Easter Egg on Your Face?

Easter is over and the candy aisle at my local supermarket are stocked with 70% off items. Boy, in the past I would have totally stocked up.

I had to laugh as I watched a couple--both thin, by the way--having loads of fun "stocking up."

The big difference was they were buying 1 bag of candy and a couple Cadbury eggs--not lots of bags and the entire stash of eggs!

This is how people who are thin think and behave. A good lesson for me.

Chocolate freezes, right?

The funniest part was the guy actually suggested they get another bag--"it will freeze, won't it?" I couldn't resist and said, yes it freezes, but it will never make it to the freezer. The lady totally busted up and he said, "You're right, it probably won't make it through the weekend!"

The biggest difference isn't that they don't enjoy eating candy, it is they know it is not the best decision for their body and that they will regret it later. They will feel physically ill and so they choose to restrict what they bring into the house as a way to do a favor to themselves.

Pretty smart.

Do yourself a favor, and follow their example for weight loss success!

To your healthy, energetic and slender body--you deserve it!

Measured Success for Weight Loss

I'm thinking about the different ways we can measure for our weight loss success. In this case, not measuring our bodies, but measuring what we take in to our mouths.

You know I Refuse to Diet and that diets don't work, so before you start thinking I'm just talking about a diet by another name, hear me out!

I'm not talking about measuring as a way of limitation--that would be a diet.

I'm saying we should measure because if we honestly look at what we are eating and drinking, most of us don't know what a "serving" is! By measuring we can train ourselves to what a serving looks like in our glass or on our plate, and to what a serving feels like in our bellies!

Of course we do not have to measure every morsel that goes into our mouths for the rest of our lives. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to double check ourselves once in a while, especially if we find our clothes are getting a bit tighter and yet we feel like we have not changed our eating patterns.

Realize that what a restaurant serves is usually considerably more than a serving's worth, so we don't want to eat restaurant portions all the time. However, restaurants also measure what they serve. That way they know how many patrons they can serve and they can stay on their financial budget.

Measuring what we eat and drink can keep us honest with ourselves. It is another tool that we can use to keep our eating at a conscious level. It allows us to be in control and to make the choices about what we eat, and how much.

Give yourself a chance to have weight loss success by measuring--at least once in a while--to be sure you are heading down the right path and making healthy choices!

Weight Loss Meals

I know a lot of people tell you to avoid all carbohydrates if you are trying to lose weight. I do not believe that is a healthy path to be on...nor is it realistic, even if they mean "starches" rather than true carbohydrates.

Instead, eat foods that provide you a balance of nutrients for optimum health. Give yourself a break--not every meal has to be perfectly balanced...look at what you eat on the whole. So in a given day or week are you eating enough fruits and vegetables, are you getting in healthy fats, etc.

Eat consciously, mindfully, rather than distractedly or unconsciously.

And include some carbs (yes, even "starches") in your menus. They help us to feel satisfied and avoid feelings of deprivation which can lead to binges later.

For example, for our mid-day meal today (it will be our main meal, which is common for us on Sundays these days since Mom has moved to town) we are having pork roast (very lean), baked potatoes and steamed broccoli. Yummm! Yes, there will be butter on the potatoes (I like my broccoli plain, thank you, but others in the family will add butter to their broccoli.) Or I may use EVOO and some Bragg's liquid aminos...I like that combination and it is healthier than butter.

And for dessert we have fresh strawberries...maybe the last of the year. :-(

What are you having to eat? Are you making a healthy choice today? Why or why not...no judgment, just want you to think about it and make the choice on a conscious level. There is nothing inherently wrong with making some unhealthy choices--as long as you recognize what you are doing and are in control.

Avoiding Emotional Eating Doesn't Mean Avoiding Treats

Many people believe that to have weight loss success we must forgo all treats. I disagree with this tactic of creating a list of foods that are off-limits. In my experience, it just doesn't work.

Some people respond to my assertion that to have permanent success we must have no forbidden foods that if certain foods are not taboo then it is okay to eat them all the time.

Of course we must eat foods that nourish our bodies...that is the primary purpose of food after all. But the truth is, most of us with weight challenges did not get to be significantly overweight because of eating to nourish our bodies!

We use food for much more than fuel for our bodies. We use food for pleasure and social reasons as well as using food for emotional reasons.

It is crucial for us to distinguish between these 3 types of eating.

Social eating is when food is part of another experience, such as Thanksgiving, birthdays, or enjoying a night out with friends. Social eating may be eating something because it is expected like birthday cake, and it may include overindulging to the extreme--like when we have to unzip our pants or take a nap after Thanksgiving's feast. With social eating, we may not actually be conscious of just how much food we are consuming, because we are more focused on the social aspect.

