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.