Self-Control

Have you tried chewing gum or a mint? I keep mini-altoids in my bag almost all the time. When I want to keep eating after I'm full or I'm reaching for a snack even though I'm not hungry, they really help me. Sipping a cup of hot (decaff) coffee helps me too.... gives me something to do and keeps my hands busy.

Losing weight is not only a physical game(exercising and cutting what you eat), it's a mental game. Especially for those who have struggled with weight issues, stress, and anxiety all of there lives.

Here are eight tips from WedMD, but I would suggest that you consider doing some mental exercises just as much as you begin you eating journet.

"To Think Yourself Thin, Have Patience

One major mental block to weight loss is wanting too much, too fast. Blame it on our instant-gratification society, with its instant messaging, PDAs, and digital cameras: Weight loss is too slow to satisfy most dieters.

"Losers want immediate results. … Even though it took them years to gain weight, once they decide to lose weight, they have no patience with the recommended 1-2 pounds per week," says Cynthia Sass, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

But you'll get the best results when you lose weight slowly. Sass reminds her clients that when they lose weight too quickly, they're often losing usually water or lean tissue, not fat.

"When you lose lean tissue, metabolism slows down, making it even harder to lose weight," she adds.
Think Thin: 8 Strategies

Get that overweight mentality out of your head and start thinking like a thin person with these eight strategies:
1. Picture Yourself Thin.

If you want to be thin, picture yourself thin. Visualize your future self, six months to a year down the road, and think of how good you'll look and feel without the extra pounds. Dig up old photographs of your thinner self and put them in a place as a reminder of what you are working toward. Ask yourself what you did back then that you could incorporate into your lifestyle today. And, advises Peeke, think about activities you would like to do but can’t because of your weight.

"To break old habits, you need to see yourself in a positive light," Peeke says....."

The article continues here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/8-ways-to-think-thin

I have the same problem, you're not alone! :-( Hang in there!

Thank you for all of the advice! I read somewhere that you should eat only until you're almost full... how does one do that? I feel strange if I leave the table anything less than stuffed. I love to eat; I wish it wasn't such a stressful thing anymore. I wouldn't consider it "binge eating", but the entire time I'm doing it I know I shouldn't. Nobody around me seems to have this problem, they are perfectly OK sitting at the table with a plate of food in front of them and talking to each other while I'm stuffing my face.

Some times we eat too fast and cant tell we are actually full. I would try eating slower and drinking more water. Maybe while you are chewing, count the number of chews per bite -- it adds a brain exercise into it. At first it will be a nuisance after a while it will be second nature. Second remove temptation. Plan out your meals the day before, only have a portion in fron tof you.

Have you told the people around you that you are trying to diet. maybe make a biggest loser challenge in the house with some sort of incentive. If ytou're not the organized type, find a buddy that is and can help you in that way...