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!

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.

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"

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!!