Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Diet by Spending Your Stimulus (or Tax Rebate) Check

1. Buy a cookbook to teach you how to cook. One of the most important steps you can take when losing weight or simply trying to get healthier, is to cook your own meals. When you eat out or buy ready to eat meals, you have no idea what ingredients are being used or how many calories you're actually eating. By learning how to cook, you can solve these problems and make tasty while at the same time nutritious meals. Cooking will also save you money in the long run.

2. After you learn how to cook, buy yourself some nice cookware. The cheap ones are thin and made out of bad material that will make cooking a hassle. Buying good quality stuff will improve the taste of your food so you can actually eat the food instead of throwing it out and ordering pizza or chinese.

3. Get a collection of the most common spices and herbs. They are great to add taste to your meals without also adding calories or salt. Herbs and spices are sometimes expensive, but with your stimulus check, you can stock up on them. They last for a long time since you only use a bit to add taste.

4. Measuring cups and spoons can go a long way in controlling your calorie intake. Start measuring everything you use, especially when cooking, to see what a serving size actually is. When eating or drinking anything, you're probably getting a lot more than just one servings. Without measuring, calories can add up quickly which will wreak havoc on your diet and cause weight gain.

5. Get a small notebook so you can start keeping track of your calories. The most important rule when losing weight is to control your calorie intake. Most people underestimate how many calories they're actually eating. When this happens, you'll wonder why you aren't losing weight, get frustrated and quit your diet. Count your calories to make sure you're staying on track with your diet.

Also find ways to increase your exercise level with your stimulus check.

For more ways on improving your diet, visit the Beginner's Guide to Dieting. You can also see how other people lost weight and got healthier at the diet forums.

Health Poll of the Week: Why do you think most people quit their diets before losing all the weight they want? No need to register to vote or share your opinion.