I read an article that touted "five major diet danger zones" and they are as follows:

(1)Meal stuffing
(2)Snack grazing
(3)Party bingeing
(4)Restaurant indulging
(5)Desk (or dashboard) dining

The article went on to say that if you "make three small changes in a problem area, you'll jump-start the rest of your life without even knowing it."

I recognize my problems as primarily 1, 3, & 4. I tend to want "extra" helpings or "2nd" helpings if a meal is really, really good. And party binging, yeah, all those yummy little finger foods...and of course, CAKE. Ugh! And restaurant indulging...good grief! they always give you GIGANTIC portions at restaurants anyway...

So for #1, I've learned to deal by using smaller plates or bowls at home, never going back for 2nds.

#3 - At parties, I allow myself one small sliver-slice of cake and

#4 - At restaurants I always take half of whatever I've ordered & immediately put it in a to-go box, and I stick to mostly chicken & seafood dishes with steamed or roasted veggies. If I feel the need for dessert (seldom! I'm usually too stuffed for dessert at a restaurant!) then I will "share" one with my spouse or friend.

How do you deal with your "danger zones"?

5, 5 and... 5, again.

I have a huge problem with eating while doing other things. Eating at the desk or eating while watching tv... and suddenly "What? The whole bag is gone? ...H...how did that happen?"

It's a VERY old habit, one that has proven to be difficult to break. Eating was just something I did while bored -and- trying to do other things. Watching tv... grab a snack to go with it. Playing games... why not have a bowl of something nearby? Working through lunch... gotta eat, then.

What has helped: Portioning properly, taking a few minutes to PAY ATTENTION to my food, and my hunger signals, lots of water, gum.... just to start.

But, once again, an old and difficult to break habit.

#3, #4 and #5 are very easy for me, I am a stay at home mom with a toddler and don't have a desk, can't go to restaurants, and haven't been to a party in ages

#1 & #2 are definitely my hardest. I would love further suggestions. Part of it is not keeping my favourite foods around because I will eat them all in one day.

#1 is, by far, my #1 problem. I like to eat A LOT of food. It doesn't help that I'm a fast eater, so I often go back for seconds before I've even given myself enough time to decide whether I need it. Or thirds. I'm also guilty of taking a few more bites when I'm packaging up the leftovers.

That's why I've had to go back to careful calorie counting now. If I tell myself that I've done the math and the meal in front of me is exactly how much I want myself to eat, it's harder to argue my way into "one more bite" of something.

Oh and #5 has never been a problem for me. I actually eat LESS if I eat while I'm doing other stuff, because I'm distracted enough that I won't get up for more. It's when I'm in a situation where all I can think about is the food (a boring party, a restaurant, a big family dinner) that I go nuts.

Thats cute!

(1)Meal stuffing
(2)Snack grazing
(3)Party bingeing
(4)Restaurant indulging
(5)Desk (or dashboard) dining

#5 use to be a major problem, eating on the go, in my car, at my desk. I stopped that completely several years ago. I eat only when sitting down in a quiet environment, whether just a chair or at a table. I allow no TV, computer or other distractions when possible. It may mean I have to wait to eat, but eating anywhere else is no longer an option. Major change for me

#3 was and still is my big problem. I like to let my hair down, kick off my shoes and enjoy a party, even if it is all by myself. lol. I have always looked forward to the weekend, wanting to mix a cocktail or 3, munch on snacks and watch old film noir. In the past, I could really knock down some calories this way, overriding a healthy and well balanced week's worth of eating.

Restaurants don't bother me, I order low carb, snacking is not something I do much of and overeating is not a problem, I use a small bowl to eat from with no seconds.

I think #4 is my worst. I love going out to eat and as we're going to be on the move for the next two months, that means a lot of eating out, often at highway stops (read: fast food joints). When we're on the road, I go for the grilled chicken at KFC. But it's good restaurants that really get me. I try to make wise choices and only eat a small portion, saving the rest, but it's not easy when a meal is prepared so well!

#1 for me..
But I do a few tricks so I still feel like I ate a million calories but in reallity I didn't. I drink water before a meal, snack on fresh vegetables while I cook, some more water, veggie soup (fat free homemade) is the first thing on the menu, salad in between and I always eat complex carbs with loads of vegetables.. So if you count the calories it's really nothing special but I still have that nice stuffed feeling. But it goes away quick and I pee alot

#2 is my worse. If I never start snacking I'm fine, but once I get going it turns into one bite of this and a nibble of that and before long I've blown my whole calorie count for the day.

Restaurants and meal binging. I am ok when it's just once in a while at a restaurant, but sometimes 2 or 3 opportunities in a week come up to go out and then I'm toast.

For the #1's I read an interesting article as well and they said to take at least 20 mins to eat your meal (setting a timer if necessary) I tried this the very next meal and What a difference it made! I found myself more satisfied and didn't even think about seconds.'
My other problem is restaurants. Thankfully a lot of restaurants now list the calorie count right on the menu.

Party binging accounts for why I am maintaining and not losing. I can control myself well enough during the week, but I have a chip on my shoulder and am approximately 5 years old on the weekends.

I guess I should just be thankful that I have gotten the "overweight" part of the problem under control, but the desire and uncontrollable urge to eat until I'm too full to eat any more is still unhealthy.