It is beneficial to start your diet with a food diary where you should record everything you eat, what you do an how you feel during this period. This diary will help you know more about yourself, your temptation, display your emotional state which encourages you to snack and can help you lose excess weight because you will be able to control the amount of foods you eat. 1. Instead of eating a candy which is forbidden for you, brush your teeth. If want to cheat, allow yourself a treat but eat only half a bite and throw the rest away. If you feel hungry, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it passes. 2. Your goals should be realistic. Don't program yourself saying, "I want to lose 50 pounds." Say, "I want to lose 5 pounds a month." And sleep enough but still not too much. 3. Avoid sugar because highly sweetened foods can intensify your cravings. 4. Drink six to eight glasses of water every day. It acts like a diuretic diminishing the water retention. It is beneficial to drink water before your meals: it will dull your appetite and create the feeling of fullness. 5. Find a diet buddy. Caring people from support groups can help one another to reach their weight loss goals. 6. Substitute your eating with physical activities. When you crave, go to the "Y" or health club. As an alternative you can dust or walk around the block. It is especially useful if you eat out of anger. 7. If you see a delicious pie on the counter that makes you fall into temptation which yodu don't want to throw away, freeze it. 8. If you like to eat late at night, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread or a cracker, before bedtime to reduce your cravings. Place an orange slice or a glass of water near your bed which will quiet the hunger pangs which make you get up.
9. If you eat your foods as a reward try to develop a new reward system. Try to switch to non-edible reward. Write down the list of everything you eat even when you taste the dish while cooking. If you manage to control what you eat you won't cheat your diet. 10. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. It is necessary because your weight may change and you can weight more at night than you did in the morning. Make your dining a special event: eat foods from your personal plate, on your special placement following the Japanese art of food and make your meals look lovely. This trick is very helpful especially for over-eaters and bingers, it allows them to pay attention to their food and prevent them from unconscious eating. 11. Don't go shopping when you are hungry because you can buy more fat and unhealthy food. Try to avoid finger foods because it is easier to eat it in large amounts. Don't include into your nutrition large quantities of fattening liquids and alcoholic beverages. Involve in your diet plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and always have air-popped fat-free popcorn on hand. These foods are rich in fiber, they will satisfy your cravings and fill you up. You should always leave some food on your plate, even if you are a charter member of the Clean The Plate Club. It is very beneficial to stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty. 12. You should lose excess weight for yourself, not in order to satisfy your husband, your parents or your friends. Don't go to your kitchen at any time other than mealtime. 13. Always eat at your kitchen table, not in front of the TV set or with radio on. 14. Eat every mouthful slowly savoring each morsel. Chew each piece from 10 to 20 times and count! 15. Don't skip your meals.
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