Secrets of Success

Hide the Timer

If you are running on the treadmill for a long period of time at the same speed and don't need to know the time, cover up the time with a towel or article of clothing or whatever. It goes by a whole lot faster when you're not constantly looking down and wondering how on earth only 10 seconds have passed since the last time you looked.

Chew Gum

To avoid mindless snacking. If you pass a candy bowl or the snack drawer, you'll have to stop and think about it first because you already have something in your mouth.

5 minutes at a time

When I'm running, I usually go for a goal of 30 minutes. But if I think about 30 minutes, I get intimidated. So I just take it 5 minutes at a time. After 2 1/2 minutes, you're halfway done. Then with the last minute, I think, I've come this far, why stop now? Then I feel motivated to keep going.

Stop and Think

If you find yourself thinking about snacking or just going to the kitchen out of boredom, stop and ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?" And give your body a minute to answer yes or no. Most of the time, the answer will be no. Then go do something else.

Negotiate with yourself

Normally with my meals I have a side, but usually it's not necessary. So if you're making a sandwich for lunch, tell yourself, I'll eat the sandwich, and if I'm still hungry when I'm done, then I'll have some pretzels. More often than not, you'll forget all about the side which cuts calories!