Pleasure eating may also have a social element to it, the key difference is that when we eat for pleasure, the focus is on the food. It may be sharing the food, sharing the experience, but the food is still in the forefront. For example, you may be having dinner with a friend (or friends) and decide you want to have dessert...and you are sharing the dessert because you want the flavor, but not the full serving...you enjoy each bite as it fills your mouth with flavor. You may eat more than you "need" (let's face it, our bodies don't "need" dessert) but because it is savored and the focus is on tasting and feeling good, you rarely will get to the button-popping stage when eating for pleasure.

Emotional eating on the other hand (can you have an "other hand" with 3 examples?) can be unconscious, like social eating, or very conscious, but rarely is it pleasurable. It may start with a thought of how good something tastes, but more often it starts as a pull...a knee-jerk reaction to a thought, feeling or event. Sometimes we are not even aware of the preceding element! We may be sad or angry, or even happy, and we are reaching for food to soothe us, to bring us to a more mellow place. And if we continue this pattern then we will need more and more food to achieve that mellow place--largely because it doesn't solve the problem, it just masks the pain temporarily.

When we go on a diet, we are not dealing with our emotional eating...and we put our favorite foods on a forbidden foods list. This sets us up for a huge negative cycle of deprivation then binge, then guilt. Now we have even more emotions to run from so we eat more, not less! This is why diets do not work.

The secret to weight loss success is to be conscious about our eating and to enjoy our treats--to have some pleasure eating events. This gives our inner child the opportunity to have treats and not feel deprived, while breaking the habits of grabbing food to soothe our inner beast.

Here's how it went in practice for me this weekend: I was feeling quite emotional, for lots of different reasons, some hormonal and some stress related, and so I was craving carbs can specifically chocolate. I had to go to the grocery store and I knew that with all these cravings it could be a dangerous run, so before I went I made sure I had a snack before hand to keep things at bay. Even still, lots of old thoughts went through my head as I entered the parking lot and walked through the store...I can buy these cookies and eat them in the car, or I can buy this and eat some and hide the rest, or...on and on. I know that whenever those sorts of thoughts of eating massive quantities of food and/or eating and hiding the evidence comes up that is a flag that the desire to eat is strictly emotional.

I was able to remind myself that I want and desire a healthy body and that eating in that way would not solve whatever was going on, and that I would address the issue when I got home. That is a big victory--being conscious about my choices--but it is just the first step.

Once home I tried to determine what was bothering me. I talked about it, I meditated on it, I cried, I tried working through it and ignoring it (this rarely works, but I still try!) I walked...it just didn't seem to be helping. I ate healthy foods and made sure my blood sugar was even, which helped, but still I had a HUGE desire to eat. I slept on it, I worked more. I finally felt the urge to turn on some music and cook a big healthy meal, play and dance to the music. So I left my desk and did just that and when I was done I finally felt at peace with myself and the desire to stuff my face was gone!

Big lesson--we can't also push through, sometimes we have to listen to our heart and let it direct us to what will help us feel better...and we have to let that voice come through, which takes love, gentleness, and practice.

Later (much later) I wanted a little something sweet...I didn't have anything in the house that sounded right (I actually had ice cream in the house but that wasn't sounding right) so I made a dark chocolate sauce and we dipped strawberries in the sauce. We had a small portion and really, really, really enjoyed the tastes and sharing the experience.

Because this eating was pleasure eating it wasn't "necessary" for my body, but it felt great for my soul and so I don't feel the need to beat myself up over it. In fact, I celebrate it as a success--a sign of true weight loss success--the ability to enjoy a small portion of delicious food, because food can and should be a source of pleasure for us.

Carbs Cause Obesity?

I got a comment, from a reader who wished to remain anonymous, in response to my post about a Vegan Lifstyle The reader claimed

"Excessive carbs, in the form of grains and/or legumes, are the cause, and not the cure, for obesity."

Sorry, but this is not accurate.

Of course eating too much food of any kind, even healthy foods like whole grains and legumes can cause us to be overweight. So can eating too much meat or even fruits and vegetables. However, eating complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains and legumes) does not cause obesity and they are an important part of a food plan that is geared for our optimum health and energy. Carbs have gotten a bad rap. They are an important source of fuel for our bodies and our brain.

Obesity is generally caused from excessive SIMPLE carbs, like found in white flour, sugar, processed foods.

Is it possible to become obese eating only healthy foods...sure...but you have to work at it because the healthier foods have fiber and bulk which makes you feel more full! If you stuffed yourself every day like it was Thanksgiving and sat around all day without moving your body, even if you only ate wonderfully healthy foods you would definitely have a weight issue.

