One of the most pressing questions for anyone focused on weight loss is surprisingly difficult to answer: what should I eat for dinner? Though meal replacements may simplify your dietary decisions during medical weight loss in Los Angeles, you won’t be able to rely on OPTIFAST forever. Once your program is over and you’re ready to maintain the weight loss you’ve achieved, it will be up to you to make healthy and nutritious meals, and this means many trips to the supermarket. Unfortunately, the average supermarket is packed with more sugar, fat and empty calories than it is with nutritious produce. Because healthy ingredients form the core of any healthy meal, you’ll need to make good decisions at the grocery store if you hope to make worthwhile meals at home. You’ll learn plenty of healthy cooking tips during your medical weight loss program, but they won’t do much good if you bring home a cart full of junk food. If you hope to maintain your weight loss long-term, you’ll need to make sure that every trip to the market is a healthy one, and you can start by adopting healthy habits like:

• Sticking to the store’s perimeter. Though every grocery store is different, each has a similar setup: prepackaged and frozen goods are kept in the inner aisles, while produce, dairy, meat and baked goods are found along the outskirts. Because fresh, minimally processed foods will be the best for your weight loss diet, you should aim to make the vast majority of your purchases along the outer edges. Fill your cart with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, and forget about the empty calories in the middle of the store.
• Planning ahead. You may already make a list before you shop, but do you stick to it? Most of us end up making a few impulse purchases, tempted by delicious sights and smells that make us forget our better judgment. To keep yourself from bringing home a dietary disaster, plan out everything you’ll buy and refuse to deviate from the list.
• Shopping full. Even if you’re devoted to your list, a grumbling stomach can break down your willpower to avoid unhealthy purchases. When we’re hungry, we’re much more likely to give in buy something we regret or give in to tantalizing free samples. To avoid this issue, shop after a meal or eat a healthy snack before you hit the store.

The grocery store can be your best friend or your worst enemy after medical weight loss in Los Angeles. Use these tips to help yourself make good choices at the supermarket, and if you have any more advice, please share it in the comments below!