Tips 4 &5

Tip Number 4

Get a Grip on Emotional Eating

Why are you reaching for that pint of ice cream in the first place? Asking yourself the following questions before eating may help you figure it out.

1.      Am I hungry?

2.      How am I feeling?

3.      What do I really need?

4.      What can I do instead?

2 other questions that may help are: "How long will I have to exercise if I eat this?" Or, 'How many calories will I have to burn?"

Emotional eating can be very hard to overcome and sometimes we do just give in. We are all human, and emotions are a powerful thing! I know I have been guilty of this one.  Ask the questions and it will help stop you from the emotional eating.

 

Tip Number 5

Allow Yourself a Daily Indulgence

Sticking with a 1,200- to 1,800-calorie diet each day doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself of sweets or salty snacks, whichever you crave.

Have a planned treat ---chocolate, alcohol, cookies, potato chips ---that's no more than 10 percent of your daily caloric intake. So if you are on a 1,500-calorie-a-day diet, you can have a 150-calorie treat every day as part of your total daily calories. So what's the catch? Finding a treat that doesn't turn into a trigger food. That means if you can not eat just one cookie or just 1 serving of potato chips, maybe you should not have this as your indulgence. Look for something that is not sinful, but something that tastes good and satisfies your craving.

 

Stay away from foods that lead you to a downward spiral!