Being healthy isn't about eliminating foods, it is about gaining control over your eating which is largely a mindset issue. It is also about getting our brain chemistry and hormones in balance, which when we make healthy food choices naturally follows.

I don't advocate saying you can NEVER have sugar, but by controlling our sugar intake (along with that of other simple carbs) and making conscious choices in our eating, we will actually reduce our cravings for these foods that taste good but have little or no nutritional value.

Grocery Store Tips for Weight Loss Success

The grocery store can be our best friend for weight loss success and it can also be our biggest weight loss challenge, providing us with healthy food at reasonable prices.

Here are 3 of my top simple tips to help the grocery store lean in the BFF direction rather than foe!

1. Don't go to the store hungry.
I know, I know, you've heard it a gazillion times already. Well, you've heard it a gazillion times because it is true! When we are hungry we are more apt to grab a "quick something" and that generally is not an apple! Nope, we're apt to grab a candy bar or bag of chips while standing in the checkout line. And that's on top of the other stuff that wasn't on your list that found its way into your cart because...yep, you're hungry. When we are hungry our resistance is down and EVERYTHING sounds good! By eating a healthy snack before we go shopping we help control our cravings and are much more able to make healthy, conscious food choices that support our goals.

2. Make a list and buy what is on the list.
OK, this could have been 2 separate tips but really, what good is a list if you don't use it? So make a list, bring it to the store with you (how many times have I left my list on the counter and then wracked my menopausal brain trying to remember what was on it?) and then buy off the list! I'm not militant about it...at least not entirely...if you see something that you forgot to add to the list, fine. Something's on sale for a super price that is healthy that you KNOW you will eat, okay. Sounds/looks/smells good--no way! So if you really want to have cookies or ice cream, then they have to be on the list. Sometimes writing it down is enough to convince yourself you don't really want it! Making yourself shop with a list also stops the "I'll just pop in for a few things on the way home" shopping...that's when a lot of high-fat/sugar/salt items make it into the cart (on their own without any help from me, I swear!)

3. Pay with Cash
According to the Journal of Consumer Research if you buy your groceries with cash your cart will tend to hold less junk food! If you want the immediate gratification of junk food then decide you must have the immediate cash to pay for it, otherwise your delayed payment will come due and you will have the extra weight on the hips, too. Take this one step further and roughly calculate how much money you will need for your groceries and bring only that amount of cash. Then when you are tempted to add that box of cookies and you are faced with having to return either your milk or the cookies you just might decide to keep the milk!

You'll notice these 3 tips all help us to make conscious choices. We always have a choice about the food we eat--what we put into our body and how much of it. By following these tips we help ourselves to make the small changes in food buying that will result in big changes in our health, including our waistline. As an added benefit we'll save money, too!

Walmart Joins Weight Loss Success Effort

Walmart is the largest grocery chain in the US and they have now pledged their support of First Lady Michelle Obama's fight against childhood obesity. They say they will change the formulas of many of their Great Value brand items to lower the amount of sodium and sugar they contain. This could really help Americans in the efforts to achieve weight loss success.

This is a great move for consumers as the "hidden" sugar in these goods has a direct link to many of our health issues and this country's obesity epidemic. In fact, the starting place is to focus on things like salad dressing, fruit juice and lunch meat--products that when you read the label you will often see have sugar in the top 5 ingredients.

Sales of Great Value label products amount to roughly 20% of Walmart's sales--so this is not a small promise. But don't expect to see the change on products tomorrow--reformulation will take some time. The goal is to reduce soium by 25% and reduce or remove added sugar from "some" of their label products by 2015.

Even if you don't buy your groceries at Walmart, this move will likely have an affect on you because of the power Walmart yields with suppliers. The chain gets this power because it controls roughly 15% of the grocery sales in the US--the closest competitor is Kroger, the parent company of King Soopers here in Colorado, which is about 1/2 the size of Walmart.

It is likely that suppliers and even competitors will follow Walmart's lead as they did when the giant encouraged a reduction in packaging.

Also in the plan is removing more trans fats (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils) from the line which will also be a big health benefit.

In another health-positive move, Walmart is pledging to lower prices on fresh produce.

Since we won't see these changes overnight, it is still up to us to make conscious food choices and to read labels. As more of us vote with our wallets and stop buying foods that contain unnecessary sugar, sodium and trans fats, the grocery industry will scramble to meet the demand for healthier foods.

Weight Loss Challenge: Immediate Pleasure vs I Know Better

I've mentioned recently how I think setting New Year's resolutions sucks, we'll now I actually have some science to back up my beliefs. Love it when that happens!

