Everyone overdoes it on eating once in a while, whether it’s at a party, during the holidays, after a stressful day at work, or due to hormones. While an occasional slip-up does not doom you to failure, you should learn what a “binge” will do to your body and learn what you can do to compensate.

Bingeing On A Weight Loss Program Is Understandable

When you try to lose weight you cut back or cut out altogether many foods you feel you can do without -particularly those high in fat, sugar and calories. The funny thing is, the more you try to go without something, the more you seem to want it. Many people find that just the thought of beginning a weight loss program can increase their appetite and cause them to develop cravings for foods they may not normally even want. Also, if you allow yourself to get hungry, the body responds by intensifying the hunger pangs and cravings for easily digested carbohydrates, especially sugar. Once you get started on a binge it’s sometimes hard to stop because the body likes to replete itself. The overeating will help restore the fat cells that the body like keeping filled to feel secure.
Read more…

Americans eat an average of one of three meals out. Watching your weight is no reason for you to avoid eating out in restaurants. In fact, it’s a good idea to get some practice at making wise choices when someone else is preparing your food since you will be confronted with this often. Knowing what to pick and being specific when ordering makes sticking to your meal plan easy. Most restaurants these days are more than willing to make minor modifications in the way they prepare and serve your foods so eating out will be easier than you think.

Eating Out Guidelines
Do your best to choose foods that you have become accustomed to eating: fish, poultry, fresh fruits, steamed vegetables, salads, low fat soups, whole grain breads. Keep portion size in mind. Apply moderation to those foods you know are not prepared “ideally.” Whenever you are in doubt, ask how the foods are prepared. Try to make your choices “fit” your meal plan for the day.
Foods prepared in the following ways are generally safe: steamed, broiled, in its own juice, or poached -provided you ask for no butter or oil, and sauce on the side.
Read more…

Another strategy to aid in your weight loss program is to give up the idea of 3-meals-a-day and graze instead. Our digestive system is similar to apes and gorillas that nibble, or graze on food all day long (and do not suffer from obesity), yet we have developed a very different pattern of eating. The idea of eating two or three large meals a day may not be ideal for our digestive system, and certainly not for our weight. This overload of calories forces the body to put more energy into fat storage and to produce more of the fat-storing enzyme to help out in the process.

Spacing the day’s intake of food into 6 small meals to be nibbled on throughout the day is a great help for weight loss. It not only provides the body with fewer calories which can easily be burned off, but also keeps blood sugar levels even making us feel better mentally and physically and providing us with plenty of energy.
Read more…

Pre-planning (deciding in advance your meals for the day) is a technique that can make following a pattern easier and help minimize last-minute decisions, impulse eating, temptation, and bingeing. It does have its limitations, but most find it to be a useful tool to help with weight loss.

Pre-planning involves not only what you’ll eat, but also when you’ll eat it. It can help you to make, and then stick to, good choices and keep you from getting hungry (if you have planned well). Ideally you should write down your sample meal plan for the day. If you try planning more than a day or two at a time, you may find your schedule changes that can make sticking with it difficult. Having a written plan tends to be more concrete than just having ideas in your head. When making out your meal plan, follow the guidelines to maximize weight loss: well-spaced meals, snacks to keep from getting hungry, a protein food every 3-4 hours, less food as the day goes on.

If you find pre-planning on a regular basis to be too constricting or time consuming, at least try to plan on days you know you will be eating out or attending a party. You may want to adjust your intake in such a way that you allow for more food at that time of day. Saving a fruit for a glass of wine, or a fat for some “regular” dressing, may be all you need. Or you may try to reduce the temptation to overeat by planning for a filling snack before you go. A half-cup of Fiber One cereal or a bowl of vegetable soup may keep your stomach full so you’re less likely to overdo it on the high-calorie treats.
Read more…

Everyone “cheats,” or indulges in something unintended, at some point in time. There are many reasons why. Sometimes a slip-up can be caused by hunger; other times eating is used as a cure for boredom. Whatever the case, if “cheating” is inevitable it would be wise to learn how to cheat properly. Pay attention to the guidelines below and commit them to memory. Any time you “get off track” with your eating, if you adhere to the order prescribed here it is unlikely you will do any real damage. So if you must deviate, do so in the following manner:

Always start with FREE FOODS. Pigging-out on sugar-free jello will not make you fat. A sugar-free beverage may fill your stomach and cure your sweet tooth without contributing to your caloric intake. A cup of broth, a sugar-free Popsicle, or a handful of fiber cereal may hold you over to your next planned meal or snack and curb your hunger.

If you do go “over” on your meal plan it should be from overeating foods in the VEGETABLE group. It is highly unlikely that you will ever eat so many vegetables that you slow down your weight loss progress. Get in the habit of reaching for raw veggies, a bowl of homemade vegetable soup, or a salad any time you start to feel hungry.
Read more…

Thin people and overweight people differ in the way they eat. Most thin people eat when they are hungry, not just because food is in front of them. They usually eat until they are full and then stop. Thin people may do these things without ever giving them a thought. You will, however, need to make a conscious effort to develop some of these new habits and practice them until they become second nature. To become a thin person yourself it is important that you develop “thin eating habits.”
Read more…