We know that whether you are trying to lose weight, or have an overall healthier lifestyle, having a dietician  is something that has probably crossed your mind. And why shouldn’t it be? A dietician  is a great way to assist you in your health goals. But if you haven't had the chance to find a dietician , not to worry-- Here are 5 tips on how to manage your diet from a dietician :

1) Assess yourself

Assessing yourself is one of the first things a dietician  would do. But who can assess you better than you can! When being your own dietician , you should asses your concerns and needs, in order to be able to better set your goals. Ask yourself, are you unhealthy? Are you overweight? Do you have any present or past failures that you can reflect on? Once you have assessed yourself, you will be ready to set out goals that you can achieve.

2) Make a weekly meal plan

Having a meal plan every week is very important because it is part of the micro-goals that will help you reach your macro-goal of either weight loss, or an overall healthier diet. By scheduling a meal guide tailored to your health and weigh loss goals, each week will become easier for you to stay more focused on your diet, and prevent you from going “off track”.

3) Don’t weigh yourself too often!

We know how anxious you are to step on the scale and see some results. However, weighing yourself too often can lead to becoming un-motivated, and consequently- lead to sliding back into bad eating habits. Part of being your own dietitian means disciplining yourself! So, make sure to weigh yourself strategically. We suggest picking one day out of the week, and weighing yourself once a week on that exact day to keep proper track of your weight loss goals. Tip: Make sure to weigh yourself in the morning, as the morning is when we can measure our weight for the most accurate results. This way, our weight loss and health goals are being tracked correctly.

4) Say no to the “extras”

Just like spare change, calories also add up. And sometimes, paying attention to the little aspects such as the “extra sauce” you may be ordering for your pasta, is just as important as the big ones like “cutting out all carbs”. So, we suggest saying “no” to the extras! No more extra cheese, extra sauce, extra seasoning, extra croutons—just say no! By staying away from the extra adding on we are all guilty of, your calorie count at the end will be quite significant, and help you reach your overall weight loss and health goals.

5) Make a colorful grocery list

When we say keep a colorful grocery list, we really mean it. Make sure your grocery list includes foods from all the colors of the rainbow. This is a simple trick to ensure that you are eating meals well balanced in all the minerals, vitamins, and proteins you need for a healthy diet. Mother Nature created colors for a reason- so be color conscious, and make sure to include foods from every color in your weekly shopping cart.