http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-1416887-9483390 When you're dieting, the thing that can really wreck a healthy eating plan is that awful feeling that comes over you to just grab a huge bag of potato chips and polish it off while watching your favorite sit-com. We've all been there before!
There are things you can do to help yourself avoid the ugly urge to snack uncontrollably. - First things first: Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plan to have healthy snacks throughout the day. Do not skip meals or planned snacks. Skipping nutritious foods will make you feel uncontrollably hungry!
- If you can, avoid purchasing any unhealthy snacks. There are so many "good-for-you" snacks on the market today, there is really no reason why you should have a cupboard full of ring-dings and cheesecurls. Start learning to read the back of the packages of foods - look at the fat content - if it says that the fat content is over 5% per serving - look for a different snack.
- Here's a list of healthy snacks that are low in fat content, but still high in satisfaction (and I'm not talking about carrots and celery!):
- pretzels (watch the sodium content, though.) - graham crackers - any type of low fat crackers - (there are many different varieties - read the back of the packages to make sure that they are low in fat. Again, be wary of the salt content.) - low fat cookies - popcorn without butter (you can buy butter flavored salt.) - a cup of fruit with non-fat cool whip on top or a spoonful of honey. - fat free pudding - a stick of sugar-free chewing gum - a couple pieces of licorice - a cup of raw veggies with non-fat salad dressing for dip (ok, so you may have to eat a few carrots.) - Treat yourself to scented candles. When you feel like you need a snack - light the candles and enjoy them! This actually does work - I've tried it.
- Instead of a snack, have a drink. Try a non-caffeinated herbal tea with a spoonful of honey. There are several drinks on the market with no caffeine and no sugar - buy a lot of that stuff - different kinds - and keep it on hand. Before you go for a snack - drink 8 oz. of your favorite drink, then decide if you really need a snack.
- Take up something you can do with your hands -- crochet, knitting, puzzles, cross-stitch, sewing, playing piano, paint your nails and toenails, weed the garden, do a little housework, look at a magazine for the fashions you will buy when you're thinner... In other words, get your mind off food and onto a healthy hobby.
- Don't watch TV. TV encourages snacking - you're sitting there, you feel like you should be doing something - so you go for the snack. Also, most of the commercials are about food. Stay away from TV, take up reading or another activity in number 6 above.
- When you're finished with a meal or a planned snack, brush and floss your teeth - this will help you stay away from food for about an hour.
- THINK - just take about one minute to think about what you are doing. Go look at yourself in the mirror during this minute. Ask yourself, "Do I really want to eat this and PAY the CONSEQUENCE?"
- Use your HealthFitCounter - Every time you eat something - input it into your HealthFitCounter - This will help you keep track of what you've REALLY eaten. Snacking and nibbling can be the death of a healthy diet.
The HealthFitCounter works: "I purchased your PDA version of the software and became educated on healthy eating. After retiring from the service 10 years ago I gained 50 pounds with a lazy lifestyle. Your product has helped me lose 40 and I am on my way to the 50. Thanks." "I got the HealthFitCounter for my Palm just before the Christmas Holidays, and managed to lose 5 pounds while still having a chance to indulge in modest sized but reasonably regular treats. So far, I'm at a net loss of 7 pounds since Dec 23. My goal is a total of 20, so I'm 1/3 of the way there. The discipline of using HealthFitCounter PLUS the fact that I know when it's OK to enjoy a snack makes all the difference." |