Ways I Tricked Myself into Losing!!

sitstaygimmeeakiss

This is for all to share ways you've 'tricked' yourself into help lose the weight!

I'll start:

Earlier this year (in an effort to scale down the mess in my kitchen cabinets), I bought some Ikea dinnerware during their super-sale after Christmas. By coincidence, the plates & bowls are much smaller than usual. Now I'm weighing or measuring my food, but it made it easier that the bowls I now have are half the size of my old ones, and the dinner plates are much smaller, too.

Got to trick myself psychologically, lol.

Also - I buy a good supply of yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese - all non-fat - and use those as a base for dressings, etc., along with a steady supply of Ranch Dressing powder to add for flavor.

On MFP, someone mentioned Wegman's Coco Lite Multi-Grain Pop Cakes - got these at my local Whole Food's. (these are *not* chocolate as I first thought, lol). At 16 calories each, I can have an extremely low-cal sandwich.

I also started to each several small meals a day when my stomach started acting up - a side effect of this was that I got used to eating smaller meals, too - maybe this would have occurred w/out eating the small meals (I tend to not do this recently mostly because I'm too lazy, lol), but I'm actually realizing I'm full - when I am.

So I'm learning to eat like a normal person, lol!!

So what's your favorite way you've 'tricked' yourself? :bigsmile:

stronglikebull

I did the same thing with my IKEA dinnerware when I moved out for college! That, and kids Disney plates and bowls. Its weird how much fuller you feel when you eat a full bowl of something, even when it is a smaller bowl!

Drinking water from any container with a straw is my best cheat probably. I like water anyway, but I absently chew on the straw and go through SO MUCH more water because it helps distract me from eating when I have something to nibble on. Plus, good for the environment

James_1954

I shouldn't reply, because I don't have a single trick to share, really ... but I just wanted to say that I love your username! There's a lot of clever usernames to be seen here at MFP, and yours is definitely one of them.

ceeshelman

I like to have a glass of wine after work and I switched from red wine glasses (HUGE) to white wine glasses for red wine. 4oz seems like 6 now and I am happy as a clam to get my little treat for only 45 calories and no sense of deprivation.

When I eat my perfect dessert (honey greek yogurt and berries), I cut the usual 1/2 cup serving of yogurt to 1/8 cup (while leaving the berries at 1 cup) and skip a lot of calories while still getting that sweet fix I really enjoy after my dinner meal.

I just gave up bread, oats, cereals, and baked goods entirely. Weirdly I don't want them anymore. Well, don't wave one under my nose. I could still be tempted.

1/8 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips with an espresso instead of chocolate chips cookies with coffee and cream is satisfying and doesn't seem to feed that baked-goodie-go-round I used to be on.

When I ride my bike to and from work, I take little out of the way side streets that add 5 or 10 minutes to my trip. The small calorie burn adds up in a week.

I tell my dog when I first get up in the morning that I promise to walk him today. I know that sounds ridiculous but my promise holds me accountable for doing it when I get home from work.

maddymama

I second the idea of eating chocolate chips instead of a chocolate chip cookie. I actually have passed up a restaurant dessert and come home to eat chocolate chips (which I know will satisfy my chocolate tooth).

I use cinnamon like crazy in my coffee and oatmeal to make them sweeter.

I eat a So Delicious mini sandwich instead of a bowl of ice cream.... it's like a hundred calories instead of 600 for real ice cream

hazelnutflav

i drink a bottle of water before and after every meal.

sitstaygimmeeakiss

Arrgh!! I typed a message & got a server error response - and lost it all!!

To prevent me from losing it (just got in fr this horrid heat), here it is all in a nutshell (my home! lol):

Love the choco chip idea, don't totally trust myself to have a whole bag around.

I keep a 16 ounce cup near me all day that's just for water, so even in normal weather I drink more than my 8 glasses a day - and gulp away when I feel hungry.

Just discovered that I can (and do, without over-indulging) limit myself to about 2 teaspoons of real light cream in my coffee (today I treated myself to a bit more, since I hadn't had coffee all wk :noway: ). Makes my coffee taste so much better (never have used sugar at all in my coffee).

I've cut down the bread drastically - this is a woman who used to bake her own bread & pizza almost every day!

Found a pathway by the Charles River (I'm in the Boston area) that takes me where I usually walk - same distance, but w/the trees, water, birds, etc., it doesn't even feel like I'm walking that distance (.8 mile ea way).

Have had dogs for 12+ yrs - so I just have a routine of taking them out 2X a day to walk them - it's automatic (going to be weird this wknd as I'm going to visit a friend & my son is taking over the dog responsibilities). In extreme heat like this, and during snow storms, I might just take them in the backyard - but the guilt will prevent me most times, lol. Hey, it works!

and James_1954 - thank you! You can tell I'm a dog lover - have two right now (my oldest guy passed on last fall, sad to say). All black & white, all rescue dogs (not related). Used to say my clothes didn't match, so my dogs have to, lol.

Must say that they are much better at training me, than the other way around, though. :laugh: