Tools for Long Term Healthy Eating

It is ironic that I would attempt to write about long term and healthy eating.  I can write better about backsliding and repeat offender.  But one thing I do have in my favor, I keep on keeping on.  The fact that I have not gotten much more than 20 pounds over my wedding day weight except for pregnancy is a little admirable.  So, here are the tools that when I use them do work to keep me from eating everything in sight for 6 months.

1. Write it Down/Calories Count  It is kind of like money, even if you don't keep track of it, it still counts.  So, keeping track of what I'm eating even when I blow it helps me not keep blowing it.  I use Lose IT .com and it makes it really easy.  

2. Drink water not diet drinks.  I don't know what it is, but  diet drinks don't taste good with healthy food, and water does not fit in well with junk food. I do drink coffee, tea, and Crystal Light and they don't seem to have craving for junk food effect that diet drinks have. I'm just saying.

3.  Weigh.  I don't like to do this because no matter what happens, my reaction is not good. If my weight is down, I like to eat the rest of the day for a reward.  If my weight is up, I eat all day because I'm depressed about it.  But I have noticed that not knowing is the worse.  So, I suggest weighing once a month.  Plus when your clothes get tight there is not denying that something is up.  Clothes you've had for years don't suddenly begin to shrink.

4.  Quit making food the highlight of my life.  This is huge.  I always think of fun as entertainment with a fun factor.  Most healthy foods aren't fun.  So, I give myself coffee after dinner and consider that fun.  I get other things to do distract myself like a good book or go to Target, or google famous people.  When food is the focal point of my life - and with all the restaurants, and cooking shows it is hard not to get consumed with food - especially when you aren't working full time - it is hard not to eat all the time.  So, I work to distract myself.

I have a few other tools, like buying fruit already cut up, and Chick-fil-a when I'm about to go wild eating.  But these 4 are the basics.