E
ating wisely is a process and doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll try different things with varying success and learn more about yourself and your body as you go. We’ve found a few tips and tricks that work for our clients, and we’d like to pass them along to you. As with anything else, take what works and leave the rest.
Write it down.
Keep a food log for two weeks and write down everything you put in your mouth, even gum and mints. Note the time and your mood when you eat outside of meals. Sit down and look at it to get a feel for what you’re eating every day. You’ll see instantly where you can better manage your eating.
Shop the perimeter of the store.
The real food is typically around the perimeter of the store, though some stores have gotten wise to that trick and are dispersing the healthy stuff throughout the building. They hope you’ll find the bad stuff, which is actually more profitable for them.
Don’t buy it if you shouldn’t eat it.
If you don’t buy it, it won’t be in your house, and it can’t tempt you. Ask your family to keep their treats somewhere you can’t find them. Even better is if they can eat them out of your sight, which may mean you stay out of the kitchen during specific times.
Eat real.
The closer you eat to nature, the more satisfied you’ll be. An apple will make your mouth, tummy, and body happier than an apple-flavored fruit roll-up will. Eat as simply as possible, and you’ll feel better, be healthier, and lose weight if you need to.
Try the distraction trick.
If you feel hungry and it’s not mealtime, get busy doing something else. Anything works as long as it takes your mind off food. Knitting, reading, watching a movie, going for a walk, playing with the dog… anything that changes your focus from food will work for a while. You may need to do this trick a few times before it’s time to eat.
Water, water everywhere.
Often, when we feel hungry, we’re actually thirsty. Try drinking a glass of water before each meal and when you feel the snack urge coming on. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to make it refreshing and satisfying.
Only one helping.
Where many of us run into trouble is going back for a second helping. Allow yourself only one helping, and then pack up the rest and put it in the freezer for the next day. If it’s frozen, you can’t easily go after another helping two hours later.
No eating after 7 p.m.
Night eating is a disaster for keeping your weight down. Eat up until 7 p.m., and then close the kitchen. If you get hungry later, have some bouillon or other liquid, which will usually take care of the craving.
Give us your best trick for managing your eating below!
