Your favorite tips
 

Hi! I was just thinking about some of my favorite tips for either eating healthy, eating less, or taking the mind off of food until proper meal or snack times where I can have my healthy fare. I was wondering what other people do to combat cravings! Here are my favorites:

1.) Do my nails. I will seriously get out my entire nail care collection and give myself a manicure. I'll soak my fingers, scape off dead skin, push back cuticles and deliberate on nail color. This can take almost two hours. During that time I can watch TV and relax and it's incredibly difficult to eat food with wet nail polish! Plus you get the added benefit of having lovely finger nails.

2.) Rub the most obnoxious flowery lotion thickly on my hands. This works for me for two reasons. A.) If I choose a smell that is decidedly unfoodlike it is not appetizing at all and makes it hard to think of savory snacks. B.) While lotion smells heavenly... IT TASTE HORRIBLE. You'll get residue all over your food and it's like eating soap. Added benefit of soft skin though!

3.) I make tea and put it in a special mug. Like a lot of people, when I think I'm hungry I'm actually just thirsty. The time it takes to make the tea, drink and enjoy it usually quells any food cravings. Not only that, the heat from the mug is so therapeutic and the antioxidants from the tea are good for you!

So what are your favorite tips?

I'm finding herbal teas really helpful as well. I'm making sure I'm getting my water as well as helping to curb cravings. It was a bit of a tough habit to get in to though, and now I feel much better about it. Otherwise I find that I feel best when I just conquer the mental side of it. Sometimes that's all it is for me. I want to eat something, and I feel like I'm hungry - then I just look at my food journal (which I have to say makes all the difference for me) and see that I've eaten enough food that it must be thirst. Mind over matter.

It's probably a horrible answer but coffee!! Tim Horton's help curb my drive thru habits! LOL! Seriously, where I may have gone to McD's and had something nasty I get a large double milk double sweetener. Even the feel of the hot cup in my hands is comforting.

Sometimes if I'm really hungry I will eat 3 slices of extra lean turkey lunch meat. The protien keeps me satisfied longer than empty calories.

I made a brown rice pudding tonight with skim milk, instant brown rice, cinnamon, and Spenda that was REALLY good and virtually guilt free. I put it in the fridge for later when I know my sweet tooth will kick in. So I guess planning a "treat" into my day!!

Kiki... That rice pudding sounds great. I should whip up a batch some day...

I like to crochet blankets when I'm feeling snacky. Right now I'm making my daughter a blanket. Can't eat when your hands are already busy!

This obviously doesn't work during the day but one of the best ways I've found to curb a craving or stop mindless eating is to go to sleep! I've found that going to bed earlier has really helped with the late night snacking/boredom eating.

Lots of water with either lemon or lime or apple cider vinegar helps too.

I too love the ritual of making tea, having a charming teapot and teacup makes it so nice! I like doing my nails, cleaning out drawers and re-organizing them, sewing, crosswords, lots of stuff keep my hands busy and Wii Fit keeps the rest of me busy ;)

I find a cup of tea with sweetener very satisfying too; I was surprised to read how many people mentioned tea.

If I do need to satisfy a craving though I go for sugar free jello or a sugar free freezie, or apply slices if I'm wanting something sweet. If it's savory I'm after I eat a piece of crispbread with turkey or cheese on it...that will normally do the trick.

Another vote for tea here! I agree, I have a nice teapot and make a real ritual out of it. It's so soothing. Also just staying busy...if I'm feeling an urge to snack on something unplanned, I go out for a walk or for a drive...really takes my mind off of it and gets me through those times. I don't have too many of them anymore, hoping it stays that way.

A bit TMI... I think of how hard it is for me to 'go' when I eat too much or have certain foods (cheese, meat, bread, chocolates, etc.) Works like a charm! :p

1. Drinking all of my water, I bring a gallon jog of water to work and home and make it my priority to finish it, I can't think about anything else untill that jug is gone. That usually takes up any of my snacky time.

2. Creeping 3Fatchicks forums and blogs. It helps me and keeps me focused on being 'good' when I'm bored.

3. Just going to bed early really helps. If I don't have anything better to do than watch TV and munch, why not? I get enough sleep which feels better all around.

4. Going to start embroidering tea towels, I bought trendy little patterns online. I can't wait to get started! That will help keep hands busy during night shifts.

5. If I can't go to bed (like working late) then I 'fake shop' online.

Clean the toilet. It seems to get my mind off food ;)

I do love a mug of hot coffee! I use the large mug and use different flavors of coffee giving me a choice. I add 1 tsp. sugar 1/2 a packet of splenda and a dollop of fat free cool whip. I really like the dunkin donuts brand coffees. The pumpkin spice is nice. Just holding that warm mug in my hands lifts my spirits. I feel full afterwards and it makes me think I've had a desert.

Another thing that helps curb those cravings is brush your teeth. You just don't want to eat when your teeth are really clean. And if you do- the food taste jucky from the tooth paste. I use a childs soft tooth brush because I'm brushing so often I don't want to make my gums recede.

One more trick is wrapping my hair up in a towel and giving my face a warm facial. afterwards I use oil of olay or baby lotion and massage into my skin. My skin will just glow and I have taken my mind off of food. If I can just get my mind going in a different direction from food I've won the battle that day. :D

Play video games, or simply tell myself 'You already ate' or 'You will eat later, dinner/lunch/etc. is only ______ (mins/hours) away.'

I know that playing video games probably sounds horrible, but I workout everyday, so when I play something like Guitar Hero, I can sit there quite a while and my hunger all but vanishes. :)

-Herbal tea definately. My fave are peppermint, nettle and camomile
-Tea and coffee. More teas though
-If it's a couple hours from a meal time and I'm feeling hungry I will chew some gum.
(healthy eating tips)
-Finally switching to red top milk
-Letting go of skin (I know it sounds disgusting to some but I never had a problem with crispy chicken skin etc) now i just get rid. Chicken is still great without it and it takes away so many calories.
-food shopping online. Promotional junk food on offer always tempts me in person.