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. Eat 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.