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Secret Weapons For Weight Loss

When we think of dieting, we think of being hungry and having to eat boring, bland food.  Just the idea is enough to send us to the refrigerator to eat everything in sight. 

One of the tricks to being successful on a diet is to find ways to satisfy our appetites (physical and emotional) without overeating.  Some ways to do that include practicing portion control, substituting healthier choices and finding balance.  These are some of my secret weapons for weight loss. 

On the WeightWatchers diet, you can eat anything you want: lasagna, pizza, strawberry shortcake, chocolate cupcakes . . .  The thing is, to stay within your weekly points (and thus lose weight), you have to find balance.  So, if you're scheduled to attend a dinner party where cocktails and high calorie foods will be served and you want to indulge, then you would save the 35 extra points you get each week for the dinner party and work out several times that week to earn extra points.  Or, for those of us who are not on WeightWatchers, you would work out several times that week and eat really well so that you could have a cheat day on the day of the dinner party without  guilt. 

Making healthier choices to satisfy our cravings is another useful tool for weight loss.  For example, instead of hitting the vending machine in the late afternoons, I substitute a healthy snack to tide me over until dinner (i.e., baby carrots with hummus or a peanut butter and grape  spread sandwich on light whole-wheat bread, or fresh fruit and a handful of pistachio nuts).   When I get the evening munchies and I'm craving salt, instead of reaching for addictive potato chips and devouring a large bag, I pop a bag of 94% fat-free popcorn instead.  If I'm craving chocolate, I might have a few York Peppermint Patties or make hot chocolate with Ghiradelli's unsweetened cocoa powder, almond milk, a packet of non-calorie sweetener (Truvia) and a dash of vanilla flavoring instead of having a chocolate bar. 

When my doctor first took me off dairy, I mourned the fact that I might never be able to eat ice cream again (prior to that I could have bought stock in Ben & Jerry's), but then I discovered the joys of ice cream made from coconut milk (Purely Decadent's Mocha Almond to be exact) and whipped cream made from cashews, and now I am a happy child.

My third secret weapon for weight loss is portion control.  I make sure to include all of the foods I like in my repertoire so that I don't feel deprived.  I just find ways to lighten up the recipes without sacrificing taste or texture.  Sometimes, that's not possible though.   In that event, if I really want it, I will still have it.  I just make sure to limit the item to one portion and then plan the rest of the meal and sometimes the rest of the day around it.  If it's a high calorie meat dish, I might have it with a salad and forgo the carb.  Or, if it's a high calorie side dish I crave, I might have it with a lower calorie protein like shrimp or boneless skinless chicken breast and a zero point vegetable.

I am sure that, with a little experimentation and practice, you will find a few weapons for weight loss of your own.  In the meantime, I hope that some of mine work for you. 

Peace

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