Just Shopping with a List Can Help You Lose Weight

The evidence is mounting, yet another study shows that using a shopping list helps with weight loss.

The latest research, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, showed that people who shopped to a list weighed less than those in the same community who didn’t.

This follows hot on the heels of research carried out at Monash University last year, where overweight shoppers who used a list lost over 1½ pounds per month.

Lead researcher, Dr Nicole Au from the Monash Centre for Health Economics said,

 "When individuals worked with detailed meal plans and a grocery list to make the meals it could have a meaningful impact on weight loss and long-term health among overweight and obese individuals."

For those who want to lose weight, a list represents a pre-commitment – how you would like to eat next week. 

How a shopping list benefits a weight loss diet:

• Lose more weight than shopping without a list
• Less high fat, high sugar impulse buys
• You’ll have healthy, low calorie snacks available when you need them
• If you do get and attack of the nibbles, your nibbles will be healthier
• You’re more likely to cook a healthy meal when you have shelled out on the ingredients

• A well-planned shopping list provides foods for all your normal eating situations, so you won’t need to rely on fattening takeaways
• Giving some thought to the quantities of food on your list will save you ££s and lbs
• If you shop and cook for the family, all of you will benefit from eating healthier

Tip! Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry – the healthiest list in the world won’t save you from the sights and smells of the supermarket on an empty stomach!

How to make a shopping List that’s good for your diet

Step 1 - Start by splitting down your days into categories, for example work days, weekend days, away days etc. Think about when and where you will be eating and who’ll you be eating with. Don’t forget to include the snacks you’re likely to want on any given day.

Step 2 – Choose a healthy meal or snack for each of the occasions you’ll be eating that suits the when, where and who. You’ll find loads of meal ideas and recipes inside WLR and you can try it out free.

Step 3 – Put it all together in a list. If sitting there with a calculator doesn’t sound like too much fun, you can use the ‘My Plans’ tool in WLR to make this easy. The tool adds up each day’s calories as you go and produces a shopping list for the week when you’re done – try it free.

Back to top | WEIGHT LOSS | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy