What are your favorite diet hacks?
Replies
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Take a shower and Flip the Switch.
It aids in breaking all kinds of habits.
https://castlecraig.co.uk/blog/2018/03/09/cold-showers-fight-addiction
https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/4-steps-breaking-bad-habit-forming-new-one/
Replace Your Old Habits with New Similar Ones
Finding something similar to your bad habit can help you easily replace it. If you only have the choice to give into your habit or stay at an equilibrium, your habit will likely influence your choosing. If you have two choices, one new choice and one old choice, you have a better chance at picking the new choice that will help you form a positive habit since it puts you at an elevated level compared to where you were before.8 -
Weighing condiments ie onion chutney or low fat mayo, in sandwiches or rolls etc. I've found the happy ground between having enough and being tasty. Without going overboard and adding unnecessary calories. Even saving 50 calories a day, while barely noticing the difference, means another 5lb lost in a year.11
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I cut a a carb lean tortilla in half and use that as my burger bun(I'm keto).4
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springlering62 wrote: »That’s some brilliant thinking @Antiopelle I love pomegranates but always end up looking like I have the pox when I eat one. They just get everywhere.
Maybe I could invest in a case of lobster bibs.
Cut the pomegranate open and have a big bowl of water ready. Hold the halves under the water while you separate the arils from the skin, then drain the water away. Works like a charm to keep the mess down!4 -
Diatonic12 wrote: »Take a shower and Flip the Switch.
It aids in breaking all kinds of habits.
https://castlecraig.co.uk/blog/2018/03/09/cold-showers-fight-addiction
https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/4-steps-breaking-bad-habit-forming-new-one/
Replace Your Old Habits with New Similar Ones
Finding something similar to your bad habit can help you easily replace it. If you only have the choice to give into your habit or stay at an equilibrium, your habit will likely influence your choosing. If you have two choices, one new choice and one old choice, you have a better chance at picking the new choice that will help you form a positive habit since it puts you at an elevated level compared to where you were before.
@Diatonic12 I love you honey, but nothing on Gods’ green earth could compel me to take a cold shower.
Period.15 -
@springlering62 Right back you, woman. Hugs and bu## smacks all around. I don't always take a cold one but I hop in there, flip the switch and when I come out my goals are intact. I am not willing to give up any of my progress. Ahhhh, hail to the no. There's someone else on here who does the same thing to keep things really sharp. It works for me, too.9
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Honestly, one of the best things I've done is spend ages poring over the nutritional information when grocery shopping online to find healthier swaps for things I really like. It's an initial dump of time, but if you can swap one food for another (and still enjoy it), it then becomes a recurring super easy win. Saving a few couple of hundred calories here and there really adds up over time.
When I'm having a bad time food-wise, the way I recover is to food prep the entire day into boxes. I get one for breakfast, one for lunch, one for dinner. No thinking, no snacks. Once the box is empty, no more food left for that time of day. Being rigid like this helps me shake the habit of mindlessly eating and racking up more calories than I can afford, and gives me that push back up onto the healthy wagon.
I initially swapped bread products, but now I've really cut back on it. Rather than a cheese burger in a bun, now it's a corn fritter with a slice of cheese. The bread is gone. I found it was easier to balance my calorie allowance for the day when I cut out the bread one day, and I realised I didn't miss it anywhere near as much as I thought I would. It's all about priorities.
Eat the things that make you healthy, and eat the things you really like. There's no room for things that don't have much nutritional value and you only mildly like. If you're to fit something unhealthy into your daily allowance, it has to be something you really enjoy.
Oh dear, I think I've Marie-Kondo'd my plate. Does this food spark joy? No. OK, does it at least help me with my macros? No. Right, not eating it then... Next!30 -
I eat pretty healthily on the whole but the one thing that really helps is a sprinkle of ranch dressing powder or low salt bouillon powder, particularly on veg such as savoy cabbage or spinach, good as a seasoning for grilled chicken etc too.
I like intense flavours and they are not the healthiest of additions but I use a small amount and it makes a big difference for me, upping flavours, making 'boring' foods enjoyable.11 -
1. Protein at every meal, esp breakfast 25-30g
2. Add fats and protein with carbs in snacks. Just carbs is not filling.9 -
The 5-minute rule. I was an overeater, a binge eater, still think like one. Cravings roll over me like waves. When I think I have to order the food, even though I am not hungry, or when I want to open the box of pralines, even though it was supposed to be a present, I tell myself I can have it all...in 5 minutes.
And then I wait and find myself not wanting anymore what I craved so desperately just five minutes before.
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Most recipes as-published or as-posted contain about 1/2 to 1/3 more sugar than they need. I find I can usually cut the quantity to 2/3 or 1/2 of the recipe specification without impacting the taste.20
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This is not a diet hack more of a mental hack. If I am really craving dessert or chocolate after dinner at night, I tell myself I can have it for breakfast. Then at breakfast, I never want to eat a dessert of course.10
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I do "snack prep" in addition to meal prep. For example, as soon as I get home from the grocery store I take all the grapes off the vine, wash them, and separate them into 1 cup portions and put them in the fridge. Or I cut up bell peppers into slices for a crunchy snack for later. I find it much easier to grab a healthy snack when I'm hungry when the "work" is already done.27
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OK, this isn't for everyone but it works for me.
When I know I'm dealing with a craving and/or need a little boost, I'll have a single slice of those low-cal, part-skim "processed cheese food" slices. They come in cheddar or Swiss now. It's only 45 calories and gives me a protein boost that usually gets me over the hump, with less fat than real cheese.
If I'm more hungry, I'll have it with black coffee. Usually every afternoon around 4:00 or so, just when I'm vulnerable to late-afternoon cravings. I find this usually gets me through to dinner, where I can have something larger and healthy. It's just a little device for me but it's been helpful.
And of course, mini carrots. Always mini carrots.11 -
....with less fat than real cheese.
I don’t know whether to shower you with approval or horror!
Someone here suggested low carb tortillas. They taste just like regular ones and the things are only 45 calories apiece! Opens back up the possibilities of fajitas with (gasp!!!) tortillas, and I’ve also started using them for lunch and breakfast. Great with a little dry-pan fried chopped ham and cheese, or “buttered” with a low cal teriyaki or peanut sauce and rolled with chopped chicken and some veggies.
Healthy Life brand bread and burger buns has also been a game changer. They taste just like regular bread but are basically cut thinner, or slightly smaller buns.
And as I always harp on, flavored balsamics rock my world. I go through a wine bottle size every week or two. Use in lieu of salad dressing, on roasted fruits or vegetables, marinate meats in them, and best of all, on top of cottage cheese with frozen fruit. I’m on a frozen cherry kick right now. (Frozen fruit takes longer to eat so I have to really slow down the process. I’m an inattentive eater, which is how I put on weight.) only problem is, then I get bad chills and have to follow up with a lap robe or hot tea!
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My biggest "hack" is just having food ready BEFORE I get hungry. For example, I was getting hungry around 4pm on work days and by the time I got home I'd be looking for something to munch on before dinner. Now I plan for that and make myself a green smoothie around 3:30 so I never get that "must have food now" feeling.16
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Pita Pizzas! When I feel like I need a treat I make a couple of these. Each one one is only 260 calories and they taste great without the guilt of ordering from one of my many favorite pizza places.
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This is gunna sound gross but it worked for me. When there were occasions where there was food around like cake etc that I couldn't eat ( yeah, I know its possible to fit it in) but those times where I didn't have enough calories left. I'd look at that delicious cake and imagine it covered in mould and grubs 😬 yep, appetite for delicious cake lost quickly
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I air fry most foods. that i usually would fry. no oil added in the air fryer.7
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I have never shared that with anybody, but three years ago, when I realized I had to lose over 100 pounds I went online and ordered a box of marbles. 160 marbles in a tin box. I kept the box in my desk drawer and every time I lost a pound I took a marble out and put them in a glass vase on my desk. Two extra big marbles were used for the milestones. When I hit 250 lbs and was allowed to work out and when I lost 100 lbs.
Altogether I collected 156 marbles in my vase and nobody ever asked what the marbles stood for. :-) It helped me to stay focused when my colleagues ordered food, or when donuts and cake were in the kitchen. Also, I found it entertaining to lose all my marbles. :-)82 -
I broke my habit of eating chips in front of the TV by substituting a bowl of spring mix lettuce. It sounds utterly ridiculous but I don't mind plain lettuce and it gave me something to nibble on until I broke the snacking habit.19
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The_Movie_Chair wrote: »I have never shared that with anybody, but three years ago, when I realized I had to lose over 100 pounds I went online and ordered a box of marbles. 160 marbles in a tin box. I kept the box in my desk drawer and every time I lost a pound I took a marble out and put them in a glass vase on my desk. Two extra big marbles were used for the milestones. When I hit 250 lbs and was allowed to work out and when I lost 100 lbs.
Altogether I collected 156 marbles in my vase and nobody ever asked what the marbles stood for. :-) It helped me to stay focused when my colleagues ordered food, or when donuts and cake were in the kitchen. Also, I found it entertaining to lose all my marbles. :-)
I love that trick! I have a poster on the wall that I drew - a big fantasy map with various landmarks and obstacles and such - with star stickers that form a path to the land of health. I love adding a sticker to the wall and seeing my progress, but your marble plan is great.
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slimgirljo15 wrote: »This is gunna sound gross but it worked for me. When there were occasions where there was food around like cake etc that I couldn't eat ( yeah, I know its possible to fit it in) but those times where I didn't have enough calories left. I'd look at that delicious cake and imagine it covered in mould and grubs 😬 yep, appetite for delicious cake lost quickly
ah, the lost boys method. love it
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The_Movie_Chair wrote: »I have never shared that with anybody, but three years ago, when I realized I had to lose over 100 pounds I went online and ordered a box of marbles. 160 marbles in a tin box. I kept the box in my desk drawer and every time I lost a pound I took a marble out and put them in a glass vase on my desk. Two extra big marbles were used for the milestones. When I hit 250 lbs and was allowed to work out and when I lost 100 lbs.
-- I absolutely love this and am going to totally copy you and do it too. What a simple, charming way to remind and reward yourself for your progress. Genius!5 -
Volume eating (vegetables, salad) and taking a diet break and refeeds....that is about it...helped me with adherence...oh and no restrictions, as in no food is out of bounds....if it fits macro and calorie goals, eat what you want...11
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Meal prepping has honestly been the biggest game changer for me, I think. I prep breakfast for myself and my husband and lunch for myself on the weekends, so I can pre-log breakfast and lunch for the whole workweek on Sunday evening. That leaves me with a clearer picture of what I have left for dinner and snacks, which informs what I want to cook for dinner and what I want to buy at the grocery. I'm starting to dabble in meal-prepping dinner for two days at a time, so I only have to cook 2-3 nights a week. I'm a person that loves to plan ahead, so on days when I can prefill my entire diary, I feel good. Today, for instance - I pre-logged my breakfast and lunch days ago, but tonight's dinner is leftovers from Tuesday, so I've also already logged that along with an ~adult beverage~ and I know I still have at least a 99-cal buffer (plus a few more from exercise). I love not having to think about it, and also knowing that if I hit that wall 2 hours before quitting time, I have room for a little somethin' if I need it.13
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Frozen Grapes! They seem to taste sweeter when they are frozen, take longer to eat, and are their consistency is so sorbet-like. When my sweet tooth speaks up I get @ 4 ounces of them, and snack away, without the guilt of too many calories. Wash, take grapes off the stem, make sure they are dried well, put in a container with a lid, or in a zip-lock bag, pop in the freezer. If grapes are wet they will stick together.13
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I really adore this thread. It's so positive and I'm definitely picking up some great ideas 9
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missblondi2u wrote: »My biggest "hack" is just having food ready BEFORE I get hungry. For example, I was getting hungry around 4pm on work days and by the time I got home I'd be looking for something to munch on before dinner. Now I plan for that and make myself a green smoothie around 3:30 so I never get that "must have food now" feeling.
Agree with this - If I let myself get too hungry I will eat anything. Preventing serious hunger helps me make better choices.
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I eat so. many. veggies. My current favorite is zucchini just barely sauteed so it's still crunchy.
If I make any kind of baked goods I use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil and eggs and 1/3-1/2 the sugar. I also drink tons of water. If I'm hungry I down 8-12 oz and wait a bit to see if I'm genuinely hungry or just thirsty.
I also always have stuff prepped and ready. My husband eats boiled eggs quite often, I have muesli bread in the freezer, apples sliced up, grapes, carrots, hummus, etc.12
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