Best diet tricks that work for you
 

I was just finishing up lunch and had a yogurt for "dessert"...but first I had to find my baby spoon...:D As totally weird as it is, when I eat yogurt, or a small serving of something similar, I use a baby spoon so that I eat it slower.

Does anyone have any tips/tricks they do to keep on plan?

PS: Oh I always use a salad plate for my meals too....an old WW trick from way back, that still works for me.

Oh crud, I misspelled tricks in my OP....LOL

Originally Posted by Lori Bell:



PS: Oh I always use a salad plate for my meals too....an old WW trick from way back, that still works for me.

I do this too. It makes me have smaller portions on my plate instead of one huge plate.

Sometimes I freeze my yogurt cups, they taste great and it certainly takes a lot longer to eat it this way than straight out of the fridge. Frozen yogurt on the cheap right in your own freezer!

Title fixed! :)

A warm drink after a meal -- like chai tea with a splash of skim milk and SF vanilla syrup -- satisfies my sweet tooth AND that "still want to eat something" feeling.

Originally Posted by Meg:
Title fixed! :)

A warm drink after a meal -- like chai tea with a splash of skim milk and SF vanilla syrup -- satisfies my sweet tooth AND that "still want to eat something" feeling.

Thanks! ;)

Lori - I do the baby spoon thing as well. People at work often think I'm a little nuts, but since I have 2 young children I guess they just think I ran out of silverware. :D

I'll have to think about other things....

I LIKE the baby spoon idea! And I too *partially* freeze my yogurt. I don't like it frozen solid though. Partially frozen it takes much longer to eat and I really enjoy it that way.

But I don't do the salad plate thing. In fact, I eat my salad out of a really big serving bowl. I eat an enormous portion of salad at one time. Same thing with my veggies. No small plate for me.

When I'm hungry, or just plain "munched", I always take a drink of water first. Slows me down, fills me up and I get in some more water (which I've been struggling with lately.)

Hmmm, I'm drawing a blank here. I know there's others. Maybe they'll come to me later.

OMG..ditto on the baby spoons...I used to use the rubber coated ones that children had as babies..I recently ungraded to beautiful tiny spoons I found at IKEA. I also have baby forks I bought a while back in Germany. I adore these with desserts!

We use our salad plates for our main dishes. Our dishes are HUGE. The salad plate actually fits a regular portion and the dinner plate fits probably 3+ servings!

I use mixing bowls to eat salads.

I use baby spoons for certain foods and prefer tea spoons to table spoons.

I eyeball meat servings by comparing them to my palm.


...I'll think of more...

from personal experience..take with a pinch of the proverbial, but to me:

drink water in general
drink water before eating
do nothing else whilst eating but focus on the food
exercise a lot
become disorganised so you don't have any food in the house anyway (accidentally discovered this one lately, a plan to save £££ gone too far lol)
fiber!
apples
don't demonize/ban anything completely/forever/anything like that
eat plenty of variety...it gets dull eating same thing all the time, could lead to recreational eating because you just want something different
get plenty of sleep to avoid "must eat for extra energy" food
being happy. Not so weird I guess, since if you're happy you want to do the best by yourself.

= not eating too much :)

I freeze apple sauce cups. hmm I think I'll try the yoghurt though, good idea!

I make sure I never let myself get too hungry. Me + starving = calorie disaster. You should see what I pack to take to work! But it has really worked for me. Frequent protein has been the key for me.

I talk to myself too. Sometimes I'll say outloud "I am in charge of my next choice."

I schedule exercise. 90% of my exercise is a commitment to someone else---a running partner or a trainer. I don't miss cause I have someone counting on me. If it was just up to me, I would hit the snooze button way more often than I should.

If I am planning an afternoon or evening exercise session, I put on a sports bra when I get dressed in the morning. That is one less step I need to do when it is time to exercise.

I use a salad plate to eat on too. I also eat a ton of veggies. I try to eat veggies at every meal including breakfast. Using olive oil to cook with really helps me feel full and helps my cholesterol. I also like to have a cup of hot tea or a diet soda to fill me up. I take single servings of reduced fat cheese to work and nibble on it between meals. I also try to eat every 3 hours. I always eat breakfast and never skip meals.

