This is how I have lost 21 pounds

I made this second person for some reason. I am not trying to tell you what to do, and I am not trying to sell anything. I just wish someone would have explained this to me long ago.

Eat when you are physically hungry, and pay attention to how much you are eating as well as the quality of that food.

Mindfulness-based eating awareness training is something that you can do on your own. Remember that it is always your choice whether or not to eat something. I am not in any way attempting to marginalize food addiction, especially addiction to sugar, but in the end, you are the person who chooses to shove food into your mouth, chew it, and swallow. The overwhelming urge to eat a candy bar can be, well, overwhelming, but when your are aware of what the feeling is, why you are feeling it, how long it will last, etc, then you can ask yourself, "do I need that?" If you don't need it, but you still want it, accept this. Accept that you want to eat a whole chocolate bar because chocolate is freaking delicious and you crave it. Then decide whether or not you will eat it.

One thing I found very interesting is that when you actually savor each bite of food, the first is the best, most rewarding. (It's nearly impossible to escape the food reward response). By the third or fourth bite, however, the food is barely tastable. That is, no bite will be as delicious as that first bite, and eating a mountain of doughnuts will never give you the same gratification as the very first bite of the first doughnut. You might find yourself "chasing the flavor," and you will not find it.

And for most people, being physically hungry for a period of time won't do any damage.

Try asking yourself these questions:

Is my stomach actually growling?
Do I actually need to eat more food?
Is this just a craving?
Why am I craving this? Because I am stressed? Upset? Depressed? Or just because it's tasty?
What does it mean if I eat this? What will I gain in terms of nutrition, or sensation?
How does this relate to my goals? Will this help me develop or prevent diabetes?
Is there something that I can pair with this to reduce bad effects or increase good effects? (Eat an ounce of almonds with your two cookies and you will slow the rate of increase in blood glucose levels)
What will happen if I don't eat? Will I just be a bit hungry or will I pass out?
What is a reasonable amount to eat? Three cookies? One burrito? A mountain of doughnuts?

This was the most effective question for me:

Would I want someone I care about (child, significant other, etc, but I usually think of my grandparents) to eat this or not and why?

Then take that wisdom and apply it to yourself because you are just as valuable as a human being as they are and taking care of yourself is good for everyone. You could also word it differently, like "would someone who cares about me want me to be eating this?" But I found it more effective to take the affection and desire to protect those I love and redirect those feelings toward myself (without leaving them out, of course).

I still have nineteen pounds to go, but I just wanted to share this because I want everyone to be healthier, mainly because I want to pay less for insurance and see an increase in overall productivity. Believe or not, other people's obesity problems affect everyone in our society.