Strike one against our efforts to lose weight...big surprise: we like sweets! Turns out humans are genetically built to prefer sweeter tasting foods than bitter ones. This was good for procreation and safety as more bitter tasting foods were poisonous than sweet ones. Survival of the fittest (or sweetest) at work--those who didn't eat the poison survived.

We also get a hit of dopamine when we eat foods that we enjoy...dopamine is a pleasure-sensing hormone and it reinforces the pleasure aspect of eating those foods. So every time we eat something that tastes super yummy we get a hit of dopamine and so we want it even more.

So we like sweets and then foods that taste really good give us a brain buzz.

This double whammy makes it really hard to break a habit. We may have really good intentions (like setting a resolution) but this dopamine hit is more than just a bad habit...it actually hard-wires us to want the substance, even when we have a better reward in the future. So much for willpower!

So it is a showdown between our intellect and our biology. Dr Nora Volkow is an authority on the brain's pleasure sensing pathway and she says this is why unhealthy actions become habits and why they are so hard to break.

Not only are habits hard to break, for some reason we think we will be able to handle temptation better than we really can.

Loran Norgren is a psychologist at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and in their studies they have documented that people who put more obstacles between themselves and the temptation have a much better success rate at not giving in. They have also shown that people tend to overestimate their ability to withstand the temptation...and that leads to their downfall.

Lessons from this?

Immediate pleasure is a powerful thing--and certainly not all bad (that procreation thing, remember But in our effort to lose weight, sometimes we need to put a little distance between ourselves and our food temptation. At least until we can unwire our brains.

Another thing we can do to help us overcome the pull of that immediate pleasure is to be very aware of when we eat and why. Reducing emotional reasons and environmental stimulation really helps. Don't go to the grocery store hungry for one. And don't stock up on your favorite treats to test yourself...studies show odds are you will "not be the biggest loser" if you get my drift.

As far as I am concerned learning to really love ourselves is one of the biggest weapons we have against the pull of immediate pleasure. When we love ourselves we naturally want to take care of our bodies and eat healthier foods. It doesn't mean that we will never want a treat, it does mean that we will be less inclined to have to binge over it. And if we do binge, we will be better able to forgive ourselves and move on.

In the meantime, loving ourselves might just mean putting some distance between a food we love and the bodies we love, at least temporarily!

Why I Refuse to Diet to Lose Weight!--Amen & Caution

I read a great post today at Inland Empire Family blogs, titled "Why I Refuse to Diet to Lose Weight!" You can imagine with a name like that that I had to read it.

People often say they refuse to diet--and it is usually that they have been on diets before. Lots of diets. Diets that let them down. That is the case with "Skinny Jeans Mom" who wrote this post.

I agree with just about everything she (SJM) says...and I've written much of the same thoughts, both here and in my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth. She talks about getting ample sleep, getting rid of the guilt if you do have a treat, not skipping meals and moderation to name a few tips. She just makes sense, small changes to get the results you want, diets don't work, don't deprive yourself, etc.

Check out SJM's blog post, it has lots of great tips...but one word of caution--

When SJM talks about water she suggests "stashing" water in your car. Drinking sufficient water a big part of being healthy since our bodies are mostly water, but here is a word of caution. There is so much documentation that shows the sunlight and heat in our cars can cause plastic to leach into our water bottles, so using plastic bottles in our cars is just not a good idea. If I'm out and about I carry a bottle with me, either BPA-free plastic or metal. If I'm driving for a long time or want to leave water in the car then I also have a small cooler with me. Even though I like my water room temp, I will put a small ice bag in the cooler, thereby helping the water to stay fresh and safe.

I would add one big tip: eat consciously. When we stop our unconscious eating by limiting our multi-tasking while eating we experience more satisfaction with the food we do eat and we get full more quickly--we have more pleasure (so if you truly love food, as opposed to loving to put food in your mouth, this is a good thing) and we actually will successfully lose weight.

Read SJM's post in full by clicking here.

Eating Ice Cream and Losing Weight Successfully

Everything is relative...and so, relatively speaking yes there is healthy ice cream.

This article from Shine gives you some choices: America's Healthiest Ice Creams and Yogurts

They give you all sorts of numbers....calories, fat grams, etc, if you are into that.

What is super important to keep in mind is the portion size. The article is citing buying a serving in a ice cream shop--not a container in the grocery store. A "serving" or scoop is about 1/2 cup.

It is tempting to say for the same money I can buy a pint at the store (when it is on sale)...but if you find that you would eat the entire pint then you are better off paying more per bite and getting a cup--or you will find yourself emptying the container. In that case multiply the calories quoted by 4. Yep, there are 4 servings in that pint.

Whether you choose one of the lower calorie suggestions or you are like me and really are a dark chocolate fanatic, buying a scoop instead of a pint can help us savor a favorite treat without throwing our sugar senses totally out of whack.

I know some people like to buy low-fat, or low-sugar, or ice milk sorts of desserts. That's fine if you honestly like the taste. If not, you are better off enjoying smaller portions of foods you really like. That keeps you from feeling deprived, which is a direct, "do not pass go" ticket to a binge!

Weight Loss Challenge: Swinging on a Moody Star

An important factor to our weight loss success...one that people often forget about or totally disregard...is our mood or mindset.

How we feel about ourselves, our bodies and even how we feel about food directly impacts our ability to lose weight.

It is extremely common to gain weight when we are feel depressed and to lose weight when we are happy. While that may be common, there are many people who gain weight when happy and, like my mother, lose weight when depressed. This demonstrates that there is no one "diet" or eating program that will work for everyone...not even in the same family. We all react differently to different foods, moods, exercise programs--everything!

If you are the type of person who, like me, tends to gain weight when depressed or stressed (or mad, or sad...or whatever) there is a way you can combat the trend!

Believe it or not, the real problem is not the food. If it were the food, you wouldn't be able to have it around ever...you'd eat it and gain weight all the time, not just when you are depressed. The problem is eating food in response to the emotion.

That is why substituting a lower calorie version of your favorite food or even substituting a healthy food doesn't solve the problem, because, I repeat, the problem is not the food...it isn't the calories.

By eating low-fat frozen yogurt in place of ice cream when depressed you are not changing the eating in response to emotion behavior. The behavior you changed was the one in the grocery store! Now, not only are you eating when depressed, you are probably less satisfied, but feeling deprived and yet martyr-like so you actually might eat MORE than before! Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Replacing the chips with carrot sticks doesn't work either. Sure it is a healthy food, but we are still reaching into the frig (or pantry) and stuffing down our problems, rather than reaching into our heads and hearts and working on the real issue.

Don't want to work on your "issues"...don't think you have any? Fine. Whether you are numbing your feelings with food or not, you are engaging in unconscious eating.

Instead of eating, come up with a list of things that you can do that will help you feel more joy without getting you into the vicious cycle of eating and then gaining weight and therefore feeling bad again...which makes you want to eat, etc!

Everyone's list will be different...mine includes enjoying the sunrise, spending time in my studio, reading, doing puzzles, going for a walk and enjoying the fresh air, riding in the country...it could be playing with animals, playing on a swing, listening to music...the list can go on.

Write down YOUR list and keep it on the frig or the pantry...wherever the food you tend to reach for is stored...to help you remember your goal and give you some choices. It totally puts you in control...rather than eating unconsciously you begin to eat thoughtfully and that makes all the difference.

It's OK to Refuse to Diet

I just read another blogger's post giving us permission to Refuse to Diet...since he was touting "my" line I of course had to read his take on it.

His site is more about exercise, but he admits that most people can't fit in an hour every day--a realist in that regard. He also mentions that counting calories isn't the answer...after all

let's be real, you won't be able to count calories for the rest of your life.

Yes, I agree moving your body is important for your health, and yes I agree you don't have to exercise an hour ever day, and yes I do not believe counting calories (or fat grams or carbs) is the answer. So while we are on the same page so far, that is where our paths start to diverge.

The answer from this guy is the typical mathematical equation...eat less and move more. Not bad advice, it just isn't really the answer. Real weight loss success (by that I mean the permanent kind...not just another roller coaster ride down a size and up two) is determined by our mindset, not the stuff we put in our mouths or what we do with our bodies. It starts with what we put in our minds!

This guy's solution?

be careful what you eat after 4 p.m. and don't overeat. Eat until you get comfortable and not until you get full.

Said like someone who has never had a weight or eating problem!

If you only have a couple pounds to lose, or if you have a temporary weight gain then losing weight can be a simple formula...but if you have carried excess weight most of your life despite your efforts at dieting...or if you weight a significant amount over a healthy amount...then "being careful" to not overeat is waaaaaaay too much of a simplification.

I will say I like this guy's low impact exercises, so go ahead and check him out at http://www.guampdn.com

Low impact exercises are so important when you are just starting out or if you have a lot of weight to lose. Face it, if you are carrying 40, 50, 100 or more extra pounds that is already a lot of impact. Definitely check out isometric and other low impact exercises but also be sure to just move in any way you can...whatever YOUR body will allow. Do it for your health, and yes, it will help you to lose weight too.

Yes, by all means, Refuse to Diet...but don't set arbitrary rules like be careful what you eat after 4pm or don't eat after 7pm unless you believe that is something you can keep up with 80% of the time for the rest of your life! I use 80% as my benchmark because I know there will always be exceptions (life happens, you know what I mean?) Besides, arbitrary rules are...well, arbitrary. They don't take into account YOUR life, your abilities and your lifestyle.

Start with your mind...figure out why you want to lose weight, recognize what may be holding you back...and become a conscious eater. Engage your mind and you WILL lose weight.

If you want specific tools to help you figure this out, check out my book, Refuse To Diet, available on Amazon. And if you have any questions about the worksheets that I developed to help me in my 125 pound weight loss journey let me know...I'd love to help!

Favorite Foods for True Weight Loss Success

Last week I gave my Chiropractor a copy of my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth. He was very excited to get a copy and see what I've been up to. Yesterday when I went back to see him he told me that someone else had already borrowed it from him!

That was a really cool feeling, to know someone was so excited about my book that they asked to borrow his copy...and that he [reluctantly] agreed (she is a very important person in his life, after all!)

He had read a large part of the book and was asking me if I really still have my favorite treat (for those of you who are new to following this blog, that would be ice cream, the richer the better.) I said definitely. I also enjoy pizza, beer, wine and lots of other goodies. I just don't eat them as often or in as large of quantities. And the truth is I don't crave them like I used to!

A huge part of the "magic" is that I no longer put foods that I love on a list of forbidden foods. That didn't work for me. That doesn't mean I have gallons of ice cream on deck (although I have upon occasion.) I prefer to give myself permission to eat whatever I want, give myself smaller portions and then go back for more if I really want it.

See, the next part of the "magic" is making it all a conscious choice.

I couldn't do either parts of the magic when I was dieting, or when I was trying to lose weight because it was what my doctor told me to do, or my mother wanted me to do, or even because I would get a better health insurance rate.

I had to totally decide that I deserved to be healthy...which is a completely different mindset than wanting to lose weight or look good. With this mindset I can enjoy my favorite foods and not stress about what I am eating.

Am I stick skinny? Could I be a model? Hell no...but then that has never been my goal. I am a healthy weight for my body. I can go hiking like I never could before. I enjoy food like never before. I feel better about my body than ever. In my book, that is true weight loss success!

Strategy #8 Simple Weight Loss Success Habit that Also Curbs Emotional Eating

As I mentioned yesterday, this emotional eating strategy is actually a habit I have developed as part of my healthy eating and weight loss success plan. What I realized quite recently was that this same simple habit also was curbing my emotional or stress related eating!

So what is this mystery habit?

Strategy #8: Read Food Labels

You think I'm kidding, right? Confess, you thought is was going to be something deeper or something...but that's it. Frankly, I was as surprised as you are.

You see, reading labels has become a big habit for me. Now I know that ice cream has a gazillion calories and is loaded with fat and all sorts of ingredients that aren't good for me...and I still give myself permission to eat it...so it isn't that I never eat anything that isn't good for me.

What reading labels does is help me to be honest with myself about my choices...and to realize when I thought a food that was healthy for me actually was loaded with sugar or fake ingredients that I choose not to put into my body.

What I found recently was by stopping to read the label on a food I was reaching for I stopped dead in my tracks. I looked at the label and said I really didn't want to put that in my body...I had been reaching for the food out of the cupboard (I was at my mom's, so I had less control over the contents in the cupboard) and when I saw the list of artificial ingredients it was enough to break my emotional reaction.

So by reading the label I interrupted the pattern (strategy #5) and I gave myself the opportunity to make a conscious choice (strategy #3) in this case I chose not to eat, and I also got to ask myself why I was reaching for the food in the first place (strategy #1.)

I thought is was pretty cool how the simple act of reading the label got 3 different strategies involved and helped nip that emotional eating jag in the bud!

Tomorrow's post will cover a strategy that will help lots and lots of people lose weight...just with this one single strategy!

Emotional Eating Strategy #6

This strategy is a bit different from the previous ones. They dealt mostly with emotions and conscious eating. In a sense, this one does also, but this is about stocking your cupboard so you are prepared for when the urge hits. Because, it will hit, sooner or later!

Strategy #6: Have a Stash of Healthy Choices

I'm not talking about carrot sticks and celery...we all know that is not going to do a thing for you if you are an emotional eater. And frankly, if you ate a pound of carrots rather than chocolate you haven't changed the behavior at all...so even though you would have taken in fewer calories and some nutrients, it really isn't the answer to behavior modification!

What I'm talking about is seeing if there is something that will help you be giving you some emotional satisfaction but perhaps have some nutritional value...or at least less damage!

For example, I'm an ice cream addict...now, eating ice milk and low fat ice cream does nothing for satisfying my emotional eating. In fact, if I eat the 1/2 fat stuff I find that I eat twice as much (or more.) In that case I'm better off eating the ice cream I really like and employing some of the other strategies.

