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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