Some strategies
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mjsmith1223
Posts: 59
Over the course of the last year and half or so I've found some things that have helped me on my weight loss journey. I thought I'd share them with you all just in case they might help someone out. Please feel free to add your own. I'm always open to new ideas.
Bold Flavors - Amping up the flavor while dialing down the portion size is helpful to me. Salsa has been an immense help to me. It brings a ton of flavor to the party without adding much in the way of calories. I even use it in place of salad dressing now.
Less processed, more natural - Incorporating more whole foods and less processed stuff has been helpful to me. I don't mean be a whole, raw food zealot or anything. Just things like eating seasonal, fresh fruit for a snack and limiting my soda pop intake are helpful. Having a small vegetable garden over the summer provided a great source of snacks and salad building materials from July-September.
Drink more water - When I started my journey I was chronically dehydrated. Upping my water intake helps me just feel better. Also, it seems to help flush out the excess sodium if I visit the Chinese buffet the night before ;-)
Start with a good breakfast - For me that means steel cut oats or old fashioned rolled oats. In the summer it might mean granola & yogurt. Whatever it is, I try to have a good breakfast. It just gets me off on the right foot and helps me avoid snacking during the day.
What has been helpful to you?
Bold Flavors - Amping up the flavor while dialing down the portion size is helpful to me. Salsa has been an immense help to me. It brings a ton of flavor to the party without adding much in the way of calories. I even use it in place of salad dressing now.
Less processed, more natural - Incorporating more whole foods and less processed stuff has been helpful to me. I don't mean be a whole, raw food zealot or anything. Just things like eating seasonal, fresh fruit for a snack and limiting my soda pop intake are helpful. Having a small vegetable garden over the summer provided a great source of snacks and salad building materials from July-September.
Drink more water - When I started my journey I was chronically dehydrated. Upping my water intake helps me just feel better. Also, it seems to help flush out the excess sodium if I visit the Chinese buffet the night before ;-)
Start with a good breakfast - For me that means steel cut oats or old fashioned rolled oats. In the summer it might mean granola & yogurt. Whatever it is, I try to have a good breakfast. It just gets me off on the right foot and helps me avoid snacking during the day.
What has been helpful to you?
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I agree with all of the above.
Some things that have been helpful to me are: (1) don't drink my calories - I try to limit juices etc. and stick to water as much as I can which is hard as I do love juice; (2) protein at breakfast - previously I was eating oatmeal and not adding protein - I've switched over to greek yogurt and now I don't have the urge for a mid-morning snack; (3) Cook more - I live alone and cooking for one can be a pain, so I make a lot of things in my slow cooker on the weekends so I have meals for the whole week.0 -
Journaling is most helpful to me because inevitably I forget things that I've eaten.0
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All good. I add drinking warm but unsweetened beverages such as tea.0
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Great ideas everyone!
I thought of something else tonight while I was out running: Knowledge. Educating myself as to the nutritional content of what I eat has helped me make better choices. I keep the nutritional info for all the common restaurants on my work laptop so I can quickly look something up when we're traveling. My coworkers think I'm a nut.
Breaking it all down to what I can understand: 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat. Keep Calories in < Calories out. I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box, but I can grasp that.0 -
When I'm craving something sweet, I usually grab a Coke Zero, gets me past the craving.0
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Great suggestions everyone!! I am slowly kicking back into my tea drinking mode...I'm fighting a cold, so it's easy for me to drink the tea instead of the coffee because I really don't want the coffee. I just have to train myself that I don't *need* coffee.
If I'm finding myself in a snacking mode (even after I've just had a snack or lunch), I will grab a piece of gum. I'm sure it's an age old dieting trick, but I learned it from watchin' the Biggest Loser and it really helps sway the desire to snack.0 -
Nice race, Jason.
Seriously, all good hints. I also find if I brush my teach right after dinner, I tend not to want to snack again before bedtime.0 -
Lots of great suggestions here. A lot of what has helped me has been mentioned. I have also tried to really reduce processed foods and focus more on whole foods. When I focus on whole foods, I lose the cravings for junk. The occasional treat is that much better then. I also try to get a good balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Reducing calories is great, but not at the cost of reducing nutrients.0
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Brushing your teeth works for me too. I drink water while makng supper to keep me from snacking. Sometimes, I will snack on almonds. I never shop on an empty stomach so I resist temptation.0
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Also be aware of how much you are eating. If I want something not so healthy, I will measure out a serving, rather than opening the Costco size bag of whatever and digging in while reading or watching TV. Its amazing how much I would glom down mindlessly.0
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Also be aware of how much you are eating. If I want something not so healthy, I will measure out a serving, rather than opening the Costco size bag of whatever and digging in while reading or watching TV. Its amazing how much I would glom down mindlessly.
^^This is something I am working hard to get better at. Not measuring and just mindlessly munching down the bag/box of whatever is my biggest weakness.0 -
Also be aware of how much you are eating. If I want something not so healthy, I will measure out a serving, rather than opening the Costco size bag of whatever and digging in while reading or watching TV. Its amazing how much I would glom down mindlessly.
This is all I've ever known. When I was a kid, my Mom used to give us an apple and cheese or something as a snack after school. She always prepared it for us and gave us the portions in a little bowl. She certainly would have never allowed us to take a bag of something to the TV room and she never would have let us get our own snacks. So, whenever I want something as a snack while watching TV, I go to the kitchen, get some on a plate or in a bowl and take that to the living room. I had never heard of people taking a bag with them until I got to college.0 -
Just thought about free foods. Depending on the diet, there are usually free foods that you can snack on. Usually its something like pickles, celery or lettuce or in case of low carb, pork rinds. Sugar free jello is another one.0
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Arrived home tonight and my kids had me some sugar free chocolate pudding for me thinking I would prefer that over the real thing they made for themselves. It was one of the worst things I have ever tasted. Not sure if they made it incorrectly or were just trying to poison me.0
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Another strategy I use for candy: I get things like M&Ms, Reeses Pieces or something similar in the normal size bags. I'll pull out a few pieces and then roll up the bag and put it away. Then I make those few pieces last as long as I can. It's amazing how when a chocolate craving hits, just a taste of it will satisfy me. So, instead of downing an entire pounder bag of M&M's in one sitting like I used to, I can make a normal bag last an entire week. I satisfy my chocolate tooth and keep the snacking under control.0
