GETTING STARTED

There are many things you can do to help yourself.
They are covered in these pages, but the most important
one is in behavior modification. Set a goal of eating and
drinking in the kitchen where the food is kept. Do not eat
in bed, in front of the tv, in the car, at your desk and while
surfing the web or doing other task on your computer. You
should always be aware of what you are eating and were
you are eating. The exception to this rule might be a glass
of water. But the best rule of thumb is "If it is not near you,
if you have to get up and go get it, it's easier to resist".

Realize you are making changes for the long haul.
You need to learn how to eat right for the rest of your life.

Stop Dieting. Do not think of your eating habit changes
as dieting. It is too easy to find ways to cheat. Stop
forbidding yourself certain foods and start eating less of them.

Get a grip on reality. Keep a food diary. You may be
surprised at how many calories you are ingesting. You may be
shocked to find that it could be as high as 3500 to 5000 a day.

Eat minimeals. Having smaller, more frequent meals can
prevent you from getting ravenously hungry and overeating. On
average weight loss winners eat 5 times a day.

Drink up. Drinking lots of water keeps you from snacking
when you are not hungry and gives you more energy.

SET YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS

Do it yourself. As long as someone else is pushing you,
no matter what you do or how hard you try- - -it will never work
unless YOU want to do it.

Take it slow. Everyone wants to lose weight yesterday but
slow is the way to go if you don't want to see those pounds again.

Customize your approach. What worked for your friend may
not work for you. And what works for you today, may not work in 6
months. YOU need to decided what you need.

Set small goals. Decide to lose 10 pounds. Excess weight
contributes to many medical conditions. Sometimes losing 10
pounds can help lower blood pressure.

Make changes you can live with. Ask yourself if what I did
today, I could live with the rest of my life. Can I eat this way and
be happy. If you answer Yes then you are on the right track and
if that answer was no--you will likely fail.

RESIST TEMPTATION

Stay busy. Do things that are not conductive to eating.
People who lose weight are not sitting around thinking of hot
fudge sundaes. They are busy singing in choirs, taking
classes, taking walks, swimming and doing chores.

Keep 'em out of site. Overwhelmingly, weight loss veterans
control foods such as chocolate, ice cream, and potato chips
by not having them around. Fill your house with treats that you
are not particularly fond of and you will have less trouble
indulging in them.

Moderation is key. If you want a piece of cake, have ONE,
then don't have another one for a week. Know you can eat
something forbidden and no ones going to say you can't
works for most people.

Buy individually packed snacks. Cookies, chips, and even
ice cream comes in single serving sizes then if you crave
one- - grab one little bag instead of the whole box.

Find alternatives. Chocolate is still a favorite even for
successful dieters. But there are ways to enjoy it and still keep
the waistline. Make fat-free chocolate pudding with fat-free milk.

CREATE A HEALTHY KITHCHEN

Plan ahead. Plan menus a week or more ahead and stock
items needed for those meals. Cook ahead and freeze meals
for the week in individual containers. If it not there- you can not
go get it and over indulge.

A little dab will do it. If you just can not pass on some high-fat
favorites, stick to the most favored ones. A single slice of bacon
is enough to flavor eggs or a potato.

Fake Fry. Try frying with calorie free cooking sprays instead
of oil. Spray sliced potatoes and roast them in the oven for french
fries that taste fried without fat.

Stock frozen vegetables. With pasta or stir fry sauces they are
diet saviors. You can eat a whole bag with 3/4 cup of sauce which has
about 3 grams of fat and mininal calories. It is also makes a filling
and tasty meal.

Flavor up. Rice, beans and other cooked grains are the staples
of many successful dieters. They can be cooked in different liquids
such as tomato juice, apple juice, beef or chicken stock. Rice cooked
in pineapple juice is especially good for Chinese dishes.

*The content of this site is for general informatio only is in now way
intended to replace your Doctor, Pharmacist, Nutritionist or any
other Health Care Provider.*