My big trigger time to snack is when i get home from work, which is only a few hours before dinner. So instead of snacking while I cook, I make a spicy broth (cup of low sodium chicken stock, spoonful of chili paste, a few other little seasonings - tomato paste, a little basil, sometimes a little ginger or lemongrass) and sit down with it. It's only 25-50 calories, depending on what I add, and it fills me up and makes me make it linger instead of being able to chow my way through everything in the kitchen.
That's been a big trick that has worked for me. I do a lot of the others already mentioned too - frequent snacks, warm drinks, lots of water - and writing everything down forces me to be accountable about all of my 'just a bites'.

I can't get over the desire for 2nd helpings so I plan for it. I get half of my planned food and go back for the second half.

Lori,

Thank you for starting this thread. I've already learned two things. I am going to try and freeze my yogurt and I am going to purchase a baby spoon.

My lastest discovery is to never eat while standing up. After I am done preparing my meal and arrange it on the plate I am more visually satisfied and for some wierd reason my brain is more satisfied. I first thought this was bull pucky until I committed to trying it. All those little calories that add up throughout the day while cooking, cleaning, passing through the kitchen, cleaning off the table, and passing open bags of whatever have disappeared from my life. Woo Hoo!!

Chopsticks and straws help me to eat/drink slowly and really focus on the food, especially if I'm eating something like popcorn or peas with the chopsticks. It just lasts longer.

Same with the baby spoons. I love small spoons.

I also freeze protein shakes and eat them like ice cream with frozen fruit, or I'll freeze a bunch of grapes and eat them cold.

I freeze a lot of things ;)

I noticed if I Placed my fruits & veggies in little tiny saucers or bowls Onto my plate with my meat choice/soup /or whatever ~to where It seems there is a Bunch of food then I get full easier~I even Struggle to finish when I do this because I get so full.....I use little bowls or saucers that bearly fit on my plate....If that all makes sense LOL~I am a bit tired while typing so I hope I made sense.

I've been eating a lot of high fiber food, lots of veggies and trying to drink my water. I have been exercising at least an hour a day!

Hardest thing for me was eating breakfast so I do that everyday now too!:carrot:

I do the baby/toddler spoon thing too but since I have a toddler I guess it is not so weird lol
I do the small plate too!

And even though I almost always eat my entire lunch, ussually a flat out pizza, I will cut it in small portion and put half of them on my little plate and if I still want the rest I have to go back and get them when those are gone.
Makes me think am I still really hungry or not.

I tell myself you have to drink this bottle of water and wait 15 minutes before you get a snack.
Then if I still want the snack I have to have a few grapes first.
I keep putting it off until eventually I dont want it. But Ive never said I CANT have it.

I will also bribe myself get thru today and this weekend you can have some restaraunt food. It gets me thru the week and then I dont really want to overdo it by the weekend. Today my parents bought me one of my fave dinners but I told them 100 x I didnt want it b/c I had treated myself to breakfast out and didnt want togo over my calories. So, I brought it home with me. Looked up the calories and was so glad I didnt eat it all on top of what I had already ate (which was not really that much). I will split it with DH tomorrow for lunch.

Love reading the tips!

I've started putting onions in everything. It takes me a lot longer to finish a sandwich when I have such a strong taste in my mouth with every bite. Same with pepper in the soup, garlic on the bagel, curry powder in the stir-fry....

And sometimes when I'm super-hungry and know I'll start binging, I'll alternate bites with drinks. Nibble the granola bar, sip the tea, repeat. By the time I get to the end of the granola bar the crisis as passed.

I portion out chips and crackers into bags based on the serving size. That way I know exactly how many I can eat. I also follow WW points and calculate the points and write it on the package. That way when I go to the pantry I know exactly how many points something is.

At the start of the week I do what OnMyWay said and separate food into portion-sized bags. That way throughout the week I can just go ahead and grab something pre-measured without having to think about it. I've also started scheduling my exercise again (trainer 3x a week). And when I come home from work, rather than changing into jeans I change into workout clothes right away so I'm more likely to jump on the treadmill. That last trick really works. There's something about actually being in workout clothes that makes me think, "Well I'm dressed for it. Might as well do it." Sounds weird, I know.

