Secrets of Success

Put a mirror on the refrigerator

Studies prove that people are more likely to stay on track when "eyes are watching them." A mirror on the refrigerator, and one in the pantry, may subconsiously reduce snacking, sneaking or binging. PLUS, looking at yourself will remind you of your goals and help make that decision on whether you are going to snack or choose another option when you are not truly hungry.
Even better, put your "goal picture" BESIDE the mirror to remind you where you are heading.

Don't starve, eat

Most people think weight loss consists of exercising and fasting, but the real solution is to exercise AND eat (the correct amount of course - 1500-1800 calories). If you eat too little, your body stores everything because it doesn't know when its next meal is coming. However, if you eat enough, your body is willing to let go resulting in lost weight! So eat people!

Iceberg Lettuce, How I Love Thee...

Iceberg lettuce has a bad reputation. Which is a shame! So, here are some reasons why you should invite iceberg back into your healthy eating plan.
1. its inexpensive
2. mostly water (= hydration)
3. mostly fiber (= more fiber!! -wink, wink!)
4. adds bulk to regular salads (i.e. more food!! yay!)
5. neutral taste (you went to the trouble to make your own salad dressing you should at least taste it!) AND
6. memories (lunch box sandwiches! yum!)

Planning is Everything

I plan out what I am going to eat the next day before I go to bed. This helps me stay on track. Searching for something to eat when you are hungery leads to bad decisions.

Size really does matter...

The size of your plate matters. The smaller the plate, the more likely your portion size will be smaller.

The size of each piece of your meal makes the different too. If your piece of chicken is bigger, you will probably eat too much. But if your chicken is smaller, you'll have better portion control.

Restaurant survival guide

Make good choices. Ask if you can have an extra vegetable instead of rice, potato or pasta & whole wheat instead of white bread. Most restaurant meals are larger than meals eaten at home, so as soon as a meal is before you, ask for a container to take home the leftovers. But, don't wait to see what is leftover. Immediately divide everything in half. Eat the half left on your plate & take the rest home. One exception is if the vegetable or salad portions are...(click title for more info)

Nothing tastes as good as feeling thin!

If you think you're going to cave and eat that whole box of cookies, just remember how you will feel afterwards. Guilty, sad, angry? Does it feel as good as you thought? Was it worth it? Of course not. It will just set you back on the yo-yo rollercoaster which is really hard to get off. If you really must, just have one - not the whole box! - from wisdomtips.com

Cheat ----in your favor

If you weigh your food, and say, one serving is 30 grams, subtract 10% (3 grams.) Measure out only 27 grams. You will eat 10% less than you are allotted. If you reduce everything you eat, you'll still have a balanced diet, but just a little less of it. It's up to you if you want to enter your food as the exact amount you are actually eating, or if you want to enter it as a full serving even though you are eating only 90% of a serving. This works especially well... (click title for more info)

Cheat ----in your favor

If you weigh your food, and say, one serving is 30 grams, subtract 10% (3 grams.) Measure out only 27 grams. You will eat 10% less than you are allotted. If you reduce everything you eat, you'll still have a balanced diet, but just a little less of it. It's up to you if you want to enter your food as the exact amount you are actually eating, or if you want to enter it as a full serving even though you are eating only 90% of a serving. This works especially well... (click title for more info)

Eat Your Veggies First!

I try to make a bag of frozen veggies with every dinner. I eat the veggies first, before moving on to any other food. After I'm done with a bag of veggies I am almost full, and therefore I don't eat too much of anything else. Pig out on the veggies, and then you won't be able to pig out on the dessert and other fattening foods!

Trick yourself with size & colors!

Did you know that the colors red, orange & yellow can actually make you desire to eat something? On the other hand, the color blue can suppress your appetite. Size also has a lot to do with perspective. If you fix & eat your meal off of a small plate, you feel like you are eating more than if you put it on a large plate. Soooo,,, eating your meals off of small, blue plates can trick your mind into thinking you're eating more than you are!

Secret to never getting hungry.

eat a piece of fruit, or couple of slices of turkey breast every 2 hours between meals, and you will never be hungry when it's time to eat the main meal. Remember, if you sit down to eat " when your hungry" you will devour everything. When you sit down to eat "when your NOT hungry" you will eat only the right portion that you should eat.

Mindless eating

Don’t eat while watching television. You can become so engrossed in your program that don’t realize how much you are eating.

If you've never felt full, this is how to do it.

I can't afford to get the lapband, but I went to the "meeting" to check it out years ago. I left thinking, well maybe the after surgery rules might help now. So, I tried the eating & drinking seperately. For the very first time in my life, I understood what "my" full felt like. And I finally knew where my stomach was. Wasn't where I thought.

If you've never felt full, this is how to do it.

I can't afford to get the lapband, but I went to the "meeting" to check it out years ago. I left thinking, well maybe the after surgery rules might help now. So, I tried the eating & drinking seperately. For the very first time in my life, I understood what "my" full felt like. And I finally knew where my stomach was. Wasn't where I thought.

Eat/Plan Your Meals

Strive to eat breakfast, pack your lunch, and cook dinner. Avoid buying (unless you already what you are going to get) - It's cheaper and healthier. Look up recipes and make big batches of healthy meals. Divide them into reasonable portions so they are ready for eating throughout the week.

Calories

If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. If you eat calories and don't ever burn them off, they collect and put fat on your body. Doesn't matter what type of calories they are.

Night Time Snacking Idea!

I have a large container labeled "Cookies"
I didn't want to get rid of the bowl even though I had got rid of the cookies, so I have small bags filled with fresh fruit and vegetables ready to finger eat at any time during the day and night.

Logging WHEN you eat!!

If you have the chance to log your meal or snack right away while you are eating or or directly after, you won't have to try to remember what you ate throughout the day and this way, you are less likely going to forget what you ate when its time to log it in.

A way to find the best foods

Use the "See Today's Full Report" button at the bottom of your nutrition tracking page and see what foods have more power for their punch.

Binge Blocker #1

Block that binge! Keep some healthy, balanced frozen dinners on hand to use when you feel stress and need to block a binge beginning.

It's OK to Feel a Little Hungry

It's ok to feel a little hungry, a Dr. told me in 1959. That may be ok to eat healthy and be a little hungry. I read on Dr. Oz something about being 80% full, I think. Check out that data and feel proud you eat well but less.