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 Success Resolutions for 2012

Resolutions are not really my thing. They remind me too much of diets--which are definitely not my thing! That being said, so many people believe in resolutions and that the best thing to drop unwanted pounds is to write resolutions for weight loss success I decided to give it a go.

I actually made 12 weight loss success resolutions. Seems like an appropriate number for 2012. I know that by following these resolutions my health will be better.

I divided my resolutions into 3 categories with the most important category being having the right mindset for weight loss, followed by resolutions for moving my body in order to have weight loss success and finally (and arguably least important) resolutions about what goes into my mouth.

But don't look for a list of specific exercises I will do, or a list of foods I will eat, or a list of foods to avoid. All of my resolutions deal with attitude, because I know that my positive attitude is much more important for my weight loss success than following a litany of rules and regulations about how much/when/where I will exercise or eat.

If you want to read the full resolutions, you can hop over to my main site RefuseToDiet.com.

I'd love to hear about your weight loss success resolutions--or if you didn't make any resolutions I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about them and how your weight loss journey is going!

To a healthy, happy New Year!

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.

Thank God I'm Not Dieting

This is absolutely the worst time of year to try to diet. The sights and smells of food are everywhere, and the association of food with good times and family are so deeply entwined during the holidays that start this week and wend through December that it seems if you diet you are eschewing family not fat.

So what is a person to do? After all, studies show that the average American gains 5 pounds between roughly Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Do you give in and decide 5 pounds isn't so bad, I can get rid of that in the new year? Or do you manically cut calories wherever possible in the faint hope that you will be thankful to be "below average" for once in your life?

How about neither of those options?

Look, in the "old days" if I only gained 5 pounds over the holidays I would have been ecstatic! Geez...I was known to gain 20 pounds in a weekend--and it all seemed to land on my hips, overnight, just by looking at food much less eating it.

So how do we avoid packing on pounds without missing out on the holidays?

First make sure you don't label foods as off-limits or put them on some list titled "Forbidden Foods"...that is a path to disaster, if not now it will come back to bite you in your thighs later. By making favorite holiday treats taboo you just want them more...the little kid inside of you feels deprived and so you, at some point, when you least expect it, go off the deep end into the binge pool.

Instead, make sure you have lots and lots of healthier choices that you love as well. Make it easy to snack on those and to have flavorful, healthy choices available during meals. For example, I love grilled asparagus...so I splurge and got this vegetable I normally associate with springtime and will have it with my turkey. Notice I said, that you love! This isn't about having healthy choices that feel like punishment...if you hate brussel sprouts this is not the time to try a new recipe with them in it just because it is "healthy"!

Take what you like but leave the rest. If you are like me, there are some Thanksgiving traditions that you can do without. If you are the cook you might actually get away with not serving them...but if your least favorite is the apple of your honey's (or parents' or kids') eye then, guess what...you know you are going to have it around. Just because it is on the table doesn't mean it has to end up on your plate!

I might be brought up on charges of treason, but I really am not a big stuffing fan. People have told me I "have to" try their recipe...that if only I find the right recipe I will be a convert. I finally figured out that it is okay that I just don't like it...I don't "hate" stuffing, but I'd rather have my calories in the form of more mashed potatoes or pie...but that's just me.

Remember, this is not the last time you will have this meal, or this dish! In our age of convenience we do not have to relegate eating turkey and pumpkin pie to only Thanksgiving. When you reach for the cranberry relish or the sweet potato casserole or other treat, take a couple bites knowing that even if the unthinkable happens and there is no more that day, you can always get more!

Make it about people, not food. Connect with the people at the table more than the food on your plate. Holidays are about stories, about family, about friends. Yes, we share good food, but make the food the garnish while the "main course" is the conversation. And if you are talking and listening and obviously having a good time, chances are good no one will notice if you skip the seconds--including you!

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful that I have given up dieting. It didn't ever work for me...so why stress about it? Instead I focusing on what is really important. I'm going to savor the food I do eat and be grateful for its abundance; I will have some healthy food and some pie and ice cream too; I will eat comfortably knowing that there will always be more where that came from; and I will really connect with my loved ones this holiday season. That's a lot to be thankful for.

Do Instability Shoes Yield Weight Loss Success?

These shoes that keep your body off-balance are really popular...even my 80 year old mother wanted a pair. If you are thinking about them, be sure to try them on and walk around in the store a long time before you plop down some significant change to purchase a pair.

Fortunately I was able to go shopping with Mom...and watching her walk in them was mildly amusing...but more than that it was really concerning me since she looked like she was going to break at the ankles! I was relieved when she decided she didn't like them so I didn't have to tell her not to buy them.

