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
Gym 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. carbohydrate, such as a slice
of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings.