Start your diet by taking notes of everything you eat or drink all day. Include the size of the portions in weight or volume (typically ounces). Also write down what your emotions were at the time you were eating.
This will tell you a heck of a lot about yourself such as; what tempts you and your emotional states that encourage you to snack. Just knowing the WHY can help you establish a plan of attack.
Make dining something special. Eat from your own special plate, on your own special placemat, make your meal, no matter how simple, look special. This helps over-eaters and bingers pay attention to their food instead of consuming it unconsciously.
Concentrate on eating every mouthful slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything from 10 to 20 times and count! Eat six small meals (vs. three large one) spaced fairly evenly throughout the day. Never skip meals.
You’ve heard the warning “Don't shop when you're hungry”. It’s true! You'll only buy more fattening food. Write your ingredients list down and stick to it at the store.
Avoid small finger foods that are too easy to eat in large amounts. Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening beverages. Stick to water with a slice of lemon or lime. Or an unsweetened iced tea. This also 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. Stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty. If you are full, put the rest away or toss it out.
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. Avoid sugar. Highly sweetened foods tend to make you crave more and converts to fat.
Drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day. Example: If you weigh 160 lbs. you would need 80 ounces (2.5 quarts) of water per 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."
Get involved with support groups. Having other caring people can help one another succeed. If you have to then just start your own, even with just one other person such as a friend or family member.
Change a negative habit into a positive one. When food cravings hit take a walk around the block if possible or call a friend. This is especially helpful if you eat out of stress.
Weigh yourself once a week at the same time (morning is best). Most importantly lose weight for you not anyone else. Realize how valuable you are and how valuable your health is.
There are three critical building blocks that must be stacked together to achieve weight loss: eating healthier and smaller portions (consuming fewer calories), increasing expenditure of energy through simple exercise (using up more calories) and having the mind set (mental discipline) to change your habits into a positive life program of health and vitality.
