[Kilketay]

I have put on some weight in the last couple years and I am ready to GET RID OF IT. I've used calorie counting successfully in the past, but it has been a while. I need a get started plan! How did you get started? Did you plan out your meals for a week? Just eat what you want and track calories? Something else?

My second question has to do with breaking bad eating habits. I am one of those people who eats when bored or stressed. Mid-afternoon is a killer for me! I always find myself a little stressed and bored with work, and I snack, snack, snack. I almost feel like I can't help myself. I try to avoid it, but a desire for food keeps popping into my head every minute or two, and eventually I give in! And the downside of working at home is that all that food is just a few steps away. What is a good strategy for dealing with this? Ideally, I'd like to be at a point where I feel like I am able to not eat if I'm not hungry (seems simple, right?) but I find that the hardest time for me to avoid food is NOT when I'm hungry, but when I need entertainment. Help!

[lifeasme]

We have a lot in common. I am a boredom/stress eater, and mid afternoond (2-4) is the worst time of the day for me, and I'm at home so it's easy to eat.

My tactics for the 2-4 time period are:

Try to stay busy
Chew gum
Have a drink. If I am nursing a big glass of water or something, I can avoid eating
Having a big dose of fiber. If I put 2 tsp metamucil in a big glass of water, I feel pretty full for quite a while. Hard to eat when you already feel stuffed. I'm not trying to defeat actual hunger with this one, just that bored "head hunger".

As far as getting started, that is the hardest part for me. I do not pre plan my meals, although I have tried it and it does work. I am just not a planner. If you are, try it!

Being more of a fly by the seat of my pants person, I just jump into counting. I use the daily plate at livestrong.com. It drives me nuts sometimes, but it has the best database and I hate having to enter stuff in myself.

The only other thing I think is important is to remember not to quit if you eat something you feel you shouldn't have. Always treat the next thing you put into your mouth as if it didn't happen. Don't fall into the trap of "well I blew it at lunch so I might as well blow it at dinner too."

Good luck

[Lori Bell]

Since you are starting out in an already "normal" BMI for your height, maybe the only thing you really need to do is change up WHAT you snack on in the afternoon.

If you normally hit the vending machine for a candy bar and a coke, maybe take a bag-o pre-cut, pre-portioned, pre-washed veggies to work for that boredom eating. Sometimes that's all it takes to get over the hump until supper. Just cutting out processed foods, processed carbs, sugar and alcohol can make a dramatic difference to a person who is not prone to obesity.

Good luck on whatever you try.