All About The Kitchen

Anyone who has waged the weight loss battle knows that the bulk of the work (pun intended) comes in the kitchen. It is simply the fact that you must be able to control what you eat in order to lose fat and keep it off.

TMuscle asked various fitness coaches, Docs etc... 5 things people should have or do in the kitchen and unsurprisingly many of the same things popped up over and over. It's no coincidence.

You MUST know how many calories per day you need to keep it at, and you MUST know how much you are currently taking in. Aside from that simply having a good selection of clean, healthy food at home is mandatory. The more junk you have the more tempted you'll be to eat it.

Virtually everyone in the article recommended monounsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, fish oil) and abundant protein sources, along with veggies. These should be the staples of your diet. Period.

Cooking most of your meals at home is another must do. Those that eat most of their meals out have a harder time.

My five:

1. A computer to keep a food log. You've got to know how much you're eating in relation to your caloric expenditure in order to see the elusive rectus abdominus.

2. Tea. Be it green or otherwise, make tea the beverage of choice rather than soda or beer. I prefer loose-leaf green tea and cold mugi (barley) tea.

3. Healthy fats. Avocados, olive oil, peanut butter, nuts, etc; all are great for using instead of mayo or other spreads. Show monounsaturated fats some love.

4. Mixed nuts. See #3. Great to have on hand for the inevitable evening snack.

5. Invest in a good knife and cutting board for preparing the fresh veggies and lean meat that should be a staple of your diet.

Get a handle on your diet, do some effective exercise program you enjoy. Done.