Weight Loss Tip

Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.

HALT

"There is a popular acronym known in the land of the lean as HALT. It means that when you feel like reaching for food, ask yourself first if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. If you're hungry, then proceed, but if you are reaching for food in response to emotion, then halt your behavior immediately and deal with the problem at hand. There's nothing inherently wrong with putting food to your mouth, but if you're doing it to fill a void that should be handled another way." ~ Candace Cameron Bure (Reshaping It All pp. 60-61)

Handy Diet Trick

HANDY DIET TRICK
Using Non-Dominant Hand Could Moderate Munching by 20%


Do you often eat more than you should? Join the club. Many of us mindlessly munch out of habit or occasion (e.g., movies, parties). Even the repetitive motion of hand-to-mouth can take on a momentum all its own. Researchers at USC wanted to see if they could break up such unconscious eating behaviors by changing things up on study subjects who were habitual popcorn eaters -- simply by getting them to switch the hand with which they scoop their snack.

When using their dominant hand (for the vast majority of the population, this is the right hand), popcorn aficionados chowed down indiscriminately, regardless of whether the popcorn was stale or fresh. But when asked to use their non-dominant hand (e.g., righties switched to their left hand and lefties switched to their right hand), the habitual popcorn eaters broke the mindless munching cycle, eating 20% less of the stale stuff. By changing hands, says lead researcher David Neal, Ph.D., "You slow down and realize the food is bad for you."

What are some other practical tips for eating more mindfully? One study counter-intuitively found that larger forks actually led folks to eat less. You might also try using chopsticks, chewing slower (and thus savoring) food, turning off the TV during mealtimes, and sitting at a table (not standing by your countertop) to dine. Shed a light on it too: Researchers found that people are more likely to binge in a dim environment. Your best overall bet -- whether you're reaching with your right or left hand -- is to opt for filling, nutrient-dense, low-calorie fruit and vegetables, which are the delicious, nutritious way to maintain a healthy weight.

~ Dole Nutrition Institute

Exercise: Push Back...

"Another good reducing exercise consists in placing both hands against the table edge and pushing back."

~ Alexander Woollcott

Toss the 3-5 Second Rule

Do you have a 3-5 second rule? Something is okay to eat off the floor if you pick it up quickly...See what real age has to say about it...here.

Temptation of Eating

"Placed then amid these temptations, I strive daily against sin in eating and drinking. For it is not of such nature that I can settle on cutting it off once for all, and never touching it afterward."

~ Augustine

Tempted to Eat

"If we really knew what we were eating, we'd be less tempted to stuff our mouths with processed foods."

~ Curt Michaels

Snacks

Make a list of all the snacks you eat throughout a typical day. You may be surprised at how much you eat without realizing it.

Craving Control

Three magic words: ask yourself, "Am I hungry?" before eating anything. It is a quick way to be more connected to what is causing you to reach mindlessly for food.

~ Dawn Jackson Blatner, The Flexitarian Diet, p. 82

Eat This Not That! For Kids by David Zinczenko

I found this great book for parents at my library by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding. This book is full of common sense eating advice and many surprises. I was shocked to learn that some things I considered good for me are not the best choices. The authors list good and bad or okay and better choices for many restaurants that kids frequent. They also give lots of helpful advice for parental nutrition as well. There also tips on grocery shopping and surviving the school cafeteria. The last chapter lists activities the whole family can do to shed unwanted weight and develop a healthy lifestyle.

Find a copy of this book and help your kids on their way to becoming fit for life.