By
Dr. Scott Lewis
1. Give Yourself A Visual Snack Limit
We've all done it: Snacking mindlessly due to boredom-not hunger. It is a surefire way to quickly derail your weight loss efforts. So next time you're in front of the TV and have that late night snack craving, reach for a single serving portion. Plenty of companies have introduced 100 calorie snack portions of their most popular sweet and savory treats, which are great because they offer consumers what I like to call a natural pause point: Instead of reaching into a bottomless bag of chips, with no concept of the caloric intake you're consuming, you'll have finished a single 100-calorie portion, and will have to make the conscious, deliberate decision of whether or not to open up another bag should you wish to continue to eat.
2. Visualize Your Ideal Weight
Picture yourself at your ideal weight. How would you feel? Confident? Sexy? How would you breath once your clothes are no longer tight? What would you wear? Are there things you've not worn lately- or, perhaps, ever- because your weight's left you feeling self conscious? Picture being able to get back into that dress, or that handsome, French cuffed formal shirt that's fitted across the chest. Find whatever ill-fitting article of clothing that you've tucked away in the back of your closet, and picture yourself in it, feeling great. Visualizing your goals in minute detail this way can have a profound impact on your motivation and is a simple way to help you stick to your diet and exercise regimen.
3. Place Visual Reminders All Around Your Home
Remember those clothes you've tucked away, because you didn't want to look at them (the ones mentioned in Tip #2)? Now is the time to bring them out of the darkness. Pull them to the front of your closet, or somewhere equally visible in your home. Even if you cannot yet fit into them, these articles of clothing will serve as a powerful reminder of your ultimate weight loss goal, to help you stay motivated.
4. Savor the Flavors
For most people "diet" food is not an effective solution for long term weight loss. This is because it's frequently bland and unsatisfying, and when you're unsatisfied, you tend to binge on junk later on, which does nothing to reduce your caloric intake. Instead of stocking up on flavorless "diet" foods, eat smaller portions of food you actually like and then enjoy every single bite. Savor your food like a gourmand- appreciate the nuances, the combination of textures, tastes, and smells, and then, when your food no longer tastes absolutely delicious, stop eating it.
5. Eat Slowly
The mind is a powerful thing, but sometimes the speed at which it functions is not quite what we'd like it to be. One instance in which this is the case is fullness. It takes around 20 minutes for the mind to register the stomach as full, and in this amount of time, it's easy to have overdo it. So to make up for this relatively delayed response time, eat slowly. Eat until you're satisfied, but not necessarily "full," as by this time, it's quite possible you've overeaten, and taken in far more calories than necessary.
The next time you sit down to a meal, try to take these tricks to heart. They're deceptively simple, but can make a big impact when it comes to making you more mindful of what you are eating and how you approach food in general. You'll be amazed at the weight you'll drop.
Are you one of the millions of Americans struggling to lose weight? If you'd like to learn more about how to retrain your mind so that you can change your eating habits for the better for good, then visit me at my website
DrScottLewis.com for more information.
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