Originally Posted by :
"Well I'm dressed for it. Might as well do it."

LOL. That's how I trick myself get off my lazy a$$ on the weekends. "But I went through all that trouble to put on shoes--have to leave the apartment to use them" :D

I always use toddler spoons, bowls and occasionally plates!! It really makes the bowl look more full!! And they are fun to look at, who wouldnt want to have lunch with Diego!! ;)

I am going to have to try freezing my yogurts that sounds good!!

I find planning my meals and preparing dishes in advance is a huge advantage. It also helps me make out my grocery list.

Someone mentioned having a hot drink after their meal to help with that "I'm still hungry" feeling. My biggest hurdle is snacking after dinner so I'm gonna try the hot drink trick. I know from experience that if I have a bowl of hot soup before my meal I can't finish my meal. So a hot drink after dinner makes sense to me.

I buy small bags of raw almonds, found in the baking aisle. Walmart has them for like a dollar each. They are 2.5 oz per bag and 400 cals in the whole bag. I eat half a bag per day. (Sometimes I eat a whole bag per day though!)

Brushing Teeth. :D I find that when I feel like snacking, but I know I don't need a snack, if I brush and floss my teeth I don't want to get rid of that fresh brushed feeling. Happened just a few minutes ago. Now my pearly whites are clean and even though I'd love to grab a snack I am not going to do it.

We also use smaller plates and those soup bowls with rims for our dinner often; I also use parfait spoons (they are the size of baby spoons) so things take longer to eat. About 15-30 minutes before dinner, as I'm cooking, I will have a small yogurt or tangerine or salad or applesauce, so I feel full with my smaller dinner.

Before OR for my lunch, I will have a cup-a-soup or broth or salad OR eat my fruit first, then my lunch for the same effect: this is a French trick that they do all the time. Instead of gravy, they make a broth soup with lean meat juices and serve this before the main meal.

I often put my yogurt or desserts or fruit in the freezer too. I ALWAYS make up single servings and toss them into the fridge or freezer for snacks: also cheese or break up whole wheat soda crackers as a sub for chips & nachos.

I have salad of some kind every day (either coleslaw or romaine): and use 1 % sour cream as salad dressings (20 cals per tbl). Save a fruit or low-cal dessert for evening snack. I also have a huge cup of tea every evening and if I am still hungry after that, then I'll try fruit or cheese. Last resort, is a slice of wheat bran bread with peanut butter, and that usually clinches it.

I use olive oil all the time now; and little if any, margarine or butter on anything. I use mustard or lite mayo or light cheese spread mostly now on sandwiches and no butter. I use only thin deli meat or fish for sandwiches.

Buy xtra-lean meats and drain & rinse all fat off first, then add seasonings and veggies (onions & garlic +) and finish the meal as usual. You'd be surprised how much is there.

Yes, I also buy those small 100 gram bags of nuts in the baking section: there's no salt and if you eat them all you can still stay within a reasonable amount of calories for the day.

The only baking I do now is small low-fat/low-sugar bran muffins once a week and put the rest in the freezer; I eat only one unless it's for breakfast (can have two as they are small) and never overeat these. For the same reason I buy popsicles (60-90 calories) or single POLAR ice cream bar for 100 calories for a dessert or occasional treat esp in the summer.

Freeze leftovers in single microwave dishes for lunches.

You guys are full of great ideas! I wish my teeth were not so cold sensitive, I would love to try the frozen yogurt/fruit tips. Only good thing about sensitive teeth is that I don't, (can't) binge on ice cream like I did when I was younger.

I also have never really tried "hot" tea, except for a few occasions. I usually drink iced tea, (with no ice...lol) or coffee. I do have an awesome tea kettle that basically just sits on the stove as a decoration.

