What do you do... (dieting tips)

[Miranda]

...to keep from over-eating?


Yes, I know there are some of us that just have incredible will power. But, others of us need a wee bit of help.

For me I've concluded (as I was home mindless eating junk on the see-food-diet, aka see food = eat)... it's getting out of the house.

A good ole mall shopping trip yesterday helped the diet plan beautifully...
A) I wasn't home to eat eat eat,
B) something about a lot of nekkidness in store dressing room lights has a way of kickin up your motivation.

The other day I survived my ice cream withdrawl cravings by using my GFs xmas gift... a new journal. When I re-read the entry, it sounded like "diary of a mad-man" (or one crazy woman dieing for Moose Tracks). But, it worked.

Next, I think I might re-visit crocheting. It kept my hands busy at home, vs using them to stuff un-needed food in my mouth.

So, what's your trick or tip?

[Grog]

I buy really high-quality food.

Somehow, I don't feel like binging on 75% dark chocolate or fancy cheeses with strong flavours. I do have some, but in reasonable amounts (or even less).

[deedolce]

Mine is wanting a second bowl of food - (I eat to fast, and I'm HUNGRY!!!) so what I've been doing is filling the bottom of the bowl with plain old lettuce. THEN I put my food on top, and eat it together. Then if I have a second bowl, and do the same thing, I've really only had 1 bowl of the 'main course'...well, it works for me.

[channlluv]

Mine is wanting a second bowl of food - (I eat to fast, and I'm HUNGRY!!!) so what I've been doing is filling the bottom of the bowl with plain old lettuce. THEN I put my food on top, and eat it together. Then if I have a second bowl, and do the same thing, I've really only had 1 bowl of the 'main course'...well, it works for me.

That's a really superior idea. I made homemade chili tonight and had it on a bed of organic white corn chips...wish I'd thought of lettuce now. Next time.



Roxy

[redrhodie]

If I'm watching my weight, which I always need to do in the winter, I try to chew each bite of food 40 times. It's really hard, but it makes me more conscious of what I'm eating. It's also better for digestion.

[tulip]

Eat slowly and do nothing else while eating (NO watching TV or reading the paper). Be mindful of what, how, and how much your are eating.

Plan ahead so you don't get really hungry and pig out.

Eat an apple every day.

Drink alot of water.

Brush your teeth.

[indysteel]

I try to avoid buying the foods that I have a habit of bingeing on. If they're not in the house, I can't eat them.

[Susan Otcenas]

I drink alot of tea. Especially fruity ones, as that seems to help when I have a sweet craving.

Sugar free gum. Keeps the jaws moving.

Air-popped popcorn! The real thing, not Jiffy Pop, or the like. 1/4 cup of unpopped corn yields a big bowl of popped corn, and is only 120 calories (2 WW points). It really satisfies the munching craving I get from time to time, without much guilt.

[Aggie_Ama]

Sugar free gum.

Drink water- it often curbs the urge to eat.

Do something non-sedantary. Sitting in front of TV or at my computer for work often makes me think I am hungry but really I am just bored.

I oddly can kill the urge to eat by running. I am anything but hungry after a run. A bike ride? Not so much. After a long bike ride I will eat anything in sight.

[GLC1968]

Do something non-sedantary. Sitting in front of TV or at my computer for work often makes me think I am hungry but really I am just bored.

This is a big one for me, too.

I also 'close' the kitchen at night. We eat, I clean up, and then the kitchen is closed for business. Helps with the night-time munchies.

Getting all 'trigger' foods out of the house helps, too. There are certain things that I have no will power to resist...so I just don't buy those things. And not shopping for groceries when I'm hungry also helps.

I have identified when my bad 'trigger' times of the day are, so I puposely plan to do things to avoid eating during those periods. When I get home from work and am preparing dinner is a bad time for me. My solution lately? I put bleach trays in my mouth! 45 minutes is about how long it takes to make and serve dinner...and thats how long they stay in. White teeth and no munchies...can't beat that! I don't know what I'm going to do next week when the bleaching is done though.

[crazycanuck]

I had an aha moment in terms of food whilst on our road trip. We carried alot of fruit(dried is best on a road trip in Aust due to agricultural checkpoints), raisins & yoghurt. We drank tons of water(the pee stops were quite frequent..)..

Ya know what...even without much exercise over a week, we didn't gain a ton of weight!!!

I guess what i'm trying to say is..fruit, water, salad etc is the way to go!

[Miranda]

Thx ladies, those are great replies!

Here's one I just decided to revisit on analyzing when I'm munching extra calories...

Riding in the car. I've always been a closet drive-thru junkie car eating person.

When I ride outside, the choices are limited when I roll in back home. When I'm leaving spin class at the gym, my fav coffee house is a block away. I usually do black coffee (zero calories). BUT, somehow I got started "treating" myself to baked goods out of their pastry case. Then it became routine. I felt like I'd die if I didn't have my food in the car. I could pass out from starvation and drive off the road.

Soooo... today, I made sure I took a healthier choice with me from home. A bannana. It was hard not to go to the coffee shop pastry case, but I just gripped my bannana for morale support.

[Andrea]

I just finished training camp with my new team... now whenever I eat something, I think about being yelled at over the team radio while getting dropped on a climb... I've lost two pounds since I got home

[badger]

maybe you can look into Relora? it's an adaptogenic herb that supposedly works to suppress overeating. I use it for anxiety and stress, and it really does work!

http://www.vitabase.com/articles/wei...ol-weight.aspx

[Hill Slug]

A few things:

Cut out non-essential sodium, yeah I know ......sometimes I do have some chips and salsa though when I have a craving. I definitely feel it when I have too much salt.

Stop eating 3 or so hours before going to bed. I have stopped eating anything after about 7:30-ish. When I eat late, it makes me feel more sluggish.

By journaling what I eat, I have to write it down. If really don't want to write down that I had some candy, I make myself not eat it.

This seems to work for me.