after 2 years of serious dieting and 75 lbs lost, i decided that while i still have some ways to go, i need to find a happier, non food obsessed way of living. i was sick of being jealous of all my skinny gal friends who seemed to eat crap. and i googled "how to eat like a skinny girl" and it came up with a how to. and i learned that "skinny girls" follow a certain "pattern".
1. moderation- they eat small portions and stop eating once hunger stops. it takes 20 mins for the "full signal" to get the brain, they know that and dont try to slam a tremendous amount of food in a small amount of time. its better to eat a small snack instead of a ginormous meal. for me that mean no seconds. that is my new rule and its great, especially because, skinny girls get to eat...
2. everything- skinny girls dont make limitations for themselves, but if they eat something, its always in moderation. you can't rationalize something for yourself. i made this rule. if i'm really craving something, i cant eat it, but only a small part (like one cookie, or a few spoonfuls of ice cream, or a quarter of a piece of pizza).
3. snack- if you're really hungry, have something small and really nutritious to tide you over. i decided to start snacking on apples. they have been known to keep you full and regular (thanks to the fiber).
4. whole foods- skinny girls take pride in their bodies, (the way that i baby my car) that means that even though i'll let myself eat junk, i'll want to keep good healthy things in my body so that i will be healthy and have a long life. that also meant doing away with eating for the **** of it. i have a new rule instead of eating late at night when ive really had enough to eat during the day, i'll daydream about being truly skinny and it makes it worth it.
5. enjoy- skinny girls enjoy the flavor. savor your food, eat slowly and be discriminating. for me, this meant a few things. the taste of the food will always eventually leave. sometimes i would eat more to prolong the experience but i had to come to terms with the fact that it will end. also, i had to let go of the idea of "cleaning my plate", like if i get a jamba juice, i used to use the fact that i paid for it as an excuse to take in all the calories. but i realized that what i pay for is the taste and experience of it, and that means that its really okay just to take in a proper serving size and let the rest go.
i know it might sound "extreme" and i will get a lot of flames from people, but i think that this is me really letting go of a food addiction that i have been harboring for a long time. using diet foods and diet soda have helped me cut calories in the past few years, but i need new habits that will last me a long time. i realized that diet foods trick me into thinking that i can eat larger volumes of food than i should.
one thing that really helps me is this:
according to our heights, we are small women. even if we dont feel like it, or the scale doesnt say it, we are all small girls, the ones that we want to be. we just need to start acting like it, and for me that means valuing the way i look as much as i value food.
if you start thinking like the hot girl you already are, you by nature want to take care of your body. your focus shifts and food becomes a great part of your life instead of your whole life.
we are SOOOO hot girls, ya'll!
-joy
Food tastes SOOO good and I always find an excuse to keep eating once I'm full. Like I don't want to waste money, I'll work out longer tomorrow, etc. But after being up EIGHT pounds since last week (yes, EIGHT POUNDS!) I will definitely be following thesr principles!!! 
I'm practicing a lot of them already.
