A Few Old Fashioned Tips for Weight Control

Controlling your weight is a constant guilt trip for most of us.  If it's not your weight, it's a question of whether you are getting all the right nutrients.  Fast food is so easy--just make a trip through the drive-through and dinner is done.  But...did you think about the fat in those fries?  Did you really need that big a burger?  My tips are mostly concentrated on thinking about what you are eating and how much is enough.

1. When you are at home, use a small plate.  If the plate is full, you feel more satisfied.
2. Cultivate a taste for raw vegetables.  They are filling, they take more time to eat, and they are low in calories.  You can buy baby carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower in small packages ready to eat.
3. If you use dip, make sure it is non-fat.
4. Baked potatoes are filling and nutritious, but you have to be careful about the butter, cheese, and bacon bits.  Stick to non-fat sour cream and chives.
5. Snacking is a good way to control calorie intake.  Eat a small meal.  Of course you will be hungry soon, but you can use the veggies.  If you are really hungry add a piece of fruit.  It does have more calories than the veggies, but it's still a low calorie treat.  A cup of raw broccoli is about 25 calories and a peach or apple is about 40.
6. If you have a craving for fried chicken, eat a large salad first.  One piece may be all you want.
7. With desserts the key is portion size.  Split a dessert with a friend or your husband or take it home for later.  You don't need dessert every meal.  Make it a real treat.

If you learn to apply some of the tips one at a time, you may begin to think is smaller portions and servings.  After a while, you don't feel deprived or insulted when someone says "Is that all you want?"  And you feel great when they say how much weight you have lost.