What I've done instead is found some chocolately items that taste really good that feel like a treat, but have fewer calories and fat in them. One such treat is dark chocolate covered espresso beans...I can have a few of those and it helps give me the chocolate sensation without a lot of fat. They have the added benefit that I can't physically eat very many of them! I've also found a protein bar that tastes good and gives me a chocolate boost. So while I could still overeat the bars, at least I am getting more balanced nutrition that way.

If chips are your downfall, you may be able to have a baked chip that has less fat and enjoy it with salsa or sliced avocado--which is good fat.

You still want to avoid overeating for emotional reasons, but as I said in strategy #2, having a little "mental health food" is not what made you fat...and it won't keep you fat or make you fat again. We didn't get fat with a few espresso beans once in a while...we got fat by repeatedly overeating...by not addressing the emotions we were feeling and just stuffing them down with a side of apple pie a la mode!

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see another very simple strategy to help curb your emotional eating and have weight loss success!

Curb Emotional Eating Strategy #4

This very simple strategy can really help...it is so simple that you might not believe that it will work, so hear me out...and try it, before you say it won't work. You just might be surprised!

Strategy #4 Use Small Bowls or Plates

This strategy is about controlling the quantity we eat by controlling portion size.

Think about it...when you go on an emotional eating bender, how do you eat? I know I tend to eat right out of the carton...ice cream by the half gallon, cookies by the box, chips by the bag.

That makes it so easy to eat a lot more...instead serve yourself a dish. Don't eat at the kitchen sink, sit yourself down and make it a real snack, with things you have to wash.

Sure you can always go back for more, but the act of dishing the food up does a few things for you...it controls your initial portion (which might just turn out to be enough, thank you very much!), and by forcing you to return to the kitchen to get more you are buying your brain time to kick in and say, hey...I don't really want more of that.

By making it a more formal event, by sitting down and eating, then you are also using strategy #3, which if you recall from yesterday was making your eating a conscious decision.

In addition, it also reinforces that you have permission to eat this treat because you have given it "meal" treatment, with a plate or bowl and spoon or fork.

So this deceptively simple strategy actually incorporates 3 strategies in 1. Not bad! In fact...it also works in a 4th strategy...strategy #5, which we'll go into more detail on tomorrow!

Kick Emotional Eating to the Curb Strategy #3

This strategy is all about stopping unconscious eating...which I believe is really the main reason most of us get fat. Our overeating may have an emotional trigger, but it is the fact that we keep eating without thinking about it that packs on the pounds.

Strategy #3:

Make Eating a Conscious Choice

Stop before you reach for that food. Stop before you take the first bite. Stop before you take the next bite. Stop between every bite.

Every time you stop, ask yourself if this is really what you want to do. Is this food the best choice for your body? Do you really want to keep eating it?

When you get the smallest inkling that the answer to any of these questions is no then stop--immediately. That stop may be only for a split second some times...other times it might be for a few minutes...at other times it may be for hours or even days.

This isn't about will power...this is about loving yourself enough to take the time to listen to your own body, mind and spirit...and to figure out what you really want!

The truth is, stuffing down the food is the easy answer sometimes...but it usually isn't what we want, at least not in massive quantities.

Come back tomorrow for the 4th in our series on emotional eating strategies...

Hormones and Weight Loss Success: No April Fool's Joke

Fluctuating hormones can have a HUGE impact on our weight loss success...and that is no April Fool's Day joke...although it sure can feel like a bad joke...

Sometimes we feel fat, bloated, ugly, and overly emotional...but the scale won't reflect a significant change. Other times the scale WILL agree with our feelings. Still other times, the scale will indicate that we have gained weight even though we don't feel like we have.

This is one reason that I don't weigh myself very often...the number on the scale just doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.

No matter what the scale says, it can be discouraging however to believe you have been doing everything you can to increase your health only to try on your jeans and have to suck in your stomach to get them on...or feel like they are cutting you in half when you sit down!

It is important to realize that women do have fluctuating hormones that will change how and where they retain water...and what we crave to eat...and our energy level and moods.

In the past, I would use sugar and caffeine to artificially boost my energy level when I felt the fatigue set in. Some days this was the afternoon energy dip (you know, about 3:30) but other times it was present all day long.

What I have learned on this weight loss journey...well, learned maybe isn't the right word...it is something I have discovered, but don't always remember!...is that the better I treat my body the more even my hormone levels are. And the more level they are, the less I feel the fatigue and emotional roller coaster.

That doesn't mean I never feel it! I only wish!!! This last week I have been really suffering...my joints were aching...I was feeling hugely fat...even my "fat jeans" were feeling tight...I was crying for no reason and I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw.

