Sensible Diet Tips
Start your diet with a food diary, record everything you
eat, what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. That
tells you about yourself, your temptation, the emotional states
that encourage you to snack and may help you lose once you
see how much you eat.
Instead of eating the forbidden piece of candy, brush your
teeth. If you're about to cheat, allow yourself a treat, then
eat only half a bite and throw the other half away. When hunger
hits, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it passes.
Set attainable goals. Don't say, "I want to lose 50 pounds."
Say, "I want to lose 5 pounds a month." Get enough
sleep but not too much. Try to avoid sugar. Highly sweetened
foods tend to make you crave more.
Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself
helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic.
Taken before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you that
"full feeling." Diet with a buddy. Support groups
are important, and caring people can help one another succeed.
Start your own, even with just one other person.
Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go
to the "Y" or health club if possible; or dust,
or walk around the block. This is especially helpful if you
eat out of anger.
If the pie on the counter is just too great a temptation
and you don't want to throw it away, freeze it. If you're
a late-night eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of
bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings.
Keep an orange slice or a glass of water by your bed to quiet
the hunger pangs that wake you up.
If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system.
Buy yourself a non-edible reward. Write down everything you
eat - - everything - including what you taste when you cook.
If you monitor what you eat, you can't go off your diet.
Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight
fluctuates constantly and you can weigh more at night than
you did in the morning, a downer if you stuck to your diet
all day. Make dining an event. East from your own special
plate, on your own special placemat, and borrow the Japanese
art of food arranging to make your meal, no matter how meager,
look lovely. This is a trick that helps chronic over-eaters
and bingers pay attention to their food instead of consuming
it unconsciously.
Don't shop when you're hungry. You'll only buy more fattening
food. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts.
Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening liquids, which
are so easy to overdo. And this includes alcoholic beverages.
Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and air-popped
fat-free popcorn on hand. They're high in fiber, satisfying
and filling. Leave something on your plate, even if you are
a charter member of the Clean The Plate Club. It's a good
sign that you can stop eating when you want to, not just when
your plate is empty.
Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your
parents or your friends. Make the kitchen off-limits at any
time other than mealtime. Always eat at the table, never in
front of the TV set or with the radio on. Concentrate on eating
every mouthful slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything
from 10 to 20 times and count! Never skip meals.
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