Before you decide right off the bat that you don't want them, be aware that these shoes come in a variety of makes and price points.

Some shoes are made for running, but most of these are strictly walking shoes.

The idea behind them is that by making your walking less stable you are using more muscles which then increases the tone of those muscles and makes your legs overall more fit. Of course, when we have more muscles we also burn more calories.

But do they work?

Yes. No. Maybe. Who really knows?

I bought myself a pair and I love them...they are super comfortable and if nothing else I psychologically think I'm getting more/better exercise. That's not a bad thing. I know that I am getting more fit and that I'm able to walk further, faster. Is that because of the shoes or just because I am walking more?

Hmmm...can't say...but I will say that because the shoes are comfortable I am much more willing to go for a walk!

Have they made me drop weight? Well...again, don't know...but when I'm walking more I also tend to eat better.

Bottom line: try them out and if the shoe fits--go for it! I figure anything that helps us be comfortable helps our mindset be positive and that all encourages us to move our bodies more, which in turn helps us reach our health and fitness goals--including weight loss success!

For Weight Loss Success Love Yourself Enough to Eat Healthy

I know that it SEEMS like we eat comfort food because we love ourselves and want to pamper ourselves...and maybe SOMETIMES that is true.

I contend that more often our comfort food and grabbing "convenience" foods in order to save time is really because we are not loving ourselves enough to make healthy choices.

We wouldn't knowingly poison our kids or our pets, yet we are willing to poison ourselves with food that we know will make us sick.

Eating healthy does not have to take a lot of time, or cost a lot of money--and one of the best things is you don't have to be fanatical about it...you don't have to be perfect! *Whew!*

The healthier I eat, the lower my grocery bill! And making fresh, healthy meals can be quite quick, if you stick to a few dishes and keep the number of ingredients down. I don't try to make the dinner of Ozzie and Harriet...I have too much going on to have a salad and a vegetable and, the list went on and on. So I make maybe 3 things.

Often I make enough of one or two dishes to last several days...I call that "Planned Overs"...that saves a lot of time, which I know is a precious commodity for most of us.

Here is one of the tricks to not wasting a lot of produce and still getting all the nutrients that your body needs: don't try to buy one of everything. Instead, choose enough for a couple of days. Try to get some variety of color in your produce too...that helps you get a wider array of vitamins. Then the next time you go shopping try a few different items. That way you get the variety without having to make so many dishes all at one time.

Go for stealth shopping...the goal is to get in and out quickly. Cruise the outside of the store (that's where the fresh stuff usually is) and stay out of the middle unless you have something specific on your list that you need, like some canned or frozen item to supplement your fresh produce.

Take care of your body...show your body that you love yourself enough to feed it the good, healthy foods that it needs to function at its peak. Do that and your body will reward you with energy, vitality and you will drop excess fat, too!

Simple Tip to Stop Emotional Eating and Achieve Weight Loss Success

I'm alone this week...and will confess to feeling a bit lonely and that I have fallen prey to the comfort food syndrome!

This isn't bad if it just happens once in a while, but I want to be sure I don't make a habit of it or I will 1. be angry with myself (which isn't helpful) and/or 2. gain weight back which will just make me angry with myself...did I mention that isn't helpful?

One thing that I found that IS helpful is to look at a picture of myself as I used to be.

That's me back in 2006.

The point of this looking back is definitely not to beat myself up...it is to remind myself of just how far I have come and that I definitely do NOT want to go back to being that person.

And it is the BE-ing that is important...sure it is about the weight, but not the most important part. The most important part is how unhealthy I was, how much pain I was in and what I could not DO because of the behaviors I engaged in.

So I took out a picture from one of my heaviest periods (even more than the one I just posted here) and I put it on the frig so that it is front and center should I reach for a choice that is less-than-healthy. I don't make the food off-limits, but this really helps make the choice a conscious one...and I found that it really helped me to make healthy choices.

If looking at the "old" you isn't enough to keep you on track, take that picture in to the nearest mirror and compare it to the you of today.

Since you can't join me at the mirror, here's a picture to help drive home the point! I sure don't want to having to get into those pants the old fashioned way again ;-)

If you haven't yet achieved your weight loss success and therefore don't have before and after pictures (or before and during pictures...that works just as well!) then look at pictures of how you want to be.

Take pictures from magazines or ads that capture the person you want to be...how it will feel when you have achieved that weight loss success! This can be your own health vision board...one that will definitely help you to reach your goal!

Cool Treats for Hot Summer Weight Loss Success

Typically the 4th of July here is hot and we are looking for ways to stay cool...yesterday proved to be the exception as we huddled under umbrellas in our jackets in the pouring rain to watch the fireworks...which were delayed due to the storms...

Cold as we were, we just had to try our cool treats that turned out to be delicious and healthy, if not fully appreciated for their temperature!

These treats are easy to make and enjoy and can be made more (or less) healthy, suitable for adults or kids, depending on the ingredients you choose.

I'm talking popsicles, of course! But not the store-bought kind that is filled with high fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners. Try making your own instead, easily, so you have 100% control over what (and how much) goes into the cool treats.

You can buy popsicle molds at a variety of stores, or you can use paper Dixie cups for smaller servings or even ice cube trays. Simply insert popsicle sticks and you have a portable treat...or use the cubes in your water for summer refreshment!

So what ingredients to use? For the easiest popsicles, get 100% fruit juice, pour and freeze. I had a wonderful blueberry-pomegranate pop last night...yum...delicious and loaded with antioxidants and no added sugar.

Add fresh fruit (or for super easy, use already frozen) for fiber, texture and fun for the tongue.

Have more time and want to get creative? Make your own juices--with a squeezer or juicer. Add Stevia for zero calorie sweetness to lemon or lime based pops. Puree some fruits (fresh or frozen) for a creamier texture. Throw in a little raw (unsweetened) coconut for a tropical "punch."

Flavors can be consistent, complementary or contrasting. For example, using a sweet strawberry juice as a base...adding strawberries for a consistent taste, banana slices for complimentary flavor, or contrast the sweet juice with tart kiwi.

Of course, adults can add a splash of alcohol for a festive cube. It doesn't take much...and keep in mind that frozen alcohol still has calories and, well, alcohol.

The only thing that limits your popsicle is your imagination. You could even have a "Pops on Ice" party, with a variety of juices and ingredients all ready for guests to create their own. I suggest using small paper cups for this method...have each guest write their name on the cup before concocting their treat(s). Have this be the first thing folks do, then move on to the grilling and games and later in the day or evening you'll have flavor-filled cool-down treats made to order!

Thanks to Dr. Diana Hill for this inspiration!

Excuses, Excuses, Opportunity to Stay Stuck

There are always a gazillion reasons to put off implementing changes that we KNOW will benefit us in the long run. The timing isn't right, it costs too much, we don't have time to learn something new, it is just a hassle, we're stressed and want life to be easy.

These can be accurate and very real, but they are also excuses that we can allow to sabotage our efforts to improve our lives.

I've been facing this regarding my computer...my old one (it is about 6 years old) is dying. Its speed has dropped to a crawl. Only some of my programs work--others are randomly disappearing. I can't turn it off because if I do it won't restart and then I have to restore it.

Seems like a lot of bother to stick with something that is supposed to be a tool to make my life easier. But I know it. I'm comfortable with it. New computers have a different operating system and I'll have to learn that. Plus, it costs a lot of money to buy a new computer. Not to mention the time to research what I need, and what I want, in a computer. In other words, getting a new computer means I will have to change, I will have to break out of my comfortable rut.

The final straw? I have to access the internet from someone else's computer because that functionality has been lost. So yesterday afternoon I went out and bought a new computer. After dragging my heels and limping along for a month now, I have a shiny new computer. Of course it is still in the box...but it is a start. It is a step in the direction. Next I'll take another step, then another.

We do the same thing about reaching weight loss goals...we make lots of excuses...because changing is HARD! Or at least we think it is.

Recognize any of these?

• "I don't have time."
• "It is too hot to cook healthy foods."
  
• "I'm too tired."
• "I'm sore...my feet hurt...my back hurts...I can't breathe..." (insert any of a myriad of physical ailments, real or perceived.)
• "I don't know how to exercise" (or cook healthy, or shop for healthy foods...)
• "It is too hard, I'd have to prepare different foods for my family..."
• "It is too expensive to eat healthy and to work out"
• "I don't belong to a gym/ I can't afford to join a gym"
• "We are just so busy right now, I'll make time when ___" (fill in the blank)
• "I don't want to be seen in public exercising because I'm ashamed of my body"
• "I'm too fat to go to the gym"
• "We're going on vacation (or to my parents) and I want to enjoy myself"
• "I'm so busy at work and I'm so stressed...I just want to unwind when I get home"
• "Food is the way I relax, it is how I socialize"
  
• "I have given up so much, there isn't anything else I can give up"
• "Summer is time for picnics, barbecues and beer"

Even when our justifications are accurate (which most of the time they aren't--at least not 100%) they are really just excuses to keep us from moving forward.

This is why it is helpful to look at the changes we make to achieve weight loss as small steps, not radical changes. It is so much easier to take one small step at a time. We can make all sorts of complex plans and set goals to lose 10 pounds a month, but if it is too big then it is such a challenge it seems overwhelming...and it is just easier to push it off and push it off, until finally the final straw happens that forces a change. Maybe that straw is that your body no longer functions and you have a serious illness (like my computer.) It is so much easier to make the changes when you can afford to take small steps, rather than forced complete overhaul.

When we make small changes the results aren't as fast and sexy...we may not have the shiny new computer appear on our desk in a day or a week...but they are much more likely to stick.

Think of the small changes like learning the new computer system so that we ultimately have this slick machine. Contrast that with a crash-course or crash diet, you may get some immediate results, but if I rebuild my computer and give it a fresh "coat of paint" it is still the same old machine that will need to be replaced soon.

Your body is an incredible, powerful, machine...just like a computer, only better! Don't wait until your computer crashes to take care of it! Start with the small maintenance items that you can do NOW and you will keep that machine running smoothly for years to come.

Strategies for Curbing Emotional Eating for Weight Loss Success

Recently I've been writing about strategies for curbing emotional eating. Of course avoiding emotional eating in the first place is a great strategy...but not always practical or realistic. So if you can't avoid eating for emotional reasons you can at least help curb it, or control it so you don't go off the deep end.

So here's a recap of my top 10 strategies for kicking emotional eating to the curb--

1. Ask Yourself Why
2. No Forbidden Foods
3. Make It Conscious
4. Portion Control
5. Pattern Interrupt
6. Have Healthy Choices Available
7. Work for It
8. Read Labels
9. Go to Sleep
10. Water

Keep in mind that permanent weight loss success is a journey. You didn't get fat overnight...and you won't change the habits you developed that got your fat overnight either.

When you do eat out of stress (or joy or anger or sadness), be gentle with yourself. Remember you are practicing new skills. Don't expect perfection. Find some folks who will support you, who understand that this is temporary. And start your healthy eating habits again as soon as possible.

Remember, you didn't blow a diet if you weren't on a diet in the first place!

Strategy 10 for Curbing Emotional Eating

Like strategy #8, reading labels, this strategy is a habit that I developed years ago as part of my weight loss success plan. I've been pleasantly surprised to find that it also helps me curb my emotional eating.

Strategy #10: Water

I drink a lot of water. I don't drink much else. I do enjoy coffee in the morning and herbal tea from time to time--especially in the winter, but I mostly drink water.

So that's a healthy strategy...but how does water curb emotional eating?

It doesn't...not really...well, maybe it does...let me explain.

If you drink lots of water one of the benefits is that it flushes a bunch of toxins out of your body. That's great news. That way if (when) we do eat for emotional reasons, drinking water will help minimize the negative effects that the overeating has on our body. That's really great news.

Drinking water also helps keep you feeling fuller, so you actually have less room to pack in food. How much can you put in your stomach if you are sloshing with water? Not as much...so it can cut down on the amount of emotional eating you do.

The other way that drinking water can help with emotional eating is if you tend to drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol can loosen up your inner food warden and you might find that you are eating more food and higher calorie food then you would if you didn't have the booze. So by drinking more water, even if you choose to booze, you are diluting the effects of the alcohol, which can help keep you in better control of what you eat.

So, does water help curb emotional eating? I'm going to say yes, and even if it really doesn't, it has enough other good benefits that it still deserves to be in the top 10 strategy list!

9th Strategy for Curbing Emotional Eating and Achieving Weight Loss Success

This strategy is huge...another simple strategy that if you use it, may be the biggest key to your weight loss success.

Tons (literally) of weight is put on by people because they ignore this strategy.

Strategy #9: Go to Sleep!

Don't eat to stay awake. I know I did it for years! I ate while studying to keep myself awake. I ate while watching late night television. A lot of the time I didn't even realize that I was sleepy...I actually thought I was hungry, or had the munchies.

Most of us do not need to be eating at 9, 10, 11pm or in the wee hours of the morning. Lots of studies have been done that show eating late at night is not only harmful to our weight, it disrupts our healthy sleep patterns. When our sleep is disrupted that makes our emotions more erratic. And erratic emotions lead to...you guessed it, eating!

If you find yourself reaching for a snack late at night...whether you just got in from work or a date, or you are watching tv or playing games...try going to sleep instead of eating. You'll probably feel better the next day because you slept better and you will feel better emotionally because you were in control of your eating, too!

