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. carbohydrate, such as a slice

of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings.