are. Read on then, to find out.

First thing is to assess your current eating habits. This is important because you need to know what’s not working. If your current eating habits are keeping you overweight, and you want to be slim, it figures that you need to change those eating habits. If something is not working, change it.

Assessing your current eating habits.

Keep a record of your eating habits for a week. The record should contain the following information:

• What you are eating

• How much you’re eating

• When you eat (note the times) – you want to know how far apart your meals and snacks are.

• Why you’re eating at those times – is it because you’re hungry, or are you ‘comfort eating’?

• How you feel after eating – pleasantly satisfied or bloated and stuffed.

• How many glasses of water you drink each day

When you find out your current eating habits, you’ll need to determine which habits are sabotaging your efforts to lose weight. Those are the ones you want to change. More on that later.

Goal Setting

Determine what your weight goal is. Or you may prefer to monitor your progress in terms of your waistline or hip measurements. Whichever one suits you is best.

Form a mental picture of yourself looking the way you want to look. Goals are more powerful and empowering when we visualize them. Hold that mental picture in your mind at all times.

NOTE: Eating healthily is not all there is to getting slim. You must become more physically active (read ‘exercise’) in addition to eating properly if you’re to lose weight permanently. This article deals with the healthy eating part of that equation.

Action Plan

Now that you know what your ideal size is, you have a goal that you’re working towards. You need to then determine a plan of action to help you achieve that goal.

To help you decide on the right plan, bear in mind that eating should be a pleasure. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Which nutritious foods do I enjoy eating ?

• How soon after eating do I get hungry again? Most adults get hungry about 3 to 4 hours after eating a meal.

• Do I eat only when I’m hungry? Hint: You should.

• How can I stay full? Drink lots of water. Scientists recommend between 6 and 8 glasses of water daily. Your body needs it, and it helps you stay full.

With the answers to those questions in mind, form an action plan, and start a new daily record to help you keep track of your progress. This new record should contain the same columns as your initial current habits record. This way you can monitor each improvement and celebrate accordingly.

When deciding on which actions to take, you need to refer back to your initial assessment of your current eating habits. Decide which habits are preventing you from losing weight. Write down alternative habits that you want to cultivate, which will help you get slim.

These new habits you want to form are now your ‘targets’ – milestones on your way to your ideal body shape and size.

Taking Action

To form healthy eating habits, start with small changes.

Don’t make too many changes at once. Set yourself main targets, such as ‘I will drink 8 glasses of water each day’, then set smaller targets to help you reach each main target.

Using the example above, a small target could be ‘I will drink an extra glass of water after each meal’. When you break down your targets, they don’t seem so daunting. They seem easily achievable, so you feel encouraged to stick to them.

Decide on the foods you will be eating regularly. Make sure they’re foods you enjoy.

Eat small portions, about 5 or 6 times each day, instead of three large meals. This helps keep your metabolic rate high, and helps you lose weight naturally.

How to stay motivated to continue eating healthily

1. Believe that you can do it, and accept responsibility for your health and for the way your body looks.

2. Reward yourself each time you successfully complete a small target. Celebrate each small success – don’t wait until you’ve lost tons of weight before you reward yourself. Make the journey enjoyable by treating yourself each time you make progress.

3. Keep in mind what you hope to achieve – remind yourself of how lovely and healthy your body is becoming each day as a result of your new eating habits. Remember, each small step in the right direction is bringing you closer to your main target.

With a clear goal in mind, a feasible action plan and tips to help you stay motivated, you should find it easy to form habits that keep you slim and healthy at the same time.

Here’s to your new healthy eating habits!