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 #7 for Weight Loss Success

As I mentioned yesterday, this is a very simple strategy. It isn't anything new, but it can be very effective.

Strategy #7: Work For It

By that I mean a couple different things. First, like in strategy #4 portion control, make a real meal or snack out of it. Don't eat over the kitchen sink. Use a real plate or bowl...something you have to wash. Use small dishes so you have to actually get more if you want it.

But there is more than that...

If there are foods that are triggers for you then don't have them in the house. That seems super easy, but it isn't. It is super logical and simple concept, but the practice is a lot harder.

When talking about trigger foods, be aware that there are times when you will be able to have that food around and be just fine...but at other times the mere presence of it in the house will be enough to drive you over the edge!

Ice cream is my drug of choice...the darker chocolate the better, loaded with fat and lots of goodies. Now, these days for the most part I can have ice cream in the house and from time to time have a small serving. I generally have a pretty healthy relationship with ice cream these days. But in the beginning, it had such a strong pull on me that I didn't keep it in the house. And even now, there are times when I just know that I'll have an easier time sticking to my weight loss goals if I don't have ice cream around.

If I REALLY want it, I know where the store is!

By not having it in the house you force yourself to take a break and it gives your conscious mind time to kick in and remind you that your goal is to have a healthy, energetic and slender body...and that eating a quart of ice cream is not supportive of that goal. Sometimes that works, sometimes you'll buy it anyway! But you have given yourself the chance to make it a conscious choice, strategy #3!

Tomorrow I will go into the 8th strategy...something that is actually a habit that I've developed for weight loss success that I recently realized was helping me curb my emotional eating!

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!

5th Strategy to Kick Emotional Eating to the Curb

I alluded to this 5th strategy in yesterday's strategy on portion control.

I will confess that this strategy is going to be one of the biggest keys to your weight loss success long-term. It is something that a lot of behavior modification coaches teach...so there is some real science behind this:

Strategy #5: Pattern Interrupt

Strategies 1, 3 and 4 all help with this, but there are lots of other ways that you can interrupt the emotional eating pattern.

In fact, ANYTHING that you do that stops you from going immediately from one mouthful to the next could be considered a pattern interrupt.

I suggest you come up with a list of things that you can do that might work for you in a variety of situations. For example, you could go outside...but if it is 2am in the middle of a snowstorm that might not be the best option. Call a friend, write in your journal, throw a pillow, pet your dog or cat, go outside and throw rocks, go for a walk, listen to some music, read a book, take a shower, meditate...find simple activities that you can do quickly that help you feel better.

If you want to take the pattern interrupt to the next level you can also use a negative association for when you want to eat...some people wear a rubber band on their wrist that they snap when they have the urge to eat. This small pain can help to remind your brain and body that you don't want to keep at that old habit.

If you decide to do that, then as soon as you go to the new behavior, then gently stroke the same wrist so you are giving your body a positive reinforcement as well. The combination of the positive and negative is far more affective than either positive or negative by itself.

The most important thing about this pattern interrupt is to have a list handy so you don't have to take a lot of time thinking about what you COULD do...and have any "tools" you might need ready as well. So if going for a walk is one of your choices, keep a pair of shoes ready by the door so you can put them on and go.

Write your own list and keep it handy...maybe right on the cupboard or the fridge! There are no rules about what can be on the list...it can be anything not food/drink related that will help you break that eating cycle.

Tomorrow we move to the 2nd half of my strategies for kicking emotional eating to the curb!

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!

Curbing Emotional Eating

If you want to read a summary of my top 10 strategies for curbing emotional eating, you can check out my article now. Be sure to read my blog posts for more details on each strategy!

To your healthy, energetic, slender body! You deserve it!

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...

2nd Top Strategy to Curb Emotional Eating

You've probably heard me talk about this one before...but it is such an important strategy, not just for emotional eating binges, but for all weight loss success efforts that it bears repeating!

No Forbidden Foods

In other words, give yourself a little permission to eat like a human!

By putting foods and emotional eating entirely on a taboo list you add guilt to the act of eating. That only makes us want to eat more because now we have another emotional reason to eat!

Besides, having foods "off-limits" really gets to the little kid inside us...and we all remember when we were kids and told we couldn't have or do something, right? We just wanted it all the more!

By giving yourself permission to take away the guilt--and the need to hide your eating!

Let yourself have small portions of special treats. A little "mental health food" is not going to make you fat...it is repeated doses of quantities of food as medication that does that.

Check back tomorrow for strategy #3...