Instead of reaching for food to soothe my feelings, I focused on my mindset because I knew that was the key to losing 125 pounds in the first place!...here is what I did:

EVALUATION
I took a good look at what I was eating and drinking. Was I truly being conscious about my choices, or was I slipping into some old behaviors that were less healthy choices?

DECISION
I decided to succeed: I reaffirmed that I desire and deserve a healthy, energetic and slender body...and to do that I had to I would focus on my mind, my attitude, and loving myself

ACTION
Mixing up my exercise has been great...the weather is wonderful and so I have been walking in the fresh air with a buddy who helps me to keep up a good pace, while enjoying the beauty around me.

REST
Rather than pushing through or grabbing stimulants to make it through the day, I actually allowed myself to rest. Amazing concept...but for a person who has always tended to push through the pain no matter what this is STILL a big challenge for me...to recognize that maybe my body just needs a little rest. So yesterday afternoon I actually laid down for a nap--something I almost never do. I must have needed it, because what I thought would be 20 minutes turned into 3 hours! I went to bed early last night and slept until 6am. Like I said, I guess I needed it.

THE RESULT
After a few days of renewed awareness of my eating and a good rest yesterday, I woke up feeling 100% better and like I had lost 10 pounds over night. I didn't weigh myself before or after, but I put on my "skinny jeans" fresh out of the laundry and hurray--they fit & feel great!

THE LESSON
Be kind and loving to yourself.
Be willing to step back and reassess what you are doing.
Remain conscious about what you put in your mouth.
Recommit to your decision that you are worthy of health.
Rest when you are tired.

Don't stress about it--because if you do these things then "this to will pass!"

Healthy Ice Cream...Fact or Fantasy

I love ice cream. It seems the higher the fat content, the more I like it. Based on the Spanish study I mentioned yesterday it might be at least in part because fat boosts my serotonin levels...I don't know if it is the fat, but ice cream has always been my #1 comfort food, my drug of choice when attempting to escape my emotions.

I also just like ice cream. I like the flavors, the texture...

But I don't like what eating ice cream does to my waistline!

My current solution is to eat really good ice cream in small quantities. These days rather than eating a half gallon (or two) in a day, I am satisfied with a small dish. That means a pint lasts for 3 servings.

Low-fat ice cream doesn't make it in my book...and don't even think about the ones filled with artificial sweeteners. I know that those fake "sugars" increase my carb cravings. I'm much better off with high-fat, "real" ice cream.

I just read about a new alternative--ice cream from goat's milk. Goat's milk is lower in fat and the fat it does have is more easily broken down by our bodies. This might be a really good option. The brand I read about is called Laloo's...not available in my town, but if you have a health food store nearby, give it a try--and then let me know what you think!

When you decide you want ice cream, the healthiest choice is to go with the "real deal" and savor smaller portions. That does a couple things for you--gives you the satisfaction that the low-cal versions just don't provide; retrains you mind that you CAN have "real" food and lose weight; helps you in achieving weight loss goals by reducing the unconscious eating behavior or sitting down with a huge bowl or carton of cream and chowing down.

Verdict? Healthy ice cream is in how you think about it...not the ingredients in the carton.

Weight Loss Tip: It Isn't About Food

I was at a holiday party the other night...it was a really nice night and I had the opportunity to get to know some of my neighbors a little bit better.

One of the neighbors mentioned to our newest residents that I had recently lost over 100 pounds. This announcement was followed with lots of questions...and they are the same sort of questions that I get asked whenever someone finds out about my weight loss success.

It goes something like this:

Q: What did you do?
A: I focused on changing my thinking first.
Q: Did you eat certain foods?
A: I eat whatever I want...I focus on eating consciously.
Q: I like __ (fill in the blank, I've heard it all), do I have to give that up?
A: I don't believe in forbidden foods...by putting foods off limits we just want them more.
Q: So what do you eat?

This isn't an exact transcript of the conversation but it gives you the idea. And I hope you see that the line of questioning almost always revolves around food and the idea that there is a specific formula that one must follow.

Folks...that is a DIET, and diets don't work.

I always try to steer the person back to the key concept which is that weight loss success starts with your mindset...you have to change your thinking in order to permanently, safely, lose weight.

If you've been around the diet block a few times then you know it isn't just about counting calories. But you probably don't really know what the answer is...because we've been told our entire lives it is about food in versus calories out.

It isn't about the food...not a specific food to eat, not a specific food to avoid. It is about how you feel about yourself, your body, about your ability to lose weight. It is about eating consciously. It is about not stuffing your feelings down with a side of mashed potatoes or a gallon of ice cream.

Weight loss success starts in your mind.