Congratulations on losing weight! Maybe you haven’t reached your goal yet, but you are getting there. Changing the way you cook your food is a big help in the battle to keep the weight off and the fat out.

If you’ve started cooking more at home, that's good. The only way to know for sure what is in your food is to cook it yourself. Using fresh ingredients, there is no need for preservatives which can add unwanted sodium, fat, sugar and calories to your food.

Try these cooking methods as an alternative to frying with oil.

** Marinating Your Meats – Marinating foods, especially meats, breaks down the muscle fibers and tenderizes the meat. As the meat sits, the marinade will work its way throughout so every bite is succulent and tender. This technique works well if you plan on grilling or baking your meat.

** Broiling Fish – Many people fry fish on the stove top. There is an alternative to frying that leaves less fat on your food. Fatty fish is filled with good fats, but frying introduces extra fat that you can do without. Marinate your fish and then pop it under the broiler. Turn after five or ten minutes for even cooking. When the fish is flaky it’s done. By broiling there is no extra fatty oil added.

** Sautéing – This technique is okay for cooking meats and vegetables quickly. Use about a tablespoon of canola or olive oil in your pan and let the oil heat up before adding the ingredients. Food cooks better and faster if it is cut into cubes or strips.

** Steaming – Vegetables and rice respond well to steaming. You can buy a rice cooker or, if you like oriental food, invest in a bamboo steamer. Steaming preserves the nutrients and the original flavor of the food without overcooking it.

** Stir-frying Meats and Vegetables – Stir frying is a wonderful way to create a meal using very little oil. A tablespoon of oil is heated in the wok and then swirled around so that it coats the bottom and the sides. When the oil is hot the meat can then be added. Not much oil is used so there is no need to drain the meat. Add the vegetables and cook until tender.

** Grilling Your Food – This technique works outside in the summer and inside using a grill pan. Gas grills keep the temperature of the meat even and can prevent the charring of the meat that is typical with charcoal briquettes. A non-stick coated grill pan doesn’t need additional oil and you can drain away the fat before serving.

There are many ways to cook food that brings out the flavor without serving up the fat. Try one or all of these techniques for lower fat cooking.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies Instead of Drinking Them

We are an instant generation. Waiting for something is not a concept people bother much with these days. That habit has even made its way to our food. Unfortunately, this comes at a price and can wreck your hard earned weight loss.

A healthy body needs eight glasses of water a day. Our bodies are 90 percent water so the more we can drink, the better off we are. Food companies have also introduced other things we can drink – fruits and vegetables.

If you don’t have time to eat one, just drink it to get in your daily servings. It’s just as good isn’t it? Wrong! All fruit and vegetable juices are not the same. Just take a look at the label on the side of the juice container to find that out.

Juices sold in the store may contain juice, but they are not completely juice. Many are only ten percent fruit juice and the rest is water and other sugars. Eating or drinking too much sugar equals empty calories. Those calories deposit themselves on us as fat. Even an eight ounce glass of a juice blend that is only ten percent juice has over 100 calories.

Experts debate whether 100 percent juice is even good for children. The juice of a fruit contains a lot of natural sugar. While natural is better, the amount of sugar we give our children from these juices can reach extremely high levels if we’re not careful.

The same goes for vegetables. Those vegetable juice drinks contain other ingredients besides just veggies. While you may get two of more of your daily servings, the extra sugar can spell added pounds where you don’t want them – back on your body.

Get patient with yourself and your health and go back to the basics. The best way to eat fruit and vegetables is in their natural form. How much time does it take to pick up an apple? The apple has more fiber and nutrients as is than it does pressed into a juice. Also, your tummy will feel just as full for only half the calories. You can eat two apples for the calorie cost of one glass of juice.

The same thing happens with vegetables. Vegetables come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and tastes. Enjoy your food with fresh sautéed onions and zucchini, red ripe tomatoes, and spicy peppers.

All of that is missed in a juice. Learning to try different natural tastes is a part of eating healthier. If you have choices in your arsenal you are more likely to avoid regaining the weight.

The easiest way to pack in too many calories in a day is to drink them. Choose to eat your fruit and vegetable servings to avoid packing on the pounds.