I'm also going to try the small dishes on the larger plate for my son. He's not watching his weight, he is tall and lean, but for some reason he hates it when his food touches. ;)

I log all my calories into the Daily Plate. I just finished supper, and have some spare calories left. I plan on going to Tim Horton's with a friend later for a cup of coffee and a "gawk" (checking out the locals; mingling). I just went into Tim Horton's website to check the calories on each treat to decide what to have later with my coffee.

I also eat my desserts with a small spoon. I have a few tiny silver spoons that force me to take small bites. I have no idea what these spoons were intended to be used for, but it works pretty great. Also, I eat frozen sugar-free jello cups for dessert. It's 10 cals, and it takes a good 20 minutes to eat.

One of the things that Angie and I were doing real well until (Last night...I blew it) was our Friday Night Splits (although we did it last night...Saturday)

We split our meals in half, when we go out, right off the bat and bring it home for lunch the next day. OR....we share a meal....unheard of in the past...I wasn't big on sharing my food!

Love the new avatar...it's working girl!

Gary

Love this thread!
A few tricks I do:
After a meal, if I still feel a bit snackey, I pop a piece of sugar free gum, and make myself a cafe mocha (half amount of instant coffee, and a heaping tsp of carnation diet hot chocolate in a mug of hot water. Stir and add a splash of milk) The whole thing is about 30 calories , which is way better even than a "regular " coffee if you like it with any light cream. And it sure tastes yummy!
I also eat every 2.5 hours. I'm never famished so I never feel like bingeing.
When I eat out I plan it an advance so I can look forward to it, and I have a chance to pull their menu from online and look up the nutritional info/// Who would have thought that the grill chicken salad at Pizza Delight has over 1000 calories not including the dressing?!? Knowledge is power; I got the chicken sizzler instead at 220 calories :)
Lastly, I always balance my carbs with protein. For me, it really helps keep me in balance. If I have a carb heavy meal I find I end up craving.. but when I have enough protein I stay satisfied way longer.

Tips and tricks
 

I'm not quite sure where to post this..

I was wondering if people who have successfully achieved weight loss would share some of their tips/tricks that helped them reaching their goals.

eg. a workout routine/exercise, a food to eat to stuff yourself without the calories, buying a dress one size too small...

:) Thanks!

One of the things I have been doing since starting my journey is taking full body pictures every couple weeks to compare them to the last so I could actually see my progress...I think that has helped a lot, especially when the scale wasn't moving

I don't think there are really any tips except to always stay in control of your plan...if you plan a splurge meal, make it only a meal. Think of it as a lifestyle change and not as a diet. Drink lots of water.

Get yourself addicted to exercise. It will just become another "thing you do," like brushing your teeth or taking a shower.

i personally struggle with exercise. but, i have recently discovered a true fondness for running, mostly due to that runner's high. i'm thinking it's all the endorphins, but that pick me up is enough to get me on the treadmill...another thing that's helped me is breaking up my exercising. rather than looking at a whole hour of working out, i do 30 min in the am, and 30 min in the evening. for some reason, doing it all it once make it daunting for me and i'm more likely not to do it.

as far as food...i also make room for an off plan meal every week/every other week. its something i look forward to, truly enjoy, and i don't feel guilty about it. it's helped me stay focused also, because i know i can feed my craving for -insert fave food here- and i don't feel like "oh, i'll never have this again..." etc. that's really helped a lot.

Originally Posted by purplepumpkin:

eg. a workout routine/exercise, a food to eat to stuff yourself without the calories, buying a dress one size too small...

:) Thanks!

This may not be a trick, but a tip. Try to get yourself accustomed to the idea that you shouldn't stuff yourself even with a healthy food or a calorie-less one. The stomach stretches and shrinks. If you're eating more even of low-calorie or healthy food, you are creating a bigger stomach capacity and prolonging the point at which you will be sated with less food. I started out slowly reducing everything, including liquids, in order to gradually naturally shrink my stomach capacity. (And it has worked very well - I get full very quickly on far, far less food.)

I think that even drinking tons of water is a mistake. Yes, drink enough water to hydrate well, but drink it in small amounts throughout the day. Skinny champion eaters who take part in competitive eating keep their stomachs huge by drinking gallons of liquid. This is not a goal that is helpful for those of us trying to lose weight.